Theatre 441: Scene Design

Course objective:
To provide the student with a fundamental knowledge of the principles, history, procedures and techniques of scene design.

Text:

Theatrical Design and Production: An Introduction to Scene Design and Construction, Lighting, Sound, Costume, and Makeup (4th edition) by J. Michael Gillette. (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company. 2000).

Supplemental Web Sites:
Tutorials and Classes

• CAD Tutorials for the Theatre
  Kent Goetz's (Cornell University) VectorWorks tutorials on theatrical drafting: floor plans, front elevations, Virtual modeling, and rendering.
• Introduction to Stage Design Graphics
  The University of British Columbia's (Vancouver) course in "design graphics" for the theatre.
• Perspective Rendering
  Colin Winslow's (University of Alberta) approach to laying out a "perspective" drawing using simple drafting techniques.
• Computer Scenographics Studio
  Darwin Payne's extensive site on the development and rendering of a virtual 3D model using Strata 3D.

• University of Minnesota Scenery Collections Database
  A searchable database of over 2,000 scenic images from the University of Minnesota's Late 19th - Early 20th Century Scenery Collection.
• Tech.OperaPhilly.Com
  The technical web site for the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Contains renderings and working drawings [in image (*.jpg), PDF and VectorWorks (*.mcd) files] for OperaPhilly's rental sets.
• SLG Design
  Web page created by Steve Gilliam, design professor at Trinity University (San Antonio) and resident designer at the St. Louis MUNY Opera. Follow the links to his designs for the MUNY productions of Sound of Music, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Singin' in the Rain.
• Illinois Shakespeare Festival: Scenic Design Exhibit
  Drawings and renderings for The Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline, Henry the Fourth- Part II, Merry Wives of Windsor, Richard III, The Tempest, and Twelfth Night.

• TurboCAD 2D v6.5
  A free, fully functional, 2D CAD program.
• DesignWorkshop Lite
  A fast, fun, and free software for creating 3D models, walkthroughs and renderings.
• Strata 3Dbase 3.5
  A free fully functioning 3D rendering tool.
• Strata 3D Online Manual
  An online manual to Strata 3D's rendering engine

Class Meetings:
Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00am to 12:15pm in JC 129.

Lecture Topics:

• Review of StageCraft material
  • Production Organization (Chapter 1)
  • The Stage and Its Equipment (Chapter 4)
  • Scenic Production Techniques (Chapter 9)
  • Bracing and Shifting the Set (Chapter 9)
• A brief history of scene design
• Designer's areas of influence
• Introduction to theatrical drawing
• Introduction to drafting techniques: Designer's plans, elevations and section (Chapter 20)
• Design process
  • Script analysis: The Church Scene in Faust
  • Creative research
  • Creating a living environment for the actor
• Laws of perspective (Chapter 21)
• Perspective grid
• Rendering techniques (Chapter 22)
• Design process, II
  • The overview approach to design: Madame Butterfly
  • The design concept on stage: The Glass Menagerie

Evaluation:
There will be one written exam and two design projects -- a mid-term based on George S. Kaufman's The Still Alarm and a final project on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Mid-term Project: The Still Alarm
Will include

• A floor plan. (Scale: 1/4" = 1'0"),
• A designer's elevation (or flat schedule) of the entire show including backing flats. (Scale: 1/4" = 1'0"), and a
• Colored (painter's) elevation of one wall. (Scale: 1/2" = 1'0") You may use any color media you wish. Please select a wall which contains either a door or window.

Checklist for the Mid-term Design Project

Final Project: Romeo and Juliet

Presentation #1
Due: Thursday, April 11.
Prepare a report. Include...

1. A plot summary,
2. A justification of why Romeo and Juliet should be produced,
3. A description of how the work was probably originally presented,
4. The date and place of the play's action,
5. A scene breakdown: Include act and scene number, location, and time of day,
6. A list of major set props needed to stage the action of the play,
7. Locate the plays climax and two of its crisis points, and
8. A description of the artistic, religious, and political climate of the time.

Presentation #2
Due: Thursday, April 16.
Find and bring to class three art works (paintings, photographs of architecture, etc.) from the period and local of the play's action (or the period in which you are staging the show). Indicate how you could use the color, texture or visual compositions from these art works in your final design.

Presentation #3
Due: Thursday, April 25.
Develop, and bring to class, three action drawings. One for your play's climax and one for each of the two crisis points.

Presentation #4
Due: Tuesday. April 30.
Develop, and bring to class, four to six unscaled idea sketches.

Final Presentation
Due: Monday, May 6.
Should include...

1. A rendered presentational drawing (approximate scale: 1/2" = 1'0"),
2. A floor plan (Scale: 1/4" = 1'0"),
3. Designer's elevations of the complete show (Scale: 1/2" = 1'0").

Attendance Policy:
Attendance will be taken during class lectures. A student will earn one (1) point for each class meeting they attend, and one half (1/2) point for each excused absence. It is the student's responsibility to notify me of all excused absences. Students will be held responsible for all materials covered during any missed lectures.

Disability Policy:
If you have a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical or learning disability that may impact on your ability to carry out assigned course work, I urge you to contact Karen Gerety, Director of Disability Services at 626-2371or stop by Student Center 217. They will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of disability is confidential.