Study Centre for Scenic Arts

Maria Harman

Dear Friends and Colleagues, This is to let you know that the Study Centre for Scenic Arts (SCSA) has posted a cluster of filmed interviews with prominent names in contemporary scenography. Please take a moment to peruse our Stagecraft and Lectures pages at:

Fri 22/06

Have a look at this, regards Patrick at stagebrace.com

Maria Harman [mharman@thescenographer.com]

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info@scenic-fest.com

22 June 2012 19:03

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This is to let you know that the Study Centre for Scenic Arts (SCSA) has posted a cluster of filmed interviews with prominent names in contemporary scenography. Please take a moment to peruse our Stagecraft and Lectures pages at: www.scenic-fest.com where you will find exclusive interviews shot during the events we organised in Europe from 2008 to 2011. New videos will be posted every month while we generate an archive accessible to all.

The Study Centre is committed to generating a database of AV documentation and other material on contemporary scenography and related subjects, to be made available to academics, teaching staff, students and postgraduates, industry professionals, creative and technical minds alike.

I'd like to remind you that the Study Centre has opened the registration for membership. We already count almost 200 SCSA members and we hope that you, too will consider membership if you have not already signed up. Benefits include free entry to events and discounts on selected items. Check the Members' Space on our web site for details.

If you would like to be involved in our activities or collaborate with the Centre, as a signed-up SCSA member, we invite you to put your name forward to join our Scientific Committee. Details can be found on our web site.

Don't forget - our upcoming conference on contemporary scenography and scenic architecture takes place in Bologna from 17 to 21 October. You'll find event details, programme, updates and registration forms at: http://www.wix.com/i24423/scenic-fest#!training

Thank you for your time and we hope to see you in Bologna later this year.

Maria Harman

IFSArts /SCSA co-director

Tel. +39.(0)763.341667

Italy cell. +39.347.4390813

www.scenic-fest.com

Rough Magic’s “Travesties”

Rough Magic’s “Travesties” at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire

Last night (Saturday 16^th June) I saw Rough Magic’s http://www.roughmagic.ie/  production of Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire http://www.paviliontheatre.ie/

Directed and Designed by Lynne Parker, http://dublintheatrefestival.com/artists/display.asp?m=&artistID=205 

Costume Design by Bláithín Sheeran

http://www.irishplayography.com/person.aspx?personid=528  and  

Lighting Design by Sinéad McKenna. http://www.sineadmckenna.com/

 

The realisation of Lynne Parker’s concept for the set is a multifaceted well thought out piece of scenography and examples the potential of possibility that can manifest from the close collaborative engagement between Director and Designer(s); in this case Director and Set Designer being one and the same person.  

While the whole performance space is ensconced in a dressed black limbo, it is subdivided into a number of smaller dressed and lit acting spaces by a large island set piece consisting of a large diagonally positioned rectangular, raked rostrum rising from +500mm on the downstage/onstage edge to +1000mm on the upstage/stage left edge. The rostrum accommodates a vertical double door entrance/exit positioned on a smaller, level rostrum inset upstage on the raked rostrum. The frame of the double doors is surmounted by a large circular rose pattern fanlight, which apart from its symbolism, when it is lit from above it acts as a gobo casting a central hub and spoked pattern onto the rostrum top and stage floor. The upstage +1000mm edge of the rostrum acts as a writing/counter top, the onstage edge as a sideboard and the downstage edge as a step/seat. It affords interesting patterns of movement and positioning for the performers.

The downstage left corner is symbolically dressed with some large scientific instruments (and a baseball bat) appropriate to the period. Whereas the down stage right side, while also symbolically dressed, also has an (narrators) armchair, side table (draped with a Union Jack) reading lights and a rocking (Hobby) horse. Up stage right accommodates layers of written words on transparent plastic curtains which form a chicane or maze of words through which characters can hide from each other, miss each other and/or enter/exit upstage right through a backlit door. Up stage, centre back is a high chrominance back lit projection screen which, on occasion has shadows of down stage items projected onto it.

