Intro to Scenic Design�and Concept
Role of the Set
A stage production has the power to take an audience to a different place and time. They can become so invested in the story that they forget where they are.
The set has a huge role to play in this adventure. It must contain the necessary elements to convey the story, compliment the actor’s performance, and be built well enough that its faux parts are not noticeable. If someone slams a door and the whole wall wobbles it will remind the audience they are in the theatre instead of a far off land.
These 3 necessities are called the concept, design, and construction.
Design Concept
A detailed explanation of the overall visual/audio experience of a production. It combines all aspects of theatrical design (scenic, lighting, costume, properties, make-up, sound and graphics) and integrates them to convey meaning to an audience.
Design Concept
A design concept may place the show in a specific time or location.
It may be an overarching theme:
It may be a message the play is meant to tell:
Design
With the concept in mind, the scenic designer will research the play making note of essential elements that need to be included in the design (ie: a window, secret passage behind bookcase, a stove that smokes,etc.). They will come up with ideas for how the concept, script, stage, current culture, and historical accuracies need to come together to form the playing area for this play.
What type of a production could be happening on this set?
Justify your reasoning.
Design How about these ones?
Design
Sets, designs, and concepts do not have to be based in realism. An audience is will to “suspend their disbelief.” This means they are willing to accept the world the story is set in if it is established and committed to.
Construction - Flats
Building the physical set takes many people with a diversity of talents. Skills include: Carpentry, painting, texture, destressing, rigging, upholstery, and lots of math.
The basic element of scenic construction is the flat. Usually 4’x8’ in size, flats are a flat piece of scenery which is painted and positioned on stage to appear as a building or another backdrop. These are typically built with 1x3 boards and covered with luan, masonite, or fabric.
Construction - Platforms
If a production needs multiple levels it will need to have platforms built. These are built similarly to flats, but with 2x4s and plywood. This is so they can support the weight of actors and other set pieces that may be built on top of them.
The next step is cutting legs for the platform to sit on. These will be usually be bolted to the platform. The legs and space under the platform can be left open, covered with masking, or attached to flats.
Construction - Wagons
Wagons are platforms that move into place onstage or move around the stage. The simplest way to make a wagon is to put castors (wheels) on a platform.
Construction - Turntable
A turntable is a large circular area of a stage floor that is built to revolve, like an enormous turntable. Anything from an actor to an entire set can be loaded onto the revolve and then spun around into place facing the audience. This was the central scenic device of Les Miserables and Hamilton.
Construction - Set Dressing
These are objects like furniture, fences, shrubbery, and carpets. They are used to add sense of realism to the set. Very few rooms are completely empty. Especially older houses have collected many items over the years and are quite cluttered.
Construction - Backdrops
A backdrop is a painted canvas hung from the battens (just like the stage curtains). These are an easy way to add a lot of aesthetic with very little effort. They can literally be anything from nature, to city, to abstract.