KRISTA D. PRICE

1.  Watch / Do:  Monologue Feedback

In the shared class folder (where you uploaded your monologue), watch and provide FEEDBACK for four of your classmates' monologue performances.  (Click the "add comment" button - the speech bubble with the plus sign.)   Be sure your feedback is helpful, honest, and growth-oriented.  Compliments are acceptable, also.  Just be sure any feedback you provide is specific and not vague.  

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This week's unit is focused on: 

PROCESS OF (SCENIC) DESIGN:  WHERE TO "START"

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Our next unit in Stagecraft was going to be learning about THE PROCESS OF DESIGN.

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Almost everything created for art or commercial use has gone through a design process.  However, many non-artistic people assume that artists simply have a "flash" of inspiration or "just come up with" ideas because they're creative.  While I wish that was true, that is RARELY the case.  Great ideas and inspiration are typically the culminating results of curiosity, research, and artistic collaboration.  

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In our next unit, we're going to explore the design process by talking about one of the most important aspects of design in a show:  the set.  The set in a production can do FAR more than show location.  Since the scenery in stage shows (unlike most films) does not have to be LITERAL, the space in which the story is told can be FIGURATIVE, metaphorical, representational, abstract, poetic, and/or uniquely enhanced to get at the "heart" of the show's meaning or characters.  

 

For me, one of the most FUN aspects of deciding how to stage a play/musical (and its characters) is designing the set that will become the "world" in which the story is told.  This unit is focused on that process.

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2.  Watch:  Scenic Design video (above).  (You only need to watch 4:05-11:05.) 

Journal:  What did you learn (or find interesting) about the PROCESS of scenic/set design?

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3.  Read:  ALL Information written by Ms. Price above that introduces this new unit  (if you haven't already).

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4.  Watch:  KP Teaching Video  - Design Process & Literal vs. Figurative Design (5:00)

Journal:  Steps in the Design Process

1.) List the steps (in order) of the Design Process

2.) Which of the nine set designs shown in the video did you find most intriguing and why?  (You'll need to pause the video on your favorite to be able to analyze the design.)

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5. Watch:  Designing a Set (3:35) 

Journal:  Process of Design

1.) What do you need to be a scenic designer?  (awareness of space...)

2.) What did the designer share is the PROCESS of designing a set?  (talk to...)

3.) What does the designer say "informs the character and what kind of person they are"? the ________

4.) What advice did she give to future designers?

Write this phrase:  "There's no such thing as an original idea - it's all an amalgamation of your ________." 

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6.  Watch:  David Korins:  "Misery" Design  (4:34)

Journal:  Feeling/Mood Inspiring Design (Misery)

1.) What "feelings/moods" inspired the design (according to what he said, not your interpretation of his design)?

2.) What specific character traits inspired the design?

3.)  What did you find interesting in this design?

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7.  Watch:  Designing Broadway: Tony Winner Bunny Christie (5:13) - NOTE:  SKIP IF YOU'VE ALREADY WATCHED.

Journal:  Research Inspiring Design (Curious Incident)

1.) What did this designer look at when she was "coming up" with ideas for her design?

2.) What "feel" did she want the scenic elements to have?

3.) What are the benefits of NOT thinking about sets on stage as literal realistic spaces?

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8. Do:  Scenic Design Search  

1.) Go online and Google various scenic designs (for the stage).  Find ones that "move" you when you see them.  Try to pick out the elements in the photos/designs that you're drawn to and try to determine why you find the design(s) interesting.  Do you find yourself being drawn to more literal designs or more figurative / metaphorical / representational / abstract / poetic designs?  What do certain designs make you "feel"? 

2.) Once  you've found your "top 10" scenic design photos, put them in the Slideshow Assignment on Google Classroom (follow directions given).

Advice from Price:  How can/should you find "good" scenic design photos?

• Just Google!  Image search with key words like "set design", "scenic design", "lighting design", etc.

• If there's a show you're curious about or love, you could search by title of that show & "set design"

• Have fun exploring!  

 

9.  Do:  Literal vs. Figurative Design - Designing...ME!

1.) Identify a space in your home that LITERALLY represents YOU.  Think in terms of "if a play was written about me", what is a space that might be included in the set that not only shows the setting, but also reflects things about ME as a "character".

2.)  Identify a space/object/environment in or around your home that FIGURATIVELY represents YOU.  Think of the CHARACTERISTICS that define WHO you are at your core or something deeper about you, and look for those elements in the physical world around you.  

3.)  Once you've found both LITERAL and FIGURATIVE representations of YOU, take photos of those spaces, and complete the assignment in Google Classroom:  Literal vs. Figurative:  Designing ME!

4.)  For an example (from Ms. Price's own life), click HERE.

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For This Week's Zoom Class: 

• Come prepared to discuss the above learning experiences. 

• Come prepared to discuss your Scenic Design Search (see #8 above - the assignment is in Google Classroom) and your Literal/Figurative "set design elements" of YOU (see #9 above - the assignment is in Google Classroom).

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