DOCSLIB.ORG

Directing the Design Creating the Visual World of the Play

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Directing the Design Creating the Visual World of the Play Directing the design Creating the visual world of the play The 2006 Human Race Theatre Company production of Big River, directed by Joe Deer and designed by Dunsi Dai. 4 TEACHING THEATRE BY JOE DEER S C O SCENERY CAN TELL the audience a great standing of her obligations for each TT J. KIMMIN deal about the world they’re entering, stage of the process, and a volunteer or and support the director’s ideas about student designer in training probably S mood, conflict, and themes. It offers won’t—when it’s time for the designer visual interest and variety and provides to build a model or draw a detailed a physical space that lends itself to a ground plan, you’ll have to ask for it.) range of staging opportunities. A good Thus the process outlined in this set does all these things. article can and should be modified to If you’re a lucky director, you have fit your circumstance. In fact, in most an ally in the process: your scenic de- situations this template for collabora- signer. Her job is to imagine a visual tion will be adjusted to take advantage expression of the world of the play or of the special opportunities of your musical and to represent the set she school, the interests and talents of your sees in her head in terms that you and students, and the particular needs of the people responsible for building and the show you’re producing. But this is painting it can understand in detail. On a good model to start with. most productions the scenic designer Your first job is to line up the peo- is also responsible for the properties ple who will design (this might even (all the furniture and all the objects that be you), build and operate the scenery, actors will handle in the show) and set lights, and costumes for your produc- dressing. tion. It’s a good idea to get this roster It is the shared goal of the director of collaborators on board as soon as and designer to achieve a design that possible. Have a preliminary get- feels as though there is no other pos- together to let them know what show sible visual world that the show could you’ll all be doing, share a rough out- live in. The directorial interpretation line of the budget, and sketch the pro- and the design are one. But getting duction schedule. Be sure to include to that place takes some thoughtful, your music director and choreographer, intelligent consideration, a talent for as well as all of the designers, in the metaphor, a collaborative spirit, and a conversation. This is a purely logistical capacity on both sides for sharing and meeting to get the frame of the yet-to- receiving ideas. In this article I’ll out- be-painted picture in place. You can line the process that I have used as a outline the process we’ll discuss in this director to work with many designers article with them and even share the on scores of successful productions. article itself. Establishing a set of shared In a school theatre setting, the expectations for the design process will director’s design ally may be a talented help make things run more smoothly student or a parent who has carpentry and avoid some of the frustration that skills. The principles are the same as can accompany any passionate collabo- when you’re working with a profes- ration. Your production calendar can sional scenic designer. (With this key outline when your part of the process difference: a professional designer will is due to them, and when you’d like come to the table with a clear under- theirs, as well. Be sure to allow some TEACHING THEATRE 5 flexibility for the reality of lives that in- Take quick note of your first impres- show on first encounter. Orderliness, clude at least one full-time job besides sions. Don’t edit—just let them tumble comic chaos, pastoral romance, emo- this very demanding project. onto the page in any form they take. tional austerity, psychological intrigue, Doodles, shorthand words and phrases, etc. The qualities of the music can Record your first impressions full sentences, quotes from the text, often tell you a good deal about this As with so much in the theatre, prepa- even sketches can be potent reminders question. Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific ration is crucial. Once you’ve had a of what you feel most compelled by. Overtures will suggest a very different chance to read the script and listen to These are the seeds of your fuller inter- world than Grease. Try to articulate the music (if you’re directing a musi- pretation. your gut reactions. No one has to read cal) the first time, you’ll be ready to go What does this world look like? Do your notes, and you can refine the back and start answering some “first you imagine any specific scenic ele- wording later on. impressions” questions that will help ments? Colors, shapes, textures, lighting Who are the most important people you gather your thoughts and lead you qualities? Is this an architectural world, in the story? Is A Little Night Music to a clearer sense of what you want to a natural world, fragmented scenery, Frederick’s story? Desiree’s? A trio of do with the show. or highly realistic? Is there a configura- characters sharing focus? Why do you Some people resort to simply copy- tion of the audience in relation to the care about these people? Who attracts ing the original design and interpreta- playing space that you want to employ? you or distances you? You don’t need tion of a show because they aren’t If you know the space, are there ways to think simply in terms of heroes and used to creating a design for their own that you’d like to use it for this specific villains to identify whose story matters production. I don’t recommend that production? Adjectives that describe most to you. There’s no need to judge for two principle reasons. The first is textures, colors, and condition—like any characters. Just react. the practical consideration that it will “gritty,” “pristine,” “pastel,” “earth- What are you reminded of? Did probably not be possible to reproduce toned”—can be useful. And those de- any works of visual art, literature, TV, the design in a way that satisfies your scriptions may be different for different film, or other items of popular culture expectations. The second is the un- portions of the show. come to mind as you read and lis- settled legal question of whether the Do any strong staging images stand tened? These references can sometimes creative work of the original director out? Compositional ideas can some- provide you with an anchor for your and designer is protected by copyright. times come to you as you read and lis- production and help your designers get So for the purposes of this article, let’s ten. Note these. Phrases like “a swirling a handle on your ideas for the show. treat the design process as if you’re the mob carrying protest signs,” “the city For instance, the original production of director of the original production start- is his enemy,” “the earth opens up to Fiddler on the Roof was powerfully in- ing with a blank slate. reveal her” can be provocative as you fluenced by the director’s attraction to As you make your notes, consider move forward. These can also come the work of painter Marc Chagall. these questions as a way of gathering from the text, the stage directions, or How do the historical setting of the your thoughts: the music. story (or the writing of the show) and What strike you as the most im- What does the world of this show feel the location affect your ideas about it? portant ideas, feelings, images, and like to you? It can be useful to recog- Jason Robert Brown’s Parade is deeply moments from the first read/listen? nize the emotional experience of the rooted in Georgia in 1913. History, The drawings above show the series of steps Dunsi Dai used to create the set design for Big River. Left to right: A thumbnail sketch of the basic style and stage space; a detailed sketch that begins to suggest the relationships and functionality of the set in individual scenes; a color sketch that includes hues, texture, and patterns; and a final complete rendering of the set design. 6 TEACHING THEATRE culture, and place have a great deal to This will be a touchstone for you and discovers his own humanity in the do with that story. This may not be the everyone associated with the produc- process. It is literally a journey down case with other shows. Does historical tion as you move forward, so it’s worth the Mississippi River just before the Civil War. But more importantly, it is accuracy matter to you? the time it takes to get it right. You’ll a spiritual journey into the territory of What is the style of this piece? Style want to have all those earlier notes empathy and morality. Over the course can be identified as the rules for per- handy as you begin this process. of this journey, Huck and his traveling formance behavior that we consistently Think big! Take a stand! The con- companion, the runaway slave Jim, employ in a show. Asking if the world cept statement, to be useful, must become friends, then brothers, as they share dreams and discover their pro- of your show is like a comic strip, a reveal what it is about the show that found common bond.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Roundabout Planning, Design, and Operations Manual
