In theatre, the combined endeavors of all the artists work to create a separate world outside of reality. It is a many-faceted project that involves the actors, directors, technical operators and designers. The designers strive to create the world, the technicians build the world, the operators keep the world going and the actors bring the world to life. I will be focusing on the Set Design and Construction aspect of the procedure as it relates to the Shady Shakespeare season.
The Ups:
1. Design process. Months before auditions happen, all the designers meet with the directors of the show to discuss treatment, themes, moods and precise set needs. From the initial meetings, the designers go to their drawing boards and return weeks later, with the rough drawings of what they felt accommodated the directors vision. At this point, the directors, blinded by the artistic creativity of the designers, usually say, "ooooo" and "ahhhhhh". Then reality sets in, and the changes begin. Many things can influence changes to the initial design. Functionality, mood and thematic issues and of course, budget all play a part. The next few meetings consist of hammering out these possibilities until the designs are finalized by the directors.
2. The build process. Shady has two different types of set builds. There is the superstructure, which is the two story framework, and the artistic set, which sits on the framework and creates the world the actors bring to life. Usually, both are built independently of each other. The superstructure is basically the same each year and so each piece is saved from year to year, stored and numbered. Around the middle of July, the actors and technicians are called to help erect the superstructure. It involves long, hot, dirty days of sweaty toiling....I love it! The actors are each assigned one day of set build. It not only gives many new actors a taste of what goes into set construction, but it also builds camaraderie and a proud, earnest feeling that you have helped create the world you live in. Plus, it couldn't be done without them, so lunch is provided. The superstructure serves not only as a structure to hang art on, but also forms the dressing rooms, backstage areas, lighting trusses, and costume and prop storage.
3. After the superstructure goes up, the designers / TD's (technical directors), begin to place their artistic pieces. Some of them are borrowed/rented from other theatres, some pieces are rebuilt before hand, and others (because of the stage not being level) are built on site. This is when the actors really begin to see the transformation, like watching a Caterpillar change into a butterfly...just on a much larger scale.
4. Right before opening, any touch up painting is done, and any detail work is added. The audience area is cleaned and set up. The sound and lighting operators are taught their cues, concessions are brought in, and the show opens.
The Downs:
1. Change over - Since Shady Shakespeare does two shows in Repertory fashion, and each show has its own identity and virtually its own set. Once a weekend (starting on the 3rd weekend), a predesignated crew of actors change the set from one show to the other. The set is painstakingly designed to do this. And much thought goes into how each piece will be stored and moved. The change over teams are fast, efficient, dedicated and extremely fun to work with, and once a week we change our worlds.
2. Strike is the term we use for deconstructing the set. Basically tearing everything down. Where as the "Ups" process takes months to plan and weeks to build, the "Down" process happens all in one week. And the set comes down in two days. The superstructure is packed away for another year (like an artificial christmas tree...but again, much larger). and everything else is either tossed or sent to storage. It is a joyful and sad time. It is the end of another show, it is the closure, the point when we know it is all over and time to move on to the next project. Some of the people with whom we have spent the last 4 months we will not see again, if ever, or for a long time. We become a family who love and laugh together, and the set coming down is the symbol of that all ending. Even if we are cast again in a different show, this momment has ended, this small piece of history is gone. The actors are once again called to work one of these days. As before, they are long, hot days of sweaty toiling, so lunch is provided.
In closing. I have never worked as hard as I have when building a set, literal blood and tears, go into each one. It is a long process that never seems to end...then all the sudden, as if you tossed a jigsaw puzzle into the air and all the pieces fell to earth in their exact right location, everything seems to come together, as improbable as it seems. This year both of Shady's shows deal with magic, but the magic in the plays, cannot compare to the real magic we create while building the sets and creating a world to play in.
R. Michael Price
Technical Theatre Intern
