Directing the design

Creating the visual world of the play

The 2006 Human Race Theatre Company production of Big River, directed by Joe Deer and designed by Dunsi Dai.

 TEACHING THEATRE
 BY JOE DEER

scenery can tell the audience a great standing of her obligations for each
Scott J. Kimmins

deal about the world they’re entering, stage of the process, and a volunteer or
and support the director’s ideas about student designer in training probably
mood, conflict, and themes. It offers won’t—when it’s time for the designer
visual interest and variety and provides to build a model or draw a detailed
a physical space that lends itself to a ground plan, you’ll have to ask for it.)
range of staging opportunities. A good Thus the process outlined in this
set does all these things. article can and should be modified to
If you’re a lucky director, you have fit your circumstance. In fact, in most
an ally in the process: your scenic de- situations this template for collabora-
signer. Her job is to imagine a visual tion will be adjusted to take advantage
expression of the world of the play or of the special opportunities of your
musical and to represent the set she school, the interests and talents of your
sees in her head in terms that you and students, and the particular needs of
the people responsible for building and the show you’re producing. But this is
painting it can understand in detail. On a good model to start with.
most productions the scenic designer Your first job is to line up the peo-
is also responsible for the properties ple who will design (this might even
(all the furniture and all the objects that be you), build and operate the scenery,
actors will handle in the show) and set lights, and costumes for your produc-
dressing. tion. It’s a good idea to get this roster
It is the shared goal of the director of collaborators on board as soon as
and designer to achieve a design that possible. Have a preliminary get-
feels as though there is no other pos- together to let them know what show
sible visual world that the show could you’ll all be doing, share a rough out-
live in. The directorial interpretation line of the budget, and sketch the pro-
and the design are one. But getting duction schedule. Be sure to include
to that place takes some thoughtful, your music director and choreographer,
intelligent consideration, a talent for as well as all of the designers, in the
metaphor, a collaborative spirit, and a conversation. This is a purely logistical
capacity on both sides for sharing and meeting to get the frame of the yet-to-
receiving ideas. In this article I’ll out- be-painted picture in place. You can
line the process that I have used as a outline the process we’ll discuss in this
director to work with many designers article with them and even share the
on scores of successful productions. article itself. Establishing a set of shared
In a school theatre setting, the expectations for the design process will
director’s design ally may be a talented help make things run more smoothly
student or a parent who has carpentry and avoid some of the frustration that
skills. The principles are the same as can accompany any passionate collabo-
when you’re working with a profes- ration. Your production calendar can
sional scenic designer. (With this key outline when your part of the process
difference: a professional designer will is due to them, and when you’d like
come to the table with a clear under- theirs, as well. Be sure to allow some

TEACHING THEATRE 
flexibility for the reality of lives that in- Take quick note of your first impres- show on first encounter. Orderliness,
clude at least one full-time job besides sions. Don’t edit—just let them tumble comic chaos, pastoral romance, emo-
this very demanding project. onto the page in any form they take. tional austerity, psychological intrigue,
Doodles, shorthand words and phrases, etc. The qualities of the music can
Record your first impressions full sentences, quotes from the text, often tell you a good deal about this
As with so much in the theatre, prepa- even sketches can be potent reminders question. Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific
ration is crucial. Once you’ve had a of what you feel most compelled by. Overtures will suggest a very different
chance to read the script and listen to These are the seeds of your fuller inter- world than Grease. Try to articulate
the music (if you’re directing a musi- pretation. your gut reactions. No one has to read
cal) the first time, you’ll be ready to go What does this world look like? Do your notes, and you can refine the
back and start answering some “first you imagine any specific scenic ele- wording later on.
impressions” questions that will help ments? Colors, shapes, textures, lighting Who are the most important people
you gather your thoughts and lead you qualities? Is this an architectural world, in the story? Is A Little Night Music
to a clearer sense of what you want to a natural world, fragmented scenery, Frederick’s story? Desiree’s? A trio of
do with the show. or highly realistic? Is there a configura- characters sharing focus? Why do you
Some people resort to simply copy- tion of the audience in relation to the care about these people? Who attracts
ing the original design and interpreta- playing space that you want to employ? you or distances you? You don’t need
tion of a show because they aren’t If you know the space, are there ways to think simply in terms of heroes and
used to creating a design for their own that you’d like to use it for this specific villains to identify whose story matters
production. I don’t recommend that production? Adjectives that describe most to you. There’s no need to judge
for two principle reasons. The first is textures, colors, and condition—like any characters. Just react.