    Roundabout Planning, Design, and Operations Manual December 2015 Alabama Department of Transportation ROUNDABOUT PLANNING, DESIGN, AND OPERATIONS MANUAL December 2015 Prepared by: The University Transportation Center for of Alabama Steven L. Jones, Ph.D. Abdulai Abdul Majeed Steering Committee Tim Barnett, P.E., ALDOT Office of Safety Operations Stuart Manson, P.E., ALDOT Office of Safety Operations Sonya Baker, ALDOT Office of Safety Operations Stacey Glass, P.E., ALDOT Maintenance Stan Biddick, ALDOT Design Bryan Fair, ALDOT Planning Steve Walker, P.E., ALDOT R.O.W. Vince Calametti, P.E., ALDOT 9th Division James Brown, P.E., ALDOT 2nd Division James Foster, P.E., Mobile County Clint Andrews, Federal Highway Administration Blair Perry, P.E., Gresham Smith & Partners Howard McCulloch, P.E., NE Roundabouts DISCLAIMER This manual provides guidelines and recommended practices for planning and designing roundabouts in the State of Alabama. This manual cannot address or anticipate all possible field conditions that will affect a roundabout design. It remains the ultimate responsibility of the design engineer to ensure that a design is appropriate for prevailing traffic and field conditions. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1.1. Purpose ...................................................................................................... 1-5 1.2. Scope and Organization ............................................................................... 1-7 1.3. Limitations ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Principles of Design
    Principles of Design Balance Proportion/Scale Emphasis Rhythm Introduction The principles of design are essential to the development and production of clothing used by individuals and families around the world. Each principle has a specific role in creating an aesthetically pleasing garment or ensemble. The principles of design consist of: balance, proportion (also referred to as scale), emphasis, and rhythm. When a garment or ensemble uses the elements and principles of design to create a visual unity, harmony is achieved. Garments often integrate more than one principle, while drawing from the elements of design to create a cohesive look. The following discussion will present background information on each of the principles of design and applications to clothing design and construction. Balance According to Wolfe (2011) balance implies that there is an equilibrium or uniformity among the parts of a design (p. 205). To achieve balance, a garment or ensemble should have equal visual weight throughout the design. The use of structural features, added embellishments, or decorations to a garment contribute to the appearance of a garment or ensemble being balanced or not. A clothing designer can utilize surface designs on fabric to construct a garment creating visual balance. Further, color, line, and texture can impact the balance of a design. For example, cool and light colors have less visual weight than dark, warm colors. If an individual is wearing a small amount of a dark, warm color it can be balanced out with a larger amount of cool, light colors. Balance used in clothing design can be categorized into two groups: Formal and Informal Balance.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 2: Ptolemy II Software Architecture)
    Heterogeneous Concurrent Modeling and Design in Java (Volume 2: Ptolemy II Software Architecture) Christopher Brooks Edward A. Lee Xiaojun Liu Stephen Neuendorffer Yang Zhao Haiyang Zheng Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences University of California at Berkeley Technical Report No. UCB/EECS-2007-8 http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2007/EECS-2007-8.html January 11, 2007 Copyright © 2007, by the author(s). All rights reserved. Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission. Acknowledgement This work was supported in part by the Center for Hybrid and Embedded Software Systems (CHESS) at UC Berkeley, which receives support from the National Science Foundation (NSF award #CCR-0225610), the State of California Micro Program, Rome AFRL, and the following companies: Agilent, DGIST, General Motors, Hewlett Packard, Infineon, Microsoft, National Instruments, and Toyota. PTOLEMY II HETEROGENEOUS CONCURRENT MODELING AND DESIGN IN JAVA Edited by: Christopher Brooks, Edward A. Lee, Xiaojun Liu, Steve Neuendorffer, Yang Zhao, Haiyang Zheng VOLUME 2: PTOLEMY II SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE Authors: Shuvra S. Bhattacharyya Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences University of California at Berkeley Christopher Brooks I T Y • O F S • C R A http://ptolemy.eecs.berkeley.edu E A L V Elaine Cheong I I F N O U R • L John Davis, II N E E L T IG H T T I H H A E T R E BE • Mudit Goel Document Version 6.0 • •1 8 6 8• Bart Kienhuis for use with Ptolemy II 6.0 Edward A.
