This thesis paper will explain my set design process for Temple University's 2014 production of Macbeth. I will cover the steps from receiving the assignment to opening night and evaluate its purpose in my education toward a Master's of Fine Arts. / Theater

The following thesis details all aspects of designing the set for Temple University’s production of the musical Hairspray from initial conception through a process of rendering, drafting, and collaborative communication to the finished production. Special attention is paid to the methods and programs which facilitated this communication and which were direct outgrowths of my graduate studies at Temple. / Theater

Design Analysis of the VCU Mainstage production process for The Nerd The comedic farce, The Nerd, written by Larry Shue and directed by Drew Fracher here at VCU, is the production I intend to analyze in terms of the scenic design process. From the initial conception of ideas, to their development through collaboration, to completion of construction, and ultimately, opening night, I plan to breakout my process step by step. I'd like to communicate the transformation of a literary play into the three-dimensional world in my mind.I. Introduction A. Overall description of process as it applies to this particular interaction with director and designers B. Each person involved in process and their specific roleII. Body A. Process breakdown B. Each insinuated step defined in a more concrete manner 1. play analysis by scenic designer 2. initial meeting with director to understand his/her interpretation and conceptual plans for play 3. research begins with previous steps in mind begins the collaborative effort 4. research presentation meeting with director 5. initial design ideas developed with input from director and interpreted into a floor plan or three-dimensional representation of the set 6. feedback from director 7. redesign or adjustments based on director's comments as well as functional and aesthetic developments 8. the build of the final design begins with the knowledge that contingencies remain that will create hopefully only small adjustments C. Although this breakdown may be somewhat matter of fact, the intricacies of the process I went through in designing the set for The Nerd will hopefully flush out the details into a more authentic realityIII. Conclusion A. My opinion of the process B. Personal feedback on the resulting design C. Positive experiences D. Negative experiences and how I would change them E. In the end, what I learned from the process and collaboration

Human beings make decisions every minute of the day. These decisions are based upon need, desire, impulse, mood, and knowledge. As we grow older, we learn skills in decision-making primarily through trial-and-error. The theatre artist, likewise, is constantly searching for new skills and techniques to aid this process. In life and in art, however, decision-making is not totally grounded in intellect but includes inst1inctive and emotional sensations. It is through finely blending intuitive responses with intellectual skills that a work of theatre art can be produced. In order to accomplish this blending however, the director needs first to identify his reactions to the dramatic work. For example, what attracts the director to this play? What sights, sounds and sensations does the play create? How does this play relate to the director's life experiences? And what are the essential elements that enrich the play and will bring it to life in a theatrical environment? Determining the answers to these questions was my initial directorial challenge, and would guide my dramatic analysis, rehearsal methodologies, and production decisions. My directorial task was to determine the analytical, technical, and rehearsal methodologies which would protect the play's inherent spontaneity and sensuality while remaining true to the details of staging realism. This thesis outlines my decision-making processes: the formation of my directorial concept, the techniques and theories I used in rehearsal and production, and an evaluation of the actual production in performance.

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A collection of work from the graduate tenure of Kevin Loeffler at the University of Iowa Department of Theatre.

<p>Developments in technology and new aesthetic idioms in the past decades have changed the preconditions for the scenographer’s work in the theatre. Therefore, it has become problematic indeed to describe scenography as the sum of costume and set, although this continues to be the common definition of the concept. This study focuses on the interaction of different features in a theatre performance, such as scenography, actors, light and sound. The aim is to show that scenography, as opposed to set and costume, cannot be separated from the live performance, i.e. the context for which it is created.</p><p>By investigating scenography from the parameters space, time, and movement, the thesis demonstrates that the art is anything but stable. On the contrary, it continuously changes shape, size, and appearance. The actors in particular play an important role in the organization of the space, thus exposing the instability of scenography in action.</p><p>The analytical chapters in the thesis discuss four different movements, or transformations, in scenography, appearing in eight theatre productions staged by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman between 1984 and 1998. The first chapter, "Expansion," discusses how scenography incorporates new spaces, either through the actors’ movements or by quoting architectonic details from other parts of the theatre building. "Revolution" shows different ways of revolving scenography without the aid of technical devises such as the revolve stage. "Perforation," the third chapter, analyses the effects of a perforated set and its consequences for the spectators’ apprehension of scenography. The last chapter, "Metamorphoses," highlights actions that undermine the definition of some central concepts in performance, such as “performers,” “props,” and “spectators,” all of which are intertwined in the analysed productions.</p><p>A concluding part of the dissertation elaborates on the effects of these movements and transformations in scenography, in particular as related to the physical and mental relationship between actor and audience.</p>

Developments in technology and new aesthetic idioms in the past decades have changed the preconditions for the scenographer’s work in the theatre. Therefore, it has become problematic indeed to describe scenography as the sum of costume and set, although this continues to be the common definition of the concept. This study focuses on the interaction of different features in a theatre performance, such as scenography, actors, light and sound. The aim is to show that scenography, as opposed to set and costume, cannot be separated from the live performance, i.e. the context for which it is created. By investigating scenography from the parameters space, time, and movement, the thesis demonstrates that the art is anything but stable. On the contrary, it continuously changes shape, size, and appearance. The actors in particular play an important role in the organization of the space, thus exposing the instability of scenography in action. The analytical chapters in the thesis discuss four different movements, or transformations, in scenography, appearing in eight theatre productions staged by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman between 1984 and 1998. The first chapter, "Expansion," discusses how scenography incorporates new spaces, either through the actors’ movements or by quoting architectonic details from other parts of the theatre building. "Revolution" shows different ways of revolving scenography without the aid of technical devises such as the revolve stage. "Perforation," the third chapter, analyses the effects of a perforated set and its consequences for the spectators’ apprehension of scenography. The last chapter, "Metamorphoses," highlights actions that undermine the definition of some central concepts in performance, such as “performers,” “props,” and “spectators,” all of which are intertwined in the analysed productions. A concluding part of the dissertation elaborates on the effects of these movements and transformations in scenography, in particular as related to the physical and mental relationship between actor and audience.

