Production – Page 2 – Progeny Theatre Company

Set Construction: Creating the Angel Stencil

May 11, 2013 Ellie Richards

To create the angel stencil, I have cropped and adapted an image which I have previously researched, and which can be seen in its entirety in my blog entry ‘Developing Set Ideas’. This image really struck me as impressive and haunting, particularly as the weeping angel symbol suggests a darkness and twist to the idea of innocence. It is arguably in itself a collision of fairytale and gothic identity. This is also consistent with my supporting role as an actor within the production, as I stand as a weeping angel to mirror the stencil design.

These photographs show the process of creating the angel stencil. After scaling the image to fit precisely within the fabric, I carefully sketched out the image and cut out the appropriate sections. I then stippled white acrylic paint onto the gaps, being careful to leave a crisp painted edge. This has taken me several days to complete, and I feel that the finished result is as strong and symbolic and I had envisaged.

The finished stencil

Word Count: 174.

Technical Documentation – Before

May 5, 2013 Kate Dawson

Technical Documentation is produced as a way of informing receiving theatres of a theatre company’s technical requirements. Without such documentation the venue would be unprepared for a company’s arrival and, as a consequence, the get-in process would be slower and less efficient, meaning that time would be wasted which may have been used for technical/dress rehearsals. Maximum use of time is a valuable factor for our theatre company as we have limited time to complete the get-in, which starts at 9.00am, before the performance, which begins at 7.30pm. Therefore, producing technical documentation which is thorough and well-explained is vital.

Despite our theatre companies amateur status, I feel it is important to produce documentation which rivals that of other professional theatre companies. Not only is it a valuable experience for a newly establishing company to produce such material, it also gives the theatre a good first-impression of the company.

As Production Manager, my role is to ensure that all technical elements of this production are completed to a high standard, which will ‘fit together’ to produce a high quality performance. My aim is to produce documentation which is as professional looking as our performance, as well as highly detailed.

The Technical Rider is that which holds the most detail of a company’s performance. It explains what equipment/staging is needed, details on the company and the show they are touring, as well as any FOH/Company requirements. It is my responsibly, along with the Stage Management/Technical team to produce this and other technical documentation.

Kate Dawson

Word Count: 255

A Gothic Tale Props List

April 18, 2013 Alexandra Urbanczyk

Although this props list is complete, it is subject to change on request of the Director, Producer and/or Production Manager.

So far the Props list for A Gothic Tale is this:
A Gothic Tale Full Props List v.1

Any item that is highlighted in red, is yet to be confirmed and bought/sourced.

Today I took a trip to the high street to see what I could find. Here are some images:

I found this shelving unit in a charity shop at the top of the high street, I thought it may look quite nice in the piano room as it has roses on the shelves, a symbol that runs through the performance and Progeny Theatre Company as a whole.

These bedding items I found in Primark. The bed covers were quite expensive at£16.00, but I like the lace look, I think it expresses the setting of the castle being grand and fairytale like. I will continue to look for cheaper options as these items will be covered in fake blood during the performance. The blanket/throw I found would be used for the SNOWCHILD’s scene to keep her warm, and it was priced at £2.70.

Lace, light gold duvet cover, £16.00

Soft, used for SNOWCHILD’s scene. £2.70

Laced, white and cream, £16.00

I will continue my search for the props, trying to find items as cheap as I can get them, as the props budget is limited. So far, if these items were approved, we would have spent £23.70 and there are still lots of items that need to be purchased!

Alex Urbanczyk

Word Count: 260

Set Construction: Creating the Wooden Angels

March 28, 2013 Ellie Richards

Projecting the angel onto the wood

Sketching the angel onto the wood

Sample of the sketched image

Cutting the angel into shape

Angel height 8ft

Applying the first dark layer

Dark layer complete

The photographs above were taken on the first and main day of set construction, chartering the process of applying the angel image to the wood, and developing the wood into pieces of usable set.

As can be seen from my development of painting the angels below, the main challenge was making sure that both angels looked as identical as possible, and this has taken longer than I have expected. However, I am very pleased with the final result, and I am also pleased that I have completed this early on in the production process, so that I can focus on making the fabric angel to an equally high standard.

Building tonal layers

Adding layers of colour

One of the finished pieces

Word Count: 153.

The Final Design and Google SketchUp Concept

March 23, 2013 Ellie Richards

The Final Design for ‘A Gothic Tale’

I have now reached the stage where I have collaborated, developed and eliminated ideas from my previous set design concepts, to create the final set design which we will use as the official guide for set and props positioning in the production of ‘A Gothic Tale’.

The final set includes a well-rounded and coherent expression of what our production is trying to convey. For example, drawing from the theme of a collision of two worlds, fairytale and dark gothic, I have decided to finalise my plans for constructing the wooden angels, which I will begin shortly, and finalise the fabric angel design. I decided, together with the production manager, to eliminate the use of the back cyclorama, as this was unnecessary, and move the fabric angel upstage centre, to create the most appealing composition possible. I have also been highly influenced by Edward Gordon Craig, with the use of tall vertical shapes and steps.

We plan to lift the fabric angel up to reveal the bloody chamber, of which the actors can either exit or enter through the back, or from the sides of the stage. Through this gap we will shine a strong beam of light, to add to the reveal and mystery of the chamber. The original positions of the bed DSR and the piano room DSL are to stay, particularly as this is a requirement from the script and the director and it is my job as Chief Designer to work with these specifications.

We concluded that the best method for suspending the fabric angel would be a pulley hoisting system, which will lift the angel to leave a gap of about 6ft, enough to walk up and through. I will need to purchase 7m of fabric to leave enough lift and drop room for the hanging.

Diagram of the angel pulley system

SketchUp Design for ‘A Gothic Tale’

SketchUp Design- alternative view

I completed this Google SketchUp diagram as a virtual model of how the final stage will look and to give a clearer portrayal of how the set pieces will fit together in relation to the rest of the stage. This was certainly a helpful exercise when trying to establish the size of the bed and piano within the space. Our stage manager has managed to negotiate that we can have free wooden sheets to create the standing angels. This is excellent news, as not only does this mean that we can preserve our allocated set budget for other expenses, but I have an immediate resource which I can start work on as soon as possible.

I will also continue to be in consistent communication with the other members of the production team, as lighting plans will also be crucial to the success of the set design.

(Please click on the images to view larger versions)

Word Count: 493.

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