Technical Production Analysis and Evaluation

Requirements:

Your paper should be a minimum of (2) and maximum of (3) double-spaced pages, written about one production from THIS semester from either of these producing organizations:

• Theatre UCF - https://theatre.cah.ucf.edu/
• Orlando Shakes - https://www.orlandoshakes.org/ Links to an external site.
• Orlando Rep - https://www.orlandorep.com/ Links to an external site.
• Garden Theatre - https://www.gardentheatre.org/ Links to an external site.

It can be either a live/recorded stage production or a remote production, but it needs to be one with strong production values.

I recognize and understand the difficult times we are all in. The COVID-19 pandemic impacts us all in many ways, including physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, academically, and professionally. If you would like to arrange to analyze an alternative production due to any of the reasons above, I am happy to provide you with a list of suitable sources.

For those of you who are not living in Orlando/Central Florida, alternative theatre options may also be arranged with me individually.

Since this is a technical production class, your paper should respond to the design and technical elements of the production, and should not include a review or discussion of the performance (i.e. no plot synopsis or actor critique).  Your paper should be written with the assumption that the reader has previous knowledge of the production.

Your paper will be graded based on the use of design/technical vocabulary, visual awareness, and theatrical knowledge.

Structure:

You should begin with a statement about how the design and technical elements affected your viewing of the play and contributed to the production.

Subsequent paragraphs should support your argument with specific examples of how the elements worked (or didn't work) together within the production.

Your final paragraph should sum up your impressions.

Guiding questions:

Space or Medium

• If it is a in-person production (live or recorded stage show):
  • What type of theater was it? How large or small was it? How opulent or elaborate? How simple or modern?
  • What type of stage did it have: proscenium, thrust, arena, or some other type? How did the stage space relate to audience seating?
  • What was the size and shape of the playing space?
• If it is a remote production:
  • What was the platform? How was the production delivered to the audience?
  • What was the format? Was it more like a zoom-style conference? A movie-like experience? Something in between?
  • Were there aspects of audience interaction? If so, were they effective in furthering the story or creating a sense of community?
• Did the space or medium seem to meet the needs of the play? Did it affect the production, and if so, how?

Scenery and Video Multimedia

• What information was conveyed by the scenery and/or multimedia about time, place, characters, and situation?
• How was this information conveyed to you?
• What was the overall atmosphere of the setting?
• Did any colors dominate? How did colors affect your impression of the theater event?
• Was the setting a specific place, or was it no recognizable or real locale? Did that choice seem appropriate for the play?
• If the setting was realistic, how effectively did it reproduce what the place would actually look like?
• Were there symbolic elements in the scenery and/or multimedia? If so, what were they? How did they relate to the play?

Costumes

• What information was conveyed by the costumes about time, place, characters, and situation? How was this information conveyed to you?
• What was the period of the costumes? What was the style? Were the costumes from a period other than the period in which the play was written or originally set? If so, how did this affect the production? Why do you think this choice was made?
• How was color used to give you clues to the personalities of the characters?
• Did each character's costume or costumes seem appropriate for his or her personality, social status, occupation, etc.? Why or why not?
• Did the costumes help you understand conflicts, differing social groups, and interpersonal
  relationships? if so, how?

Lighting

• What information was conveyed by the lighting about time, place, characters, and situation? How was this information conveyed to you?
• Describe the mood of the lighting. How was color and intensity used to affect mood? What other characteristics of light were used to affect mood? Was the lighting appropriate for the mood of each scene? Why or why not?
• Was the lighting realistic or non-realistic? What was the direction of the light? Did it seem to come from a natural source, or was it artificial? Did this choice seem appropriate for the text?
• Were the actors properly lit? Could their faces be seen?
• Were light changes made slowly or quickly? How did this affect the play? Did it seem right for the play? Did the lighting changes help you understand the flow of the play and where/when you were in time?

Sound

• What information was conveyed by the sound about time, place, characters, and situation? How was this information conveyed to you?
• Describe the mood of the sound. Was music used to affect mood? What other sounds were used to affect mood? Was the sound appropriate for the mood of each scene? Why or why not?
• Was the sound realistic or nonrealistic? What was the volume and direction of the sound? Did it seem to come from a natural source, or was it artificial? Did this choice seem appropriate for the text?
• How were the acoustics? Could you always hear the actors?

Note:

It is possible that you will write about a production for which either myself or one of your other instructors worked as a designer. I ask that you please ignore that fact and be honest with your analysis. All of us would rather read a critical analysis that details thoughtful reasons why the design did not work for you as an audience member than read how it was the "best scenery ever" without substantive reasoning backing it up.