Theatrical Scenic Art E-Book

Emma Troubridge

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Theatrical Scenic Art is a detailed guide to the creative process of painting and preparing scenery for theatre. The book offers key insights into the role of the scenic artist, detailing the process from planning, budgeting and developing samples through to creating and delivering the final finishes. Topics include: design interpretation and realisation; choosing the right tools and equipment; drawing and colour theory; preparation for floor and frame painting; traditional and contemporary techniques for hard and soft scenery and, finally, a range of processes including creating textures, polystyrene carving, scenic faux finishes and sign writing. With personal insights from highly acclaimed designers, this practical guide offers advice on how to become a scenic artist, useful work experience, valid courses and career options for both freelance and fulltime painters. Supported by over 400 striking illustrations, this is an essential companion for technical theatre students, practising scenic artists and for all who are interested in the art of creating painted and textured surfaces for performance. Supported by over 400 colour illustrations. Emma Troubridge is Head of Scenic Art at the Royal Opera House.

Leseprobe

Theatrical Scenic Art

Emma Troubridge

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2018 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2018

© Emma Troubridge 2018

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of thistext may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 434 6

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FOREWORD BY ALISON CHITTY

INTRODUCTION

1THE ROLE OF A SCENIC ARTIST

2DESIGN INTERPRETATION

3DESIGN REALIZATION

4THE SCENIC PAINTSHOP

5TOOLS OF THE TRADE

6HARD SCENERY

7SOFT SCENERY

8DRAWING

9COLOUR

10PREPARATION FOR FLOOR AND FRAME

11TRADITIONAL SCENIC PAINTING METHODS

12CUT CLOTHS AND APPLIQUÉ

13SPRAY TECHNIQUES

14TEXTURES AND CARVING

15SCENICFaux FINISHES

16SIGNWRITING

17THE ROAD AHEAD

GLOSSARY

FURTHER INFORMATION AND SUPPLIERS

INDEX

DEDICATION

To my three shining stars, Joshua, Tom and Madeleine, with love.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A very grateful thanks to all those who assisted me in getting this book together. To the Royal Opera House for all their support and encouragement, especially Bob Brandsen, Mark Dakin, Sue Usher, Colin Maxwell, Chris Harding-Roberts, Mark Pursey, Nathan James, John Venier, Claire Elcombe and Ivan Daffern. To my wonderful team for providing me with endless inspiration! Most especially, to Rowan Plinston, Anna Cottray, Susanna Burton, Emma Inge, Sophie Millns, Stella Theophanous, Michael O’Reilly, Danny Pheloung, Romy Loughton and Kelly Clark. To Alasdair Flint and Hannah Heap at Flint’s Hire and Supply for generous use of paintbrush illustrations and information. To James Gordon for the loan of Edward Burra’s design for the front cloth of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s revival of Miracle in the Gorbals. To the many directors, designers and choreographers who supported me and whose wonderful work is seen here, and to these dear and great designers Alison Chitty, Niki Turner and Vicki Mortimer, for their invaluable contributions.

Finally, to Andrew Dainty, whose support and input has been endless. My huge thanks and love.

Line artwork by Keith Field, Sophie Millns.

Grateful thanks also to the photographers: Iver Kerslake for all Royal Opera House production images, Richard Holtum: page 52 (bottom), ©Hufton+Crow: page 47, Sim Canetty-Clarke: page 232 (left), Bill Cooper: page 217 (bottom), Stuart Hall, and Jock MDougall.

Every reasonable effort has been made to trace and credit illustration and textual copyright holders. If you own the copyright to an image or quotation appearing in this book and have not been credited, please contact the publisher, who will be pleased to add a credit in any future edition.

FOREWORD

Emma Troubridge trained at Camberwell School of Art and she has spent her life working as a scenic artist in the British theatre with British and international designers. She has worked as a freelance painter and also in teams of scenic artists in our best scenic painting studios, theatres and opera houses. She has been Head of Department at the Royal Opera House for the last ten years. She has always been closely connected with training and teaching, and has led schemes for placements for young people learning the trade. Now she has distilled her years of experience into this marvellous book. It provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of the job of the scenic artist – the art of creating the many and endlessly varied painted and textured surfaces that are designed to create the world of a performance in all its manifestations: theatre, opera and dance.

Amongst other things, the book covers the history of the subject, equipment and materials, techniques and practice, the physics and theory of colour, and the relationship between the scenic artist and the rest of the creative and production teams.

