Theatrical Space and Production Design
Audiences and performers interact at the physical space at the same time, and this is the essence of the theatrical space in which the critical performance takes place. The theatrical space has an influence on the way production elements are used and the audience response. Theatrical space has three basic characteristics as follows:
- Its formality degree.The theatrical space expectation of the audience and their responses in terms of how the theatre building is elaborate with carpeted lobbies and auditorium, complex equipment with comfortable sitting influences the responses of the audience.
- Its size. Theatrical space size exerts an influence in the sense that large spaces hinder members of the audience from hearing and seeing all that the performers are saying or doing; hence, small details will not be noticed during the performance. On the other hand, intimate spaces are avenues for greater use of gesture, voice, facial expression, and detail of the use of properties and costumes. This is the reason intimate spaces are preferred than large spaces.
- Its arrangement or configuration of the actor-audience relationship.This aspect also has a great influence as it determines the use of production elements and the physical relationship of the performer to the audience.
The Actor-audience relationship has four common physical arrangements. These are:
- Proscenium-Arch Stage.
- The proscenium arch stage is where there is placing of an acting space in one end of the space with all spectators facing it. There are clear division marks between the auditorium and stage. Where all seats in the auditorium may be on the same level, or the floor raked upwards for stage view improvement. The proscenium stage is normally equipped with a curtain to hide or reveal the playing space though there is infrequent use of curtains nowadays. What is usually used nowadays are the pulleys, an overhead system of ropes, and the battens that allow scenic pieces or drapes to be hoisted into the space lowered to the stage level or above the stage.
The specialized machinery for shifting scenery is pneumatic or Hydraulic lifts, elevators that allow the portions of the stage to be lowered or raised and its scenery and revolves or the turntables, which allow revolving of the portions of the stage.
- Thrust stage
It is the acting area surrounded by the audience on two or three sides. The seats are arranged normally in around two or three sides of a raised platform in a theatre, which brings performers and audience into a more intimate performer-audience relationship due to the closeness to the action by the audience as compared to the proscenium stage.
- Arena Stage
The audience surrounds the acting area. This is an open space in the middle of the auditorium left instead of the raised platform stage. The theatre arena can have the performance areas raised or lowered in other segments to differentiate the locales. The furniture, the properties, lighting, and costume actors normally play a crucial role in characterizing the mood, place, and time than the scenery does, as these aspects do not obscure the view of the audiences.
- Flexible space
The audience and acting area relationships are variable and flexible, an arrangement that may change from one production to another. A notable feature of the flexible space is that the actors and audiences or spectators can intermingle in seating, and multiple playing areas or place of performance may shift depending on the procession route or different audience for each scene. The intermingling of audience and performance requires an open space without fixed seats, and this may happen indoor or outdoor.
Concerning the Auxiliary spaces as an addition to the performance spaces theatre have these spaces intended to serve the audience, restrooms, exits, lobby, and refreshment stands. Directors, while planning production, must take into account the audience and its space. The size of the auditorium, sightlines, shape, and acoustical properties are essential to creating a physical relationship between the performers and audiences. Production has an overall design to shape the perception of the audience, which is informed through the sense of hearing and seeing. Designers of sound use music and sound effects to enhance dramatic tension convey mood and suggests various associations to the audience.
Chapter 12
Playwriting and Dramaturgy
Playwriting
The contemporary theatre usually removes the theatre artist from the process of play production, and this brings out the fact that the playwrights have worked in isolation as they have lost touch with the theatre organizations. Playwrights do not know after writing on who will produce their scripts. Each writer perceives the world differently in terms of interests and subjects. The playwright may have an idea, situation, or outline to a group of performers who makes improvements on these materials as a develop dialogue, a story, a movement, and dramatists make a selection and shape what appears to be most effective until the emergence of finished work. The playwright mechanism of one writer to another varies widely. Most writers need to see their work performed because plays are intended for the stage before they can be sure of what they intended to accomplish. The playwright needs to be sure that a dialogue places stress of speech, and those speeches make intended points, the rhythms are effective when spoken aloud, and the vocal patterns are appropriate to each character together with superb interactions among the characters. The playwright needs to ensure reading of the play aloud by one or more people to assess the validity of others’ responses and make necessary revisions. The goal of the playwright is full production.
There is difficulty in finding a producer, which makes writers prefer to work through agents since even the making of contractual arrangements with the producers is complex. Again securing an agent is a complex undertaking since agents earn their living through a percentage of each client’s usually earning 10 percent. Nevertheless, agents have insights about the financial and legal aspects of producing, thus helps negotiate contracts and place plays.
Dramaturg
Several theatres nowadays have dramaturg, i.e., sometimes with assistance on their staff, and there is acceptance as a valued member has considerably grown in recent years. However, the role of the dramaturg has not been understood because different theatre organizations have different duties, and the procedures of the dramaturg.
Dramaturgy and Literary management
Dramaturgy can be divided into roughly two basic functions: production dramaturgy and literary management. Concerning the literary management, this is finding, developing, and shaping the plays while production dramaturgy is the working with directors on specific play productions. The literary manager’s duties include reading new scripts. They also arrange for others to read the plays. Literary management also entails new play development, which involves working with the playwrights to help them identify and realize their script’s full potential, a process that is sometimes taken over by producer or director. Dramaturgs, at times, describes to the writer what they find in the texts is what was intended. This discussion helps to bring clarity to the writer on what is not coming through or what he or she is seeking to do. Literary managers also involved in assisting in selecting a company season of plays. Which involved usually keeping informed about and new plays reading that have been presented elsewhere. The primary duty of the dramaturgy in considering the production of the play is to ask for the reason for the play for the audience at that time. Production dramaturg also selects and prepares a particular version of a play.
Production Dramaturgy
It is concerned with the specific product, and the dramaturg works closely with the designers, directors, and other members of the production team. The production dramaturgs perform the duties that as requested by the directors, like supplying the important information to clarify the goals of the production and interpretation of the play. Dramaturgs may carry out research on the life of the author and writings to get insights into the concerns that shaped the plays. They explore the cultural environment or the period in which the play takes place and the period the author lived. They also often attend rehearsals and discuss with their directors on what is likely to be achieved and the disparities that may come up regarding what they saw on stage. This information feedback helps the director clarify and interpret the play. They also have a responsibility to educate the audience and supply information about the play to make the play more attractive and accessible to the audience.