Category: Initial Ideas

Conclusion.

This module has been, by far, the most difficult I have ever had to undertake in my three years of University. We kept with our original idea from the start and began to devise a script from scratch. Doing this left us behind compared to the other theatre company groups who bought the rights for a well known play. On reflection, I am glad we devised our own play despite the added stress we all succumb to. The final script the scriptwriters produced, I believe, was of a high standard and I am proud to be apart of the process.

The character I played was arduous to perform with believability, and from the feedback I received from my peers after the performance I believe I succeeded in performing my character to a satisfying standard. Learning to play the piano while performing blind was also problematic due to the fact that I have no prier experience playing the musical instrument. I was unable to learn an impressive tune to play in such a short space of time, but tried to perfect a simple melody I could play on stage that was enjoyable to listen to. If I had more time, I would of liked to of learnt a more intricate tune to play on the performance day.

Learning sound and light design was an interesting experience. Instead of listening to a piece of music and thinking “this sounds nice”, I had to listen and decide what fitted into the performance to enhance the stage image Stephanie Doe wanted to create. Our directed knew what she wanted when it came to music and it was my job to present her with samples of music that fitted with her vision. In some cases she knew exactly what song she wanted to be played, for example, she knew she wanted the song Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Emily Browning and it was my job to edit the song to fit into the performance. When I came to lighting design I had a lot more freedom into what the final product looked like and I was able to creatively experiment.

This module has taught me a lot when it comes to what a theatre company must do when it comes to the internal and external administrative outputs, and the different ways a theatre company can achieve this. This module may be one of the most difficult I have had to do, but also one of the most rewarding. As a theatre company we spent countless of hours rehearsing, and the same amount of hours on our documentation in order to create industry standard technical documents. I understand how marketing works and how a marketing team collates data, and how by using that data they create leaflets and advertisements that will appeal to a target audience. I understand lighting design more thoroughly, being Progeny Theatre’s lighting designer I understand how lights can create moods within the performance, and how they can be used to enhance a performance.

Video… Does it enhance a performance or distract?

Does video enhance a performance or does it distract from the real aim of the piece?

This is a question which I have been debating recently.

As Production Manager, my initial idea for the opening of the show was to project a short video which would ‘set the scene’ for the performance. Using animation software, my aim was to create a Progeny Theatre storybook, that would open up to reveal the title of our show A Gothic Tale this would then fade into a journey through a dark, snowy forest leading to a Gothic castle shrouded in mist and mystery, similar to the videos below, which have been created by the general public.

Sigrid Merx explains that: “When video is employed within the theatrical frame, there is a potential for the static space of theatre to become more dynamic” ((Merx, Segrid (2006) ‘Swan’s way: video and theatre as an intermedial stage for the representation of time’ in Chapple, Freda and Chiel Kattenbelt Intermediality in Theatre and Performance. Amsterdam: IFTR. p.71)). However, as much as our company enjoyed the idea of building an atmosphere using visual technology, one major concern was whether this took away from the magic of the theatre experience rather than adding to it. The audience will have come to the theatre to watch a play, not a film.

Of course, an important element to Progeny Theatre’s Manifesto is that we are ‘tech heavy’ and enjoy the use of elaborate technical devices to enhance our productions but where does the line stand between film and theatre? How much technology can you throw at a theatrical performance before it no longer is ‘theatre’?

With this in mind, our production team have adjusted their focus onto more stage based technologies such as haze and smoke machines and creative set in order to mesmerise our audience. We want to encourage the audience to become more of an active participant in the theatre experience, rather than a passive ‘watcher’, by drawing them in with numerous visual delights.

 

Word Count: 340

Kate Dawson.

Works Cited

 

Developing Set Ideas

DSCN1061

 

Since my previous post, I have had much enthusiasm from the rest of the company in terms of re-creating the wooden 3D angel for our production. Furthermore, I have managed to develop this concept in collaboration with the production manager, and have decided to create two wooden angels, identical in size and appearance, but with a reversal of the image, so that they will appear to face each other from opposite corners of the stage. If we placed these at the edges of the proscenium arch, and reinforced them with stage weights and brackets, they could create a really impressive and imposing scenic composition. Therefore, in moving forward, I have arranged to meet with our stage manager to source some wood in the coming week.