For us theatre designers, the scenic artists are our great colleagues who turn the designs that we represent in small-scale theatre models into full-size reality. They must be able to recognize and tune into the many different aesthetics of all their designer colleagues. They are interpreters and artists in the real sense of the word. In my experience, the knowledge and expertise of the best scenic artists always enhance the designer’s work.

Above all, this book is a very practical guide on how to become a scenic artist. There is information about training and apprenticeships, and how to do the job. It follows the process from planning, budgeting and developing samples, through to creating and delivering the final finishes. The book is lavishly illustrated with over 400 illustrations, essential for a book on this subject, and they are both informative and inspirational.

In this book Emma demonstrates the enormous experience and knowledge gained during a long and distinguished career. Anyone interested in studying scenic art and joining the profession must read Theatrical Scenic Art. It is also a great read for practising scenic artists, theatre professionals, theatre-goers and anyone else interested in the theatre.

Alison Chitty OBE

Olivier Award winning production designer

INTRODUCTION

Thirty-five years ago I was given a highly illustrated book on scenic art that proved to be one of those pivotal moments in one’s life. I still have the book, and what a great journey I am still on.

Writing this book is about coming full circle and has been – like putting on a theatre production itself – a truly collaborative process. Without all of the support, input, advice and encouragement I have received, it simply could not have happened, and I am eternally grateful to all those that have been there along the way with me.

The book aims to be a number of things: a reference book, an inspiration and a guide, but, above all, it aims to be an encouragement. Looking at a condensed history through many of the subjects covered, as well as being highly illustrated, it describes the many practical issues, methods and processes of scenic art, with theories and ideas of what lies behind the creative teams, before and during the production process, as we begin to realize a design.

Advice is given too about career choices in the theatre, as well as other possible avenues of work beyond theatrical scenic art. If considering training or just starting out, advice is given to help choose between a broader theatre-craft course or a specialist training course, looking for work experience or placements, short courses or even apprenticeships. If these choices have already been made, then advice is provided on how to organize yourself, including how to prepare a portfolio before looking for work. If working as a scenic artist already, the book is there for encouragement, as well as inspiration for learning more or the ‘how to’ of the many gorgeous drawn, painted or textured finishes.

As a fervent lover of all things to do with the theatre, both teaching and passing on my knowledge with great enthusiasm remains a pleasure. So, with this book the aims were, as ever, to encourage, inspire and educate – while certainly not forgetting to do all this safely!

1

THE ROLE OF A SCENIC ARTIST

I found I could say things with colour and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.

Georgia O’Keeffe

INTRODUCTION

The theatrical scenic artist has a most challenging, satisfying and fulfilling career. Scenic artists are first and foremost part of a wider creative team that build a practical production from ideas. Being part of this collaborative process as it evolves from its very first concepts, right through to the thrill of opening night, is a remarkable journey. However, there are many vital cogs in the creative process and the scenic artist’s role cannot stand alone. In order to understand this completely, we will start at the very beginning, as the seed of a performance is sown.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS AND THE COLLABORATIVE TEAM

The production of a piece of theatre, no matter what the size and technical complexity, from a commercial musical to a school’s annual Christmas pantomime, requires a multitude of different skills from many individuals in order to ensure that the production process runs smoothly. Endless planning is required and there will be many meetings and discussions before the design aspect is even in draft form. This design aspect will include:

•Chosen venue.

•Scale of show.

•Number of performances.

•Budget.

•Hiring: performers, actors, singers, children, animals, musicians, chorus members, dancers, specialist artistes; the list is long…

•Artists’ agents and all legal contracts.

•Health and Safety concerns when dealing with performers, certain venues and local councils.

ROLES WITHIN THE PRODUCTION TEAM

The collaborative team required is numerous and multi-skilled. Depending on the nature and size of the production, the teams can be described as a broad brushstroke across a division of responsibilities in three ways, though many of these roles merge into each other as only a true collaborative art form can:

• The creative team: this can include the director, the choreographer and the designers of scenery, props, costumes, lighting, sound and video/projection. Depending on the production, individuals may do one, a few or all of each of these roles.

• The makers: all those involved in the actual creative realization of the production, and this includes the production manager (PM), the draughtsperson, all those in production workshops, scenic engineers, carpenters and artists, costume-makers, wig-makers, prop-makers and so on.

• The technical and stage staff: all those who provide technical support to and on the stage, including all stage management, stage crew, lighting (LX), sound, dressers and so on.

Designed by Rob Jones, directed by David McVicar in 2015. This period production of Andre Cheniér is set during the French Revolution 1789–1799.

