STAGECRAFT

Year 9 Musical Theatre

The Show Must Go On…line
◦ Please read through the next few slides about
Stagecraft that is required for a production.
◦ You will have the option of choosing between
a stagecraft or performance role
◦ You will be assigned to a team according to
preference, interest and skills:
Set/location scout, props, hair and makeup,
costume, marketing, sound and lighting design,
filming, editing
Set or scenery

The background built/projected on

stage to establish time & place for
the audience (may be literal or
symbolic)
◦ Which type of staging
will be the most
appropriate for Shrek
The Musical?
Costume, hair &
makeup
Worn by the actors to create
character.
These can be used to change an
actor’s posture, age, physical
build, etc.
(change can be real or artistic)
Props
The smaller things actors use on stage that add detail & authenticity
to a show

School bag
School books
Sound and Lighting

These can be used to establish

setting, mood, period; and build
plot & character
 Set Design

TASK 1-
WATCH THE LINK BELOW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv_geitX9_4&feature=youtu.be
Answer these questions:

1. Why is it important to consider everything that is put on stage and seen by the audience?
If there is one tiny mistake or something is not created as flawlessly as possible, the entire scene can be ruined. Props and backgrounds
contribute heavily to the authenticity and quality of a musical or play, and everything on the stage matters when it comes to the essence of a
show.
2. What does Bunny Christie (Designer for the National Theatre, UK) suggest you write down about each scene before you start
designing?
Bunny Christie, when faced with a new production, writes down every kind of scene, who is in that scene, what time of day it is, what time
of year is it, what is happening in the scene and any additional notes.
3. What does Bunny Christie do for research when starting a new design?
Christie will explore the aesthetics of films, photographs and other media that could potentially share the same visual language as desired
for the design. She will create multiple of these in order to find the best one.
4. What is the difference between drawn stage designs and model sets?
Model sets allow designers and tech crews to understand the mechanism of the life-size set, as they are able to finalize how the sets move
and how doors open etc. They are able to visualize how characters will maneuver around the sets and see the production come to life, as
opposed to seeing multiple viewpoints of a set through drawings.
 Set Design

TASK 2-
CHOOSE A SCENE FROM YOUR FAVOURITE
PLAY OR MUSICAL.

You are going to design a set for that scene. It must be an

original design, so it must be your interpretation of the
scene.
◦Write down the following things about the scene you have chosen:

 Characters in the scene

 The time of day that the scene takes place in
 The month and season that the scene takes place in
 What is happening in the scene?
◦ Special notes for the scene (e.g. something particularly important that
effects the stage design
 SKETCH THE SET
DESIGN
If you're not comfortable with drawing, you can create a
set from bird’s eye view
Choose a stage configuration that you think would suit that
scene
Extension task

As a designer describe in detail your set design for the scene you
have chosen. You should justify your ideas with reference to the
original staging.

In your answer refer to:

 your choice of stage and audience position

 set and props (including use of colour)