scenic design Archives - Dramatics Magazine Online

3 Tips to Improve Your Theatre Design Skills

Dylan Malloy — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:32:01 +0000

You’re preparing to design your first production! Any form of theatre design – scenic, light, sound, prop, makeup, or costume – requires a close read of the script. Here’s how to study a script so that your design highlights the story happening onstage.

1. Take Note of the Basics

Before you start designing, take time to understand the basic elements of a piece. For example, if you’re doing scenic design, the playwright might indicate there are multiple doors characters walk through. If you’re doing lighting design, the playwright might want a specific-colored light in a certain scene.

The earlier you note these specifications, the less chance there is for surprises halfway through the rehearsal process. Playing catch-up in the final weeks before opening night is stressful and often expensive. Some elements to look for:

Time Period & Setting: Creating a collage or vision board full of pictures from this time/place will give you an idea of the colors and textures of the world you are creating. If the play is a period piece, you may find it helpful to talk to a history teacher about what life was like in that period so you can hear even more perspectives.
Language: The playwright’s language can give you a deeper sense of the story world. Is the language poetic and lyrical, gritty and rough, or somewhere in between? If the play is experimental and less tied to reality, you will have some additional freedom in your design choices, so long as the choices you make are directly related to the story. Ultimately, an experimental comedy will likely not look the same onstage as a realistic tragedy.
Tone: Paying attention to tone is also important so your choices amplify the emotions of the story. A more optimistic, comedic tone can possibly result in brighter lighting colors, more vivid makeup, and wackier sound effects than you would use if designing for a more grounded, realistic play. You want your design choices to make the story come alive, not feel like a distraction.

Once you have a list of the basic elements in the script, you have the foundations of your design plan.

2. Study the Characters

Next, take note of each character and personality traits you associate with them (happy, sneaky, angry, kind, proud, etc.). The designs you create can subtly tie back to the personality traits the playwright explores in the script.

Say you have a character that is enthusiastic and encouraging. This character could wear yellow (a happy color), the lights could become slightly brighter when they enter the room, or they could wear makeup that emphasizes their smile. Each character changes over the course of the show, and your design choices can reflect this change to make it more poignant for the audience. For example, this enthusiastic character might become discouraged over the course of the story and start wearing bleak, bland colors. Whether the play ends hopefully or tragically (or something in between), the design should emphasize the journey of emotions being felt.

Similarly, large-cast shows may divide characters into groups, for example, different families or social classes. Take note of these groups. If these differences are important to the meaning of the story, you can use your design skills to emphasize them. For example, characters in different social classes can wear different colors or carry unique props. No matter what you notice as you read the script, if you ground your design in the characters and the arcs they follow, your design will feel cohesive with the story.

3. Discuss with the Director

Before you get to work and start designing, you’ll want to sit down with the director and share ideas. The director has also been intensively studying the script, and they might have thoughts about certain design elements. In the rehearsal room, part of the director’s job is to guide the actors towards a deeper understanding of the characters, so they’ll be especially attentive to the tone and arc of the story. Bring pictures, sketches, collages, or digital models to the conversation to share your ideas.

During your conversation, there might be some differences of opinion. Be sure to let your director know if you feel certain design choices they want are unachievable, whether it’s due to your budget, the amount of time you have, or your ability/knowledge. Being honest at the start of the process can prevent challenges down the line, and coming up with alternative ideas reminds your director that you’re a flexible team player.

No matter what, you’re now an expert on this script and have a multitude of excellent ideas to make the story world come to life!

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Introducing SLShowTech

Sponsor — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 15:46:24 +0000

At SLShowTech, we have a simple yet powerful mission: to bring the magic of high-quality 3D animated scenic projections to every theater production, regardless of budget constraints. With deep roots in the theater community we understand the financial challenges that often accompany the pursuit of visual excellence. That’s why we’ve made it our pledge to offer our scenic projections at a price point that everyone can embrace – $600 or less for any show.

Why choose us?

1. Transform Your Stage with 3D Animated Projections

Our full show packages are designed to infuse your productions with unparalleled depth, taking your audience on an unforgettable visual journey. With dynamic 3D transitions, captivating special effects, and immersive interactivity, SLShowTech breathes life into every scene, ensuring that your production stands out in the spotlight.

2. Budget-Friendly

Quality should never be compromised by cost. We are committed to maintaining uncompromised quality while making our projections remarkably affordable. We firmly believe that every theater deserves access to the transformative power of scenic projections.

3. Script-Accurate

Our scenic projections are meticulously crafted in alignment with the official show scripts, eliminating any guesswork and ensuring that your audience experiences a seamless and faithful performance.

4. Instant Customization

We believe every show is different. With our innovative ShowOne App instantly tweak and transform scenes in real-time, allowing you to perfectly align every moment with your creative vision. It’s creativity without constraints, and it’s at your fingertips.