Whether staff are full-time, part-time and/or freelance workers, depends on the size of the production studio, theatre or commercial production company, and whether it is subsidized or not. Once the creative teams have been chosen and logistical planning is in process, a set designer will be appointed to work alongside the director or choreographer. Working in close collaboration, they form ideas and concepts for the stage design as a means to visually convey the narrative through the use of shape, form, colour, texture and movement.

The design is of the utmost importance to a performance, however simple or complex. In conjunction with lighting, sound and costumes, it is what the audience hears, feels and sees appearing before them, from the very moment of entering a performance space. Every director and set designer will have a very personal idea of what the performance is to say to the audience and how it is to be said: from strictly period settings that remain utterly faithful to the original text, through to contemporary or even abstract worlds. The design is how the director/choreographer believes that the audience can be made to feel a greater subjective empathy or personal recognition through reality, or just a deeper connection to the piece.

Directors or choreographers may have weak or strong visual ability when it comes to a stage design; they communicate their talent through movement and subtle nuances of text, dance and sound, and the nature of their collaboration with the stage designer is therefore critical. Many designers will be solely relied upon to create a concept that successfully relates the narrative of the piece through visual means, whilst simultaneously interpreting and fully understanding the requirements of the director and the piece to be performed. This complex balance is achieved during early meetings via the use of sketches and discussions, and often whilst listening, reading or watching the chosen piece. The ideas and inspirations that form will evolve and ultimately mature into what becomes the visual narrative for the performance. Directors frequently develop enduring working relationships with a particular designer whose work concept strongly complements their own, and these relationships frequently last many years.

Designed by Alison Chitty and directed by Daniele Abbado in 2016, this production of Verdi’s Nabucco shows a contemporary interpretation.

Alison Chitty’s sketch of concept ideas for Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd.

Mikhail Mokrov’s storyboard for the design of Cherevichki’s opera The Tsarina’s Slippers.

Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni. Designed by Ez Devlin and directed by Kasper Holten in 2014, with ingenious video designs by Luke Halls.

Designed by Ez Devlin, directed by John Fulljames in 2015, the opera The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny shows brilliant videography by Finn Ross.

At this early stage of the concept it is important to describe other creative partnerships, like that of the set designer and director/choreographer, which must develop in any successful production: video, animation, lighting and sound designers, puppeteers, acrobats and so on; many of these titles were not included in the credits a few decades ago when multiple skills were executed by just a few, or were simply absent from a production.

In today’s theatre we see more and more collaborations between digital technologies, such as animation, sound and projection video, alongside many of the existing and more traditional theatrical wizardry!

FOLLOWING A DESIGN FROM CONCEPT THROUGH TO REALIZATION

After collaboration with the director or choreographer, a set designer may produce an outline stage design, often referred to as ‘the white card model’. This consists of a working-scale model in either 1:50 or 1:25 scale, which reveals the design’s basic concepts and footprint within the production, as well as the shape, weight and access limitations for both stage and performers, and the budget implications. It is in this early stage that the designer, with technical advice from members of the production team, will need to eliminate any problems before the design develops further.

The White Card Model

The white card model meeting allows several major decisions to be agreed upon and, hopefully, certain early technical and budget issues as well. After this meeting, the designer can set out to produce a final, working, full-scale model with accurate colour references and indications of the finishes and materials required.

The white card model for Mia Stensgaard’s design for Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 2017, directed by Kasper Holten.

The wider creative teams will attend a showing of the full-scale model (described more fully in the Chapter 3), where they will see for the first time exactly what will be expected of them in order to turn the design into reality over the following weeks, months and even, in larger production companies, years.

As part of the wider production team, the scenic artists will be directly involved on a daily basis throughout the entire process of producing the set. Their involvement, following the model viewings, will either be as part of a larger team working on an entire set or independently on individual pieces.

Personally speaking, the model showing is one of the most eagerly anticipated moments in the whole production process and is very thrilling indeed!

DIFFERENT WORK ENVIRONMENTS

These can range from large theatre production workshops through to smaller regional theatre workshops. All colleges and universities teaching technical theatre aim to produce graduates with a broad knowledge of theatre craft. This can be transferred across a wide range of jobs in the industry, including TV, film and theatre. This broad training means that scenic artists have a wide range of options to consider when choosing work.

Scenic painter at work doing what scenic painters love.

Working Solely as a Freelancer

Some individuals prefer the freedom and flexibility that freelance work offers. Freelance work can involve working either completely alone and hiring in assistants, if needed, relying on hired spaces, or being employed to join an established team.

Factors to think about when considering freelance work are:

•Higher rates of pay (usually).

•Freedom to pick and choose jobs.

•Opportunity to work in different studios in different places.

•Being your own boss.

