Live Arts: Riw Rakkulchon On the Five Things You Need to Create a Highly Successful Career in Broadway, Theater or Live Performance Art
An Interview with Savio Clemente
Know your team. This ties in with being humble. Your team is your best asset. Some theatres excel in certain areas more than others — despite how much they might like to say they can do everything, that’s not true.
As a part of our series about creating a successful career in theatre, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Riw (pronounced Ree-you) is a Set & Costume Designer, Animator and Chef from Bangkok, Thailand..
He/They has worked at Yale Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, The Old Globe, Drury Lane Theatre, Asolo Rep, The Alley Theatre, The Acting Company, Edinburgh Fringe, Primary Stages, Hartford Stage, The Public Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music amongst others. Broadway Associate Set Design: Pass Over, &Juliet, Parade .Board member of WithAll, a non-profit Organization on a fight to end eating disorders. IG: @riwrdesign, B.F.A. Ithaca College, M.F.A Yale School of Drama (Donald & Zorca Oenslager Fellowship Award in Design Recipient). Connecticut Critics Circle Award — Best Set Design — 2023 Member of United Scenic Artist 829.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. A son to an extremely independent single mother, and a brother to a twin sister.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
After much of a very dark childhood, I found light when I joined the drama club in 8th grade. It was the community that brought me back to life — and it continues to.
At the time, the only course offered was acting, which I was involved in. It wasn’t until high school that I expanded into the realm of design. My drama teacher didn’t know how to speak Thai and asked me to help translate what he wanted for the set.
After that, I was asked to design Greek masks and costumes. Eventually, I was both designing and playing Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls during my senior year of high school. I then went on to Ithaca College to study theatre design.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are too many to count. But let’s start with an early influence.
Apart from drama club, I was also in Band and Choir. If there’s anyone to thank, it would have to be my choir director, Jose Libres Librodo (who was also my high school art teacher). We called him Mr. Joe. He taught me to be resilient and broke me out of the shell I was in — enough to make sure I pursued my own dreams.
Another major influence came after graduating from Ithaca College. I spent my summers at Williamstown Theatre Festival, where I met incredible designers like Wilson Chin, who was designing A Great Wilderness by Samuel D. Hunter in the summer of 2014. After graduation, I messaged Wilson to set up a portfolio review in hopes of assisting him. What began as a one-week trial turned into a working relationship that lasted seven years. I’ve been heavily influenced by the way he works and the many tricks I’ve picked up along the way.
I’ve also learned so much from assisting designers such as Jason Ardizzone-West, Donyale Werle, Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, Santo Loquasto, Dane Laffrey, Clint Ramos, and Walt Spangler, as well as from mentors like Ming Cho Lee, Riccardo Hernandez, Michael Yeargan, Jane Greenwood, and Jess Goldstein.
You probably have a lot of fascinating experiences. Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The most fascinating experience was, interestingly enough, switching gears at one point to do corporate design. I say “fascinating” because one might assume the craft between theatre and corporate work doesn’t compare. But then I’m reminded that there are stories to be told everywhere through design.
The choice of color, the spatial environment, the atmosphere of an evening — it’s all comparable to the plot of a play. It was a great reminder that the training we receive in theatre prepares us for more than we realize.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Not necessarily a funny story — but a lesson nonetheless. We talk a lot about developing gut instinct. The most important thing is learning to trust it.
There was one particular project where I ended up redesigning the show at least seven times, all to appease the producer. We were severely delayed, and throughout the process, the producer also made several microaggressive comments.
My instinct said: Run.
But I told myself, If I quit now, the next person will have an even worse time. So I stuck with it.
It was one of the worst mistakes of my life. The process continued to be miserable — and all for a show I would have walked out of at intermission.
Needless to say: trust your instincts. Don’t lose yourself in the work.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Currently, I’m working on Mexodus, a new musical by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, produced by Audibleand P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin). Directed by David Mendizábal, performances begin Tuesday, September 9, ahead of opening night on Thursday, September 18 at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City.
It’s a loop musical — featuring two actors creating music live on stage through looping, rapping, acting, and more. Designing a space that supports all of these elements is both an exciting challenge and a deeply involved process as a set designer.
It’s incredibly fun — and unlike anything I’ve worked on before.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of rejection, lack of support, or failure?
This is not an easy career. The community is welcoming to newcomers, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to work hard. That being said, I’ve always believed that this career is not a competition.
As artists, we grow in our own ways and at our own pace. The goal is to always strive to improve.
Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” I take that to heart.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in the live performance industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Have a hobby that is in no way related to theatre. Personally I bake.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career in Broadway, Theater or Live Performances” and why?
Tenacity. There will be dire times in your career. There are forces beyond your control. Stick with it.
Be humble. You don’t know everything, and there will always be someone who does something better than you.
Know your team. This ties in with being humble. Your team is your best asset. Some theatres excel in certain areas more than others — despite how much they might like to say they can do everything, that’s not true.
Be curious. Always ask when you don’t know. Always learn. There are new programs and new ways of doing things. If you stop growing with the times, you’ll be left behind.
Be patient. Something I’m still learning myself. In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, we expect instant gratification. But take your time. Sometimes you just need to put the pencil down, go for a walk, have a drink, do some yoga, bake — and then come back to it.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I just wish there was more funding for young students to have opportunities to experience theatre and the arts in their classrooms. For some, the arts feel too hard to reach. If they were more accessible to everyone, we could have more conversations — and the more we talk, the more we grow together.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Being Polite is a death of theatre” — Minig Cho Lee. Of course there is still decorum, but to truly express how you feel. Do not shy away from your thoughts, because at the end of the day you can have a conversation about ideas with others.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to work with several icons on their next world tour. Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Keke Palmer, Billie Eiliish, Charlie xcx, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Adele. I love their energy, and of course knowing me, I would be the one making breakfast/lunch for them.
How can our readers continue to follow your work online?
Please follow my instagram @riwrdesign which shows what I am working on and a little bit behind the scenes as well.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Live Arts: Riw Rakkulchon On the Five Things You Need to Create a Highly Successful Career in… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.