Introduction to the Theatre

THE 101 / University of Idaho

The Scenographic Imagination

I. Theatrical Space:

	Theatron: "Seeing place"
	Sacred Space:
	Performance: Artform, Emotional Content, Personal, Time-Investment
	Tradition: Ritual Space, Apprentice System, Classroom and Stage
	Spiritual: Ritual Practiced Daily between Performer and Audience

Shaped By:

	Script Needs: Plot, Character, Style, and Design Needs
	Expectations and Limitations: Audience and Practitioner
	Economics: Money Available
	Building Itself: Architectural Limitations

Two Basic Parts:

	Stage: Actual "Machine" that Actor Works on and Around
	Auditorium: Rest of the Building and Support Spaces

II Four Basic Theatre Configurations

History of Stage Architecture:

	Greek to Roman
	Medieval to Elizabethan
	Italian Renaissance to Royal
	Romanticism to Modern
	Main Historical Influences: Society, Religion, State
	Human Condition
	Audience Composition: Class level, Intelligence, Preferences
	Technology: Mechanisms & Machines
	Style of Production

Basic Modern Theatre Configurations:

	Proscenium: Presentational
	Thrust: 3/4 Round
	Arena: Boxing Ring
	Black Box: Experimental and Adaptable (Transverse and Environmental)

III. The Design Process

Directors Commanding Image:

Guiding Ideas and Metaphors

Divergent Process:

Exploration, Research, Preliminary Sketches and Colors

Cognitive Process:

	Development and Refinement through Perception, Reasoning, and Intuition
	Using Combinations, Extraction, and Isolation

Convergent Process:

	Refined Design
	Presented by Rendering or Model
	Prepared for Construction using: Floor Plan, Elevations, Detail Plates
	Further refined by: Swatches, Samples and Painters Elevations

IV. The Scene Designers Role & Techniques

Design Functions:

	Defines the space for the Actor to exist within and Reinforces the Script
	Makes a Strong Interpretational Statement
	Creates Mood and Atmosphere
	Chooses Materials and Details

Basic Elements of Design:

Basic Principles of Design:

Media and Materials: