Objective
Students will demonstrate understanding of the role of the set designer, his/her responsibilities, and the importance of the set designer to the production team by creating a set design for their chosen scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Materials Needed
Set Designer Worksheet
Transparencies of floor plans, audience view sketch
Overhead projector
Responsibility labels
Once Upon a Mattress designs
Sample of 3-d model
Related Documents
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook
Before students come into class, arrange the desk/chairs into groups of three (3) around the room. As students enter the room, hand them a piece of paper that says: Discussion Leader OR Scribe OR Spokesperson.
Instruction
Step 1—Have the students find people who have been assigned a different responsibility. Each group must have a Discussion Leader, Scribe, and Spokesperson. Then, have the groups sit in chairs in the pre-arranged areas.
Step 2—Distribute the Set Designer Worksheet. Have each group discuss the first question (What is a set designer?), with each member of the group fulfilling his/her responsibility.
The Discussion Leader conducts the discussion
The Scribe notates the discussion
The Spokesperson will present the group’s conclusions
Give the students 3-5 minutes to discuss the question and come to a consensus.
Step 3—Ask for a volunteer scribe to write the points on the board while each group presents their conclusions to the class.
Step 4—Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each of the following questions:
What are a set designer's responsibilities?
What traits, talents, and/or skills does a set designer need?
Have a new scribe write on the board for each question.
Step 5—Project the transparencies
- a floor plan
- set design sketches
- audience view sketches
Discuss how each is created.
Step 6—Explain that these same things are required for the Set Designer Section of the Production Book. Post the Portfolio Requirements List for Set Designer. Discuss each of them in detail so the students know what they are supposed to do.
Set Designer: 100pts
Definition 5pts
Responsibilities 5pts
Correlating Handouts/Research 5pts
Preliminary Design Sketches 10pts
Floor Plan 15pts
Final Design Sketches 15pts
Model 25pts
Explanation of choices 5pts
Construction Crew (self-initiated research for answers)
Definition 5pts
Responsibilities 5pts
Correlating Handouts/Research 5pts
Step 7—Discuss Show the Once Upon a Mattress (or other design sketch) designs so students will understand that they do NOT have to create a complicated design.
Emphasize that they are to create a set design that corresponds with their production concept.
Step 8—Discuss how the set design must coordinate with the type of stage. Distribute the handout about stage types and review the different types of stages and how the audience is arranged:
- Proscenium
- Thrust
- Arena/Theatre in the Round
- Black Box
- Created and found spaces
Step 9—Distribute the set design handouts. Discuss each one to make certain the students understand the Set Design Checklist as well as the SetDesigner's Tools so students understand the process of designing a set.
Check for Understanding.
Step 10—If there is any class time remaining, let the students use that time to work on the Set Designer Section of the Production Book.
CLOSURE: Remind the students that they must complete all the Production Book assignments. Don’t forget to write in your learning log.
Assessment
Teacher observation, participation, homework assignments