Perception is an unconscious process
Perception is an unconscious process Perception is an unconscious process where we take in sensory information from our surroundings and use it to construct our versions of reality. Much of what designers do is create perception. Designers set the context for how the content of a particular play will be viewed. When watching a play, we automatically start making judgments about the characters and the storyline from the word go based on the design created to hold those opinions. Designers have the responsibility of making characters to be visually appealing as well as bring into light the mental world and story. While giving us a picture of the story, the design of the character tells us who the character is. The design of the character is what will make the audience relate to the character and feel a connection compared to a pleasing look which can just be considered to be a fading trait. Stories, on the other hand, are perceived through the characters designed. Characters serve as a window for the audience to experience words and events of the story. Designers influence the audience’s perceptions by creating characters that the audience can have a connection with hence evoking their emotion and investment in the story.
When it comes to theatres the aesthetics have the power to change the entire mindset of an audience even before the characters come into play and dialogue is spoken. Theater lighting design influences the audience’s perception of mood, time, and place. For example, in most productions, antagonists are seen in scenes tinted blue. This influences the perceptions of the audience who come to associate blue with either suspense or evil. The design of costumes adds a sense of realism and context to a character and reinforces the setting of the story. The design of costumes influences one’s perceptions of the aspects characterization and setting of the play. The design of the theatre stages also influences the perceptions of the audience. For example, the transformative elegance of the Proscenium stage influences the perceptions of the audience regarding the context of the story. This kind of stage transfers the audience’s behaviors and attitudes back to the time when the theater was a powerful force of entertainment.
The different circumstances that the designers come up with, in the story, evoke different sets of opinions in the audience. I believe that we all experience events through a different worldview. However, when it comes to plays, we construct our perceptions based on how the designer wants the characters and the story to be viewed. How the reality in plays is observed affects reality for, in the end, the perceptions we construct become our realities.