The Post-Slap Oscars Stage Is Designed to Prevent Another Mishap
The 95th Academy Awards are officially underway! Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood have gathered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to celebrate the best in cinema. The theater looks quite different from last year’s spacious seating arrangement and crystal-covered backdrop. The glam, Art Deco arrangement is an ode to the moviegoing experience—and, less overtly, is designed to combat any unwanted onstage encounters after last year’s slap fiasco between Will Smith and Chris Rock.
Instead of a conversational approach to seating with tables and easy access to the stage, the venue boasts rows of seating that are typically found in movie theaters—a reset back to when crowded viewings were aplenty before the pandemic. This makes it less likely for an attendee to storm the stage, since they’d need to scoot past so many peers to exit their seat, although that supposedly wasn’t the intention. “We were very inspired by classic movie theaters, movie houses, and social salons,” production designer Misty Buckley told Fast Company.
LED screens are to thank for the stage’s alluring surroundings that feature a metallic palette of brass and bronze. About 3,500 square feet of them were installed throughout the theater and layered into the architecture, according to the outlet. "We were excited about the possibility of taking over and using architecture as a way to tell that story, as a way to celebrate the experience," executive producer Molly McNearney said in a press conference before the event. "Everything from walking under the marquee and into the theater to being overwhelmed by the size of the screen and letting yourself be engulfed in the drama of what’s about to play out."
But the design isn't solely tailored to be reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Buckley told Fast Company, "The space will transform throughout the night, so it never feels like you’re in one era or one type of theater."
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