Stage Design I

General

Through the interconnection between practice with the theory and history of the performing arts, the “Principles of Stage Design” course offers an introduction to the evolving field of Scenography, which is not a self-contained artwork, but part of the theatre arts.

Cource content

The course offers an introduction to the evolving field of Scenography. The students are asked to re-approach the concept of space by means of a different point of view – a theatrical one, focusing on a new dynamic that is created at the same time on stage and in the theatrical space as a whole, with the encounter of the actors between them and with the audience. The passage of time during a theatrical performance offers a fourth dimension to the theatrical image, which needs to be taken into account in the stage design process. Thus, scenography is the geometry of the stage play and at the same time a theatrical image in constant motion.

Programme aims

Through the interplay of conceptual and practical thinking, the students enter the scenographic design process, while developing the following skills:
– ability to work in team or independently;
– development of creativity and imagination;
– acquaintance with the use of a foreign language (part of the workshop is conducted in English due to the enrolment of Erasmus students).

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and Understanding

At the completion of the course, students will be able to:
-Conceive and realise a full scenographic proposal;
-Consolidate their theoretical knowledge on aspects related to theatre and performance, as well as the theatrical space.

Bibliography

– Brockett, O. και Hildy, F. 2007. History of the Theatre, 10th Edition, Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
– Brockett, Ο., Mitchell, Μ.Α. και Hardberger, L. 2010. Making the Scene. A History of Stage Design and Technology in Europe and the United States, San Antonio, Texas: Tobin Theater Arts Fund.
– Carlson, M.A. 1989. Places of Performance: The Semiotics of Theatre Architecture, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
– Howard Pamela, What is scenography? Routledge, London
– McKinney, J. & Butterworth, P. 2009. The Cambridge Introduction to Scenography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-Wiles, D. 2003. A Short History of Western Performance Space, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-McKinney, J. & Butterworth, P., The Cambridge Introduction to Scenography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
-Collins, J. & Nisbet, A., Theatre and Performance Design, A Reader in Scenography. London and New York: Routledge, 2010.
-Oddey, A. & White, C. (eds.), The Potentials of Spaces, The theory and practice of scenography and performance. Bristol, UK/Portland, USA: Intellect, 2006.
-Craig, Edward Gordon, On the Art of the Theatre. London and New York: Routledge, 2009 (1911/1957).