It’s All About Collaboration: Design for Theatre

CHAPTER TWO

IN THIS CHAPTER

Production Team Collaboration

Design Process

Study Words

You want to be a technician (or think you might) and you’re wondering why you should be learning about design. The best way to be a good technician is to understand the designer’s process. And the best way to be a designer is to be prepared and learn from others who have been doing it longer than you. Then as questions arise, or perhaps problems needing creative solutions, you can be part of the final answer. We’ve gotten to the point where we will discuss the process of design. And yes, it is a process. Designers don’t sit down and just draw pretty pictures. They read scripts, do research, go to production meetings, etc.

PRODUCTION TEAM COLLABORATION

Let’s start at the beginning. There is an order to the production staff. Each position reports to another. This order is what keeps the team organized and the production moving forward to opening night. Whatever position you might be interested in having, it is very important to know how the team works. Take a look at the following figure to see how the whole production team is shown from producer all the way to the running crew. Where do you think you want to fit in?

FIG.2.1
This chart shows some of the employment positions on a production and how the hierarchy is laid out.

Let’s move on to our discussion of designers. There are a number of reasons for taking a job. Maybe the director is someone you have always wanted to work with, or someone you have worked with many times before. Maybe the script is a new, exciting, earth-shattering script, or a revival of a play you have always loved. Maybe the design team (the other designers) is comprised of people you’ve always wanted to work with, or have worked with many times before. Maybe the director is assembling a team of people who know each other so well that the creative collaboration is already in place and you can communicate intuitively with each other’s creative choices. Maybe the production is going to start out of town and move to Broadway. Or maybe, just maybe, the rent is due and you have no other job.

To be perfectly honest, all of these reasons can be the right reason to take a job. The hope is always that several of these will be why you take the job. If you take the job just to cover the rent, be aware that this is what you are doing. If you have grander ideas about collaborating with your “dream team” of designers, be aware of that too. Know why you are accepting a job and how that will influence your work. What do I mean by influence? Well, if you take a job because of the “dream team,” will you expect to work harder than if you take the job to pay the rent? Your answer should be NO!

You should be willing to work as hard as possible on every job you accept. There is no such thing as an inferior production, unless you make it one. There is also no such thing as a guaranteed career-making show. If you ask people how they got to where they are in their careers, you will hear a different story every time. This is important to know and remember because there is not just one way to a successful career. Everyone must find his or her own path. And it always starts with the first step!

So what does that mean to you? Well, let’s look at some possibilities. You accept a job even though the production is in a church basement, in some town that hasn’t even made the map yet. It turns out that a friend of a friend of someone connected to the show knows a “big-time” director and they will be attending opening night. Wouldn’t you be disappointed if you had done mediocre work because you thought of the production as a throw away? The reverse can also be true. You’ve got what you think will be the production to take your career to the next level, and then no one “important” comes to see it. Are you disappointed? Does this make your work any less good? Absolutely not!

My goal has always been to do the best work I can, every single time. If I am happy with my work, then I can only assume that someone will eventually see it and agree with me. This is how I started out my career, how I continued my career, and how my career has gotten to where it is today. Keep in mind that every production should be a learning experience as well. I don’t say that because this is a textbook and you are a student. I say that because when we stop learning, we stop growing. As artists we always want to be pushing ourselves to be better, to learn more, to strive for the next level. This is a mind-set as much as anything else. If you stop striving, you stop creating!

OK, so I got off on a little bit of a tangent. Let’s talk about collaboration. This is the single most important word to remember as a designer. Before you go off to work on your own part of the design and production, you must first begin the process of collaboration that will take you all the way through to opening night. If we as theatre artists wanted to work by ourselves, we would be studio artists doing painting or sculpture. What makes us different, and unique, is that we actually enjoy the input other designers give us. The goal is to work as a team, and collectively you create a production where there once was none. We will continue to discuss collaboration throughout the chapter as it is at the base of every good design.