A presente pesquisa investiga o espaço cênico, este espaço-tempo que é condição do acontecimento teatral. Delimitada a partir da análise da obra para o espaço cênico da artista-plástica e cenógrafa Zoé Degani, entre os anos de 1993 e 2012, propõe-se uma navegação conceitual sobre esta prática cenográfica. Em busca do conceito implícito marcado pela plasticidade de cada objeto/quadro destacado, investiga-se como o trabalho da artista intervém na cena teatral: compondo com os demais elementos cênicos a cada nova montagem, a partir da dramaturgia ou para supri-la do que não pode dizer; na dança: sendo outra linguagem inserida na efemeridade do feito cênico, ou ampliando as possibilidades de leitura e vivência das encenações. Para tal, o estudo apoia-se sobre as considerações de Tadeusz Kantor, Antonin Artaud e Gilles Deleuze, além de outras contribuições sobre o espaço das artes cênicas, a semiologia teatral, a qualidade autoral e os processos de criação em arte; contempla ainda depoimentos da artista pesquisada bem como de alguns de seus pares. Observa-se de que forma a qualidade plástica pode incidir em determinadas cenas, procurando entender como a manipulação do espaço cênico e dos signos visuais que o habitam pode alterar o destino de uma obra. As relações significantes e sensíveis estão ressaltadas, o foco volta-se para a cenografia das encenações a partir de uma prática que acopla vida e obra, de cenários que pluralizam as possibilidades do exercício cênico. / This research aims to investigate the scenic area, this space-time which is the condition of the theatrical event. Delimited since Zoe Degani’s practice to the scenic space, who is a fine artist and set designer, the analyses focus on the year 1993 until 2012, proposing a conceptual navigation throw this scenographic work. In search of the underlying concept marked by the plasticity of each object/frame highlighted, the investigation wants to show how the artist’s work intervenes in the theater scene: composing with other elements each new assembly, from the play-writing or to fill it of what it can’t say; in dance: being another language immersed in the ephemeral scene, or expanding the possibilities of reading and living the stage. To this end, this study is supported by considerations of Tadeusz Kantor, Antonin Artaud and Gilles Deleuze, besides other contributions about space in performing arts, theatrical semiology, quality authorial and creation processes in art; it still brings testimonials from the artist in researching as well as some of her peers. We observe how the plastic quality may incise in certain scenes, trying to understand how the manipulation of scenic space and visual signs that inhabit it can change the destiny of a work. The significant and sensitive relations are emphasized, the focus turns to the scenography of the plays since a practice that couples life and work, a scenic exercises pluralized by set designs.

A presente pesquisa investiga o espaço cênico, este espaço-tempo que é condição do acontecimento teatral. Delimitada a partir da análise da obra para o espaço cênico da artista-plástica e cenógrafa Zoé Degani, entre os anos de 1993 e 2012, propõe-se uma navegação conceitual sobre esta prática cenográfica. Em busca do conceito implícito marcado pela plasticidade de cada objeto/quadro destacado, investiga-se como o trabalho da artista intervém na cena teatral: compondo com os demais elementos cênicos a cada nova montagem, a partir da dramaturgia ou para supri-la do que não pode dizer; na dança: sendo outra linguagem inserida na efemeridade do feito cênico, ou ampliando as possibilidades de leitura e vivência das encenações. Para tal, o estudo apoia-se sobre as considerações de Tadeusz Kantor, Antonin Artaud e Gilles Deleuze, além de outras contribuições sobre o espaço das artes cênicas, a semiologia teatral, a qualidade autoral e os processos de criação em arte; contempla ainda depoimentos da artista pesquisada bem como de alguns de seus pares. Observa-se de que forma a qualidade plástica pode incidir em determinadas cenas, procurando entender como a manipulação do espaço cênico e dos signos visuais que o habitam pode alterar o destino de uma obra. As relações significantes e sensíveis estão ressaltadas, o foco volta-se para a cenografia das encenações a partir de uma prática que acopla vida e obra, de cenários que pluralizam as possibilidades do exercício cênico. / This research aims to investigate the scenic area, this space-time which is the condition of the theatrical event. Delimited since Zoe Degani’s practice to the scenic space, who is a fine artist and set designer, the analyses focus on the year 1993 until 2012, proposing a conceptual navigation throw this scenographic work. In search of the underlying concept marked by the plasticity of each object/frame highlighted, the investigation wants to show how the artist’s work intervenes in the theater scene: composing with other elements each new assembly, from the play-writing or to fill it of what it can’t say; in dance: being another language immersed in the ephemeral scene, or expanding the possibilities of reading and living the stage. To this end, this study is supported by considerations of Tadeusz Kantor, Antonin Artaud and Gilles Deleuze, besides other contributions about space in performing arts, theatrical semiology, quality authorial and creation processes in art; it still brings testimonials from the artist in researching as well as some of her peers. We observe how the plastic quality may incise in certain scenes, trying to understand how the manipulation of scenic space and visual signs that inhabit it can change the destiny of a work. The significant and sensitive relations are emphasized, the focus turns to the scenography of the plays since a practice that couples life and work, a scenic exercises pluralized by set designs.