Download LEARNING OUTCOMES

Instructor - Doug Finlayson
Class: T 2:30-4
Design For Actors
Fall 2009
Office: Room 39
Office Phone: 968-6935
E-Mail: [email protected]
Course Syllabus
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The student will:
Examine through readings and guest presenters, the role of design in the theatre:
Develop a vocabulary for understanding the art of theatre production;
Apply elements of the design process to their own final project.
TEXTS:
Design Handouts
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Reading Assignments
(Handouts and Plays)
Theatrical Design and Production by Michael Gillette
Designing and Painting for the Theatre by Lynn Pecktal
Light on the Subject by David Hays
Costume Design by Barbara and Cletus Anderson
20%
Pick one of the following Tennessee William’s Plays. Each student will be part of a
group working on one of the following plays.
A Streetcar Named Desire
A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
The Glass Menagerie
2. Word Collage
5%
3. Lady of Larkspur Lotion Worksheet
10%
4. Preliminary Design Presentation
15%
5. Final Design Preparation
Given Circumstances
Dealing with the Script Worksheet
Research
10%
10%
10%
6. Final Design Presentation
Design Elements
20%
Each student will take on the role of director, set, costume, lighting or sound designer.
The final presentation will vary depending on the position you take in the project.
Approaches to this will include (See Attached Sheet).
1
CALENDAR – DESIGN FOR ACTORS
(Calendar subject to change)
August
Tue. 25
September
Tue. 1
WEEK ONE
Class expectations. Visualizing language
ASSIGNMENT – Collage Exercise
WEEK TWO
Present Collage Exercise/Creating a Visual Concept: The Director
ASSIGNMENT - Read Theatrical Design and Production, Chapter 2
DUE: WORD COLLAGE
Tue. 8
WEEK THREE
Read Lady of Larkspur Lotion/Respond to Dealing With the Script Worksheet
ASSIGNMENT - Read Designing and Painting for the Theatre, Chapter 3
Read Costume Design, Chapter 3
DUE: LADY OF LARKSPUR LOTION WORKSHEET
Tue. 15
WEEK FOUR
Set and Costume Designer’s Story Telling Tools/Create groups for final project
ASSIGNMENT - Read Light on the Subject, Chapter 12
Tue. 22
WEEK FIVE
Light and Sound: The Time Arts.
Tue. 29
WEEK SIX
Guest Dottie Marshall Englis/Sets and Costume Design
COMPANY - Wednesday September 30
October
Tue. 6
WEEK SEVEN
Guest John Wylie Lights and Rusty Wandall/Create Groups for final project
ASSIGNMENT - Read Tennessee Williams play
Webster Works Worldwide – October 7
Tue. 13
WEEK EIGHT
Discuss Analysis of Tennessee Williams plays/Themes and Visual Approach
ASSIGNMENT – Given Circumstances of your project play.
MID SEMESTER BREAK - OCTOBER 19-23
Tue. 27
WEEK NINE
Present Analysis/Discuss Research Approach
ASSIGNMENT - Groups Meet to settle on theme(s) for their productions.
DUE: GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES for your project play
November
Tue. 3
Tue. 10
WEEK TEN
Research for Design/Library Day
WEEK ELEVEN
Present as a Group the Visual Inspiration and Research for Final Project
DUE: DEALING WITH THE PLAY worksheet for your project play
THE WINTER’S TALE - Wednesday November 11
Tue. 17
WEEK TWELVE
Groups present Preliminary Design Presenations
Tue. 24
WEEK THIRTEEN
Groups present Preliminary Design Presenations
December
Tue. 1
WEEK FOURTEEN
Final Presentations
DUE: FINAL DESIGN PACKAGE
THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES - Wednesday December 2
Tue. 8
WEEK FIFTEEN
Final Presentations
DUE: FINAL DESIGN PACKAGE
WEEK SIXTEEN
NO CLASS/Showings
ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPT
I. GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES (Support this section with direct quotes from the script / dialogue)
A. Environmental facts. Consider the following categories
1. Geographical & Date
Location: Type of building, environment, neighborhood, city, country.
Date: Period, date, era, time of day, seasons
2. Economic environment
How do economic forces affect the world of the play? Does poverty or
wealth play a role? Are characters under any stress because of economic
elements?
