Designer

According to Robert Cohen’s Theatre: Brief Version, theatrical design aims to “transform something so it may be seen, by a willing viewer, as something else,”

Theatre design or scenography is the design of the space in which a performance takes place. Theatre designers create stage pictures, that is to say, they design the space, costume and props that you see when you watch a performance.

Some designers deal only with set or costumes, particularly if it is a very large scale production such as an opera, but designers generally create designs for both.
In recent times we have started to more readily adopt the term scenographer. This alternative name for theatre design is used more widely in the rest of the world. It seeks to give a more holistic description of what designers do and can encompass not just set, costume and prop design but sound, lighting and multi-media design for performance as well.

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The role of the designer

During your IB Theatre course, you should develop an understanding of the skill set and key responsibilities associated with the role of the designer, as outlined below.

Role Key responsibilities Skill set
Designer The designer is responsible for the overall design of the space, setting, atmosphere and aesthetics of the piece of theatre. Design skills can include scenic elements (such as set, props, costume and make-up) and technical elements (such as lighting, projection and sound).
  • An understanding of the art form of theatre (plot, tension, symbol, space, character and so on) and different theatre styles
  • The ability to interpret text visually and aurally
  • An understanding of how individual moments of theatre function within a whole piece
  • The ability to deal creatively with physical space
  • An understanding of colour, shape and texture
  • The ability to visually and aurally present the world of the piece of theatre
  • The ability to focus the audience’s attention
  • The ability to create “stage pictures”
  • An understanding of how the human figure operates in space
  • An understanding of how production elements work together with performance
  • The ability to collaborate with the director, performers and production team
  • The ability to research