The Real Inspector Hound Scenic Review

Morgan Redd

THEA 101-03

November 14, 2015

The Real Inspector Hound Scenic Review

The Real Inspector Hound was a play that needed specific attention on the scenery, lighting, and other elements to make sure that the audience felt the essence and specific era of the play, which would allow the audience to fully comprehend the play. The scenery, lighting, and other elements successfully accomplished the goal of the specific setting and the eerie mood of the play to ensure that the audience members enjoyed and understood all the elements that this play had to offer.

The set designer of The Real Inspector Hound faced a challenge of making sure in this unique play that the audience could see both the actors of he play on stage, and the critics who played an important element as well. The set designer set the stage up in a way that it was clear to the audience as to what was going on, and so that each audience member could clearly see all of the action. The set was supposed to look like a realistic set, and given Longwood University’s Theater budget, I understand some of the scenic elements, however the play could have been elevated if some of the furniture was better and more realistic. With that said however, I do feel as though the set designer stayed true to the setting and the given circumstances of the play. Even though the furniture could have been improved, the furniture provided still fit within the era of the play, along with other elements such as the radio and light fixtures. Overall the set filled up all of the space of the stage and was clearly able to be seen by all audience members, also the scenic elements tied in well to the overall essence of the play.

The choice to put the critic’s seating off to the side was crucial so that the audience was able to see all cast members of The Real Inspector Hound clearly and understand the situation of the play. It was clear to the audience the separation between the critics and the actors due to the seating being off to the side for the critics. When you first view the set, the furniture can seem a little awkward, however once the actors start acting and utilizing the furniture it is understood why the furniture is set up in that particular way. Everything included in the scenic elements were important when to capturing the era of the play, from the props, set dressing, to the lighting. The scenery, while it might seem minimalist, was not overdone, and everything on stage was used or referred to at some point in the play.

The lighting for this play was done extremely well, throughout the entire play the audience was able to see each actor when necessary. The lighting was impressive when it came to the image of a window illuminated on the floor due to a gobo on one of the lights, this element stuck out to the audience and helped create and stabilize the mood of the play. The play also used fixtures on stage that worked, for example the fireplace was lit the entire time and two lamp fixtures on the wall were it the entire time. These lighting elements help make the audience believe in the realistic scenery of The Real Inspector Hound by providing elements that would be seen in a real home. The lighting in The Real Inspector Hound created an eerie atmosphere, which properly suited the overall theme of the play. Overall the lighting supported the needs of the play, and helped the audience focus on the actors and understand the theme and mood of the play.

Setting the stage up in a proscenium configuration was the best choice for the play. This set up helped the audience remember that they were watching a play of the play. The proscenium configuration helped the audience recognize the “separate” stage that they were watching the play on. This play worked the best with a proscenium configuration, and it would not work properly with another stage set up due to the fact that the proscenium set up made it the easiest for the audience to understand.

Overall, the scenic and lighting elements of The Real Inspector Hound supported the dark and eerie mood of the play along with the theme of the play. The adjectives chosen to describe this play were: suspenseful, eerie, intriguing, and dark. These adjectives were displayed throughout the entire play, and executed even further by appropriate scenery and lighting designs. This play was a good choice for Longwood University to put on. The actors all did a good job portraying their part, along with the set designer who did a phenomenal job setting the scene for this unique play to be executed well.