Why It Matters
Preparing your actors for performance is only one part of all that goes into launching a full-scale production. Scenic elements, lighting, sound, props, makeup, and costumes are all an important part of the storytelling. Planning a cohesive production design to create the world of the play not only supports the performers but also serves as an important foundation for the story. Additionally, the design and production elements are an opportunity to showcase the incredible work of your students who are non-performers.
6 Things to Consider
A thoughtful design and production process offers so many opportunities for creativity, collaboration, community building, and storytelling. And whether you’re a new theatre educator or are a veteran looking for new ways to approach your work, here are six things to help you get started.
1. Focus Your Design
Take time on your own to work through the script and discover for yourself why you want to tell this story. Likely, a part of your reasoning was practicality. Choosing a script because “I have 2 strong female leads,” “I have a super strong dancer,” or “I have a really great costumer and this is a costume show” can be a great motivator. But to lift that script off the page and into your community requires finding the “why” within the story.
When I produced Radium Girls (DW Gregory) , yes, I had a ton of solid female actors, but what I really wanted was to tell a story about speaking the truth to power and authority. With this “why” in mind, we were able to create a set design that provided opportunities for power shifts to be visible in the blocking. By having a clear guiding focus, I was able to use our limited funds and time developing pieces that connected to and supported the central theme.
2. Get Out of Your Head
When I begin planning production elements, I sit down with the script and list details . I take all the ideas from my brain and the script and write them down. I love a good spreadsheet that lists all of the elements of a production. Mine generally have columns for each production department: audio, sets, costumes, props, lights, etc. Once it’s all listed out in front of you, you are ready to start work. Don’t get overwhelmed, this is not your to-do list. There’s still more work before it becomes a list of tasks.
3. Simplify Your Life
Now that you have your list, it is time to get specific and critical. What is it that your show really needs? What locations do you absolutely have to show? How many costume changes do you really need? What props are necessary? What things can be imagined with only a token element present?
In my experience, it’s more impactful to create a few really well done elements rather than a lot of things done moderately well. So ask yourself, what are the top three things that you should focus on to really tell the story?
- When producing Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella to take to our Chapter Thespian Conference, the number one thing was portability, so we focused our design around the staircase. We built several stair units that could be combined in multiple formations.
- Second on our list were the costumes. I was able to enlist a local costumer to assist with developing the three transformation dresses required in the script.
- Our third focus was the magic, so we dedicated a lot of time to creating illusions in rehearsals, reaching out to other groups at our school that were be able to help – the robotics team, the engineering class, a physics teacher, etc. Once you have your top priorities, you are ready to get to work.
4. Take Stock
What do you have? Who do you have? What is readily available backstage? Get curious about your building. I have found many set pieces in the school’s basement storage or the lobby of the counseling office. I recommend getting to know the facilities team at your school. They will know where you might be able to find many items.
While you are making friends, keep building relationships with others on and around your campus. Engineering classes can be great collaborators. Theatre gives them a real-world deadline to motivate their classroom assignments. After their bridge-building unit, our engineering classes developed an infrastructure to support and collapse our stone table for a production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis, dramatized by Joseph Robinette).
Our robotics team designed a robotic hand for The Addams Family (Andrew Lippa, Marshall Brickman, and Rick Elice) . Who can you find in your school that has the knowledge and skills you need for that special production element?
5. Build Strategically
Spend the majority of your effort on building elements that are reusable from year to year. As you expand your stock, not only will your skills improve, you will also have more time and money to dedicate to the unique and challenging elements of future productions.
Find a good technical theatre text or experienced theatre tech director to help make wise choices. For example, I quickly learned to make a few free-standing stair units with 7-inch rises to match my 7-inch high platforms. Now the pieces can all be used interchangeably. At one school where I worked, our storage was limited. Rather than build more 4×8-foot platforms, I built a lot of 4×4-foot platforms that could be combined like modular units and also stack neatly in a corner between productions.
Periaktoi are another great choice for versatility. These can be painted on three sides and revolve, so that combined with each other, they can create three different backgrounds. We painted ours with a castle interior, spring/summer exterior, and winter exterior. With just those three backgrounds, we were able to provide the backdrop for both classroom and after-school productions for years. My elementary students would also decorate bulletin board paper and hang it on the peraktoi to create additional backdrops for their scenes. If performing in a non-traditional space, like a cafeteria or gymnasium, peraktoi can be used to define the performance space as well.
Paint can be another expensive resource. Most paint or hardware stores have a collection of “oops” paint. It is generally on sale for a significant price reduction. You can also ask if they will donate it to your program. I have painted many sets by mixing together oddly tinted paint to create the colors I want.
I learned from a veteran teaching artist to mix tempera paint with water and use it to paint sheets for backdrops. He would mix the tempera to provide dozens of colors, pour it in small cups and give kids foam brushes. The thinner paint worked quite well on fabric and he was able to make his supplies last a long time.
It can be challenging to reuse costume pieces, as fashion varies so much with time period. However, there are some items that I have found useful in many productions. Animal costume pieces built on hats, headbands, or belts can be reused from year to year. Basic skirts with an elastic waistband in multiple colors and fabrics are useful in both rehearsal and production. Tabards in multiple colors create soldiers, guards, knights, kings, princes, etc.
6. Break the Mold and Get Creative
If you are producing a version of The Wizard of Oz, you have to have ruby red sparkling heels, right? No. You need a pair of shoes that represent the magic of Oz, and these can take on many forms. The way you tell the story through production elements does not have to match other productions or well-known tropes. Release yourself from that expectation and you may find that you have most of the items you need already in your space.
What about multiple costume changes? These can be expensive, especially with a large cast. Challenge yourself to find a way to change the costumes of your ensemble by shifting one piece as they change characters or scenes. For our production of Frozen JR., each actor wore a leotard or white shirt and dark pants throughout the production, adding additional items over this base costume as needed. A pinafore, a shirt painted with a sweater design, a flowy skirt, something in earth tones, all changed the look and feel, creating multiple costumes. Even though we are saving our budget by avoiding paying for five complete costumes per actor, the audience saw many costume changes.
Also ask yourself, what can you leave out? When it comes to scenic elements and props, check your spreadsheet and ask yourself which items do not have to be physically present on stage. You may be surprised to learn that many items can be left to the imagination. Keep in mind that every item in the script does not have to be physically present on stage.
You Got This!
It all comes down to the central goal of telling the story. Keep your focus there and you will spend your time making elements that take your productions to higher and higher levels. Your biggest resource is the group of people around you. Build those connections and ask for help. Remember, time and budget are limited, so spend your time and effort making items that you can reuse from year to year. You will have more space for the challenging items each specific production requires. Eventually, you will be able to take on more daunting productions with your developed skills and a foundation of resources.
My final piece of advice is a simple one: Reach out for help and form partnerships, but also, believe in yourself. Leave your imposter syndrome behind. You have incredible creativity. You are capable of creating amazing production elements. ♦
Aileen Zeigler is a Theatre Arts and Spanish teacher. She has taught students of all ages in the South and the Midwest. She teaches courses in acting, technical theatre, and production. Aileen has directed over 30 productions with students, including Catch Me If You Can, Frozen JR., Radium Girls, Cinderella, Into the Woods, and La Verdad Sospechosa.
