Fundamentals oF theatrical design Fundamentals oF theatrical design karen brewster melissa shafer © 2011 by Karen Brewster and Melissa Shafer All rights reserved. Copyright under Berne Copyright Convention, Universal Copyright Convention, and Pan American Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Allworth Press books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifcations. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Allworth Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or Dedication We extend our love and gratitude to our families: Lois and Ed Shafer, Nancy and Bill Brewster Dick, Shannon, and Will Major Your unconditional support made this book possible. Annotated Table of Contents Acknowledgments ..................................................................................... 15 Introduction .............................................................................................. 17 PART ONE—THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN PROCESS Chapter 1—Script Analysis for Designers .............................................. 21 How to Read a Play ................................................................................ 21 Script Formatting ............................................................................. 22 Dialogue .......................................................................................... 22 Reading Plays—Language and Subtext ............................................ 25 The Structure of a Play .................................................................... 28 Plot .................................................................................................. 31 Imaginative Engagement ........................................................................ 31 Identifying the Given Circumstances ..................................................... 33 Visual Metaphor .................................................................................... 34 Summary ............................................................................................... 35 Exercises ................................................................................................. 36 Chapter 2—The Objectives of Theatrical Design................................... 38 Immersion in the Play ............................................................................ 38 Determine the Objectives ....................................................................... 39 Time ................................................................................................ 39 Period .............................................................................................. 40 Place ................................................................................................ 41 Locale .............................................................................................. 42 Place and Locale Challenges ................................................... 43 Theme ............................................................................................. 44 Identifying Theme .................................................................. 44 Mood ............................................................................................... 45 Revealing Character ......................................................................... 46 Style ................................................................................................. 47 Fundamentals of Theatrical Design Solving Practical Problems ............................................................... 50 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 52 Exercises ................................................................................................. 52 Chapter 3—Researching the Design ....................................................... 55 What to Research—The Process of Investigation ................................... 55 The Playwright and the Play ............................................................ 56 Researching the Given Circumstances and the Design Objectives .... 58 Place, Locale, Time, and Period .............................................. 58 Theme and Mood................................................................... 59 Revealing Character ................................................................ 60 Style ....................................................................................... 60 Solving Practical Problems ...................................................... 61 How to Research—Libraries and Online Searches .................................. 62 Tertiary Sources for Research ........................................................... 64 Primary Sources for Research ........................................................... 64 Secondary Sources for Research........................................................ 64 Visual Sources for Research .............................................................. 65 Developing a Research Storehouse ................................................... 67 Plagiarism ........................................................................................ 68 Informed Intuition........................................................................... 69 Why We Research—The Enjoyment of Data Collection ........................ 69 Exercises ................................................................................................. 70 Chapter 4—Collaboration ...................................................................... 72 The Society and Culture of Theater ....................................................... 74 Design Team Collaboration—The Process ............................................. 74 Idea Development ............................................................................ 74 Communicate Ideas ................................................................ 76 Typical Collaborative Process .................................................. 76 Develop a Production Concept ............................................... 78 Communication Challenges .................................................. 79 Impromptu Discussions ................................................... 79 Business Etiquette ............................................................ 80 Gender and Communication ........................................... 81 Technologically Enhanced Collaboration ......................... 81 Execute Unified Designs .................................................................. 82 Budget, Labor, Time ........................................................................ 84 8 Annotated Table of Contents Tell the Story ................................................................................... 85 Exercises ................................................................................................. 87 PART TWO—UNDERSTANDING THE VISUAL COMPONENTS OF THEATRICAL DESIGN Chapter 5—Design Elements .................................................................. 88 Point ...................................................................................................... 88 Line ....................................................................................................... 89 Shape ..................................................................................................... 90 Mass ....................................................................................................... 92 Color ..................................................................................................... 94 The Color Wheel ............................................................................. 96 Value—The Use of Black and White ............................................... 96 The Psychology of Color .................................................................. 97 Texture ................................................................................................... 97 Summary ............................................................................................... 99 Exercises ................................................................................................. 99 Chapter 6—Design Principles and Visual Composition ...................... 105 Balance................................................................................................. 106 Proportion ........................................................................................... 109 Rhythm ................................................................................................ 110 Variation .............................................................................................. 111 Contrast, a Subcategory of Variation .............................................. 112 Unity ................................................................................................... 113 Harmony, a Subcategory of Unity .................................................. 114 Visual Composition ............................................................................. 115 Summary ............................................................................................. 119 Exercises ............................................................................................... 119 PART THREE—THE ARTISTIC AND PRACTICAL PROCESSES OF THEATRICAL DESIGN Chapter 7—Scenic Design .................................................................... 122 The Design Objectives and Scenic Design ............................................123 Place, Locale, Time, and Period .............................................................123 Mood ....................................................................................................124 9