The real magic of the set is the double doors through which characters appear and disappear in the “Harry Potter” mode of travel. It forms a portal, a magic wardrobe portal to and from another place, not only for the appearance/disappearance of the characters but also for the physic of the audience to follow and join the characters in different places.  The illusion is well supported by a nifty piece of theatrical stage craft.

Lighting Designer Sinéad McKenna, as can be expected, enhanced the ambience and atmosphere of the presentation and augmented the dramatic moments with her deft lighting. To me, the low angled up light effect of the “Foot Lights” on the floor at the apron edge added to the period and theatrical presentation of the work.

Bláithín Sheeran’s Costume Designs lend credibility to the characters portrayed and enhances their assessment of self, their social standing, occupation and sets them in a time and place. The collaboration between Bláithín Sheeran, Costume Designer and Hair and Make-Up Designers Catherine Argue and Val Sherlock gave good supportive visual impact and expression to the characters.

A lot for students of Design for Stage, Screen and Performance to see and ponder in this production

Showing from: June 7^th to 23^rd at 8pm.

Follow us on facebook: 

Patrick Molloy for http://www.stagebrace.com

“Travesties” at the Pavilion Theatre

Tomorrow evening (Saturday 16^th June) am looking forward to seeing Rough Magic's http://www.roughmagic.ie/  production of Tom Stoppard’s “Travesties” at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire http://www.paviliontheatre.ie/ Directed by Lynn Parker, Costume Design by Scenographer Bláithín Sheeran http://www.irishplayography.com/person.aspx?personid=528  and Lighting Design is by Sinéad McKenna.

Showing from: June 7^th to 23^rd at 8pm.

I will post comments/impressions on Set, Costume & Lighting Design over the weekend.

Patrick Molloy for http://www.stagebrace.com

The Country Girls

The Country Girls

Last Thursday night (Thursday 31st May) I saw Edna O' Brien's stage play "The Country Girls" at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin. The Country Girls (set in the 1950s) was first published in 1960 as a book and premiered as a stage play at Garter Lane Theatre, Waterford, in October 2011, produced by Red Kettle Theatre Company in association with Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford, Ireland 

The Set was designed by Ben Hennessy. Ben is a Founder Member and Artistic Director of Red Kettle. He works as a director, designer, writer and painter and in this instance; he brings a painterly quality to his scenographic interpretation for this traveling set for The Country Girls. While the script’s author Ms. Edna O’Brien is quite prescriptive on how the stage is set and to an extent how it looks (a touch of Beckett), Ben Hennessy’s solution satisfies the needs of a traveling set for a travelling show on a restricted budget at the expense of a more enhancing solution.  

A painted curved backcloth, a painted floor cloth and four masking pieces of hanging gauze masking the wings, define the performance space and are the constant environment in which the play unfolds.  

The painted curved backcloth and the painted floor cloth are both painted in broad strokes in tones of white to dark grey (a la Sean Scully-esque). A useful technique whereby the lighter paint tones pick up and reflect any coloured light used by the Lighting Designer (Conleth White) to accentuate a dramatic moment, an atmosphere, an emotional moment or place, etc. 

The hanging legs of Gauze/Muslin masking the wings also pick up the ambient light and one is used in the traditional way to hide & reveal a statue.

Up stage left and right are what appear to be two steel tube scaffold platforms with steps. These constructions also remain on stage throughout the two Acts of the play. They work at indicating an upstairs first floor in Kate’s home and as Pulpit in the Convent, and Gang Planks in the closing scene,

The only visual contribution to establishing the period in which the story is set comes from the Costume Designer Léonore McDonagh. Through her Costume Designs, Léonore McDonagh establishes the characters, their age, their gender, their socio-economic standing, occupation and their demographic and contributes hugely to establishing the where and when of the play.

Foot notes:

The action piece of hanging of clothes on a manually held cloths line was an effective and visually appealing solution to a piece of action. 