the practical consideration that it will “gritty,” “pristine,” “pastel,” “earth- What are you reminded of? Did
probably not be possible to reproduce toned”—can be useful. And those de- any works of visual art, literature, TV,
the design in a way that satisfies your scriptions may be different for different film, or other items of popular culture
expectations. The second is the un- portions of the show. come to mind as you read and lis-
settled legal question of whether the Do any strong staging images stand tened? These references can sometimes
creative work of the original director out? Compositional ideas can some- provide you with an anchor for your
and designer is protected by copyright. times come to you as you read and lis- production and help your designers get
So for the purposes of this article, let’s ten. Note these. Phrases like “a swirling a handle on your ideas for the show.
treat the design process as if you’re the mob carrying protest signs,” “the city For instance, the original production of
director of the original production start- is his enemy,” “the earth opens up to Fiddler on the Roof was powerfully in-
ing with a blank slate. reveal her” can be provocative as you fluenced by the director’s attraction to
As you make your notes, consider move forward. These can also come the work of painter Marc Chagall.
these questions as a way of gathering from the text, the stage directions, or How do the historical setting of the
your thoughts: the music. story (or the writing of the show) and
What strike you as the most im- What does the world of this show feel the location affect your ideas about it?
portant ideas, feelings, images, and like to you? It can be useful to recog- Jason Robert Brown’s Parade is deeply
moments from the first read/listen? nize the emotional experience of the rooted in Georgia in 1913. History,

The drawings above show the series of steps Dunsi Dai used to create the set design for Big River. Left to right: A thumbnail sketch of the basic style and stage space;
a detailed sketch that begins to suggest the relationships and functionality of the set in individual scenes; a color sketch that includes hues, texture, and patterns; and a
final complete rendering of the set design.
 TEACHING THEATRE
culture, and place have a great deal to This will be a touchstone for you and discovers his own humanity in the
do with that story. This may not be the everyone associated with the produc- process. It is literally a journey down
case with other shows. Does historical the Mississippi River just before the
tion as you move forward, so it’s worth
Civil War. But more importantly, it is
accuracy matter to you? the time it takes to get it right. You’ll a spiritual journey into the territory of
What is the style of this piece? Style want to have all those earlier notes empathy and morality. Over the course
can be identified as the rules for per- handy as you begin this process. of this journey, Huck and his traveling
formance behavior that we consistently Think big! Take a stand! The con- companion, the runaway slave Jim,
employ in a show. Asking if the world become friends, then brothers, as they
cept statement, to be useful, must
share dreams and discover their pro-
of your show is like a comic strip, a reveal what it is about the show that found common bond. With no outside
noir movie, a Strindberg play, or a rock engages your passion, and what you authorities to guide him, Huck must
concert can tell you a lot about your want the production to say. There is decide what he will do when given
impressions. You might see your pro- no such thing as just “directing the control over Jim’s destiny. Does he fol-
duction of Damn Yankees as a riff on low the statutory laws of his society and
show as written.” We are interpreters
enslave Jim in a horrific circumstance,
the comic strip Beetle Bailey or, very of the text. You will make conscious or does he follow his sense of a higher
differently, like the film The Natural. and even unconscious choices about law—true morality? Huck frees Jim and,
Do I have strong biases about the the story, the characters, the ideas and as a result, is given his own freedom
show coming into the process? We’re messages being delivered. Accept this from an immoral society.
often very familiar with a show before and embrace it, because it’s one of
we sit down to read and listen to it. the most important parts of your job. Themes and ideas. The story state-
You may have seen it before, watched You’re not just a traffic cop who sched- ment will often contain these ideas,
the film, or been involved in previous ules rehearsals and sets the blocking. but you will find it useful to articulate,
productions in some way. This can im- You’re the most influential person in separately, the themes and ideas that
pact your vision of the show from the the whole production and your finger- motivate even the silliest shows. For
outset. This isn’t always a bad thing, prints will be all over the thing when Seussical, these statements might apply:
but it can definitely limit your capacity you’re done. This concept statement is
to discover new ideas and possibilities. Seussical is about:
the first step in that process.
