Theatre 160

Where is the audience in a proscenium stage?

On one side of a stage

Where is the audience in a thrust stage?

On three sides of the stage.

Where is the audience in a arena stage?

On all sides of the stage with little space for scenery.

How far is the front row from the stage (Proscenium)?

5-10 feet

Is there an intimate actor/audience relationship in a proscenium theatre?

No

What is the opening wall of stage (proscenium)?

Proscenium Arch

Where is a fire curtain required on an proscenium arch?

Upstage of the arch

Draw curtain opens

side to side

Guillotine opens/closes

Up and down

What type of drape is used in a proscenium theatre?

A main or grand drape

What is done to make scenery and prop details more visible to distant audiences?

The details are exaggerated

In what theatres is exactness and precision important?

Thrust and arena theatres

Where do actors enter from (Proscenium)?

Backstage locations

How close is the nearest audience from the stage (Thrust)?

5 feet

How far can the last row be (Proscenium)?

100 feet

How far can the last row be at max (thrust)?

50 feet

Can a thrust theatre have tall scenery downstage?

No

Why can’t a thrust theater have downstage scenery?

It could impair the sight of the audience

Can thrust theaters have overhead scenery?

Yes

Where do actors enter from in thrust theaters?

Backstage, voms, possibly traps

For which theater should the light crew be careful about lighting the audience?

Thrust

Where is the audience in a arena?

Surrounding the acting area.

What is the most intimate actor-audience arrangement?

Arena

How far is the nearest audience (Arena)?

5 feet

How far is the last row (Arena)?

25-50 percent

Where is the stage house located in an arena?

Above stage

Should floor scenery be low or high (Arena)?

Low

Can overhead scenery be used in an arena?

Yes, just keep the lighting design in mind

Where do actors come in from (Arenas)?

Voms and traps

What is some characteristics of an open space theater?

Seating is movable, the walls, floors and catwalk structure are fixed, all the other types of theater can be done in this one, an environmental theater is possible.

What are some cons when it comes to an open space theater?

Options can be limited by the size of the room

What are some characteristics of a corner theater?

The stage is in a corner, limited backstage space, the rest is the same as a thrust theater.

When someone says stage left and stage right, what are they talking about?

The left and right of someone facing the audience

When someone says house left and house right, what do they mean?

Left and right from the perspective of someone in the house, facing the stage

What does upstage and downstage refer to?

The rear and front of a stage from the audience perspective

What does onstage and offstage refer to?

Onstage is moving towards the centerline and offstage is moving towards the wings and away from centerline.

Stage directions and movements can be abbreviated (true or false)?

True

What does masking mean as a verb?

To hide

What does masking mean as a noun?

Curtains used to hide backstage areas

What are some backstage areas?

Wings, Fly space, and areas behind windows and doors

What masks the wings?

The legs

What masks the fly space?

Borders

What are sightlines?

What the audience can see from their seat to the masking piece.

What does in sightlines mean?

An object that can be seen.

What does out of sightlines mean?

Objects that are masked

What does moving out of sightlines mean?

It means moving to a masked position

What is done to check the side sightlines/leg positions?

Sit in an extreme seating position at the ends of the first row, if the wings are in view fix the leg placement accordingly.

What is done to check the overhead sightlines?

Sitting in the middle of the first row, then lowering the borders until electrics, etc, are hidden behind them. Do the same with the second border.

What are the characteristics of velour masking material?

Usually black or dark colors, thick to absorb light, different weights.

What is the most common masking material used?

Velour

What is Duvetyn?

A thinner, less expensive material used for masking.

What does “In” mean when it comes to rigging systems?

Down

What does “out” mean when it comes to rigging systems?

Up

What does “picks,” or “pick points,” mean?

Rigging connections to scenery

What is the counterweight fly system?

A means for raising and lowering scenery

What are the core elements of a counterweight fly system?

Pipe, Wire rope, and Arbor

What are pipes/battens(Counterweight fly system)?

What lights and scenery are hung on.

What are wire ropes (counterweight fly system)?

What runs between a batten and a arbor

What goes on an arbor (counterweight fly system)?

A counterweight

How does a counterweight fly system work?

Hang lights or scenery on the batten, add counterweight arbor, then the arbor will move in when the pipe moves out.

What are the three phases in the scene design process?

The design phase, the construction phase, and the technical rehearsal phase.

What is the first thing that is done in the design phase?

Script reading

How much should you read a script at minimum?

3 times

At what read through of the script should you start writing notes about set, prop and action needs?

The third read

What happens after reading the script?

A concept meeting is made

Could a concept meeting be done remotely?

Yes, if needed

Who is usually at a concept meeting?

All the designers on the production

What happens at a concept meeting?

The director explains their concept for the show and the designers expand on it and agreements are made. Issues could also be discussed.

Types of research

Research on concept-based ideas, Research on time periods and locations, Research on elements required by the script like objects.

What can be sources of research?

Images, art history sources, books, period newspapers, etc.

Who is usually at design meetings?

The director and designers

What happens at a design meeting?

A presentation of ideas that relate to the play and concept is shared and feedback is given. A unified decision on the design elements is made.

What are preliminary sketches?

Small scale sketches that are usually unfinished at first, used to try and “find the show,” visually.

What happens at the first design meeting?

The scene designer presents rough sketches to the director and the director approves it or asks for some changes.

What are preliminary designs?

Drafted designs that are incomplete detail-wise and subject to change

A white model is a

preliminary design

What becomes more developed during the preliminary design stage?

The thumbnail sketches

What happens at a preliminary designs meeting?

The preliminary designs are presented, a discussion of changes might happen and approval to proceed to final designs is given

What does the director do with preliminary designs?

Evaluate staging and choreography possibilities and problems

What does the technical director do with preliminary designs?

Estimate and budget the show for rough scale and scope

What does the scenic charge (lead painter) do with preliminary designs?

Estimate and budget the show for scale and scope

What does the prop master do with preliminary designs?

Determine a rough budget and begin sourcing furniture and props

Who do you need approval from before moving on to final designs?

The director, designers and technical personnel

What does the final design usually include?

A ground plan, section, design elevations, paint elevations and prop drawings. These should be complete and full of detail

What does involvement in construction and finishing depend on?

The venue and contract

In what types of theaters would a designer build or paint (Construction phase)?

Educational and community theaters

What do designers do in regional/LORT theaters (Construction phase)?

Minor work in dressing or painting

What do designers do in commercial/Broadway theaters?

No physical work

What should all designers do during the the construction phase?

Visit the shops to make sure everything is being made according to the design, consult with props and paint, sometimes shop for props

What happens during the technical rehearsal phase?

Someone attends the technical rehearsals to see if everything looks good, notes are taken for everyone involved and observations are communicated to everyone.

What goes into technical planning?

Budgeting, and Drafting

What is budgeting based on?

Design drawings

What resources need to be considered during technical planning?

Materials, Time, and People

Design drawings show

what the set should look like from the front.

Technical drawings show

how the set will be built

What 4 things should a draft show?

Materials, how they want things assembled, how it should function and what it should look like when finished

What is something that absolutely has to be included in a draft?

Dimensions and measurements.

What are the types of technical drawings?

Technical ground plan, technical elevations, platforms/deck layouts, detail drawings and prop drawings.

What does a technical ground plan show?

An overhead view at 4 feet above the floor

What do technical elevations show?

Construction details of items with height.