•Job insecurity.

•No sick pay.

•No maternity/paternity leave.

•No company pension.

Working on a Full-Time Contract within a Producing Theatre

Some individuals prefer to work in permanent, well-established teams for companies who can offer the perks of a full-time contract. Factors to think about when considering full-time contract work are:

•Good job security.

•Sick pay.

•Entitlement to maternity/paternity leave.

•Paid holidays.

•Internal training programmes.

•Kudos from being on the staff of a prestigious company.

•Usually lower pay than commercial or freelance rates.

•More likely to have a ‘9-to-5’ routine.

•Limited range of venues.

Commercial Painting Studios

In a commercial studio, work will be varied and not just focused on theatre, but on a wide range of projects requiring specialist skills. Commercial studios employ freelance scenic painters on short- or long-term contracts. Points to consider, in addition to the factors considered above for freelance scenic artists:

•Variable pay nationwide.

•Frequently, long hours.

•Frequent overtime (but all studios expect their staff to work overtime when required – it is just the nature of the profession).

Commercial Production Companies

These companies produce scenery for exhibitions, film, TV and theatre. They usually employ freelance painters for a specific job, on short contracts. This kind of work is typically sporadic but, once a good freelance artist has completed a contract and become known to the company, it also generates repeat contracts. It is very important in this line of work to actively manage professional contacts with a view to future employment.

Regional Theatres In-House Scenic Artist

This type of work usually entails responsibility for painting new, or for refurbishing existing, repertory productions. These theatres need to hire in extra scenic artists during notoriously busy times in the theatre calendar, such as the pantomime season.

Scenic Business Start-Up

Occasionally, scenic artists decide to set up their own business of painting scenery. Such individuals may prefer to rent, or may even own, a workshop space capable of allowing a certain size and type of work. Factors to consider here are:

•Running your own commercially viable company.

•Being your own boss.

•Controlling your own work.

•Hiring staff.

•Managing profit or loss.

•Managing cash flow.

•Building maintenance.

•Marketing for work.

•Responsibility for all legislation, including Health and Safety.

HIRING PAINT STUDIOS OR VERTICAL FRAMES

The painting of scenery in a workshop requires large, clear, floor spaces; these are available to hire for given periods of time and avoids the user having responsibility for large financial overheads and maintenance worries. Some studios for hire are relatively sophisticated and provide everything a scenic painter may require, from electricity and water through to compressed air, whilst some studios are more basic but provide ample space to paint large cloths and scenery. (Refer to Chapter 4 for a description of the ideal scenic paint shop.)

In the next chapter we will look at the role of the scenic artist as the design process moves forward to the next stage.

Freelance scenic artist at work.

2

DESIGN INTERPRETATION

The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.

Pablo Picasso

INTRODUCTION

To fully understand the evolution of stage design and subsequent painting of theatrical scenery, we should study history to examine where, when and how it began. How did theatrical spaces and the buildings themselves evolve from the very basic spaces where the earliest performances occurred? Clearly, this is a broad area of study and probably a book in its own right: in this chapter the reader will get a condensed overview of this fascinating subject and perhaps be inspired to seek further knowledge for themselves. I have always firmly believed that a profound understanding of where, when and how a craft emerged and evolved can only help an individual to attain a higher level of proficiency and personal satisfaction overall. It is also my personal belief that the history of theatre craft should be compulsory in the study of theatre at all levels of education. To demonstrate this point, look to international set designer Alison Chitty.

Scenic artist on stage at the London Coliseum, home to English National Opera, shining a UV lamp on to the front cloth to see its final effect for designer Alison Chitty’s wonderful, simple design concept for Pirates of Penzance, with first-time opera direction by film-maker Mike Leigh.

Designed by Alison Chitty directed by Stephen Langridge; Harrison Birtwistle’s The Minotaur.

ALISON CHITTY

Alison Chitty designed Harrison Birtwhistle’s Opera The Minotaur with libretto by David Harsent, for The Royal Opera in 2008. In it, her interest and understanding of the historical context of the Greek legend made the design concept much more fulfilling to the scenic artists working with her – and then with audiences worldwide. With this design in mind I find this extract relevant:

So why paint a scene? Why the need to create an invented environment at all? Why has realism and naturalism in set design been seen over centuries, then somewhat disappears over time to make its reappearance again, yet conveying arguably far greater abstract meanings from it? Here there are huge parallels and commonalities in the histories of most creative and cultural subjects where both individuals and movements in subjects provide us with the answers to these questions. Tradition gives way for innovation as a result of a need for change provoked by human thoughts and action. We are always pushing boundaries…