DESIGN PROCESS

Now let’s talk about the steps to design. Each design discipline has some similarities, and some differences. We will discuss the similarities here and then go into detail in the individual chapters to come about the specific process during implementation. That is where things vary a bit. So the phone rings and you are offered a design job or asked for an interview. It used to be that you had to sit at home waiting for that phone call. Today’s technology means you may get a phone call at home or on your cell phone; a message on your answering machine; or a fax, email, instant message, or whatever. There are so many ways to keep in touch … maybe you’ll get a text message that asks you for a meeting. All these ways are valid forms of communication, and you have to be aware that they are now a necessary part of our world.

READING THE SCRIPT

What do you do next? Well, everybody has his or her own way of working. The design process will vary slightly from one project to another. There is not one formula that works for everyone. With that said, certain things do have to happen in a certain order. The first thing most designers will do is get a copy of the script and meet with the director. The script is really your road map. It should inform all of your decisions and choices. The director is the driver, to continue the analogy. These are your first two points of contact with any production and possibly job.

Most designers admit to reading the script several times. The first time through the script is usually to read and enjoy the story, plot lines, and characters. Nothing more. If you read it through, and you enjoy it … most likely you will accept the project. This first reading is like a first date. It should be a glance into the future. You will spend a good amount of time working on a play and this is the critical moment when you have to decide whether you like the script enough to dedicate the next months or years of your life to it. Don’t take this lightly.

MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR

The next step is almost always the initial meeting. This meeting is often between you and the director. Many designers prefer it if the initial meeting is with the whole team: the director, set designer, costume designer, lighting designer, sound designer, and any specialty designers who may be needed. Specialty designers can include projections, pyrotechnics, and various other special effects. It is important to have the whole team together for several reasons. In design the most important word I can think of is collaboration. I know I’ve said it before, but this is the major difference between theatre people and everyone else.

During this initial meeting it is best to discuss what the play means. Why are we doing it? One main topic of conversation is usually about the style of the production. You may ask, what is style? The terms presentational and representational are the most often– used styles of production. Let me explain the difference between the two. A presentational style offers a performance where everyone is fully aware that the actors are at work on a stage, speaking and acting out a script, under lights, and in costumes. There is no attempt to disguise the fact that a theatrical performance is taking place to entertain the audience.

The representational style of production differs in that it shows naked truths about ordinary existence within specific situations. This style can be broken into two substyles: realism and naturalism. Realism is based in our own world, with recognizable characters having no supernatural powers. The characters do the sorts of things that ordinary people do every day. Naturalism, on the other hand, is much more specific. There are no stereotypes per say, but specific characters in specific environments. The purpose of this very detailed world is to show how a person’s character and life choices are determined in part by the environmental or social forces. Production elements are as specific to the environment as the characters’ descriptions. Often “real” props, furniture, clothing, and lighting are assimilated into the production for that added feel of realism. Once a style is decided on, it becomes the reference for your next set of choices.

FIG. 2.2
A script page with designer notes from one of the first reads.

Once the initial meeting is over, you sit down and start to think. You take in the information about style and how the director is approaching the script. You should now begin to come up with your concept, which is your unique way of looking at the show. Keep in mind that the director will also have a concept, and that your concept must work with the director’s. Again … collaboration. You may find an image, photograph, or painting that strikes you as the essence of the production. You can use this concept to guide your choices of color, shape, direction, and all the other choices you will need to make.

SCRIPT BREAKDOWN

OK, so the first meeting is over and you’ve decided to stick with it and make this the best design you’ve ever done. What is next? Go back to the script. You should now read the script again, paying more attention to detail while keeping in mind all the information that came out of that initial meeting. How does the newly chosen style help you to start visualizing the production? This reading is where you begin to break down the script.

FIG. 2.3
A sketch for Verdi’s Macbeth, designed by Salvatore Tagliarino.

The script breakdown will vary depending on which design you will be doing. The basic idea is to identify the circumstances of the play. You will need to determine whether the play takes place during the day or night. What season is it? Do the scenes take place inside or outside? Is there a specific geographic location? It doesn’t matter what the style is, you have to determine these things before you can either follow them or abstract from them.

FIG. 2.4
Stained-glass art entitled “Long Beach,” by Isabella Rupp.

FIG. 2.5
The ying-yang symbol refers to two opposing yet complementary aspects of a person or issue.