At SLShowTech, we’re not just about projections; we’re about empowering your creativity. We invite you to explore the endless possibilities that our 3D animated scenic projections can bring to your productions. Join us in transforming the stage, where every show finds its unique voice.

Experience the Revolution in Scenic Projections: SLShowtech.com

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Scenic Design Helps Tell the Story

Natalie Clare — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 17:55:04 +0000

The power of the scenic design often goes unrecognized as a key part of the storytelling in a theatrical production. The set design helps to sweep us up into a different world onstage. Rendering that onstage world starts with the production’s scenic designer. They research the script and the world of the play and imagine ways to bring audiences into the characters’ lives. For Milagros Ponce de León, an International Thespian Society alum, the process hinges on details, curiosity, and lots of hard work.

Ponce de León is an award-winning scenic designer whose work has been seen on stages across the country. Notable productions over the years include Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, Once on This Island, The Little Mermaid, Seussical, and many others. She earned an M.F.A. in Drawing and Painting and an M.F.A. in Scenic Design, both from the University of Maryland. Prior to that, she earned a B.F.A. Studio Arts in Drawing and Painting from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.

As a passionate educator, Milagros has taught for half her life. She is now head of the B.F.A. program in Theatre Design & Technology at Penn State University. “I love teaching. It is my way to communicate with the world and to talk about things I love, such as form, color, texture, composition, and space,” she says.

Read more about Milagros’s artistic work and perspective below.

The Power of Storytelling

I design sets for theatre productions. That means that I read plays, talk about plays, draw, sketch, paint, draft, Photoshop, build scale models, make collages, and think about color, space, and texture all the time. As a set designer, I love that I am constantly learning about new places, different periods in time, and different people and how they lived. I love that I get to do unexpected research about very specific things — like wallpaper or the history of streetlights — and get to collaborate with a lot of different people who are experts in their own fields. I love that being a set designer demands 100 percent of what I know and can do, and then some.

When I started my M.F.A. in set design, I was an international student who knew a lot about color and painting, and I had studied drawing and painting for nine years. But I had never seen theatre, read a play, or used a scale ruler. I had limited knowledge of design software, had worked in the metric system of measurement for my entire life, and didn’t know how to drive. In fact, I didn’t even own a car nor had a computer.

My first months as a set design graduate student at University of Maryland were overwhelming, and I often asked myself if I was in the right place. Reading plays took me hours, I knew nothing about technical theatre, nor did I have the vocabulary to survive in a shop situation. Line-sets? Theatre winches? Tech? Crown molding? I knew none of that.

I had to learn from scratch, I had to learn quickly, and it was very difficult. But I also quickly realized that all my previous training in painting, drawing, and art history was the foundation I needed to become a set designer. Away from my family in Peru and the things and materials I was familiar with, theatre opened doors to things I had never experienced or imagined before. In that process, I found my voice in set design and grew as an artist.

Seeing is Believing

These photos show three different productions, along with the designer color elevations and color renderings. You can see how the visual elements created by the designer (such as form, color, line, texture, etc.) shaped the space for each featured production.

(ABOVE) In the Heights, Olney Theatre Center (Photo credit: Cory Pattak) Design Credits: Scenic Design by Milagros Ponce de León, Lighting Design by Cory Pattak, Costume Design by Frank Labovitz, Sound Design by Matt Rowe

(ABOVE) Into the Woods, Ford’s Theatre (Photo credit: Carol Rosegg) Scenic Design by Milagros Ponce de León, Costume Design by Wade Laboissonniere, Lighting Design by
Rui Rita, Projection Design by Clint Allen, Sound Design by David Budries

(ABOVE) Matilda the Musical, Olney Theatre Center (Photo credit: Clint Allen)
Scenic Design by Milagros Ponce de León, Projection Design by Clint Allen, Costume Design by Pei Lee, Lighting Design by Nancy Schertler, Sound Design by Roc Lee

The Artist at Work

I just designed the sets for Quixote Nuevo at Round House Theatre in Washington D.C., The Thanksgiving Play at Olney Theatre Center in Maryland, and Steel Magnolias at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. I am currently working on The Mountaintop at Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC.

In the future I would love to work on anything by Quiara Alegría Hudes [In the Heights, Water by the Spoonful, Vivo], Stephen Sondheim [A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods], Lauren Gunderson [I and You, The Revolutionists, Ada and the Memory Engine] or Tarell Alvin McCraney [In the Red and Brown Water, Choir Boy, The Brothers Size]. Also, Richard III.

To see more work by Milagros Ponce de Leon visit her website.

Natalie Clare is a Cincinnati-based writer who composes original content for brands, organizations, and publications. As a storyteller, she writes fiction and nonfiction, and she directs and produces works of film. Visit her at nataliecwrites.com.

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