Design
Design: The World of the Play
The second category we are going to cover is Design.
This group of people are tasked with creating the visual and auditory world of the play that surrounds and supports the actors on-stage. They work in the areas of:
- Scenery - the physical objects on-stage that are used as the setting for the production
- Costumes - the clothing, makeup, hair, and accessories worn by the performers
- Lighting - the where, when, and how you see the space and the performers through light; also includes special effects like haze, fog, and lasers
- Sound - sound effects, underscoring, and live reinforcement (microphones)
- Projections - videos and still images (content) projected or displayed on-stage, and live cameras
Similar to the director, they are usually freelance artists that are hired by either the producer or the theatre company on a per-show contract.
They report to the director and work with their respective technical areas (or shops) to oversee the build and execution of their design.
Most designers will also have an assistant designer who will assist them in the creation of their design by doing tasks such as making renderings, models, and maintaining paperwork on the designer's behalf.
We will discuss each individual designer's various tools, tricks, and processes in future modules.