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[The Art of Theatrical Design]… is one of the best, most comprehensive looks at theatrical design that I have come across. It is a perfect
book for a beginning designer; chock full of new terms, information, exercises, examples, and illustrations.
-Craig Choma, Associate Professor of Theatre, Knox College
The Art of Theatrical Design: Elements of Visual Composition, Methods, and Practice addresses the core principles that develop the
student designer into a true artist, providing a foundation that ensures success with each production design. This text concentrates on
the skills necessary to create effective, evocative, and engaging theatrical designs that support the play contextually, thematically, and
visually. It gives students the grounding in core design principles they need to approach design challenges and make design decisions in
both assigned class projects and realized productions. This book features:
• In-depth discussions of design elements and principles for costume, set, lighting, sound, and projection designs
• Coverage of key concepts such as content, context, genre, style, play structure and format, and the demands and limitations of
various theatrical spaces
• Essential principles, including collaboration, inspiration, conceptualization, script analysis, conducting effective research, building a
visual library, developing an individual design process, and the role of the critique in collaboration
• Information on recent digital drawing tool technology, such as the Wacom® Inkling pen, Wacom® Intuos digitizing tablets and
digital sketching, and rendering programs such as Autodesk® Sketchbook Pro and Adobe® Photoshop®
• Chapter exercises and key terms designed to provide an engaging experience with the material and to facilitate student
understanding
Kaoime E. Malloy is an Associate Professor of Costume Design for the University of Wisconsin Green Bay Department of Theatre
and Dance, where she teaches Costume Design, Stage Makeup, Costume Technology, Introduction to Theatre Design, Understanding
the Arts, Fashion History, Costume Crafts, and special topics in design and technology. A member of United Scenic Artists Local 829
and IATSE, she freelances as a theatre designer, makeup artist, and technician throughout the United States.
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The Art of Theatrical Design
Elements of Visual Composition, Methods, and Practice
Kaoime E. Malloy
First published 2015
by Focal Press
70 Blanchard Road, Suite 402, Burlington, MA 01803
Focal Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
The right of Kaoime E. Malloy to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research
methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds,
or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including
parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Typeset in GillSansStd-Light
By diacriTech, Chennai
To my husband Patrick, who has always believed I could do
anything, no matter what.
v
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C O N T E N T S
Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxi
WHAT IS FORM? 11
CONTENT 12
CHAPTER 3 GENRE 15
WHAT IS GENRE? 15
TRAGEDY 15
DRAMA 16
COMEDY 17
vii
viii Contents
FARCE 17
SATIRE 17
TRAGICOMEDY 18
MELODRAMA 18
MUSICAL THEATRE 18
CHILDREN’S THEATRE 19
CHAPTER 4 STYLE 23
WHAT IS STYLE? 23
REALISM 23
NATURALISM 24
CLASSICISM 24
ROMANTICISM 25
STYLIZATION 25
EXPRESSIONISM 27
SYMBOLISM 27
FUTURISM 28
POSTMODERNISM 29
Character 37
Theme and Meaning 37
Balance 38
NONTRADITIONAL STRUCTURE 38
CHAPTER 6 LINE 41
WHAT IS A LINE? 41
LINE QUALITIES 41
TYPES OF LINE 43
LINE EXERCISES 48
Exercise #1: Exploring Expressive Line 48
Exercise #2: Telling a Story with Line 49
WHAT IS SHAPE? 51
TYPES OF SHAPES 51
COMPOSITION 51
SHAPE EXERCISE 56
Positive and Negative Space 56
CHAPTER 8 VALUE 57
WHAT IS VALUE? 57
VALUE EXERCISE 62
Value in Color 62
CHAPTER 9 COLOR 65
WHAT IS COLOR? 65
COLOR PROPERTIES 67
COLOR SYMBOLISM 70
COLOR EXERCISE 76
Color Copy/Enlargement 76
CHAPTER 10 TEXTURE 79
WHAT IS TEXTURE? 79
TYPES OF TEXTURE 81
TEXTURE EXERCISES 84
IMPLIED SPACE 85
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE 87
PERSPECTIVE EXERCISE 90
Creating a Perspective Grid Quickly with Photoshop 90
MODELING EXERCISES 90
Contents xi
SIMILARITY 95
UNIFORM CONNECTEDNESS 96
PROXIMITY 96
ALIGNMENT 98
CONTINUATION 99
CLOSURE 101
RHYTHM 114
PATTERN 117
On the way between our camp and the Gumara River we passed
many villages. In one I saw a leper in an advanced stage of the
disease. Thereupon I made inquiry, and was told that leprosy is very
prevalent throughout Abyssinia. Almost all the maladies that work
havoc among the people could be gradually checked by adequate
medical control under European administration.
On Saturday, January 17, I said good-bye to my two companions,
who started for Debra Tabor at nine in the morning. It was the proper
course to see Ras Gouksha, and thank him personally for allowing
us to travel through his territory, and we desired to obtain from him a
letter of introduction and recommendation to Tecla Haimanot, the
King of Godjam, whose dominions lie on the other side of the lake.
This potentate is named after the most popular, venerated—and
apocryphal—saint in the well-filled Abyssinian calendar. I shall refer
to his miraculous exploits and experiences in another chapter. They
are unequalled by anything to be found in the Golden Legend, and
one can only regret that the late “Thomas Ingoldsby” had never
heard of him.
The emperor, when he is powerful enough to do so, exercises a
suzerainty over the King of Godjam, who served with the Abyssinian
forces at the battle of Adowa. But the difficulties of a suzerainty
unwillingly accepted, are as manifest in Eastern as they were in
Southern Africa, and the country has often been in revolt. For
instance, Consul Plowden wrote that in his day the ruler of Abyssinia,
who was then the Ras of Begemeder, though a titular emperor was
alive,[69] “had been engaged in the siege of a hill-fort in Godjam now
for four years; and another chief in rebellion, after gaining two
battles, had pillaged Gondar, and rendered all communication with
Godjam circuitous or dangerous.”[70] Menelek’s safe-conduct letter is
not valid in Tecla Haimanot’s dominions, and Dr. Stecker, who was
provided with this passport, was refused admission to the country.
The German explorer wished to cross the Blue Nile in the
neighbourhood of Woreb, but was unable to carry out his plan
because the escort officer who had been attached to his party
declined to proceed into Tecla Haimanot’s jurisdiction. The doctor
pointed out, with the logic of his race, that his permit was issued by
the Negus Negesti, and that a mandate from the king of kings was
binding on the ruler of Godjam. The escort officer disregarded logic
after the manner of his kind, and Dr. Stecker failed to cross the river.
He again tried to enter this territory from the north at Wendige, and
was again turned back. A third attempt, which promised well, was
frustrated by the double dealing of Litsch-Abai, Governor of
Wendige, and though the traveller finally received a special permit
from King John himself as Tecla Haimanot’s suzerain, he was unable
to make use of it, except for a few hasty excursions by water from
Korata, for he was summoned back to the Abyssinian court before
he could accomplish the journey in Godjam which he had planned.
[71]
A CASE OE LEPROSY.
See p. 103.