• Our ability to imagine wonder-
Consider what you already know and For a first draft, try the following ful worlds.
feel about the show and whether you exercises as you work to develop this • Expanding our narrow conscious-
want to recreate those impressions, mission statement for your production. ness to discover and include other
reject them, modify them, or do some- This is the story of… In just one worlds or parts of our world that we
thing else. The original production of a never knew, or never bothered to
paragraph, try writing the essential sto-
notice.
show certainly reflects one way to tell ry you wish to tell. This is not the same • Loyalty, simple integrity, and
the story, but it’s not the only way. as a plot summary. For instance, for the devotion to friends and those we love
musical Big River you might say: and commit to.
Create a concept statement • Discovering our own inner worth,
The next important step in clarifying Big River is the story of a simple, un- despite being different.
pretentious boy, Huck, who goes on • Standing up for what we believe
your ideas is to write a well-crafted in.
a journey into unknown territory and
statement of your vision for the show.

TEACHING THEATRE 
 You can also express these ideas as Costumes must not be pretty or appear once. For each scene, place
a set of thematic conflicts. For Briga- “preppy,” street clothes the location, act and scene number at
Design cannot feel like “a musical”
doon, for example, you might write the top of a blank page. You can fill in
—more like realistic drama or
“faith vs. logic.” For Fiddler on the film; gritty, but heightened the answers to the following questions
Roof, “tradition vs. change.” For Thor- theatrically where they belong on each of these
oughly Modern Millie, “marrying for Images: pages. This will be invaluable to you as
love vs. marrying for money.” Under highway—rumble you proceed with this process.
A cage
You might feel that one particular 2. What needs to happen in each
A portentous, dangerous place—
piece of dialogue, song or lyric cap- bad things will happen here location? Are there intimate duets or
tures the central idea of a show. In A Huge billboard of “optimistic” adver- full stage dance numbers, parades or
Chorus Line, “What I Did For Love” is a tising dwarfs the kids; fading, conspiracies, or both at different times?
potent statement of the show’s central tattered, year-old advertising—no Does the space need to feel expansive
one even bothers to update the
theme. or claustrophobic, based on what you
ads in this neighborhood
Images and visual style. The concept Design qualities: imagine the action to be? Do you need
statement is the place to discuss any im- Textured brick levels, doorways, walls, parapets and
ages, scenic/lighting/costume design Metal bars, fire escapes towers, planks and crates? This is the
ideas you feel strongly about, visual ref- No beauty in their world—every place to identify the requirements of
thing is either functional or
erences and allusions, or anything else the script and your imagination.
decaying beauty
that has to do with the visual experience Decapitated busts on buildings 3. What does each location feel like
of the show. Don’t pretend you are open Painted over marble, building orna- to you? Use adjectives and descriptive
to ideas that you really can’t embrace. If ments phrases like “prissy, fastidious, obses-
you feel that Dolly Levi must come down Bright red floor—blood on the sively organized,” “coarse and rustic,”
streets
a staircase at the center of the stage in or “as romantic as a valentine.” These
Hello, Dolly!, say so now. It will save ev- evocative phrases can fuel a designer’s
eryone a lot of frustration later on. Most Clarify and refine. You’ll find it well imagination. Look for the ways that
designers can embrace those require- worth your time to do as we ask our characters describe the space. “Lonely
ments and make something wonderful students—refine and clarify your ideas Room” in Oklahoma! is an excellent
out of them. Also, if you have a general into one or two pages and have this example of a song that tells you about
sense of the feeling and visual qualities document ready when you get together a location.
of the show, take the time to express with your designers. You may choose 4. Whose territory is the location? Do
them here. If there are painters, design- to give them a copy of your concept we identify the location primarily with
ers or specific visual references you want statement or simply have it clearly in one character? If so, you have a chance
to make, say so. mind as you talk. It’s often enough to to make a statement about that charac-
Here’s a set of statements that have done the exercise; once the ideas ter here. The dark shadows of Jud Fry’s
helped guide a very successful produc- get clear for you they tend to live at personality are reflected in his dank and
tion of West Side Story: the front of your imagination any time gloomy smokehouse dwelling.
