The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center announced today that it would rename its historic Farmhouse Residence after longtime scenic designer and educator, Skip Mercier, late of Rowayton, CT. Mercier died of pancreatic cancer on March 11th, 2021.
From 1983 to 2004, Skip was the resident designer for the O’Neill’s National Playwrights Conference. He led the Dream Design conversations, a signature element of the NPC development process where he was in direct conversation with playwrights about their work, the world of their play, and how the audience is moved through it. During that time, he worked with August Wilson, Lee Blessing, Cindy Lou Johnson, John Patrick Shanley, Barbara Davenport, Adam Rapp, and many more.
Skip was also the beloved design instructor at the O’Neill’s National Theater Institute for nearly 30 years, where he taught drawing, set, and costume design, mostly to students who were taking a design class for the first time. He brought expertise, generosity, imagination, and inspiration into the classroom and is remembered for transforming many actors to artists through exploration, laughter, intentional challenges, and a deep appreciation for truly looking at the world. One of Skip’s favorite locations on the O’Neill’s campus to sit and engage his fellow artists in these introspective exchanges was the porch of the Farmhouse that will soon bear his name, a frequent residence for the young aspiring artists who Skip so often encouraged.
A champion of the O’Neill’s broad contributions to American culture, he curated 2004’s “40X40” exhibit at Hygenic Art and Lyman Allyn Museum, showcasing 40 set design renderings from NPC to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Ten years later, he curated “Launchpad of the American Theater: The O’Neill since 1964”, an exhibit chronicling 50 years of O’Neill history at New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and the Lyman Allyn Museum.
He was celebrated for a wealth of professional achievements as a set, costume, and puppet designer on over 360 shows off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally. His scenic design for Juan Darién: A Carnival Mass by Julie Taymor and Elliot Goldenthal earned him a Tony nomination
The renaming ceremony will take place on the O’Neill’s campus — 305 Great Neck Road, in Waterford — at 2pm on Saturday, July 1, at the Farmhouse.
Further information from the O’Neill Theatre Center: www.theoneill.org/
