It' s hard to put Charlie in a box but you certainly can' t keep him in a corner. Having gained notoriety in the 1970s for his bold, modern architecture, Charlie Azzue is still at it but this time he' s scaled things down. His current focus, which has been a passion throughout his career, is sculpture. His statues express strong social/political undertones, while others capture sheer joy and enthusiasm. At 70 years old, he feels he has arrived.

For those unfamiliar with Charlie' s sculpture, just take a look at the top of the Physicians and Surgeons Medical building on Victory Boulevard in Staten Island. Titled " Wo-man" – it has been staring down from its perch for nearly 35 years. From one perspective, it' s a female, from another male. Call him an architect, master builder, designer, artist – he' ll answer to any of them. Just don' t expect the ordinary.

Charlie has traveled the world, frequently to exercise his artistic talents on projects ranging from Sri Lanka to Rome, Santa Fe to Punta del Este, Uruguay. He has socialized with music icons such as Janis Joplin, The Band, and writer Emmett Grogan, to name some. Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn.

His latest works are as eye catching as many of his early designs. The one of a kind sculptures in his Currency Collection express Charlie' s feelings about global economic turmoil and the rampant materialism that currently defines our world. Yet Charlie remains an optimist, as captured in his Acrobat Collection.

His work has been featured in The New York Times, among other publications, his buildings listed in The Architect' s Guide to New York and his designs have garnered numerous awards. Odd that he feels he' s just now arrived – but that' s Charlie for you.

After seeing Ron Scott Stevens' last play, Cherry' s Patch, in 2006 at Soho Playhouse, Charlie asked some mutual friends to introduce him to the playwright. When he learned that Ron was working on another play and Ron learned of Charlie' s artistic talents, they agreed that it would serve both their interests if Charlie designed the set for The Cutting Den.

While sitting in the front row of the theater in early December, 2009 with playwright Ron Scott Stevens and director Richard Caliban, Charlie discussed his design with both for the upcoming production. When asked about his decision to design the set for The Cutting Den, Charlie doesn' t hesitate. He says, " I took this opportunity to work with a group of creative people and to do something that I' ve always wanted to do."

Now Charlie Azzue can also be called, set designer!