Theatre Aesthetics

  Everything from this page is from Jeremy's slideshow.

Theatrical Elements

Things you can see are Visual Elements.

— Props-touched by an actor
— Set-anything on the stage not touched 

— Lighting effects-projections
— Pyro, haze, fog and dry ice
— Actor dressing 
— Costume  

— Make-up

The golden rule of design in theatre

Everything on Stage has meaning!

Theatre Architecture

— Four types of Theatre/audience relationship

— Arena staging (theatre in the round)

— Audience surrounds stage  

— Little or no scenery

— Props important
— Audience sees each other

Theatre Architecture

— Four types of Theatre/audience relationship 
— Thrust Stage 
— Audience 3⁄4 around 
— Set on back wall  
— Least used

— Classical (greek)

Theatre Architecture

— Four types of Theatre/audience relationship

— Proscenium Theatre

— Picture Frame
— Fourth wall

— Fly house

— Apron (in front of curtain).  

— Legs (side curtains)
— Most set
— Most popular

Theatre Architecture

— Four types of Theatre/audience relationship  

— The studio theatre
— An open Box
— Flexible staging

— L shaped

— Alley theatre

Function of Light

      —  Illumination: The simple ability to see what is occurring on stage.  
      —  Revelation of form: Altering the perception of shapes onstage, particularly three-dimensional stage elements. 

—  Focus: Directing the audience's attention to an area of the stage or distracting them from another.

—  Mood: Setting the tone of a scene. Harsh red light has a totally different effect than soft lavender light. 

—  Location and time of day: Establishing or altering position in time and space. Blues can suggest night time while orange and red can suggest a sunrise or sunset.

—  Projection/stage elements: Lighting may be used to project scenery or to act as scenery onstage. 

 —  Plot(script): A lighting event may trigger or advance the action onstage.

—  Composition: Lighting may be used to show only the areas of the stage which the designer wants the audience to see, and to "paint a picture".

Lighting Terms

There are four main qualities or properties of lighting

— intensity, measured in lux, lumens and foot-candles.
— color,
— pattern Pattern refers to the shape, quality and evenness of a lamp's output.

— focus. Focus is a term usually used to describe where an instrument is pointed.

Lighting Instruments

— Fixed instruments

— Fresnel-
— Bulb moves,

— Lens is rippled.  

— Soft edge light

— Profile-
— Lenses move, focus

— Sharp edges
— Lens is clear,
— Can be used for gobos

Effects

— Gobos-Cut pieces of steel inserted into profile lights.

— Dry Ice-frozen carbon dioxide, drops to floor  

— Fog-Dense visible smoke

— Haze-fine suspended in air