|Glenda.Rovello|
Her name rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it? It’s playful, sophisticated, and warm. I imagine someone with that name roaming the streets of Italy, dressed like Audrey Hepburn. Or maybe that’s just my yearning… to roam.
But I digress.
Glenda has received THREE Emmy’s and TWO Art Director’s Guild Awards for Excellence in Production Design. You read that correctly… Her work on WILL & GRACE speaks volumes of her talent. We met on a short lived CBS show and because of our shared love of wallpaper and all things home design related, I had a secret crush on her talent right out of the gate.
A production designer sets a style, a mood, and tone of the world(s) we get swept up into. They help with a writer and director’s vision, which in turn helps actors with a sense of place and who they might be or become in any particular space; it allows them to create memories… a history or backstory. A great designer has a knowledge of history and is up on their pop culture references. Their skill set(s) vary, but most have a solid foundation and knowledge when it comes to architecture, art, design, lighting, and various types of materials (Glenda loves sculptures).
They have a sense of style… just like Glenda:
RS: Sell me you as a production designer (teasing me with a bit of fun backstory from your life) in a logline. Go!
GR: When people say they were wired to do what they do… that is a true description of me. My earliest memories of playing with my neighbors was creating the places for make-believe. With Karla it was building the corrals for her collection of plastic horses, or making a jungle for Mario’s GI JOES, crafting a cigar box into an upright piano for my Barbies. What I did when I was 7 years old is not much different than what I do now.
RS: What crew members report directly to you?
GR: Crew members who report to me???? Not so sure of that. People I work with are many. The Art Director, Construction Coordinator, Set Decorator. Others who I speak to CONSTANTLY are the paint foreman and prop maker foreman. I often have conversations with the prop master.
RS: Do you have a “management style”?
GR: I hope that the style could be described as a collaboration on creating the richest sets possible in terms of the architecture and the artifacts (set dressing) that support the story.
RS: Where are you when you get the most inspired?
GR: My state of mind is in a “quiet place.” I can be in a busy room of people, it isn’t hard for me to focus.
RS: Who is your favorite interior designer? Why?
GR: Axel Vervoordt. His work is quiet, his work is powerful, minimalist, and extraordinary!
RS: Who is your favorite architect?
GR: My husband, Scott Prentice! His homes are like a custom tailored suit for the inhabitants. Our homes have always been such a wonderful place to come home to.
RS: What’s a piece of advice you got early on that you think would benefit upcoming production designers?
GR: Always question your 1st assumption! Also, there is always more than one solution to any design question.
Always question your 1st assumption! Also, there is always more than one solution to any design question.
RS: What kind of traits are important to have in your job?
GR: Read carefully, listen with intent.
RS: What’s a skill set you had to improvise early on… that you mastered later?
GR: Being heard.
RS: Are you an introvert or extrovert?
GR: Naturally, I’m probably more of an introvert… however I must communicate all day with many collaborators; the crafts people, director and the writers of course.
RS: Is there something specific in your own home that you love design-wise? Why?
GR: A vintage merchant’s Tansu. I love the patina, the proportion, and the lovely items it holds.
RS: Our homes tell a story. What’s the central theme to yours?
GR: Our home is my family’s history. It is cozy and warm, yet very modern.
RS: You’re a fan of wallpaper. How many rooms in your own home have wallpaper?
GR: We have a custom mural of Mount Rushmore… colorized in a deep indigo hue. We also have a large wall covered in a paper designed by Fornasetti.
RS: What’s your favorite texture?
GR: Natural.
RS: Do you have a color scheme that’s your favorite?
GR: I truly do not have a favorite color scheme. I do have a favorite color and it is green. I love green so much that it is one of my son’s middle name. My other son’s middle name is Calder, after the artist.
RS: What was the most challenging set to design and why?
GR: Technically it was a tank for a porpoise (animatronic). We had to deal with the building department because of the size of the tank and the weight of water on the stage floor.
RS: What’s your least favorite type of space to design? Your favorite?
GR: Least favorite sets would be when something must look generic. Favorite sets are the highly idiosyncratic… bring on the escape rooms, historical tenements, or caves (love working with sculptors).
On Favorite Set(s) to design:
Highly idiosyncratic… bring on the escape rooms, historical tenements or caves.
RS: What’s a show — past and present — you wish you’d been able to design?
GR: Any Wes Anderson movie. They are always a visual hammer.
RS: Which character on Will & Grace do you relate to the most?
GR: Style wise it would be Will Truman, classic simple choices that underlines quality.
RS: Are you a procrastinator or are you a Type A kind of person?
GR: I am type A when it comes to work. The sooner I do my work then others have more time to do theirs, which make the sets better.
RS: What’s a mistake you’ve made that you only needed to make once to learn from?
GR: Not checking the spelling on signs before printing.
RS: What’s something that took you a while to master in the job?
GR: Presentations on ZOOM.
RS: Describe your perfect hotel room when on vacation.
GR: The location would weigh in heavily. General qualities would be Beauty (not necessarily fancy); I tend to love local crafts. Real materials. Lighting, air, and of course the view.
RS: Which do you prefer: A view of the mountains or the ocean?
GR: Like asking which of your children is your favorite.
RS: Has your gut ever deceived you?
GR: No. I’m lucky.
RS: What is one thing about you that would surprise people?
GR: I love gardens. People have certain expectations of my home’ interiors, but are often surprised by the garden, surprised in a good way.
RS: First famous person crush?
GR: Not sure if “crush” is how I would describe, but easy to call out. Jimmy Burrows!!!! I was initially so cowed to work for him, Jimmy is very respectful and kind to EVERYONE on stage. A complete joy to know him.
On getting work done quickly:
A motto that stuck with me from my early days as an assistant art director:
“DONE IS GOOD.”
RS: What’s a question you wish I’d asked you?
GR: If you were not a production designer what would be your dream profession ? (I truly can’t imagine doing anything else in terms of work!)
There you have it. The glamorous Glenda.
Some of Glenda’s favorites:
— Interior Designer: Axel Vervoordt: https://www.axel-vervoordt.com/
— Architect: https://scottprenticearchitects.com/
— Tansu (箪笥): Is the traditional mobile storage cabinetry indigenous to Japan. Tansu was first recorded in the Genroku era of the Edo period (1688–1704).
For more q&a’s, go to: www.rebecca-stay.com/blog
Bio:
Glenda Rovello has had a life long interest in visual storytelling. An attention to detail, visual sophistication, and a love for telling the story are constants in her work. She is passionate about design and building and the representation of how things work together.
With a graduate degree in Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, Glenda worked extensively in the United States for noted architects Robert Venturi, Charles Moore, and Barton Myers before entering work in entertainment. Experience in a wide range of film and television projects ranging from features to variety, talk, awards, and multi-camera shows has given Glenda far-reaching experience that she regularly draws upon. With numerous award nominations, Glenda has received three Emmy’s and two Art Director’s Guild Awards for Excellence in Production Design.