FIG. 2.6
The skull and crossbones are a symbol that can have many differing meanings, but they all refer to some kind of danger.

FIG. 2.7
The cross and crown are a traditional Christian symbol appearing in many churches as well as in heraldry.

RESEARCH

The next step is to do your research. Now, what does that mean? You have to decide what the script requires, then go and find out what is available to achieve that. Geoff Dunbar told me, “If a script needs a fire, I will research how fires are being done this year (in addition to already knowing how fires were done last year).”

Research also means that if your production is set in 1818 London, you better find out what 1818 London looks, feels, and smells like. Don’t guess, and certainly don’t make it up! All designers should research the architecture, clothing, lighting, political events, atmosphere … everything you can think of! Your research should include shapes, lines, and colors that are appropriate. You are looking for pictures. They can be photos or drawings and paintings. Even sculpture can be research. Any visual reference that will help to inform your choices is considered research. Once you have done your research and before you start making choices you must consider the style decided on in the first meeting. The style, together with your research, will help you choose the right direction in which to move forward. You should be starting to form ideas now for your design. You might even be doing rough sketches.

At this point, let’s talk for a minute about audiences. After all it is an audience who actually pays to see our work.

Wow, I couldn’t have said it better. So always, always keep the audience in mind while you research.

Part of the research process is to know about symbols. Huh? You might be thinking why are symbols important. Well, first let’s define what a symbol is. A symbol is a picture, object, or color that stands for something else. As you start to get ideas of what you want the design to look like, you have to be aware of what things will mean when the audience sees them. Let’s look at some of the most common symbols. The eagle is used as symbol of freedom; the skull and crossbones are a sign of danger; the lightbulb is often used as a symbol for an idea. Have you got the idea? Every image has some kind of associated meaning that comes along with it like baggage. The audience already knows these meanings, so you have to be aware of them before you use something that conjures a meaning other than what you intended.

Let’s take research in a slightly different direction. There are things about the history of architecture that you have to know. There are styles of architecture, periods of architecture, orders of architecture … you get the idea. You need to understand the basic ideas of each, realizing you can always reference a history when needed for more details. So here we go!

Styles of Architecture

The following examples relate to the stylistic feel of all elements for the visual part of a production. Think about art history as you read this section and start to make correlations between these periods and artistic trends. Bear with me, there are lots of new words, but they will come back again and again. Periods of architecture are usually named for the styles they came out of.

•   Classicism: Based on idealistic models or established conservative standards. It embraces a high level of taste, sobriety, and proportion. Conventional formality is another way to think of classicism.

•   Romanticism: Imaginative emphasizing individualism in thought and expression in direct opposition to the restrictive formality of classicism. Other traits of this period are freedom of fancy in conception and treatment, picturesque strangeness, or suggestions of drama and adventure.

•   Realism: Representation of nature without idealizing (as in classicism) or inclining to the emotional or extravagant (as in romanticism). There is an interest in the accurate and graphic that may degenerate into excessive detail and preoccupation with the trivial.

•   Impressionism: A type of realism and romanticism combine that seeks to allow the artist to define the personality of the subject matter. Through the use of color and light, the subject matter’s personality is revealed.

•   Expressionism: A style in which the artist seeks to express an emotional experience placed onto the subject matter. This style allows the artist and the art to combine and form an altered reality.

•   Postmodernism: This style rejects the preoccupation with purity of form and technique. Mixtures of style elements from the past are applied to spare modern forms. The observer is asked to bring his or her opinions of this combined form, as there is no real standard or unity.

Orders of Architecture

Again, keep in mind this is key to understanding where things come from and how to use them today. In different columns, types fall into the five so-called classical orders, which are named Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite. Each different order is made up of the column, its base, shaft, and capital. Each has its own distinctive proportions and character.

