1. Introduction to Theatre
Scenery

2. Scenery
The Scenery Designer creates the visual world in which a play unfolds.
Brief History
Greek theatre – Background was a permanent building structure.
Machine to bring gods in and out
Periaktoi – Vertical 3 sided column which would could be rotated to present 3 different scenic pictures.
Medieval theatre – “mansions” were set up in town squares.
Represented different bible stories.

3. Scenery Elizabethan and Spanish theatre
Similar to Greek in that it had a permanent background structure
Used furniture pieces.
In Italy with the development of the proscenium theatre, actual scenery began to appear.
Since then, scenery has progressed to become more realistic and have improved machinery.
Designers have also crossed into other media such as film, TV, Concerts, theme parks, hotels (Las Vegas), and things like Cirque de Soleil.

4. Scenery Robert Edmond Jones
A good scene should be, not a picture, but an image. Scene-designing is not what most people imagined it is – a branch of interior decorating. There is no more reason for a room on a stage to be a reproduction of an actual room than for an actor who plays the part of Napoleon to be Napoleon or for an actor who plays Death in the old morality play to be dead. Everything that is actual must undergo a strange metamorphosis, a kind of sea change, before it can become truth in the theatre.

5. Scenery Objectives of Scene Design
Creating an environment for the performers and for the performance.
Helping to set the mood and style of the production.
Helping to distinguish realistic from nonrealistic theatre.
Establish the locale and period in which the play takes place.
Evolving a design concept in concert with the director and other designers.
Where appropriate, providing a central image or visual metaphor for the production.
Ensuring that the scenery is coordinated with other production elements
Solving practical design problems.

6. Scenery Scenic designer begins by reading and Analyzing the play.
Considers the world the characters live in.
Establish Mood and Style
Happy, sad, frightening, or uplifting?
Exaggerated or cartoonish? Serious?
Realistic and Nonrealistic Scenery
Realistic looks similar to real life
Nonrealistic gives freedom to designer to use symbols within the set design.

7. Scenery Locale and Period Design Concept
Should tell the audience where and when the play takes place.
Should tell the time period.
Can also tell about the characters in the play – messy or neat, Royalty or suburban, etc.
Design Concept
Sometimes the scenic design influences the production.
Ex. Midsummer Nights dream dir by Peter Brook

8. Scenery Central Image or Metaphor Coordination of the Whole
Provides a visual representation of a major theme or feeling embodied in the play.
Coordination of the Whole
Should be consistent with the play and director’s concept.
Technical Director makes sure that the design is safely constructed to support the action.

9. Scenery Practical Aspects of Scene Design The Physical Layout
Must fit into playing space - stage space
Movement behind scenery
Changing space
Physical movement on stage such as sword fights
Ground Plan – floor plan drawn to scale which shows placement of scenery and furniture, the way the doors open, backstage space and escape stairs
Stage areas – Stage right, Stage left ect.
Upstage and downstage came from when stage was raked. To Upstage someone meant to literally be up stage of them.

10. Scenery Materials of Scene Design Turntable – or revolve Trap doors
Wagons
Treadmill
Fly Loft – fly scenery or furniture
Flat
Cut-outs
Scaffolding etc
Scrim – gauze which allows light to pass through but can be painted.
Screen projection

11. Scenery Special Effects
Prop – property – not permanent part of scenery or costumes
Fog, ghosts, knives that appear to stab
Ultraviolet light
Strobe light
Sound effects

12. Scenery Elements of Design
Line – the outline or silhouette of elements
Mass and Composition – the balance and arrangement of elements
Texture – the feeling of the elements
Color – shadings and contrasts of color combinations
Rhythm – repetition of shape color and texture in a regular or irregular pattern
Movement – the way the action unfolds and the way it progresses from one scene to the next.

13. Scenery Steps in the Design Process Read and analyze the script
Meet with the director and discuss ideas
Roughs or thumbnail sketches
Meet with the director and discuss sketches
Create color renderings and usually a model
May use CAD (Computer assisted Design) program to create the design and ground plans

14. Scenery The Collaborators and the Production Process
Technical Director – responsible for solving overall technical problems
Prop Designer – provides furniture, lamps, handheld props
Scenic Charge Artist – Set painter
Stage Manager – Tapes floor according to ground plan to layout for actions
Design Assistants
Carpenters/Technician

15. Scenery Designing the total environment May rearrange the seating
May change the architecture of the theatre space
May use their surroundings to become part of the set.

16. Scenery Summary Set design creates the environment and sets the tone.
Often it is the first thing the audience sees
Uses elements of design to create the set
Collaborates with the director
May be realistic or nonrealistic
May use symbol or metaphor strongly In a nonrealistic set.
Many people collaborate to create the set

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