The Design of Scenery and Art of Scenic Transition for a Production of City of Angels THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Shane Paul Cinal, B.A Graduate Program in Theatre The Ohio State University 2015 Thesis Committee: Dan Gray, Advisor Mary Tarantino A. Scott Parry Copyright by Shane Paul Cinal 2015 Abstract City of Angels is a musical written by Larry Gelbart, Cy Coleman, and David Zippel, which was produced by The Ohio State University Department of Theatre in collaboration with the School of Music in the fall semester of 2014. This document discusses the process of designing the scenery in collaboration with the production team. The scenic design process involved consideration of the design aspects for City of Angels, including the Director’s concept in relationship to analysis of the text as well as the technical elements of the production’s design. This document narrates the scenic process guiding the production of the large-scale, film noir-inspired musical presented in Thurber Theatre to tell the story in a cinematically inspired performance. ii Dedication I would like to dedicate this thesis project as a whole to my mother, Jackie Cinal. For always being there on this journey with constant and continual love and support. iii Acknowledgments Natalie Cagle; for her friendship and inspirational attitude. Dan Gray; for his faith, support and encouragement throughout my graduate tenure. Chad Mahan and Chris Zinkon; for no matter how times I fell on my face, they were still there to give me another push. A Scott Parry; for his continual encouragement, friendship and enlightened conversations. Mary Tarantino: for the guidance offered and the recognition of constant art being made. iv Vita 29 December 1985 .........................................Born – South Bend, Indiana 2004................................................................High School Diploma, Academic Honors; Washington High School; South Bend, Indiana 2009................................................................B.A. Theatre and History, Major English, Minor Indiana University-Bloomington; Bloomington, Indiana 2013................................................................Department of Theatre, The Visit, scenic design 2013................................................................School of Music, Carmen, scenic design 2013................................................................Department of Theatre, The Tempest, scenic design 2014................................................................School of Music, The Rape of Lucretia, scenic design 2014................................................................School of Music & Department of Theatre, City of Angels, scenic design 2012 to present ..............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Theatre, The Ohio State University Italicized items are the creative projects done at The Ohio State University Major Field: Theatre - Scenic Design. v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Vita ...................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1: The Producing Situation ................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Show Synopsis and Script Analysis ................................................................. 7 Chapter 3: Research and Design Evolution ..................................................................... 29 Chapter 4: The Production Process .................................................................................. 59 Chapter 5: Evaluation ...................................................................................................... 75 References ..................................................................................................................... 82 Research Image Citations .............................................................................................. 83 Appendix A: The Director’s Concept ....................................................................... 84 Appendix B: The Scenic Plot .................................................................................... 94 Appendix C: Digital Scenic Renderings ................................................................... 98 Appendix D: Scenic Transition Cue Sheet .............................................................. 111 vi Appendix E: The Props List .................................................................................... 121 Appendix F: Scenic Drafting Packet ...................................................................... 127 Appendix G: Scenic Budget .................................................................................... 140 vii List of Figures Figure 1. Thurber audience seating ..................................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Thurber Theatre ground plan ............................................................................... 4 Figure 3. (Production Photo) Oolie bursts into the Inner Office ...................................... 10 Figure 4. (Production Photo) Buddy interrupts Stine’s writing process ........................... 11 Figure 5. (Production Photo) Gabby and Oolie, "What You Don't Know About Women" ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 6. (Production Photo) Buddy educates Stine in "The Buddy System" .................. 15 Figure 7. (Production Photo) Stine, “Medium shot of a public phone booth.”................. 16 Figure 8. (Production Photo) Stine and Donna mirror Stone and Mallory ....................... 18 Figure 9. (Production Photo) Stone breaks from the film to confront Stine. .................... 20 Figure 10a. Oolie in "You Can Always Count on Me” .................................................... 21 Figure 10b. Donna in “You Can Always Count on Me” .................................................. 21 Figure 11. (Production Photo) Carla reads from the film's Warehouse scene .................. 22 Figure 12. (Production Photo) Gabby explains, “It Needs Work” ................................... 23 Figure 13. (Production Photo) Stone confronts Alaura in the film's final scene .............. 25 Figure 14. (Production Photo) Stine and Gabby enjoy their Hollywood ending .............. 26 Figure 15. Examples of textures and composition in Double Indemnity, 1944. ............... 31 Figure 16. A Tribute to Film Noir; digital rendering ........................................................ 32 viii Figure 17. Images of L.A and vantage points ................................................................... 33 Figure 18. Detail view of backside of Hollywood sign .................................................... 34 Figure 19. Research image of noir detective office. Note: chair, desk, filing cabinet ..... 35 Figure 20. Initial scenic sketches of the Hotel and Office Units ...................................... 38 Figure 21. An AutoCAD drawing of the Shutter Curtain in its four configurations ........ 41 Figure 22. Rendering: Hotel, Buddy's Office, Outer Office scenes ................................. 42 Figure 23. Research image of a hotel room ...................................................................... 44 Figure 24. Initial sketch and tracking of Buddy's Unit ..................................................... 45 Figure 25. Refined sketch of Stone's Apartment unit ....................................................... 47 Figure 26. Refined rendering of the Bel-Air Mansion with adjacent Room .................... 49 Figure 27. Research image of noir brick in dressing room ............................................... 53 Figure 28. Digital rendering of how projections might work together. ............................ 55 Figure 29. Mahan explains the guide knives to practicum students ................................. 62 Figure 30. Completed Pergola unit on track ..................................................................... 65 Figure 31. Paint sample for the noir wainscoting ............................................................. 67 Figure 32. On set for Publicity Photos .............................................................................. 71 ix Chapter 1: The Producing Situation I was assigned City of Angels as my scenic design thesis at the beginning of spring semester 2014. I was advised that it was to be a large scale production, utilizing technology and automation and eagerly began my design process. Director A. Scott Parry emailed his concept to the design team prior to our first production meeting on February 10, 2014. His concept for City of Angels articulately described the approach he would take in mounting the production and the many design requirements. The production team reviewed