We went forward with the meeting with out the limitations of funding or context. This allowed us to have a productive meeting as more ideas could be put forward. We had the focus of setting although we would touch upon other aspects.
First I proposed my own initially ideas to Chipp, these were:
- A raised stage at the back for the duologue scenes, so half set as a bench, half a street.
- On ground level an 'urban wood' set. This would be large to cope with the group scenes. Bringing in leaves, crates, cigarette packets and booze cans and bottles to show it to be a 'hang out' area.
He then return doing a rough sketch explaining how we could develop it:
(insert picture)
Chipp had the idea to use lighting to highlight which part of the set was being used, he also said how the raised level could be diminished with being able to use a fly tower to drop in a lamp post and a bench in order to create the duologue scenes without the raised level as the audience would be closer and more involved with those scenes. We would then use lighting to highlight which set was being used, blues for the bench in the field, dim greens for the woods, and it was also suggested that we make the lamppost work so that when it drops in, the light emanating from the lamp lights the scenes for Jan and Mark.
We also talked about the idea of making into in a warehouse within a wood, as if it was an abandoned warehouse that had a tree breaking through the walls. We could have a wall of collapsing brick that the cast could sit on for levels, as well as a broken 'on it's side' battered fridge that could be used to sit on as well. Having these would show it is a regular place, somewhere very hidden and isolated but somewhere where they themselves feel safe.
This brought us onto the idea of media, having a projection on the back wall that highlight aspects of whichever setting is happening on stage e.g:
Woods – Wall graffiti
Field – Blue sky, moving trees
Street – Street sign wall, path
Then there is also the idea of
naturalistic sounds, birds chirping, wind, cars going by, dependent on the
scene these faint noises could make the scenes more realistic and therefore the
audience more involved with the action going on stage.
After discussing these ideas in depth, it came to a point where we felt the meeting had come to a close. What would then happen is the setting designer would go away and make a scale model and then bring this back. Here is where I would be able to correct any misunderstood ideas or change my mind as proportions may look different when presented in the scale model form. There would usually be several technical meetings throughout the rehearsal process with all the members of the stage production team. There would be conversations about set changes and lighting that needs to be shifted due to what happens on stage and how this might affect what is needed on stage that is managed by them.
My Set:
Adding back in context, I have to remember that my piece will follow on from a first half of the play directed by someone else, and will be performed within the school. This means I will have to factor in the aspect of reality and limitations that come with it. Having a complicated set that involves a lot of adaption will take a while to set up and place. As we do not have access to a fly tower, and we want to keep an aspect of realism, I will stick to the raised stage behind the woods setting and keep the idea of lighting the scene that is in action to create a sense of focus for the audience. I also really liked the idea of sound effects that can create a more naturalistic environment for the piece following a Stanislavsky's style. The idea of having a tree at the side of the stage is unrealistic but there is an opportunity to have a fridge at the side of the stage in order to create the more urban feel and add levels, as well as maybe a wall graffiti back drop to make it feel more inside a warehouse hidden in the woods.
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