Open Forum

That's a tough question to answer, since, hopefully, you want any "new" scenery to at least jive visually with the drops you have available. It's really sad to see a set that looks like it was cribbed together from piece parts of other sets, especially when the cast has put so much work and dedication into the show.

After thirty-odd years as a set designer, my suggestion would be to think outside the box and avoid any "literal" pieces that your crew cannot build and paint properly. Literal, or realistic, pieces very often don't look right because the theatre company didn't have adequate resources. In fact, they can be very distracting to the audience.

So I'd suggest a couple of things:

First, take a good look at the drops you have available and get a sense for their visual style and colors.

Second, with that in mind and thinking outside the box, create a few pieces that suggest the space you want to be in (the stairs, the library, whatever), without being literal and without relying on a bunch of flats. A huge library can be suggested with little more than a nice reading table and a few nice bookcases (i.e., no walls), plus creative lighting and great acting.

What most of have done for many years is to look around for ideas and to see what real libraries, grand staircases, and similar things look like, and then adapt them visually to our production. With the internet, the old recurring trips to several libraries and book shops can be reduced or eliminated.

Finally, don't think in terms of scenery units - think in terms of the space (the atmosphere) you want to create for the actors to tell their story. That's one of the secrets we learn in professional set design programs.

------------------------------
George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
www.georgefledo.net
http://astore.amazon.com/sdtbookstore-20
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2018 13:02
From: Michael Corliss
Subject: Beauty and the Beast

My choir and my pit orchestra director have their hearts set on Beauty and the Beast this year (It's ultimately my decision). I'm not concerned about costumes or anything else, except the sets. Although we have an excellent auditorium, I do not have a spectacular set building crew. Parents do not help with sets here, and we don't hire pros.

Does anyone have suggestions for simplifying The Library, The Staircase, and/or The Castle interior? I can use a drop for the exterior, the woods, the town, and possibly the tavern.

Thanks!

​Good afternoon,

I agree with what George said. We produced he show a while back and had two main pieces, one being the beast tower where the rose was kept. The second was the staircase for Belles room. We had so many drops and cast members, you couldn't have put much more on the stage.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2018 13:02
From: Michael Corliss
Subject: Beauty and the Beast

My choir and my pit orchestra director have their hearts set on Beauty and the Beast this year (It's ultimately my decision). I'm not concerned about costumes or anything else, except the sets. Although we have an excellent auditorium, I do not have a spectacular set building crew. Parents do not help with sets here, and we don't hire pros.

Does anyone have suggestions for simplifying The Library, The Staircase, and/or The Castle interior? I can use a drop for the exterior, the woods, the town, and possibly the tavern.

Thanks!

We did this fairly simply by using three sets of platforms that were connected and not very high- about 2-4 feet. I don't know if this helps or not, depending on the ability to build simple, safe platforms.  This was awhile ago, and I know we figured for comfortable stepping down between platforms.
Drops could go in front of them (town square)  or behind.
The platforms did not move.  SR was an 8x8 platform 4'high which served as Belle's room and the library--by changing out a bookcase for the chairs and adding the Wardrobe (I can't remember her name) we got Belle's room.  SL 8x8 platform about 4' high was the was the Rose room with a majestic looking chair for the Beast.  It stayed the same throughout the show.
Between the two was a platform about 2' high by 12' long with steps coming from the front.   Steps came off the entire front.  We were able to get the full effect of Belle entering the ball as she would move from her room down onto the center platform and then down on to the stage floor.  The longish platform was also used to stage some of the corridor scenes.  This also left the front area of the stage for dining rooms and other locations and lots of room for dishes and silverware to dance for Be Our Guest. 

We painted the front of everything to look like stone.  Not sure if this helps.  Just make sure you know how to build a safe platform, and as these weren't too high, we were able to do it pretty easily.

------------------------------
Holly Thompson
Worthington OH
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2018 13:52
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: Beauty and the Beast

​Good afternoon,

I agree with what George said. We produced he show a while back and had two main pieces, one being the beast tower where the rose was kept. The second was the staircase for Belles room. We had so many drops and cast members, you couldn't have put much more on the stage.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School

Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2018 13:02
From: Michael Corliss
Subject: Beauty and the Beast

My choir and my pit orchestra director have their hearts set on Beauty and the Beast this year (It's ultimately my decision). I'm not concerned about costumes or anything else, except the sets. Although we have an excellent auditorium, I do not have a spectacular set building crew. Parents do not help with sets here, and we don't hire pros.

Does anyone have suggestions for simplifying The Library, The Staircase, and/or The Castle interior? I can use a drop for the exterior, the woods, the town, and possibly the tavern.

Thanks!

We did the show last spring. I was forced into "creative staging" because the school hosted a band competition just three weeks before opening night. That meant I had to have a bare stage for the contest but have set pieces available for rehearsals before and after it. So...the library was the audience with the book she chose hidden behind one of the sound monitors. Several venues were achieved with triangular wagons with a different set on each side (two places in the village as well as Belle's house). The interior of the castle was two large platforms built on top of wagons with a stair case in between them, also on a wagon. Those three units then turned around to be the interior of Gaston's Tavern. A drop was used to suggest the woods. Some extra tables and chairs we brought on for several scenes.

Hope that helps!

Oh, and I'm selling the costumes we made for several characters. Cheap. :)

------------------------------
Kevin Welsh
Auditorium Director
Columbus East High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-04-2018 13:02
From: Michael Corliss
Subject: Beauty and the Beast

My choir and my pit orchestra director have their hearts set on Beauty and the Beast this year (It's ultimately my decision). I'm not concerned about costumes or anything else, except the sets. Although we have an excellent auditorium, I do not have a spectacular set building crew. Parents do not help with sets here, and we don't hire pros.

Does anyone have suggestions for simplifying The Library, The Staircase, and/or The Castle interior? I can use a drop for the exterior, the woods, the town, and possibly the tavern.

Thanks!