THE EVOLUTION OF THEATRE DESIGN

So now let us take a brief tour through the centuries of theatrical performances, which brought us to where we are today. This is generally divided into seven eras:

•Ancient Greece and the birth of theatre; around sixth century BC

•Ancient Rome and Greece

•The Middle Ages (medieval period), c. AD500–1400

•The Renaissance in Europe

•The Elizabethan period

•The nineteenth century

•To the present day

The earliest human civilizations are now recognized as first arising in lower Mesopotamia around 3500BC, and later in Egypt, India, Pakistan and China. Out of these we see the first complex religions evolving alongside forms of writing, economies and social structures. Temples evolved from early shrines and here human performances took place to honour whichever deity was worshipped at the time. Human beings have always gathered together to perform rites and rituals but we must look for accepted and recognizable physical structures where such performances and display evolved into what we can recognize as the roots of modern theatre design.

The very earliest known theatre space is generally agreed to be at Phaistos in ancient Minoan Crete, dating to around 2000BC. It is an outdoor space within an ‘L’-shaped structure, incorporating a grand staircase and seating for up to 500 spectators.

The Theatre of Dionysus, sixth century BC.

Ancient Greece and the Birth of Theatre, c. Sixth Century

The earliest known recognizable ‘theatre’ spaces, where people met together to both partake and perform, are in Ancient Greece, and it is this period that is generally referred to as the birth of theatre. These were purely outdoor displays where the sun, the night sky and the sea were the main scenic factors contributing to the performance. These spaces were usually created on hillsides in order to make a natural auditorium using simple wooden structures. These wooden structures later gave way to more permanent and complex stone constructs, featuring many recognizable elements of our modern theatre spaces. In fact, the theatre vocabulary we use today is directly rooted in the Greek language.

The first recognizable stone theatre is the Theatre of Dionysus in the Athens of Classical Greece. It was here that the first drama was presented by Thespis (origin of the term Thespian) and from where it is believed European theatre had its beginnings. The Theatre of Dionysus is commonly accepted as the prototype of all Greek theatres and dates from around the sixth century BC. This theatre, rebuilt, changed and modified over the centuries, could seat up to 17,000 spectators and is arguably the most significant building in the entire history of theatre.

Complementing these magnificent early theatre buildings, there is evidence of travelling theatres consisting of wooden carts and temporary wooden stands. These stopped in town market squares to perform, and they began a tradition we still observe today. These travelling productions continued throughout the following centuries and were culturally significant in giving information and pleasure.

Ancient Rome and Greece

The next notable theatre building is the ancient theatre of Epidaurus in the Peloponnese in Greece. This incredible building was constructed in stone in the late fourth century BC; it shows how, in the intervening centuries, people developed skills in acoustics and great architectural symmetry. The theatre of Epidaurus held seating for up to 15,000 spectators and was set in the natural beauty of the forest because productions were performed at sunrise in early springtime, with nature as the perfect setting.

The Theatre of Epidaurus, fourth century BC

We should note that in Greek and Roman theatres, the rear wall was the background, with performance on the stage in front. As theatre evolved over the following centuries, we begin to see scenery items emerging, as plays and performances required different elements beyond purely natural features. These include:

•Periaktois: three-sided pivoted constructions often to represent themes such as comedy, tragedy and satire.

•Eccyclema: a stage mechanism comprising of a low-wheeled or rotating platform used in performances to indicate interior or offstage scenes.

The Mechane.

•Mechane: a crane mechanism used to lift actors by means of wooden beams and pulley systems!

•Skene: a theatre building that creates the ‘back wall’ of the stage.

The Odeum of Pericles c. 440BC was the first-recorded, completely indoor theatre. It was a room with four walls and seating on all four sides, and the roof was held up by columns that restricted the view of a number of spectators. Decorative panels painted on to cloth or carved in wood or stone, known as pinakes, hung between columns behind and below the stage: they indicated various scenes, as well as being a permanent decorative element.

As Greek and Roman theatre continued to evolve over time, we note the introduction of the auleum or front cloth, as well as the siparium or backcloth of Roman origin. The Romans also introduced recognizable structures and moveable scenery elements, such as buildings, trees and rocks. All these elements were painted in order to enhance the ‘reality’ in setting the scene.

The Middle Ages, c. AD500–1400

This era of our history lasted about 900 years and stands between the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century and the beginning of the great Renaissance in Europe at the start of the fifteenth century. The early medieval period reveals performances on temporary structures carried with bands of travelling entertainers, who gave performances of a mainly secular nature: their wagons, with a ‘stage’ platform, were pulled from towns to villages. Painted cloths hung behind actors as an aid to performances, which were often didactic as well as for entertainment. It was during this period that the Church began to see these performances as a way of retelling biblical and religious stories to new audiences, and stages and shows began to be set up next to churches for all to see. The medieval era also reveals the origins of some great theatrical traditions that form an important part of our story – morality plays, liturgical and vernacular plays – as well as what became known as farce emerging in France.

A medieval travelling show.

Performances at this time were prestigious and featured costumes, elaborate sets and special effects, and might be performed for many hours or even over periods of days!

THE RENAISSANCE IN EUROPE

As the medieval period drew to a close, the great era in culture and arts known as the Renaissance dawned in Europe. This was a rebirth of interest in all that was influential and admired from Ancient Greece and Rome, but missing from the ‘cultural darkness’ of the medieval period. The Renaissance was an exceptional period of development in theatre buildings, theatrical design and scenic painting. The Renaissance began in Italy and, though it spread throughout Europe, we will concentrate upon the great Italian figures, and then briefly look at England’s ‘Renaissance’ as well.

Without doubt modern theatre owes an enormous debt of gratitude to the Italian masters for implementing innovation and changes in theatre architecture, design and scenery. These masters include:

Paolo Uccello’s perspective drawing of a chalice, c. 1430, ‘o what a sweet thing this perspective is’.

•Brunelleschi, 1377–1446. This great designer and architect discovered and experimented with what we understand to be linear perspective (discussed in greater detail in Chapter 8).

•Leon Battista Alberti, 1404–74. Alberti was a humanist author, poet, philosopher, artist and architect. Notably, this archetypal Renaissance man published the first treatise in linear perspective.

•Pellegrino da san Daniele, 1467–1547. Daniele was an artist who created a series of built individual houses, which we think were used as angled wings on stage for the staging of Ariosto’s The Casket at Ferrara in 1508, in front of a painted backdrop.

•Sebastiano Serlio, 1475–1554. Serlio was an architect and theoretician who published Architectura (not to be confused with Marcus Vitruvius 70–15BC, the Roman architect whose work De Architectura was vital for Serlio’s own writing). Architectura is an eight-book treatise on architecture, including specific sections on theatre, which detail the specific design and structure of court theatres, designs for scenery, as well as for stage lighting. His work also included illustrations of themes of tragedy, comedy and satire, and is credited for the canonizing of the orders of architecture (seeChapter 8).

•Giovan Battista Aleotti, 1546–1636. Aleotti was an architect whose work on the Teatro Farnese is claimed to be the first permanent proscenium, or arched front, theatre, as well as creating stage settings completely composed of flat wings.

•Guido Ubuldus, 1545–1607. Ubuldus was a mathematician, philosopher and astronomer, whose book on perspective, Perspectivae Librivi, was influential not only to painters and architects, but also to the earliest stage designers of renown, most notably Nicola Sabbatini.

•Nicola Sabbatini, 1574–1654. Nicola published the very first practical stage manual, entitled Practica di Fabricar Scene e Machine de Teatri.

The Elizabethan Period

Shakespeare’s Globe

The Elizabethan period in England saw the emergence of a quite different type of structure for theatres, resulting in a great many being built both in London, such as Shakespeare’s Globe, as well as outside the city. The basic round shape remains similar, but there are great changes in the detail. Elizabethan theatres could be two or three storeys high, using elaborate props, costumes and set pieces, such as candles for lighting, smoke, moving painted scenery and other great special effects – even fireworks – to further the drama! These buildings were open to the elements for the poorer classes, whilst the rich upper classes were protected under wooden roofs. The great English architect and first major stage designer, Inigo Jones (1573–1652), rejected the angled wings of the earlier Serlio designs and instead ‘framed’ his sets purely by the use of the proscenium arch. From the 1650s right through to 1900, stages retained this rectangular box shape, with most acting performed behind the proscenium or fourth wall as it is referred to.

SCENIC ELEMENTS FROM THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE

The most important are, in summary:

•Scenery purely designed to visually support a given location, such as a forest, a castle, night, day, etc.

•Large, painted cloths to assist in this visual spectacle.

•The first recorded stage lighting.

•Elaborate permanent sets, such as paintings of street scenes built in perspective to give a sense of distance.

•The ‘raking’ (rake: to be set at an angle) of stages to enhance this sense of distance.

•The painting of wonderful Renaissance scenes would have fallen to specialist theatrical scene painters, such as Bernardo Canal (father of the great Giovanni Antonio Canaletto, 1697–1768).

