All designers tend to have different styles and procedures that they tend to follow when they approach a design. Not only does this aid us in streamlining our process for ease and efficiency, but it also allows us to feel like we have left our individual and personal mark on the project, whether it is recognized by every individual audience member or not. In the Spring of 2023, I was informed by Professor Fred Duer that that my thesis assignment would be serving as the Scenic Designer for Temple University’s Department of Theatre Production of Choir Boy in the Fall of 2023. Furthermore, being that it was my thesis project, and that the production opened so early in the season, I was asked to begin working on the project as soon as possible, including working on said project over the summer. Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney premiered in London in 2012, and has since had runs at the collegiate level, regional theatres, as well as Off and On Broadway. Despite being about a decade old and its recent popularity, the Scenic Designs have been largely different from production to production- which typically means the audience enters the theater with no pre-conceived expectations of what they’ll be seeing in a design, which gives the production team much more flexibility in making their production their own.
As a Theatrical Designer of any discipline the, the first goal should always be to work with the creative team as well as the director to create a world that best benefits the text provided to us by the playwright via the publishing company. By not working together and creating something that fits the text, productions can end up looking incoherent and disjointed. It also leads to contention in the design process, and difficulties once the team begins to implement their designs, and once the director and performers get into the space. Apart from the previously stated goal, I had individual goals that I also hoped to achieve while working on this assignment. I always strive to make a design that is unique to the show (within the bounds that are called for), this is ultimately dealt with in the initial concept and research work. I also strive to (with the team) create a world on stage that pulls the audience out of their day-to-day lives, at least for the duration of the show. If the audience is able to forget about anything going on in their head and live within the action of the play, then I believe that we did our job. Finally, and more uniquely related to this project, I had to both explore and relate to topics and motifs that I am not directly familiar with. I intended to weigh my success on my ability to accomplish these goals. / Theater
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TEMPLE/oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/10274 |
Date | 05 1900 |
Creators | Merluzzi, Michael S |
Contributors | Duer, Fred M., Norris, Jason, Ingram, David |
Publisher | Temple University. Libraries |
Source Sets | Temple University |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis/Dissertation, Text |
Format | 56 pages |
Rights | IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
Relation | http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/10236, Theses and Dissertations |
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