A theatre director is described as an instructor who orchestrates and oversees the theatre production. The director’s function is to unify various aspects of production and ensure completeness and quality of output. The term director came into use in the 19th century. The modern theatre director originated after the staging of works by Meininger Company which had elaborate spectacles. The management and coordination of the elaborate stagecraft led to the need of an individual who would take up the role of the production coordinator.
The social upheavals that followed the French Revolution led to the development experienced in the theatre. Throughout Europe, the middle class affected changes in theatre aftertaking over. The middle class used theatre as a medium for expressing their views and values during the national liberation. During the revolution, there was a demand for realism on stage. This meant that the rising class would have a stage that would give a faithful reflection of their domestic surrounding and lifestyle. (Krasner 103)
Blocking, Stage Picture, and Pace
Blocking is the movement and positioning of characters in a play or literature work to tell the story in visual terms. The movement and placement of characters can help in the suggestion of attitudes of the character to the audience with or without dialogue. Stage picture is also known as the frozen picture is the term used to describe an activity where the actors in a play work quickly in groups to create a visual representation of the theme and character using body language. Pace also referred to as rhythm or tempo is the movement and rate of activity using dramatic devices to describe the flow of events in a play. The three terms are blocking, stage picture, and pace are related since they are non-verbal devices used to communicate an idea to the audience. (Krasner 54)
Question 2: The Scene Designer
A scene designer designs scenery and sets in a play which aims at supporting the artistic vision and goals of the production. One of the objectives of a scene designer is to set the style and tone of the play. She aims at establishing a period and locale that the play takes place and also develops design concepts that are consistent with the ideas generated by the director. The scene designer ensures that scenery and stage are well coordinated with other elements of production. The objectives are achieved through stage setting which helps in establishing the style and mood of the play. The scene designer employs realism and non-realism to unify the production ideas and carrying them out visually. (Deer 26)
The Costume Designer
A costume designer helps in the establishment of tone and style in a play production. The objective of the designer is to indicate the locale in which the play is set and also the historical period being described. The designer shows the relationship between characters and also brings out their nature either individually or in a play. When describing character aspects such as the personality, occupation, and station in life the costume designer uses his skill to show consistency in production. The costume designer achieves his objectives through the use of costumes which have to be analyzed to bring out the different circumstances such as social class, gender, age and focal importance. (Deer 48)
Works Cited
Deer, Joe. Directing in Musical Theatre: An Essential Guide. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2014.
Krasner, David. A History of Modern Drama: 1960-2000. West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell, 2016.