The Nineteenth Century

The nineteenth century was a great period of development and innovation in theatre throughout Europe and records the birth of what is now referred to as ‘modern design’. We see the first use in theatres of what we now refer to as the ‘box set’: principally a reaction against the familiar 2D painting on flat surfaces. Historically accurate scenery design and painting gave way to revolutionary and exciting modern techniques with the publication of the New Stagecraft where two notable designers, Appia and Craig, pioneered the way for much of what we see now. Adolphe Appia (1826–1928) in Germany and Edward Gordon Craig (1872–1966) in England, were the first to really question and challenge the accepted model of design and the painting of it, and to introduce far greater abstract meaning. ‘Setting the scene’ no longer had to be literally setting within a realistic time and place; they were more interested in creating environments for performances. From this historical waypoint, shape, texture and form broke with tradition and were no longer shackled to any given set of rules.

To the Present Day

It is difficult to catalogue all the astonishing innovations of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries for theatre craft: the meteoric rise in cinematography; cameras using wet photography and then digital media; computers; the widespread availability of computer aided design (CAD) software; and, of course, the mobile phone. Manipulating and transferring digital media is now delightfully simple and clearly offers great potential for the future. Modern theatre design must continue to utilize and adopt new technologies, whilst recognizing and respecting past traditions. Theatre spaces now look beyond accepted forms and dwell in buildings not usually associated with public or private performances: old factories or industrial sites offer just as much scenic atmosphere to create the specific mood as new-build ‘smart’ theatres can. The fusing of so many forms of creative skills in theatre today continues to excite, educate and thrill audiences of all ages, and whilst technological advances certainly invite the notion of pushing boundaries, the imperative of setting a mood stretches back to Phaistos!

English architect and first major stage designer, Inigo Jones 1573–1652.

Arcola Theatre is an Off West End theatre in the London Borough of Hackney. It presents plays, operas and musicals featuring established and emerging artists.

In 1971, Peter Brook founded the International Centre for Theatrical Research (CIRT) in Paris, which, with the opening of the Bouffes du Nord, became the International Centre for Theatrical Creation (CICT). His productions stand out by their iconoclastic aspects and their international stature.

‘The Other Place’ is an RSC studio in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Punch Drunk, an innovative theatre company who scour cities to find places to perform. This performance of The Drowned Man was performed in a disused post office building in Paddington, London.

UNDERSTANDING SCENIC INTERPRETATION

Through our brief historical sojourn we have seen how the tradition of our craft has evolved over centuries, and how it matured into the ‘interpretation’ of the stage designer’s model, so familiar to today’s scenic artists. The traditional role and craft were utilized in the painting of period interiors on to canvas flattage and depicted realistic places, such as a Georgian Bath interior for Sheridan’s The Rivals, or perhaps a romantic portrayal of pastoral idyll, seen in a Sleeping Beauty ballet design. Here, age-old techniques of scenic painting, passed down from generation to generation, were, and still are, very much used in order to literally set the scene.

However, the great technological leaps forward that characterize the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries mean that the modern role of the theatrical scenic artist now is so much more than the traditional role. The entire concept of stage design has evolved from early representational scenes to those that are frequently far more subjective. As scenic artists we are called upon to realize the design model by use of a wider range of materials and techniques than ever before, through the use of colour, textures and mark making.

The final model for The Minotaur. Designed by Alison Chitty, directed by Stephen Langridge.

Mark making here was vital to the energy and atmosphere of the production.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCENIC ARTIST AND DESIGNER

The use of colour, texture and mark making is absolutely vital to the realization of the model. It is so subjective that it makes the relationship between scenic painters and designers crucial. We will now therefore spend a little time in considering the nature of the relationship we have with our designers. To introduce this concept, we will look at two great stage designers with whom I am lucky enough to have worked and whom I feel admirably demonstrate that relationship.

Theatre Designer Vicki Mortimer

I think designers expect a great deal from scenic artists – a sort of final creative leap right at the point where studio ideas start to become a production. Ideally it’s a real partnership, a real conversation. It’s a little like (later in the process) working with a lighting designer – I want the scenic artist to know what I’m looking for, and make it better than I ever expected! (Also, like a lighting designer, a scenic artist can improve a fragile design or damage a good one.) She or he works from the most diverse of information – from the deceptively descriptive to the confused and vague – drawing out some sort of physical and concrete consequence through a peculiarly abstract and intimate exchange of ideas.

