Four decades of designs for the theatre. This exhibition reveals the multi-faceted problems Gorelik encountered in designing for the stage but it does not do justice to his artistic achievements. Its major failing is that it presents Gorelik primarily as a draftsman rather than as a stage designer. In effect it focuses on his weakness instead of his strength, for his concepts rarely communicate theatrically (hence artistically) until they are realized on stage. The show actually faults its subject twice over. Not only does it miss the point in establishing Gorelik’s real medium, it also fails to make his artistic purpose clear. Although most of his work has been for commercial productions, he has been deeply concerned with the experimental “Epic” theatre. Yet only a few of his “Epic” designs are shown (e.g., The Annotated Hamlet, Volpone, A Hatful of Rain), and these are so meagerly represented that their differences from conventional stage form are not defined. Lacking a clear definition of its own purposes, this exhibition does not tell us enough about Gorelik’s position as an artist or as a contributor to modern theatrical usage.
—Betty Breckinridge