you deal with the show. 5. Do you have an overriding meta-
Claustrophobic city streets phorical idea for the show? Perhaps
Nowhere for the teens to do Preliminary scenic you see the entire space as a circus
anything questionnaire tent in which the central character is
Decaying neighborhoods Most of the work in scenic design ad-
Once nice, now downtrodden a ringmaster. Or perhaps you see it as
Poorly maintained immigrant
dresses concerns in one of two areas, a cage, in which all the characters are
housing which constantly inform each other: trapped, waiting to be freed. Is this a
Bars on windows practical considerations and conceptual ring of Dante’s hell that everyone suf-
Volatile atmosphere considerations. In good design, there
Heat, idle time, end of summer agi- fers in, or a Garden of Eden before the
appears to be no separation. As prepa- fall? It isn’t required that you imagine
tation as school about to start,
manufactured irritations with
ration for your first meeting with the the space in terms of a big, overarch-
each other, no outlet for energy scenic designer, spend some time with ing metaphor. But if this works for you,
Find visual icons to build around; the script and think about the ques- share these ideas with your designer
not just a factual, architectural tions below to facilitate a productive
expression of the city at the beginning of the conversation. It
design process. This will help avoid 99 might lead to exciting design solutions.
Fluid scenic changes: must be
smooth, within the action; scored
percent of your scenic problems later 6. Do you have a clear image in
for segue rather than change on. mind for any specific locations? Let the
music 1. Make a list of all the locations designer know this now. It will waste
Must be set in the correct period: in the order they occur in the show.
1957 (language, social situations everyone’s time if you try to nudge her
You’ll discover that some of them are into this choice without saying so di-
are too specific, tame for today)
used multiple times, while others only rectly. Most designers can live with this
TEACHING THEATRE
sort of requirement and even improve Every director and designer evolve Thumbnail sketches
upon it. But you have to be honest up a unique process for working together The next stage of the artistic dialogue
front. It’s also important to stay open to based on their relationship, personal will usually come from the scenic de-
other possibilities. You might discover tastes, and the specific project they’re signer in the form of loose sketches
that the designer has another idea that engaged in. But there are traditional that suggest space and a bit of style,
works even better to help you achieve ways of working that offer a good and offer possible options for the
your aim. basis for the process to begin. Typi- overall design. The less permanent
7. Is historical and geographical ac- cally, the design collaboration follows these ideas feel, the better. Try not to
curacy important to you? Sometimes a path that includes the following five let yourself or your designer get so
the literal accuracy of a location is milestones: a first meeting, thumb- attached to any one idea before this
secondary to its emotional quality. In nail sketches, detail sketches, color meeting that you’re unable to see new
other cases, the corn not only has to be sketches, and a final design package possibilities. Quick, rough sketches
exactly as high as an Asian elephant’s that includes renderings, models, and are often what you’ll get, and what
eye, it also has to be precisely the right a ground plan. We’ll cover each of you want at this point. In the same
hybrid of corn. Decide these things be- those in some detail below. If you are way your optometrist may offer you
fore you meet with your designer. working with a student designer or choices of lenses (“better or worse?”),
8. For each scene, what space have a volunteer who doesn’t have much a designer can begin honing in on a
you just come from and where are you scenic design experience, you’ll want design concept based on the director’s
about to go? How the show looks is to make certain that your expectations responses to these offerings. At this
obviously important. But how you get about these steps in the design pro- point, she may also include her own
from one place to the next is what we cess are clear early on. research material as a way of getting a
call the scenic flow of a show, and is sense of the kinds of detail you’re in-
among the most important decisions First meeting terested in.
you make with your designer. The The director and designer have an ini- By now, you should be able to nar-
questions of full-stage scenes versus tial meeting to discuss the show. Other row your focus by eliminating the op-
smaller “in one” locations will come designers—costumes, lighting, sound— tions you’re not going to pursue, and
up here. You don’t have to answer may also be invited to attend, but don’t come to an agreement on the big pic-
these questions now, but be aware have to be. The director will offer ture. Define the spaces, style and visual
that they will need to be addressed at ideas and images and generally share feel of the show clearly. Keep in mind
some point. the content of the concept paper. The how you’ll want to use the space and
9. How do we get from one loca- designer will respond in whatever way how much variety you need. The set is
tion to the next? Does the scene end strikes her, sometimes offering visual a kind of playground for your charac-
completely before you begin the tran- images to consider, discussing practical ters. So look for options and possibili-
sition or is it a fluid segue? Here is concerns, and clarifying the direction ties in terms of levels, depth, intimacy
where you start to anticipate the scenic of the work. and expansiveness, architecture, and
transitions. Since the audience is going The most important issues to con- stage pictures. You could easily get
to have to sit and watch the scenery sider at this time are playing style, stuck creating repetitive movement
move, no matter what you do, you visual qualities, and especially your patterns or static stage pictures. This
might as well make some theatre out big ideas and central concerns. If you conversation continues until you and
of it. You might even be able to use discovered any important points in the the designer arrive at the third level of
the transition to tell the story. This part questionnaire above, share those now. the process.
