Deck 9: Scenery

Question 1

The objectives of the scene designer do NOT include

A) helping to set the mood and style of the production.
B) developing a design concept.
C) solving practical design problems.
D) assisting in the blocking of the production.

Answer 1

assisting in the blocking of the production.

Question 2

A stage set should tell the audience

A) when the play takes place.
B) where the play takes place.
C) what kind of characters the play is about.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Answer 2

All of these answers are correct.

Question 3

Stage right and stage left mean the right and left side, respectively, from the perspective of the

A) audience facing the stage.
B) performers facing the audience.
C) performers facing away from the audience.
D) performers, no matter in which direction they are facing.

Answer 3

performers facing the audience.

Question 4

If an actor is near the edge of the stage closest to the audience, and she turns her back and walks away from the audience, she is walking

A) upstage.
B) downstage.

Question 5

A circular revolving unit that is set into the floor, and which can turn mechanically to bring one set into view as another disappears, is a

A) wagon.
B) treadmill.
C) turntable.
D) trapdoor.

Question 6

A low platform on wheels upon which set pieces and even actors are brought onstage is called a

A) wagon.
B) treadmill.
C) turntable.
D) trapdoor.

Question 7

A strong design concept

A) is important to convey information.
B) should compliment the directorial concept.
C) is a unifying idea carried out visually.
D) is important when the time and place of a play have been shifted.
E) all of the above.

Question 8

Canvas stretched on wood with the side facing the audience painted to look like a solid wall is called a

A) wagon.
B) projection screen.
C) flat.
D) hard-cover flat.

Question 9

A firm material called lauan placed on a wooden or hollow metal frame, which can be painted and, in addition, have three-dimensional plastic moldings attached to it to create cornices, chair rails, and other features, is called a

A) scrim.
B) projection screen.
C) flat.
D) hard flat.

Question 10

A gauze or cloth screen that, when painted and lit from the front, appears solid, but when lit from behind becomes transparent, is called a

A) scrim.
B) projection screen.
C) flat.
D) hard-cover flat.

Question 11

Line, mass, color, texture, balance. Which one of these is not considered one of the five elements of scene design?

A) balance
B) color
C) texture
D) none of the above

Question 12

A fairly complete sketch made by the scene designer, usually done in color, is called a

A) thumbnail sketch.
B) model.
C) rendering.
D) ground plan.

Question 13

A small-scale, three-dimensional version of the set is called a

A) thumbnail sketch.
B) model.
C) rendering.
D) ground plan.

Question 14

A rough sketch that provides the basis for further discussions between the director and the scene designer is called a

A) thumbnail sketch.
B) model.
C) rendering.
D) ground plan.

Question 15

The person responsible for seeing that the scenery, platforms, and other elements are built, painted, and installed onstage is called a

A) design assistant.
B) stage manager.
C) producer.
D) technical director.

Question 16

The best-known of his innovations, designer Josef Svoboda used screens in conjunction with actors; the actors were part of the film, and the film was part of the action. He called this

A) scenography.
B) lanterna magika.
C) diapolyekran.
D) polyekran.

Question 17

The development of a ________ is an extremely important step in preparing for the show to begin rehearsals so the actors and director know how their patterns of movement will be affected by the placement of scenic elements and/or furniture.

A) magic sheet
B) hanging schedule
C) screen projection
D) floor plan or ground plan

Question 18

Computerized design, known technically as computer-assisted design (CAD), is very inflexible: the designer is often at a disadvantage when making instantaneous changes from what appears on the screen, even so she can, with some difficulty, indicate to the director and others alternative plans and features of a stage set.

Question 19

Write a detailed description of a "stage setting"
encountered in everyday life (restaurant, department store, office, or the like) and explain the atmosphere created, and what elements combine to create that atmosphere.

Question 20

Make a list of colors and associate a mood with each color. Are these associations universal, or are they tied to specific cultures and traditions? Can certain associations be created by their use in a specific show?

Question 21

Often a designer can use only a small amount of scenery, as in an arena space for example, to suggest a particular place. What single piece of furniture or prop would you use to suggest the following places: classroom; laboratory; doctor's office; church or synagogue; courtroom; bus depot; subway station; grocery store?

Question 22

Discuss the psychological aspects of line, mass, composition, and texture. Provide several examples of how each may be used and what they potentially signify.

Question 23

What are the advantages and disadvantages of designing a "total environment"
for a play? How might a total environment affect an audience? How might it affect aesthetic distance?

Question 24

Discuss the increasing importance of spectacle in many Broadway musicals, such as Wicked or The Phantom of the Opera. How does this affect theatre as a whole? For instance, discuss the expense of elaborate scenery and its effect on the types of plays done. Or discuss the new opportunities afforded playwrights by such technological wizardry.

Question 25

Using one of the plays that has been covered in class during the semester, propose possible central images or visual metaphors that could help support the visual world of the play, and explain how it might support the stage action without distracting from it.