Technical Theatre

ADA4MFebruary 25, 2013

Brainstorm:

• What jobs are necessary if you want to put on a play?

Production Team/Crew• Producer: manages the finances and hires the production

team• Director: makes staging decisions and oversees all

aspects of designs according to his or her vision• Stage Manager: acts as a ‘go-between’ for the director

and other crew members, organizes schedules, takes rehearsal notes, and ‘calls’ the show during performance

• Assistant Stage Manager: assists with whatever is needed in rehearsal, help coordinate the backstage parts of the show

• Designers: design the visual aspects of the show (costumes, sets, etc.)

• Operating Crew: operate the lights and sound during a show

Costume Design

ADA4MFebruary 25, 2013

Process

• Discuss general aesthetic and vision with director

• Create sketches for each character to determine the overall look and cohesion of the show

• Find and/or create costumes

Style

• Presentational• Representational

Read page 38 of your textbook. What is the difference between presentational and representational design?

Considerations

• Time period– Is the play set during the time it was written? Is it set

during a different time period? Should the costumes be recognizable from a certain point in history?

• Function– What do the actors need to be able to do? (e.g. musical

theatre costumes must accommodate dancing)• Inspirations– What ideas, themes, or traditions do you want to draw on

in the designs? Is there a certain feeling that the director wants?

The Merry Wives of Windsor(Stratford Festival)

Sleeping Beauty (1946)

The Lion King (Broadway)

The Lion King (Broadway)

The Lion King (Broadway)

The Lion King (Broadway)

The Lion King (Broadway)

The Changing Figures of Fashion

How to Design a Costume

• Decide what time period and influences you want to draw upon

• Think about the personality of your character

• Decide on general shape and colors• Sketch out a design on a croquis • Make a more detailed design• Make choices for a reason!

Romeo and Juliet

• What is is about?

Renaissance Fashion: Women• Gown: floor-length, with or without a train– Often open at the front to display

the petticoat underneath• V-shaped bodice • ¾ or full-length sleeves

– Puffed sleeves with decorations or slashes to show colors underneath

• High-necked collars or low, square-cut necklines

Renaissance Fashion: Men

• Shirts: doublet (button-up jacket), sometimes with jerkin (leather vest) overtop– V-shaped waist– Often slashed to display color

of shirt underneath

• Pants: hose (padded short-pants)– Worn over stockings

• Ruff at the collar and wrists

Assignment

• Choose either Romeo or Juliet• Sketch a quick design of an Renaissance

costume for your character. Follow the styles that were popular, but feel free to mix and match from the English Renaissance styles that interest you

• Think about what colors and styles you think best fit the theme and the character

Homework

• Bring colored pencils tomorrow (and, if you want, markers)

• If you had to tell the story of Romeo and Juliet in a more modern time period, what would you choose?

Costume Design Day 2

ADA4MFebruary 26, 2013

Step 1

• Finish your Renaissance sketch of Romeo or Juliet

• Remember: it doesn’t have to be the most detailed drawing in the world– General outline– Colors– Unique features

Design Part 2

• Imagine that you will direct a modern version of Romeo and Juliet

• Decide what time period/culture/subculture you want to set your story in

Macbeth updated to be reminiscent of WWII

Design Part 2

• Create a preliminary sketch of shape & color• Lightly trace your chosen croquis onto a piece

of blank paper• Create your modern design for the same

character you used for the Renaissance sketch

Costume Design (due Thursday)

1) Choose time period & design aesthetic2) Quick sketch (same character as before)3) Trace croquis4) Create costume design5) Write reflection (2-3 paragraphs)

1) Why did you choose your time period?2) Why did you make your design choices?3) How does your design reflect the themes of

Romeo and Juliet?