Communication has to take place in several stages: visual information; verbal description and dialogue; samples and responses to samples. Even so, none of these are enough without a willingness to apply an intuitive imagination to the information given by the designer. The perfect reference does not exist. A model at scale can never be an exact representation of real marks twenty-five times bigger.... Then there is a question of signature – every designer communicates differently and expects their visual presentation to be brought to the stage via greater or lesser leaps of interpretation. The scenic artists I love to work with are indefatigable listeners, as well as determined innovators.

It seems to me that the scenic artist is one of the most trusted interpreters of a designer’s work. Full stop!

Theatre Designer Alison Chitty

Alison Chitty describes precisely the important relationship between scenic artists and theatre designers thus:

As theatre designers we can’t do our work alone. It is only possible to create a theatre production with the help of many extremely talented and skilled colleagues in all the production departments.

The scenic artists are crucial collaborators. Together, through discussion and often many samples, the designer and the scenic artists find a way to create the surface of the world of play. The scenic artist interprets the scale model and recreates the work, our marks, twenty-five times bigger.

In my experience the best scenic artists recreate designs sensitively and imaginatively, in many cases taking my work to another higher level. Somehow the scenic artists get into the imagination of the designer.

They work with so many designers and with so many different materials and media that they often show the processes and solutions that are better than I could have ever imagined.

Their knowledge of how their work is seen and experienced from a distance, the auditorium, is invaluable. In our own way we are all artists and I think this makes the designer/scenic artist relationship a very special one.

THE MODEL SHOWING OR PRESENTATION

For production companies, the process of realization of a large and complex design can realistically take many years. The much anticipated model showing is an outcome of the many meetings and decisions made between director, choreographer and designer: it is where the wider creative teams finally get to see the design, in scale model, for the first time.

The model showing begins with the director/choreographer opening the presentation with an inspiring introduction; they then describe the concepts and inspirations for the forthcoming production. The entire sequence of the design is then re-enacted scene by scene within the scale model box by the designer. Some may use sophisticated methods of projection, lighting and other visual aids as an added presentation technique, with or without the use of assistants. They use this time to explain much of what has inspired them and, most importantly, what they wish to achieve.

It is here too that the costume designer, if different from the designer, will present their ideas and drawings of each and every costume, discussing fabric choices, textures, colours and concepts too, all of which are in collaboration with the director, choreographer and designer.

The model showing is often attended by many members of the wider creative team, including outside contractors, stage and technical managers (whose job will be to work the set once it is on stage); if there is more than one theatre company involved, the co-producers will attend; for a national or international tour or hire, these teams too will attend.

As the presentation concludes, there is time for questions to be asked of the design team. I have always found this particularly interesting because the needs and questions of other departments are so very different to those of the scenic artists – yet just as important. Being able to hear and understand the questions posed by stage crew that will be time-constrained in an interval, for example, right through to concerns around sound insulation from the head of opera, is very educational, as well as vitally important. Many of these questions will impact on decisions made regarding production processes and material choices.

Here the director Katie Mitchell and designer Vicki Mortimer discuss a forthcoming production.

The scenic artists begin the creative process here too, formulating in their minds and sketching ideas and notes of how the design can be realized. As designers describe, with visual indications, what they are likely to want, it is a chance to clarify many issues. These frequently include:

•Physical requirements of the performers, for example if textures are evident, is there to be a lot of handling of the scenery, is it to be stood upon by performers?

•What is the overall ‘feel’; what does a certain texture, sheen, mark or colour mean?

•How much of the model making is exact or how much is open to interpretation?

Following the model showing there will be further meetings organized with each and every member of all departments involved. This is where the specific details will be discussed in far greater depth and decisions made on what samples to make, and what fabric and material choices should be sampled.

COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Whether we have worked with a particular designer previously or not, it is vitally important that good communication happens from the start. We need to be able to understand not only the obvious design to realize, but also the subtler nuances that help convey the visual meaning of the design. We need to be able to give the designers confidence in our abilities before we start the actual work. Questions asked at this stage will often be crucial in developing this relationship. A comprehension of references or concepts will be of particular value, as a designer will be handing over responsibility to the team to successfully realize their ideas through our skills.

In the next chapter we will look at how the design is physically realized.

3

DESIGN REALIZATION

Painting is concerned with all the ten attributes of sight: darkness, light, solidity and colour, form and position, distance and propinquity, motion and rest.

Leonardo Da Vinci

THE DESIGNER’S ROLE

Realizing the design is the practical collaboration between the designer, production manager (PM), and the technical and production team, whose collective responsibility is to enable the designer’s vision to be delivered on to the stage.

Opera and ballet designer and artist, John Macfarlane, painting on one of his beautiful cloths for his design Cinderella for Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Production manager and scenic artist in conversation about a design.