3, Political environment
Political as in government, interpersonal power, society
4. Social environment
Societies’ role in the play, what role does the society play on the
characters? How does the play’s setting (time/ place) affect the world of
the play?
5. Religious/Spiritual environment
Beliefs, spirituality, religious (not necessarily just church)
II. APPLYING THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES
1. Given the TITLE, what does it mean?
2. Given the period in which the play is WRITTEN, how might this have influenced the
author/play? Is there anything in the life of the author that may
have influenced the
play? (MAY REQUIRE SOME RESEARCH)
3. Given the period in which the play is SET, how might this have influenced the author/play
(MAY REQUIRE SOME RESEARCH)
4. Given WHERE the play is set (geographically), how might this influence the play?
(MAY REQUIRE SOME RESEARCH)
5. What are the issues in the play? (Set these up as x vs. y - pick 2 or 3 major ones). What
Philosophical statements are made in the play to clue us in to these? (Use quotes)
6. Create an economical sentence that summarizes the plays central themes. (Think telegrams)
DEALING WITH THE SCRIPT
1. What style is the play? (abstract, theatrical, realism, comedy, tragedy)
2. What relationship between performer and audience does the script imply?
Character to character? (realistic illusion)
Character to audience?
Actor to audience?
3. What useful information is stated or alluded to in the script concerning (quote specifics):
Temperature, Seasons, Atmosphere?
Colors, Textures, Shapes?
Movement, Tempo, Rhythm?
Sounds/ Music?
4. Are there any specific visual allusions / Images / Metaphors?
5. How does the play feel in terms of:
Atmosphere?
Temperature?
Colors?
Textures?
Shapes?
Seasons?
Movement?
Sounds / Music?
Tempo/ Rhythm?
6. Does the play remind you of anything?
Visual Allusions?
Images / Metaphors?
Other media?
7. Do the characters remind you of anyone or anything?
8. Is there an artist or work of art in any medium that feels the way the play feels to you?
DESIGN FOR ACTORS FINAL DESIGN PACKAGE
Director:
• Develop a strong statement of the themes being explored in the play. Provide
quotes from the play to support these themes.
• Research time period and visual references.
• Create a clear, concise statement of your visual approach to the production,
supported by five pieces of artwork that reflect the way you see the production.
• Work in collaboration with your designer(s) to find a common approach to the play.
• Create a prompt book for scene showing blocking on the groundplan to show how the
design assists the direction of the play.
• Be prepared, with your team, to present your ideas to the class.
Set Designer:
• Create a clear statement of a design concept in harmony with the director’s concept.
• Research time period and visual references.
• Develop a statement of the major design metaphor being employed.
• Create statements detailing how set design elements will help in the revelation of
physical, psychological, emotional and environmental world of the play and the
characters in it.
• Discuss the role of props in this play.
• Create sketches, drawings, or create a collage of pictures or other visual aids to
present and illustrate design goals.
• Be prepared, with your team, to present your ideas to the class.
Costume Designer:
• Create a clear statement of a design concept in harmony with the director’s concept.
• Research time period and visual references.
• Develop a statement of the major design metaphor being employed.
• Create statements detailing how costume design elements will help in the
revelation of each character. Consider biological, physical, psychological, social,
emotional and environmental aspects of the characters and the world of the play.
• Create sketches, drawings, or create a collage of pictures or other visual aids to
present and illustrate design goals.
• Be prepared, with your team, to present your ideas to the class.
Lighting Designer:
• Create a clear statement of a design concept in harmony with the director’s concept.
• Research time period and visual references.
• Develop a statement of the major design metaphor being employed.
• Develop statements detailing how lighting design elements will help in the
revelation of physical, psychological, emotional and environmental world of the
play and the characters in it.
• Create a collage of pictures or other visual aids to illustrate each scene of the play.
• Be prepared, with your team, to present your ideas to the class.
Sound Designer:
• Create a clear statement of a design concept in harmony with the director’s concept.
• Research time period and visual references.
• Develop a statement of the major design metaphor being employed.
• Create statements detailing how your sound design will help in the revelation of
physical, psychological, emotional and environmental world of the play and the
characters in it. Give examples
• Create sound effect examples, select music and be prepared to present and illustrate
design goals as they relate to the play.
• Be prepared, with your team, to present your ideas to the class.