Furthermore, as we need to create ‘the bloody chamber’ somehow on stage, perhaps we could consider a form of doorway, or gateway, such as the crypt/tomb image above?

 

Word Count: 150.

 

Works Cited:

Image, Online: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qKC0u1nv9s0/T-_gqX9wfRI/AAAAAAAAATk/_Z3stY2deY4/s1600/DSCN1061.JPG (accessed 12 February 2013).

 

Gothic Set Design: Angel Statue Idea

From collecting a bank of usable creative materials, I have been considering in more detail the possible gothic images which I could use in the set design, building on the ideas of dark connotations, and a grand, imposing stage image which we discussed in our production meeting on Thursday 7th Feb.

I thought it might be helpful for the director, production team and script writers to include an example of an angel which I painted for a previous set design, to show how I could use an image, project it on reinforced mdf, and paint to a desired 3D effect. If we wanted to create a similar set piece for our production, it needs to be projected, sketched out and painted. I will ask the LPAC Tech team if I could use some space in the ‘scene doc’ to paint these pieces. It would also be possible to make a larger design or motif from a stencil if that sounds interesting.

As displayed below, this angel was created from an original photograph which I adapted to look 3D and statuesque.

 

The original photograph

The original photograph

 

My original 3D style painted version

My 3D style painted version

 

Word Count: 187.

 

My Artistic Influences

Edward Gordon Craig 

 

Edward Gordon Craig- Scenic Artist, Actor and Designer

The above designs are by the famous theatre practitioner Edward Gordon Craig, who has been extremely influential in terms of shaping the design styles and approaches of succeeding set design creations. In my opinion, the main and most impressive features of Gordon Craig’s work would be the confidence in his use of vertical lines and columns and layering of these shapes to create a sense of depth to an overall stage image. Furthermore, his use of steps and levels runs in complimentary order to the height of the stage, which is an adaptable use of set pieces.

I have taken the role of imparting my pre-existing knowledge of successful set design concepts and painting techniques, where the ideas of elevated, striking sets, such as those devised by Gordon Craig, could be beneficial in terms of how we could create the overall aesthetic ‘look’ of our production. Concentrating on a gothic twist, however, I need to find a way to adapt these influences to suit our stage space and production values, and bring in the director’s and production manager’s ideas into one cohesive, consistent and practical outcome.

 

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Creative Mood Board
Creative Mood Board
I created this mini project as a means of developing a consistent set of gothic/ and or fairtytale images which may be useful for the design of the set. The innocent maiden, for example, as an emblem of a forgotten or once happy past, could be a powerful recurring image, as too could the concept of imagining a serene angel statue become manipulated by death and destruction, coming to life, or changing someway throughout the production to shock or impress the audience as a visual spectacle.
Linking to the director’s suggestion that we focus on The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, I have been experimenting with symbolic or iconic images which we could display to remind the audience of a particular event which triggers the action, such as the brutal murders of the dead wives which occurs in the story.
Angel Concept/ Poster Design       
Angel Concept/ Poster Design
With this idea, I was trying to focus on how I could create an overall look for the show, taking inspiration from the popular video game series BioShock, which has a distinctive dark and sinsiter art deco style, twisting the conventions of cheerful posters and adverts, and creating, looming and mysterious alernatives. In this regard, I created a ‘poster’ image, with a mysterious slogan which would fit as a concept of what the production could try to project. I find these types of activities useful, as a way of developing a clearer concept for myself as a designer.
Angel Concept with Skull
Angel Concept with Skull
Here, I manipulated the angel image to try and emphasise the idea of one image triggering two different interpretations for an audience. This is also consistent with the director’s specifications that we create the concept of liminal spaces; a collision of two worlds.

(Please click on the images to see larger versions)

 

Word Count: 490.

 

Works Cited:

Carter, Angela (1995) The Bloody Chamber, London: Vintage Press.

Russell, John Brown (2001) The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre, Oxford University Press.

Zarilli, Phillip B, Bruce McConachie, Gary Jay Williams, Carol Fisher Sorgenfrei (2010) Theatre Histories: An Introduction, London: Routledge.

2K Games (2002-2012) BioShock.

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