The course combines an examination of the three major theatrical design areas, scenery, costumes and lighting. It is intended as an overview for students who want to learn about design but who may prefer to act or direct, or (even) attend or study plays. Two plays will be carefully considered through each of these design areas and exercises will allow students to begin the practice of design without having to become designers to do so. Careful historical research, close reading and analysis text and source material, collaboration, and budget considerations will all be considered. Attendance at each PlayMakers Repertory Company production during the semester is required.
| Date |
Course Topic |
||
| January | 8 | Course Introduction | |
| 13 | About theatrical design | ||
| 15 | Elements of Scenic Design | ||
| 20 | Elements of Costume Design, makeup, and hair | ||
| Biloxi Blues character analysis | |||
| 22 | Elements of Lighting Design, sound, etc | ||
| 27 | Development of theatrical design (Greek and Roman, Inigo Jones, Shakespearean, Joseph Urban, Caroline Seidel, Robert Edmond Jones, Norman Bel Geddes, Lee Simonson, Irene Sharaff, Abe Feder, Jean Rosenthal, modern developments) |
Schedule King Lear |
|
| 29 | Development of theatrical design continued | ||
| February | 3 | Doing Floor plans – to scale – tools and tricks | |
| 5 | Room Floor Plan Due | ||
| 10 | Floor plan transformation to stage set | ||
| 12 | Construction techniques for building white model | ||
| 17 | White model due | ||
| 19 | Scenic, costume and lighting necessities: Angel Street | ||
| 24 | Research for period plays: Angel Street | ||
| 26 | Scenic collage for Angel Street due | ||
| March | 2 | Scenic, costume, and lighting necessities, Othello | |
| 4 | Scenic collage for Othello due | ||
| SPRING BREAK | |||
| 16 | About Lighting Design | ||
| 18 | About Lighting Design | ||
| 23 | About Lighting Design | Schedule Subject Was Roses | |
| 25 | About Lighting Design | ||
| 30 | Costume History – sources and resources | ||
| April | 1 | The designer’s tools | |
| 6 | Color manipulation – lecture and demonstration | ||
| 8 | Costume collage for Angel Street due | ||
| 13 | Pulling costumes – Angel Street from stock work in progress |
Schedule Luminosity | |
| 15 | Pulling costumes – Angel Street from stock, due | ||
| 20 | Interpretation – scenes from Othello | ||
| 22 | Costume collage for Othello due | ||
Graded Assignments: |
|
| Reports about theatre designers | 5% |
| Floor plan to scale | 10% |
| White model | 15% |
| Scenic collage for Angel Street | 10% |
| Scenic collage for Othello | 10% |
| Costume collage for Angel Street | 10% |
| Costume collage for Othello | 10% |
| Lighting project(s) | 15% |
| Pulling costumes from stock project | 5% |
| Participation & Development | 10% |
| Final Exam | Thursday, April 29, 2004 12:00 NOON |