The small down stage left, boxed in flowerbed while giving a sense of exterior, becomes utilitarian when Sister Mary buries Kate’s copy of Joyce’s Dubliners.   

The script mentions a “feather Christmas tree” action prop for the Christmas holidays scene which I must have missed because the scene could have done with it. While the snow effect lighting supported the seasonal ambience a small Christmas tree would have clinched it. 

It is a useful set, if on the drab side of the solution. See the play and see what you think of the Set, the Lighting and the Costumes and how they all work to support the script.   

Tour of Ireland 2012:

Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone

Monday 4^th June –Tuesday 5^th June

http://deancrowetheatre.com/index.php?id=75 

Glór, Ennis

Wednesday 6^th June – Thursday 7^th June

http://www.glor.ie/events#e126 

Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo

Friday 8^th June – Saturday 9^th June

http://www.hawkswell.com/events/event/the-country-girls 

Cork Opera House

Monday 11^th June – Saturday 16^th June

http://www.corkoperahouse.ie/events/country-girls 

Town Hall Theatre, Galway

Monday 18^th June – Saturday 23^rd June

http://tht.ie/1417/The-Country-Girls

lyric Opera “La Bohéme” at the NCH

lyric Opera “La Bohéme” at the NCH 

Saturday 19th, 7.30p.m
Monday 21st, 7.30p.m
Wednesday 23rd, 7.30p.m. 

I had a very enjoyable night out last Saturday at Lyric Opera’s production of La Bohéme at the National Concert Hal under the Direction of CAV. Vivian Coates.

Staging a production in the NCH does pose staging challenges for the Set Designer, in so far as it does not have the staging facilities associated with an Opera House or Theatre. In such circumstances, Lyric Opera’s director/designer CAV. Vivian Coates and Set Designer/Scenic Artist John O’ Donoghue acquitted themselves reasonably well in devising an appropriate setting to evoke a supportive visual ambiance and atmosphere to the production. While the scenic elements and objects enhanced the dramatic experience, they remained unobtrusive or distracting to the audience. The slow paced resetting of the dressing props and hand props by the choreographed and costumed stage crew during the interval was again quite poetic. Equally important to creating the appropriate visual ambiance and atmosphere is the Lighting Designer, Alastair Kerr’s contribution to colouring the dramatic mood and tone of the moments.  

There were mixed opinions from my friends on the costuming interpretation 

As I have commented on in the past; the NCH does not have an orchestra pit which necessitates
the setting of the orchestra at auditorium floor level between the audience and the stage apron. This can prove challenging for both the vocalists and the audience; for the vocalist in projecting over the sound of the orchestra and for the audience in receiving a balanced sound from both. Having said that, both the vocalists and the orchestra were of accord and sounded super.

I am looking forward to November to see what Lyric Productions can achieve in the Gaiety Theatre with their production of “AIDA”. November 14^th, 16^th and 17^th.

Lyric Opera at: http://www.lyricoperaproductions.com/home.php

Gaiety Theatre at: http://www.gaietytheatre.ie/index.php/whats-on-buy-tickets/calendar/aida-by-giuseppe-verdi/430

Patrick M for http://stagebrace.com/

Digital/Video images on a LED screen

Alice in Funderland 

What a knock out, lively production last week at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin with the Abbey’s production of a new musical, a world premiere of “Alice in Funderland” by Phillip McMahon and Raymond Scannell. 

Set Designer and Costume Designer Naomi Wilkinson acquitted herself very well in devising appropriate settings to evoke a supportive visual ambiance and atmosphere to the production.  Naomi's collaboration with Jack Phelan’s Digital/Video images on the LED screen was a good example in the use of new and evolving technologies in Scenography.

This performing set with its stylised scenic elements, objects, lighting and particularly the digital imaging played its part in transporting the audience into an enhanced and exciting and dramatic experience. 