of the show doesn’t have to be a bur- If you’re working with an inexperienced
den. It can be an opportunity. designer, bring as much visual resource Detail sketches
10. How does the scenery move? with you as possible. Books of pho- Armed with the responses from the last
Do you imagine the scenery being tography, art history, architecture, sce- meeting, a scenic designer will typically
flown or moved mechanically on wag- nic design—any images that help you retreat to her studio to refine the ideas
ons, so it appears to the audience to communicate your ideas—all can be that best suited your vision for the
be moving by itself, or are there crew part of a visual resource bank that will show. Out of this comes a set of much
members or actors involved in these stimulate conversation and help get the more detailed sketches that clearly
changes? This is an important question wheels of creativity turning. Before you express space, style, functionality, and
to address in terms of theatrical style, finish this meeting, agree on a time for the scene-by-scene arrangement of ele-
so consider it carefully. Also, if the ac- the next meeting and establish a clear ments. You may also receive a series of
tors do move scenery, some theatres timeline for each step of this process. miniature ground plans that illustrate
have very clear rules about who can After this first meeting, designers will the location of each element for each
and cannot do so. If the transitions are typically begin doing research and work scene. This will help solve the ques-
integral parts of the action, these deci- to get a visual sense of the world of the tions of how you get from one location
sions are much easier. show based on the initial conversation. to the next.
TEACHING THEATRE
 This step in the process is critical be- you visualize the space more easily
cause the decisions you make here will and get a better understanding of its
have a profound effect on the entire possibilities.
production. Track the scene changes You will also receive highly detailed
carefully. Consider the scale of each scaled ground plans for the show.
of the elements of the scenery. Make These look like architectural draw-
sure there’s a workable plan for how ings of the set from a bird’s eye view,
the scenery will come, go, and make showing you exactly how large items
transitions. Good scenic design for a are and where they’re placed for each
musical functions as a fluid machine, scene. Be sure to discuss the placement
containing exactly what’s necessary in of furniture and large property items
a way that makes sense in this particu- if you’re not certain about that. At this
lar theatrical world. You’re working to point, you have a finished design and
solve an artistic puzzle in a creative you can begin imagining the action
and imaginative way. in moment-to-moment details. Your
designers will proceed to the shops,
Color sketches volunteers, painting parties and all the
Once you know the scenic design rest that makes for realizing a terrific
suits the show as you imagine it, and design.
that everything functions as part of a
grand scheme, you can move on to as you can see, the process described
the details of color, texture and pat- here is essentially a structure for com-
tern. Although this has probably been munication that provides for sharing,
part of earlier discussions, now is the clarifying, and building on ideas. First,
time to be sure you fully address these the ideas flow from the director to
questions. Designers may bring in pho- the designer, at the conceptual level.
tographs or do color sketches or com- Then, with increasing specificity and
puterized renderings to show you pos- detail, the designer responds until the
sibilities. You will want to include the ideas are ready to be transformed into
costume and lighting designers in this a physical reality. Having this kind of
part of the conversation, too, since the structured process takes much of the
colors of the scenery will deeply affect mystery out of collaborating with your
their work and they may have good design team. You can certainly adapt
ideas to consider or practical concerns this approach to your work with light-
to voice. Be sure to think about how ing and costume designers, as well. It
floor textures and treatments will im- won’t take much work to get everyone
pact your cast’s ability to dance and on the same page, creating the kind of
move in the space. A raked stage with show you dream of watching with col-
heavy wood planking may look great, laborators who know what to expect
but can you do a full-throttle hoe- from each other.
down on it with the women in narrow
heels? Joe Deer heads the B.F.A. program in
musical theatre at Wright State University.
Final design package
Your scenic designer will take the
choices you make together and create
a colored drawing, commonly called a
rendering, of each location based on
them. In some cases, designers create
a full-color scale model of the set to
express the designs more completely.
This is also used by the scenic paint-
ers and carpenters to realize the actual
set. Designers will usually create at
least a white model: a scale model of
the set with only line drawing details
of the scenery. The model will help
TEACHING THEATRE
Originally published in the quarterly journal Teaching Theatre. More info: Schooltheatre.org