Unmasking Theatre Design: A Designer's Guide to Finding Inspiration and Cultivating Creativity

Unmasking Theatre Design: A Designer's Guide to Finding Inspiration and Cultivating Creativity
Author: Lynne Porter
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2014-12-15
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1317813472

Every great design has its beginnings in a great idea, whether your medium of choice is scenery, costume, lighting, sound, or projections. Unmasking Theatre Design shows you how to cultivate creative thinking skills through every step of theatre design - from the first play reading to the finished design presentation. This book reveals how creative designers think in order to create unique and appropriate works for individual productions, and will teach you how to comprehend the nature of the design task at hand, gather inspiration, generate potential ideas for a new design, and develop a finished look through renderings and models. The exercises presented in this book demystify the design process by providing you with specific actions that will help you get on track toward fully-formed designs. Revealing the inner workings of the design process, both theoretically and practically, Unmasking Theatre Design will jumpstart the creative processes of designers at all levels, from student to professionals, as you construct new production designs.

Making the Scene

Making the Scene
Author: Oscar G. Brockett
Publisher:
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2010-02-15
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN:

A lively, beautifully illustrated history of theatrical stage design from ancient Greek times to the present, coauthored by the world's leading authority, Oscar G. Brockett.

Scenic Art for the Theatre

Scenic Art for the Theatre
Author: Susan Crabtree
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 431
Release: 2012-11-12
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1136084290

Now in its Third Edition, Scenic Art for the Theatre: History, Tools and Techniques continues to be the most trusted source for both student and professional scenic artists. With new information on scenic design using Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and other digital imaging softwares this test expands to offer the developing artist more step-by-step instuction and more practical techniques for work in the field. It goes beyond detailing job functions and discussing techniques to serve as a trouble-shooting guide for the scenic artist, providing practical advice for everyday solutions.

The Craft and Art of Scenic Design

The Craft and Art of Scenic Design
Author: Robert Klingelhoefer
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2016-11-10
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1317384385

The Craft and Art of Scenic Design: Strategies, Concepts, and Resources explores how to design stage scenery from a practical and conceptual perspective. Discussion of conceptualizing the design through script analysis and research is followed by a comprehensive overview of execution: collaboration with directors and other designers, working with spaces, developing an effective design process, and the aesthetics of stage design. This book features case studies, key words, tip boxes, definitions, and chapter exercises. Additionally, it provides advice on portfolio and career development, contracts, and working with a union. This book was written for university-level Scenic Design courses.

Creativity in Theatre

Creativity in Theatre
Author: Suzanne Burgoyne
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2018-09-14
Genre: Education
ISBN: 3319789287

People who don’t know theatre may think the only creative artist in the field is the playwright--with actors, directors, and designers mere “interpreters” of the dramatist’s vision. Historically, however, creative mastery and power have passed through different hands. Sometimes, the playwright did the staging. In other periods, leading actors demanded plays be changed to fatten their roles. The late 19th and 20th centuries saw “the rise of the director,” in which director and playwright struggled for creative dominance. But no matter where the balance of power rested, good theatre artists of all kinds have created powerful experiences for their audience. The purpose of this volume is to bridge the interdisciplinary abyss between the study of creativity in theatre/drama and in other fields. Sharing theories, research findings, and pedagogical practices, the authors and I hope to stimulate discussion among creativity and theatre scholar/teachers, as well as multidisciplinary research. Theatre educators know from experience that performance classes enhance student creativity. This volume is the first to bring together perspectives from multiple disciplines on how drama pedagogy facilitates learning creativity. Drawing on current findings in cognitive science, as well as drama teachers’ lived experience, the contributors analyze how acting techniques train the imagination, allow students to explore alternate identities, and discover the confidence to take risks. The goal is to stimulate further multidisciplinary investigation of theatre education and creativity, with the intention of benefitting both fields.