Jack Phelan’s Digital/Video images on the LED screen, the lighting and the performance were choreographed to set the time, place and mood to this audio, visual, emotional journey. Naomi Wilkinson’s stylised domestic set for the opening and closing scenes bookended the magic parallel fantasy Dublin she created in between. 

The result of collaboration between Set/Costume Designer Naomi Wilkinson, Video Designer Jack Phelan, Lighting Designer Sinéad McKenna and Director Wayne Jordan gave the audience an absorbing, scintillating, immersive theatrical experience of colour, movement. 

The choreographed, paced setting and resetting of scenic elements, dressing props and hand props during the scene changes by the Stage Crew in the background and cast on stage supported the audience’s transitional illusion from scene to scene.  

Equally important to creating the appropriate visual ambiance and atmosphere is the Lighting Designer, Sinéad McKenna’s contribution to colouring the dramatic mood and tone of the moments.  

The Costumes designed by Naomi Wilkinson were very contemporary, whacky and at times Fetish, yet Alice’s retained innocence throughout that defined her character against the colourful, make-believe, larger than life, imaginary characters populating her imagined world. 

The multitasking multitalented five piece “Funderland Band” was accommodated up stage of the acting area and gave of their all. They achieved a vibrant, paced, balanced and at times raucous   sound. Having said that, both the vocalists and the orchestra were of accord and sounded super.

When it comes round again it will be a must see for students of Set Design, Costume Design and Make-up Design. It is a production bursting with potential for designers.  

Abbey Theatre at: http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/

Patrick M for http://stagebrace.com/

When no set is still a set!

Chrysalis Dance with ConTempo String Quartet:

http://chrysalisdance.com/

This is an interesting small dance company that excels in interpreting difficult themes through innovative interpretations on classical ballet training and expertise. Their presentations incorporate movement, light, sound and projected imagery to evoke an immersive experience in as appropriate an ambience and atmosphere as a travelling production can achieve with the limited funding available to it and within the facilities available at our provincial Art Centres/Theatres.

Such productions are at times best presented in a neat, clean black limbo of dressed black drapes, borders, back cloth and (if possible) black floor. Ballet dancers and contemporary interpretation dancers require an appropriate floor surface to perform on and most theatres now provide a matt black roll out rubberised surface to cover the stage surface with. It needs to be laid carefully, avoiding wrinkles and gaps, its inertia weight helps it rest on the stage surface without the need for taping or fixing

I am traveling to see their current production, World Premiere “Thought once was” at the Drogheda Arts Centre and will comment later.

http://droicheadartscentre.ticketsolve.com/shows/126524352/events

I expect Chrysalis Dance to be pushing the boundaries of classical ballet in this production, enhanced by the live music of the ConTempo String Quartet

 “The Double Bill incorporating ‘The Space Where Thought Once Was’ and ‘Scatenato’ promises to be a visceral feast for the senses. The audience will be brought on a poignant and emotional journey where the company will demonstrate their incredible versatility. An exhilarating crescendo of group movement…a wonderfully evocative score’ Dance Europe.

* The Space Where Thought Once Was, is an exploration into Alzheimers and Dementia and Drogheda Arts Festival In association with Chrysalis Dance And Disrupting Alzheimers will present a pre-show screening of the documentary Disrupting Alzheimers, followed by a Q and A.

Pre-show screening

Venue: The Barbican, William St, Drogheda

Date: 6^th May at 6.30pm Tickets: Your ticket to the dance piece allows you free entry to documentary”.

May 9th at the Island Arts Centre, Lisburn, 028 92 509 254

Also at “The Dock” http://www.thedock.ie/ on Thursday 10th May 8.30pm €15/€12

Carrick on Shannon Co. Leitrim
Box Office 071 96 50828
May 11th at the Black Box, Galway, Box Office 091 569777

Follow on Chrysalis Dance on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chrysalis-Dance-Company/122214681168609?sk=info

Follow Catastrophe Theatre Company on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Catastrophe-Theatre-Company/108190232608427?sk=info