Theatre Design Foundations Exam 1

Hue

the “base” color name (red, blue purple)

Chroma

the intensity of the color (saturation, intensity)

Primary Colors

Red, Yellow, Blue

Complementary Colors (mix?)

Red and Green,Yellow (mix to get brown)

Value

the lightness and darkness of a color

Tint

add white (add light)

Shade

add black (subtracting light)

Monochromatic

One hue, multiple values

Palette

a range of selected colors

subtractive mixing

mixing all colors to get black/brown

Primary Colors of Light

Red Green Blue

Secondary colors of light

cyan, amber, magenta

Additive mixing

Cyan + Magenta + Amber = white

Gels are….

Lighting filters

What do gel books illustrate

how much light can pass through various gels

The color of a cast shadow is the ______ of the light source

compliment

point

simplest design element, something we percieve

dots

something that can be drawn, no dimension

Lines

a moving dot/point, often connotates movement

Lineweight

how think/thin a line is

Surfaces

connected lines, dots with defined surface

Shapes

objects with intentional edges, 2-3d, has mass

Shading function

indicates direction of light source

Positive Space

Main subject or object fills a space

Negative Space

Space around the main subject or object(s)

Texture

The surface quality of an object that conveys tactile traits

What are the design elements?

point, line, shape, texture, weight, rhythm, surface, space

Principles of Composition

Balance, Rhythm, Variation, Unity, Visual Composition, Synergy,

Balance

an equalized mass, weight, volume

3 types of balance

Symmetry, Asymmetry, Radial

Proportion

the scale of objects as they appear in relation to eachother

Rhythm

how eyes move around the page

Types of Rhythm

Randomness, progression, regularity, flow

Variation

Changing the form, position, or condition of any of the design elements, altering the visual status quo

Contrast

Diversity of adjacent parts, juxtaposing extremes

Unity

A state of being unvbroken/complete

Types of Visual Composition

Positive/negative space, rule of thirds, left to right, point of view

Synergy

less is more, whole is greater than subparts

List the steps of the design process

Commitment, read the play (3 times), analyze the script, determine the objective, research, incubation, collaborate, selection, implementation, evaluation

What are the 9 objectives?

Time, period, place, locale, theme, mood, style, revealing character, solving practical problems

What is in the container

time, period, place, locale, style

Characteristics of ancient Greek Theatre

used for worship of greek gods, very religious & entertaining, no violence on stage, Deus Ex Machina, built into hillsides

Roman Theatre Characteristics

Modified Greek theatres, secular, separation of auditorim & orchaestra via short wall, amphitheatres, complex moving scenery

Medival Theatre

Church opposed secular drama, theatre used to convey biblical messages, pageant wagons, mansion stages

Renaissance Theatre (esp Italy)

Secular drama reimagined, neoclassicism, proscenium style stages, stock sets (street scenes/basic scenes)

Elizabethan Theatre

Open air platform 4-6ft off ground, upperstage used to illustrate non-wordly elements, three story structure, enclosed the theatre, not scenery heavy

Restoration Theatre

standardized scenery, rectangular theatre buildings, raked stages, proscenium arch + apron thrust towards auditorium, Elizabethan levels, resurgence of theatre following puritan culture

Japanese Kabuki Theatre

Originally produced by women outdoors, highly sophisticated machinery, elevator traps, elevator stages, and revolving stages

20th CE Theatre Europe & NA

realistic and naturalistic types of drama, unity style for all elements, actors on stage (no longer on apron), sets part of the action

The Little Theatre Movement

Proscenium

frame around the stage

Border

the top, masked section

Wings

sides of the stage

Stage

playing space behind proscenium

Apron

playing space behind proscenium

Apron

playing space in front of proscenium

Orchestra Pit

in-front of apron, musicians

House

Audience

Proscenium Theatre

has proscenium

Thrust

stage “thrusts” out, apron is LARGE, surrounded by audience

Arena Theatre

Fully surrounded by audience

Alley Theatre

People sitting on both sides

Soft Goods

curtains, drops, travelers, borders, cyclorama

Rigging

Fly system, grid, counter weight arbor

Sight lines

where the audience can see and what

Leg

Long skinny curtains on the side of a theatre, can be raised or lowered

Valence

a matching border that runs along the top of the stage to hide the furthest upstage lighting and scenic rigging.

Cyclorama

a large, seamless curtain or curved wall positioned at the very back of a stage to serve as a background for lighting and projections

Scrim

a translucent mesh fabric that can be lowered in across a stage. When lit from the front, in obscures anything upstage, but when scenery or performers are lit up behind it, it can hardly be seen

Fly System

an overhead network of ropes, cables, pulleys, and counterweights used in a theatre to raise and lower curtains, lights, scenery, and stage effects

Grid

a support structure (floor) of the rigging system of a venue. In a theater, typically holding ropes and pulleys that enables stage crew to quickly and safely ‘fly’ elements of the set and lighting in and out of place.

Counterweight Arbor

a sturdy metal carriage used in a fly system to hold iron or lead weights (bricks) that balance the weight of set pieces/other elements

Single purchase system

a manual counterweight rigging setup where the movement and weight ratio between the load and the operating rope is one-to-one

Double Purchase system

a manual counterweight rigging setup where the movement and weight ratio between the load and the operating rope is two-to-one

Masking

Curtains/set pieces used to hide parts of the stage (ie, lights, grid, etc)

Eccyclema 

a wheeled or revolving platform used in classical Greek theatre to show interior scenes or the results of off-stage events

Periaktoi 

3 sided objects that show 3 scenes when rotated

Machina 

A crane, used to show divine power (a god)

Pinakes 

painted panels or pictures hung on the skene (the background building) in ancient Greek theatre to create scenery

Mansion Stages

a small, temporary wooden platform with a roof and supports used in medieval theatre to represent specific locations like Heaven or Hell

Pageant wagons 

a movable wheeled vehicle or stage used during the Middle Ages to perform religious cycle plays in town streets

Stock sets 

basic sets (street scenes like a library)

Little Theatre Movement 

experimental centers for the dramatic arts, free from the standard production mechanisms used in prominent commercial theaters