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  • 1.  Good scripts for Design exercises

    Posted 09-19-2014 02:31
    I'm a bad technical theater teacher sometimes and I rarely teach design in the hurry to build the shows.

    I am going to stop that nonsense now.  

    Can I have some suggestions on some accessible plays for brand new technical theater students that would be a blast to read and design for (and possibly includes some juicy research possibilities)?

    I want to teach these design areas:

    Set

    Audio

    Costume

    Make-up

    Lighting

    Publicity


    My college education is coming up lacking!  Short plays are better so we can read them quicker, as are free online plays (if they have cool design possibilities).  The main thing is to have students go through the process of designing for scripts that can be designed in multiple different ways (that way I don't get 35 box sets for Arsenic and Old Lace).  Please say WHAT area of design you suggest this for (so I don't make a fool of myself assigning set design for Our Town when you were suggesting an awesome period costume design).

    Thank you brain trust!

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    Bryan Ringsted
    San Jose CA
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  • 2.  RE: Good scripts for Design exercises

    Posted 09-19-2014 12:49
    What about an oldie like A Midsummer Night's Dream?
     It's great for design because you've essentially got the three worlds (Athenian Court, Mechanicals, Forest) and each needs to have its own identity, yet the worlds need to relate to each other as well.  Plus there are so many examples of very different productions from the past to use as points of inspiration.


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    Ryan Moore
    Ferndale MI
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  • 3.  RE: Good scripts for Design exercises

    Posted 09-20-2014 09:19
    "Attack of the Moral Fuzzies" by Nancy Beverly is a great little 10-minute play with lots of design possibilities for a beginning student.  The make-up is pretty straight, but there are interesting challenges in all the other areas.  It was in the first volume of 10-minute plays from the Actors Theater of Louisville - which is a little pricy but well worth having.

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    Paige Brey
    Teacher
    Magnolia School
    Tallahassee FL
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  • 4.  RE: Good scripts for Design exercises

    Posted 09-21-2014 22:39
    Bryan, I have my Theatre I students read two one-act plays near the beginning of the semester to explore the very different settings that are required for plays. 

    We read Susan Glaspell's "Trifles," which is available for download at gutenberg.org, as it was published in 1916 and is public domain.  It needs a very realistic set of a kitchen farm house--or realistic elements to suggest such a place--with steps to upstairs.  There are some great research topics there.  

    The second play we read is "Small Actors" by Stephen Gregg.  I bought a class set of that play, which has scenes taking place in a house, a school, a stage, a parking lot, and a car--and breaks for scene changes will kill it.  

    The contrast of those two plays works well with my students.    

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    C. J. Breland
    Asheville NC
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  • 5.  RE: Good scripts for Design exercises

    Posted 09-22-2014 07:13
    I am fortunate enough to have a good script library. I let them choose from the shelf. Since the design for class Is not one tha will see fruition, they like to choose the shows we could never do. In addition to a set design for our stage, I also have them do a full prop list, audio and light concept (not full design since plotting lights would be a whole semester in itself). And a budget proposal. They also choose a major for intensive study which is whatever they are working on for the current show. ------------------------------------------- Scott Hasbrouck Wheat Ridge CO -------------------------------------------
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  • 6.  RE: Good scripts for Design exercises

    Posted 09-20-2014 14:11
    For costumes, you might try The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain. It is a one act. There is a PDF adaptation online in addition to versions at most of the publishing houses. It has challenge's that need to be solved (suggested nudity and the transitions with the fig leaves).

    Think about using shows that they may already read for school. Crucible would be excellent for sets and costumes, as would Romeo and Juliet. The Glass Menagerie is full of sound cues.

    Why not have the marketing assignments done for what ever production you are working on at the time. That way you get a lot of help promoting your production.

    Hope this helps. I am primarily a director, but love the design process. I recently did Pinter's absurdist play The Caretaker. The designer and I worked closely together to pick the hundred's of props that filled the set. Great fun.

    Hope this helps.

    James

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    James Van Leishout
    Olympia WA
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Good scripts for Design exercises

    Posted 09-22-2014 12:09
    I let my kids have at the script library so they can choose. A fun set design is The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 by John Bishop.

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
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