Drawing and Rendering for Theatre

Drawing and Rendering for Theatre
Author: Clare P. Rowe
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2012-11-12
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1136085416

Drawing and Rendering for Theatre, A Practical Course for Scenic, Costume, and Lighting Designers is designed for those of you who are theatrical designers and want to improve your drawing and rendering skills. This gorgeous full-color book includes many examples of student drawings, analyzed and critiqued for areas that need improvement. It also includes numerous examples of design renderings by professional theatrical designers. In addition to the general sections on drawing and painting, it includes separate chapters on costume, scenic, and lighting rendering that include information specific to these design areas.

Projection Design for Theatre and Live Performance

Projection Design for Theatre and Live Performance
Author: Alison C. Dobbins
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 108
Release: 2021-10-06
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1000450910

Projection Design for Theatre and Live Performance explores the design and creation process of projections from a non-technical perspective, examining the principles of media for the stage in a manner that is accessible for both beginning designers and advanced designers dabbling in projections for the first time. This introductory text covers concepts and tools for designing, techniques to help readers tap into their creativity, and the core skills required of this field: problem solving, project management, and effective communication. Focusing exclusively on design and creativity, this book encourages individuals to leap into the creative design process before facing any perceived hurdles of learning everything technical about media delivery systems, cueing systems, projectors, cables, computer graphics, animation, and video production. Projection Design for Theatre and Live Performance is a reminder that, from the invention of photography to the enormous variety of electronic media that exist today, the ways projection designers can enhance a theatrical production are limitless. Written in an accessible style, this book is a valuable resource for students of Projection Design as well as emerging professionals. Its focus on design and creativity will restore the confidence of individuals who may have been daunted by technical hurdles and will encourage the creativity of those who may have been disappointed with their efforts in this field of design in the past.

The Director as Collaborator

The Director as Collaborator
Author: Robert Knopf
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2017-04-07
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1317326571

The Director as Collaborator teaches essential directing skills while emphasizing how directors and theater productions benefit from collaboration. Good collaboration occurs when the director shares responsibility for the artistic creation with the entire production team, including actors, designers, stage managers, and technical staff. Leadership does not preclude collaboration; in theater, these concepts can and should be complementary. Students will develop their abilities by directing short scenes and plays and by participating in group exercises. New to the second edition: updated interviews, exercises, forms, and appendices new chapter on technology including digital research, previsualization and drafting programs, and web-sharing sites new chapter on devised and ensemble-based works new chapter on immersive theater, including material and exercises on environmental staging and audience–performer interaction

Human Factors in Communication of Design

Human Factors in Communication of Design
Author: Amic G. Ho
Publisher: AHFE International
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2023-07-19
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1958651664

Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2023), July 20–24, 2023, San Francisco, USA

Theatre as Human Action

Theatre as Human Action
Author: Thomas S. Hischak
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2022-10-17
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1538163454

Theatre as Human Action is the ideal textbook to introduce students to the various aspects of theatre, especially for those who may have little or no theatergoing experience. Seven diverse plays are described to the reader from the start, and then returned to throughout the book so that students can better understand the concepts being discussed. Both the theoretical and practical aspects of theatre are explored, from the classical definition of theatre to today’s most avant-garde theatre activities. Types of plays, the elements of drama, and theatre criticism are presented, as well as detailed descriptions of the different jobs in theatre, such as actor, playwright, director, designer, producer, choreographer, and more. The book concludes with a look at where and how theatre is evolving in America and the latest changes and innovations today. This fourth edition has been greatly expanded and updated, including: The introduction of four new plays—Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Fences; Angels in America; and Hadestown—in addition to Macbeth, You Can’t Take It With You, and Hamilton A discussion of the rise of social media in raising awareness and replacing traditional review outlets An entirely new, enhanced section on diversity and inclusion in theatre An updated selection of playwrights featured, including Terrence McNally, Lynn Nottage, Tony Kushner, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, to better reflect the diversity of those writing for the theatre today. Featuring full-color photographs, updated discussion questions, new topics for further research, and potential creative projects, the fourth edition of Theatre as Human Action is an invaluable resource to introduce students to the world of theatre.