Notes for Tech Theatre---Theatre history

Greeks:

Skene--hut

Orchestra—Performance Area

Now-Seating on the main floor

Pinakes—Flats

2D

Periaktoi

Ekkyklema

Machina

Deus Ex Machina

Proskenion—façade in later Greece

Romans:

Scaena—skene

Scaena Frons

Middle Ages:

Mansions—Areas on Stage

Pageant Wagons—Each depicting a part of heaven, hell, earth, etc.

Italian Renaissance:

IMPORTANT TO THEATRE!!

Many of the period’s most important designers and painters designed for theatres

Wing-and-Drop system—developed to take advantage of the new perspective

techniques. Wing-and-drop system refers to a set that employs a number of painted panels of flats that retreat form the front to the back on the sides with a painted drop in the back

Drop—unframed piece of fabric suspended from rigging.

Borders—hung overhead to give illusion of sky

Shutters—like books that slide past each other

Chariot and Pole—pulleys under the stage

Proscenium Arch—designed to frame their artwork

Teatro Farnese—1618 Parma, Italy

Oldest surviving permanent proscenium

Box Sets—3 walls and a ceiling

1700’s—scena per angolo –2 or more vanishing points

Up till now stock sets had been used.

Late 1800’s—Free Plantation

Sets can be put anywhere.

3D set pieces

21st Century—TECHNOLOGY!!!

PRODUCTION STYLE:

Central stylistic theme on which the world of the production is based.

Elements of design:

Line: a relatively narrow, elongated mark.

Dimension:length and width

Quality:shape, value (lightness or darkness), contrast with

surrounding objects.

Character:emotional characteristics

Shape: any line that encloses a space.

Mass: 3-dimensional manifestation of a shape

Measure: ability to judge the size of objects and the distance between them

without measuring aids.

Position: relative location of shapes or masses

Color:

Texture: visual or tactile surface characteristics or appearance of an object.

Principles of Composition:

Unity: creation of a stylistic plan to which all parts of the design subscribe.

Harmony: the sense of blending and unity that is obtained when all

elements of a design fit together to create an orderly, congruous whole.

Contrast: juxtaposition of dissimilar design elements

Variation: too much harmony is boring (pattern)

Balance: arranging the design elements to give a sense of restfulness,

stability, or equilibrium. Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical

Proportion: harmonious relationship of the parts of an object to each other

or to the whole.