In Greece, the Doric was the earliest order to develop, and it was used for the Parthenon and for most temples. It has no base and was developed around the 5th-century BCE. The Ionic with scroll-like capitals soon followed it. The Corinthian was rarely used until the Romans adapted it. This order included leaves on the capitals in a more natural replica and dates from the end of the 5th-century BCE. The Roman orders made greater use of ornaments than the Greek orders, and their column proportions were more slender. The Romans, in their temples and other public buildings, used all three of the Greek orders, together with two others of their own devising, the Tuscan and the Composite orders. The Composite first appeared on the arch of Titus in Rome in 82 CE. Although no tuscan columns survive, this order was thought to originate in the Etruscan times. There is obviously a lot more to the orders, but that is enough for now!

DESIGN MEETING

So, you’ve done the research. What is next? At about this point, there is usually another design meeting. This is the time to discuss with the design team any research you might have found and explain how you might use it. A true collaboration continues during this step as each designer brings his or her thoughts to the table. Thoughts exchanged freely at this meeting are the way to a wonderful production. Everyone’s ideas are as valid and important as everyone else’s. This meeting is to exchange those ideas. Each person will bring his or her own perspective on what was discussed at the first meeting. This is the best way to collaborate and eventually produce a well-designed show.

After the meeting, you may want to do some additional research based on new thoughts and ideas that came through the discussion. The next phase is to sketch. Scenic and costume designers will begin to sketch out their rough ideas. A working ground plan should be coordinated with the lighting designer and then further developed through collaboration of ideas. Did I mention collaboration again? Yes, yes I did. It is the key. Working in a void makes for a disjointed production. Working together is definitively the way to go.

Design meetings will continue to happen throughout the rehearsal process. In addition, designers will often attend rehearsals. This gives them the opportunity to spend time with the director prior to the pressures of technical rehearsals. It also allows the designers to see the development of the characters and blocking. It may seem that this isn’t related to design, but it is. It’s that collaboration thing again. The better informed you are about every aspect of the production, the better you can do your individual job.

FIG. 2.8
“Camelot Opening Scene,” watercolor rendering by Oliver Smith. © Rosaria Sinisi.

FIG. 2.9
“Camelot Outside Camelot,” watercolor rendering by Oliver Smith. © Rosaria Sinisi.

DESIGNERS DRAW, RENDER, AND DRAFT

We are now at the part of the process where designers do what we think they do: draw, render, and draft. All of this will be discussed in detail in Chapter 5. But let me give you a brief look at what is in store. Draw, rendering, and drafting are the best ways to get visual ideas across. The first thing that needs to happen is for the director to see what is in the designer’s head. If the ideas stay inside your head, it does no good. You have to get the ideas out of your head so others can see them, react to them, and then help you implement them.

Another aspect of being a designer is keeping a morgue. No, not for dead bodies! It’s for images. If you want to be a designer, you should start a morgue. A morgue is an organized collection of imagery. There is no need to invent ideas when you have the whole world at your Internet fingertips! Different designers organize their morgues in different ways. Set designers may keep architectural research, landscaping research, furniture research, etc. Costume designers may keep research of each period in history, organizing separately by men and women or hairstyles and accessories. Lighting designers may keep images that evoke different moods, different times of day, or different seasons. The goal is to have research at your disposal to help trigger ideas as you work on various productions.

FIG. 2.10
The Crucible at NYU Department of Graduate Acting/Department of Design for Stage and Film in April 2005. Director, Tazewell Thompson; Scenic Designer, Alexandre Corazzola; Costume Designer, Meg Zeder; and Lighting Designer, G. Benjamin Swope.

We’re now going to look at two plays sharing four productions from the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Look at the differences between two different productions of Coriolanus that took place 9 years apart, and two productions for Othello that took place 14 years apart. Based on all our discussions in this chapter about the design process and the importance of the audience, look at the following four photos and really start to “see” how the designs are different. Are the differences based on a change in the audience’s expectations or changes due to the materials and techniques available, different designers, or all of the above?

FIG. 2.11
Coriolanus at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in 2000. Director, Michael Kahn.

FIG. 2.12
Coriolanus at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in 1991. Director, William Gaskill.

FIG. 2.13
Othello at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in 2005. Director, Michael Kahn. (Cast: Gregory Wooddell, Avery Brooks, Colleen Delany, Patrick Page, and Lise Bruneau.)

FIG. 2.14
Othello at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in 1997. Director, Jude Kelly. (Cast: George Causli and Lana Buss.)