Anna Treusch is a terrific theater designer. Her sets fit the space of the theatre and perfectly reflect the world of the play. Even the hellishly difficult Coal Mine Theatre space does not give her pause. She designed the homey set for Between Riverside and Crazy that went down the length of the space and we were never in doubt that the people who lived there, actually lived there.
Her costume designs are equally as fitting. Her costumes for the Canadian Stage production of Sweat were work clothes for factory workers, a bar tender and assorted folks who lived and worked in their casual, unfancy clothes.
For the Canadian Stage production of Much Ado About Nothing in High Park the costumes were vibrant, whimsical, and eye-catching for the folks sitting far back on the hill. The designs never pull focus but always serve the play.
Then the pandemic hit. Theatres were closed. What does a designer do? If you are Anna Treusch you paint every day to be creative. She has always painted. And then she got the idea for the greeting cards.
She has designed a set of “Christmas Cards” that really could be appropriate for any time because they are so clever and funny and certainly in the time of COVID. The graphics are on the ‘cover’ and blank inside for your message. The graphics are hilarious and fitting. One says, “All I want for Christmas is a Vaccine.” Appropriate, or what? Another has a group of carol singers in costume, top hats for the men, simple hats for the women, masked, holding their binders of songs. The whole front of the card is full of these ‘words’: ‘hmmmmmmmm hmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmm.’ I sent it to a friend who is a singer in a choir. She roared with laughter and ordered cards from Anna. Another card depicts a ZOOM call with Santa and the reindeer, each in their own square, doing a thing perhaps appropriate to the name. I dare not tell you what Prancer is doing for fear that you are drinking a hot beverage. The one card that says everything is the one with a person in heavy boots, thick pants, long gloves and protective head gear with a plastic square in the face part of the head covering, the arms are out and the shirt says, “Let’s Hug.” Perfect. Besides the wit, humour and whimsy of the cards, is Anna’s heart, kindness and love of art, art in the world and art in us all and how it is essential.
I ordered the cards. Anna can deliver them. I chose to pick them up. I was told to meet at a certain place in mid-town close to her appartment. I was to call her when I was there. I told her I would be wearing wild leggings so she would know that masked person waiting was me. I was there at the appropriate time. I called. Anna was on her way. She arrived carrying two white bags. One was for the woman who got out of her car by the curb. One was for me. Anna approached and I said that this hand-over was like a drug drop (not that I would know about such things, but I saw it in a movie. Or a play. Can’t remember). Anna reminded me that we had met at a theatre. I was grateful for the cards. She will be doing others. They are terrific. Full of art, wit and heart.
647-688-9125 | www.treuschdesigns.com