    [Show full text]
  • New Product Development Methods: a Study of Open Design
    New Product Development Methods: a study of open design by Ariadne G. Smith S.B. Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010 SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS DEVISION AND THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREES OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY AND MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING A; SW AT THE <iA.Hu§TTmrrE4 MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY H 2 INSTI' SEPTEMBER 2012 @ 2012 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. Signature of Author: Department of Engineering Systems Division Department of Mechanical Engineering Certified by: LI David R. Wallace Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Systems Thesis Supervisor Certified by: Joel P. Clark P sor of Materials Systems and Engineering Systems Acting Director, Te iology and Policy Program Certified by: David E. Hardt Ralph E. and Eloise F. Cross Professor of Mechanical Engineering Chairman, Committee on Graduate Students New Product Development Methods: a study of open design by Ariadne G. Smith Submitted to the Departments of Engineering Systems Division and Mechanical Engineering on August 10, 2012 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Technology and Policy and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering ABSTRACT This thesis explores the application of open design to the process of developing physical products. Open design is a type of decentralized innovation that is derived from applying principles of open source software and crowdsourcing to product development. Crowdsourcing has gained popularity in the last decade, ranging from translation services, to marketing concepts, and new product funding.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Scene Design COURSE SYLLABUS: Spring 2014
    THE 366.001 – Introduction to Scene Design COURSE SYLLABUS: Spring 2014 Instructor: Michael G. Knight, Jr., Assoc. Professor of Theatre Design & Technology Office Location: PAC rm. 104 Office Hours: by appointment Office Phone: 903.886.5311 Office Fax: 903.468.3250 University Email Address: [email protected] COURSE INFORMATION Materials – Textbooks, Readings, Supplementary Readings: Textbook(s)/Materials Required: 1. (1) package printer paper 2. 3 ring binder (2”) 3. Plenty of pencils 4. Plenty of paper (notes) 5. White card stock paper (8.5 x11) 6. Black foam core (5 sheets) 7. Vellum drafting paper (will be provided) 8. Balsa wood/Model wood 9. Art supplies 10. Acrylic Paper (8.5 x 11) Course Description: The basic techniques of the principles and practices of scenic design for stage. Included are design functions, construction, painting, modeling, history and theories of design. Pre-requisite THE 215 or instructor approval. Student Learning Outcomes: 1. The student will be able to understand the basic skills and theoretical practices involved in scenic design. 2. The student will be able to identify and understand the use of scenic design equipment and tools associated with design. 3. The student will be able to practically apply the skills learned in a completed scenic design (conceptual). COURSE REQUIREMENTS Instructional / Methods / Activities Assessments: Students will be graded on a series of quizzes, exams, type-written/hand written assignments, drafting projects, model projects, painting projects, and theoretical essay responses. Grading: Quizzes: 5 20 pts. 100 pts. Topic Assignments: 10 10 pts. 100 pts. Final Project 1 100 pts. 100 pts.
    [Show full text]
  • (Purple Masque) Scenic Design Checklist
    SECOND STAGE (PURPLE MASQUE) SCENIC DESIGN CHECKLIST MANDATORY ATTENDANCE AT: All director/designer meetings Minimum of two meetings with Faculty Scenic Designer: one prior to preliminary deadline, and one prior to final deadline. All production meetings Minimum of one run-through rehearsal prior to crew watch Crew watch All technical and dress rehearsals Strike Any conflicts with attending the above meetings/rehearsals must be cleared ahead of time with the faculty designer and the director. IMPORTANT INFORMATION There is a very limited time frame for installation and painting of scenery in the masque. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to be organized prior to your load in date. Some things to consider: You will be working late nights/weekends during load in and tech, so plan ahead to have papers/homework/studying done ahead of time. “I had to write a paper so the set didn’t get done until opening night” is not a valid excuse. EVERYTHING needs to be built prior to load in. It is best if you can paint pieces beforehand, also. If you are building a large unit, make sure it will fit through all doors. Large units in pieces should be “dry fit” in the scene shop to make sure they assemble as planned. Make sure you arrange for help ahead of time. People will be more willing to assist you if they know a week or two beforehand. This is not just your show. Having the scenery unfinished not only affects the actors, but the lighting and costume designs as well. ROUGH DESIGNS Rough designs will include research image boards of conceptual, architectural and detail inspirations for the set.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 3 Software Design
    CHAPTER 3 SOFTWARE DESIGN Guy Tremblay Département d’informatique Université du Québec à Montréal C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8 [email protected] Table of Contents references” with a reasonably limited number of entries. Satisfying this requirement meant, sadly, that not all 1. Introduction..................................................................1 interesting references could be included in the recom- 2. Definition of Software Design .....................................1 mended references list, thus the list of further readings. 3. Breakdown of Topics for Software Design..................2 2. DEFINITION OF SOFTWARE DESIGN 4. Breakdown Rationale...................................................7 According to the IEEE definition [IEE90], design is both 5. Matrix of Topics vs. Reference Material .....................8 “the process of defining the architecture, components, 6. Recommended References for Software Design........10 interfaces, and other characteristics of a system or component” and “the result of [that] process”. Viewed as a Appendix A – List of Further Readings.............................13 process, software design is the activity, within the software development life cycle, where software requirements are Appendix B – References Used to Write and Justify the analyzed in order to produce a description of the internal Knowledge Area Description ....................................16 structure and organization of the system that will serve as the basis for its construction. More precisely, a software design (the result) must describe the architecture of the 1. INTRODUCTION system, that is, how the system is decomposed and This chapter presents a description of the Software Design organized into components and must describe the interfaces knowledge area for the Guide to the SWEBOK (Stone Man between these components. It must also describe these version).
