1. Pre-production Planning: Production Design Concept
Lesson Plan for Technical Theatre Grades 9-12

2. Same Story – Different Concepts
Lesson Notes
Materials: DVD Player with LCD or Television for display; a copy each of Romeo & Juliet the 70s Zeffirelli film and the contemporary Luhrman film (Click image to link for purchase found on amazon.com)
Same Story – Different Concepts
Based on the movie posters above, for what kind of audience do you think each production is meant? What themes of the play do you think each film focuses on, based on these images?

3. Vocabulary Concept Elements of Production Design
The look and the feel of a production. A concept is essentially a metaphor that can guide how the director wants the audience to see and to feel about the play.
Example: This play should look like a futuristic city and feel like the day after a bomb has been dropped.
Elements of Production Design
Informative: setting, time & place
Expressive: demonstrates the emotions & themes related to the production
Appropriate: choices are relevant to the audience and the themes in the script; choices work with the production budget
Usable: choices allow actors to perform on stage; choices do not interfere or distract from any other design choices (i.e., set works with lighting, sound, props and costumes)
Students should take notes in their theatre notebooks so they can refer back to them as a resource when working in groups. I like to start the lesson with direct instruction of the vocab terms; then, I ask students for some examples of their own or to use the word in a sentence of their own.
Vocabulary

4. Romeo & Juliet Concept Analysis
Remember to consider every possible detail as a CHOICE: lighting, sound effects, music, setting, set pieces (building, cars, cityscapes, landscapes, etc.), lighting, costumes, make-up, camera perspective & angles.
Write the director’s name in your notes: Zeffirelli or Luhrmann
What do you see?
Describe the design choice.
How does this choice help provide the look and the feel to the audience?
How are the choices Expressive and Informative?
Lesson Notes:
First: Explain to students that 99.9% of what they see when they watch a film or live production is a result of a purposeful CHOICE from the costumes, to lighting, to camera angle to furniture, to hairstyles on the actor. If all of these details are appropriate to the concept and the script, most audience members won’t notice the tiny details, they will “suspend their disbelief” and enter the imaginary world of the production. That is what all directors and designers want. But if we are going to analyze a designers choices, we have to look with a critical eye, and avoid being drawn into the world of the production. Remind the students: they aren’t watching these films to be entertained; they’re watching them to learn how all the small choices create a cohesive (you may need to define this) production concept.
Next: Show the first 5 minutes of each film. Stop the film every 60 seconds and ask the students to take notes using the guiding questions above. Give student groups 3-5 minutes after each showing/ note-taking session to discuss. After showing, note taking, and discussion of each 5 minute film clip, call on students to share out their analysis of the design choices.
Romeo & Juliet Concept Analysis
Take notes in your theatre notebook; then, discuss with your group.

5. Oral Quiz: Discuss and Decide
In two sentences, how would you describe the production concept for Lurmann’s Romeo & Juliet?
Who do you think is the ideal audience for this production?
Why? (Use your notes from the design choices to answer this question.)
In two sentences, how would you describe the production concept for Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet?
Who do you think is the ideal audience for this production?
Why? (Use your notes from the design choices to answer this question.)
Lesson Notes:
Review the rubric on slide 6 before scoring students.
Formative assessment: I like to do this as an oral assessment, but you could also do this as an individual written quiz with paragraph responses. You would just need to adjust the rubric. You can add questions about particular design details, asking how they are informative or expressive if you have more than 6 groups.
Oral Quiz: Discuss and Decide

6. Lesson Notes:
Make sure to review this rubric with students and clarify any vocabulary before holding them accountable to it in your grade book.
Rubric