    [Show full text]
  • Sean Michael Savoie ˘ Lighting Designer 7358 Pershing Ave
    Sean Michael Savoie ˘ Lighting Designer 7358 Pershing Ave. Apt 2W z St. Louis, MO 63130 z 513.319.8407 [email protected] Professional Vita Employment Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO Lighting Designer / Production Manager (Summer 2007 ˘ Present) • Teach all Lighting Design courses and others as assigned • Lead Designer for main stage productions and supervisor of student designs • Production Manager for Performing Arts Department • Design / Technology Coordinator The Muny St. Louis, MO Production Manager ( 2008 ˘ 2011) • Manage build, installation and tech of a very demanding seven show summer season • Coordination between IATSE crew and Broadway designers, directors and stage managers • 11,000 seat performance venue; over $7 million budget; Broadway’s top performers • Oversee design internship company • Nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music Cincinnati, OH Production Manager / Adjunct Instructor (Autumn 2005 ˘ Summer 2007) • Technical coordinator of all CCM Dance & Preparatory Department concerts • Technical coordinator of all CCM Unsupported (non-mainstage) workshops for Drama, Opera and Musical Theatre • Average academic year will include about 14 productions • Coordinate and manage student crews for any non-university performance group • Instructor of Stage Lighting I in BFA curriculum (full year course) • Instructor of Introduction to Lighting (quarterly) • Numerous lectures on Architectural Lighting Design & Practice Cincinnati Fringe Festival Cincinnati,
    [Show full text]
  • Graphic Designer III
    City of Portland Job Code: 30000373 CLASS SPECIFICATION Graphic Designer III FLSA Status: Covered Union Representation: Professional and Technical Employees (PTE) GENERAL PURPOSE Under general direction, performs advanced, specialized work in the graphic design and production of printed publications, visual displays, and on-screen presentations; coordinates large, multiple and/or complex graphic design projects including developing time lines, schedules and budgets; provides lead direction to other graphic design staff; and other related duties as assigned. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Graphic Designers III perform the more difficult and creatively challenging graphic design assignments. Incumbents analyze bureau needs and plans, schedule and supervise design projects from conceptualization to completion and provide lead work direction and training of other graphic design staff. Graphic Designer III is distinguished from relevant supervisor classes in that incumbents in the latter classes are responsible for assigning, supervising and evaluating professional and technical staff. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Any one position in this class may not perform all the duties listed below, nor do the listed examples of duties include all similar and related duties that may be assigned to this class. 1. Performs highly skilled graphic design functions and tasks; produces graphic images, including drawings, elevations, isometrics, charts, graphs and digital photographs, for use in paper publishing, Power Point presentations or web-based applications; designs and prepares freehand graphic sketches, perspectives and cartoons to communicate ideas and concepts pictorially. 2. Plans, organizes, assigns and monitors the work of a graphic design work group; develops and implements standards, policies and procedures; monitors the work group budget; prioritizes, plans and schedules projects and processes; checks work and manages work flow.
    [Show full text]
  • Industrialdesign
    National Endowment for the Arts I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N A Competitive Edge for U.S. Manufacturing Success in the Global Economy I N D U S T R I A L D E S I G N A Competitive Edge for U.S. Manufacturing Success in the Global Economy April 2017 National Endowment for the Arts 400 7th Street SW Washington, DC 20506 Telephone: 202-682-5400 arts.gov Produced by Office of Programs and Partnerships, Design Program Jason Schupbach, Director of Design Programs, National Endowment for the Arts Content by Heidi Sheppard, Advisor for Technology Collaborations, National Institute for Standards and Technology, Manufacturing Extension Partnership; Courtney Spearman, Design Specialist, Office of Programs and Partnerships, NEA; and Katryna Carter, Design Consultant, Office of Programs and Partnerships, NEA Other Staff Contributors: Don Ball, Assistant Director - Publications, Office of Public Affairs, NEA; Bonnie Nichols, Operations Research Analyst, Office of Research and Analysis, NEA. Designed by Katryna Carter For their valuable assistance with this report, the NEA Design Program would like to thank the following people: Daniel Martinage, Industrial Designers Society of America; Susan Page Estes and Paul Hatch, DesignHouse; all those who were interviewed; and Laska Hurley, Office of Programs and Partnerships. 202-682-5496 Voice/TTY (a device for individuals who are deaf or hearing-impaired) Individuals who do not use conventional print materials may contact the Arts Endowment’s Office for Accessibility at 202-682-5532 to obtain this publication in an alternate format. This publication is available free of charge in PDF format at arts.gov.
    [Show full text]
  • Scenic Design: a Compilation Kelly Meredith Paysinger Hart University of South Carolina - Columbia
    University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 2014 Scenic Design: A compilation Kelly Meredith Paysinger Hart University of South Carolina - Columbia Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Recommended Citation Hart, K. P.(2014). Scenic Design: A compilation. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2593 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SCENIC DESIGN: A COMPILATION by Meredith Paysinger Hart Bachelor of Arts Sweet Briar College, 2010 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre College of Art and Sciences University of South Carolina 2014 Accepted by: Nic Ularu, Director of Thesis Lisa Martin-Stuart, Reader Steven Pearson, Reader Lacy Ford, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies © Copyright by Meredith Paysinger Hart, 2014 All Rights Reserved. ii ABSTRACT Scenic Design: A Compilation ventures into the process of creating three productions including, Boeing Boeing, Fusions and Three Sisters. Exploring the foundations of each design, the content covers all aspects from the beginning to the implementation of each production. Supported through historical research, inspiration, function of space and the endless possibilities of creation, this thesis will reveal the growth of each design in great detail. Theatre is about collaboration, creating a world from a script and transforming it into an art of performance and design.
    [Show full text]
  • Theatrical Scenic Design: Creating the Physical World of the Play
    10th Annual Faculty Research & Creative Activities Symposium Presentation Title: Theatrical Scenic Design: Creating the Physical World of the Play Presenters: Sarah J. Fabian, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, Media, and Theatre Abstract: Scenic design is an important component of any theatrical production as almost every production will have some form of a set, however minimal. Scenery can be abstract, photo-realistic, or anywhere in between. The primary function of the scenic design is to provide the audience with some context of location(s) for the theatrical work. However, the most important element of any scenic design is to impart a point of view about the story and the world of the play, sharing an emotional and textural experience to the production – Are there moments of surprise, something that suddenly appears that wasn’t previously there? Does the physical world of the play transform to reveal new layers to the story? As a scenic designer, you must be creative, innovative and visionary all while working within the director’s vision. Additionally, scenic designers must understand how to take their artistic vision and make it into a reality through the work executed by the scene shop staff and artisans. For the 10th Annual Faculty Research & Creative Activities Symposium, I will share my design process from page-to-stage, and present two contrasting examples of my scenic design work from the past year – Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane adapted for the stage by Dwayne Hartford at Filament Theatre in Portage Park, and Fulfillment Center by Abe Koogler at A Red Orchid Theatre in Old Town.
    [Show full text]