Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1990 - 69

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Editor:

ings, as opposed ro the all-imporranr
might win contests, they will not in
themselves, guarantee a set that can be
I have watched with much inrerest
construction drawings, while mechaniover the last year or so, as TD&T has
cally perfect, lacked artistic or inrerprabuilr. We have all seen arrempts ro build
tive value, since we were led ro believe
become more and more professionally
and operate sets that were awkward,
presenred, wim berrer graphics and more
that the mechanical aspects of sigh clines,
ungainly or even impossible. I am
visibiliry, etc. were all importanr. One
inreresting articles. I appreciate the "new
reminded of an early set design of my
look," and the issues being raised of late
judge complained that the srudent
own that when built exactly ro my plans
have cerrainly struck home with me,
enrries were merely competenr and not
and had a curved stairway that was toO
having been a theatre arts
steep to be navigated by an
teacher/designer/technical
actress with a hoop skirr.
direcrorlshop supervisor/Design error? Certainly, and
,
jack of all rrades who is
it came from lack of experiand currently working in
ence. But it looked great in
READERS' RESPONSE
a field far from that callme rendering!
mg.
While every designer is
I parricularly enjoyed
an artistic parrner in the
the Scene Design Exhibit
conceptualization of a persection in the Spring 1990 issue. I studformance, he is alone when it comes ro
really inspired. It seems mat it is a little
unfair ro expect a beginning designer's
ied with pleasure the works of such
the practical, hands on aspects of makconcepts ro be much more than compeing the pieces fir. Perhaps this is why we
favorites as Jeannie Davidson and
Richard Hay, whose work I have
tenr, let alone inspired while he or she is
spend so much time on construction
admired for years.
still struggling with basic drawing skills
drawings in class. Here, mere can be no
Then I looked at me studenr enrries
and "technical accuracy."
real substitute for actual production.
I would suggest that mere would be
and was parricularly inrerested in the
How do we give adequate and meaningmuch value in asking design studenrs ro
commenrs made by me judges regarding
ful experience to everyone who professes
the qualiry of those enrries. Several of rake coursework in the other visual arts,
to be a designer? I don't really know. I
the judges commenred on the lack of parricularly sketching and painting,
guess we have contests and offer the
graphic and phorographic skills that
along with their theatre design courses.
opportuniry ro those whose artistic renimpaired the communicative value of When I did have such studenrs in class,
derings please us me mosr.
some enrries. This starred me thinking
I had ro smile when I read the comthere were always inreresting benefits ro
about my own experiences in the early
the mixture of the two approaches ro
menrs made about the poor qualiry of
stages of my career in scene design, and
visual presenrations. If we are going ro
the photographs offered. Where do we
those of my students. If we are not
find photographers who know how to
judge designers on their rendering skills
pleased with the skills of our studenrs,
(and I think we should), we need ro
take pictures that mainrain the artistic
then perhaps those of us who teach
inregriry of our design, with its arrenoffer more opportunities ro our studenrs
those skills should take a look at how we
ro practice those skills. Perhaps it is not
danr play of light, scenery, and actor?
do ir. I offer me following observations.
We all have had me experience of a hot
appropriate ro ask the studenr ro make
First, it seems ro me that what we
one rendering, and then ro move on inro
shot phorographer who comes in during
actually teach in the theatre area is
the all-encompassing job of creating the
a dress rehearsal and starrs snapping
mechanical drawing and perspective,
construction drawings, ete. Perhaps rhere
away with a flash. The best I ever had
not sketching and drawing. And, we
is a need to make many renderings
was a man in California who sat through
tend ro teach those skills in a short peritwo rehearsals, never moving. On the
before moving on into the other skill
od of time and then move on ro the
areas. Or perhaps we would do well to
phoro day, he asked for various scenes in
business of the end product, i.e., the
make sure mat our studenrs make use of chronological order and moved about
design itself. When I was in school,
the existing resource available ro most of me mearre ro make use of what he conmose of us who became really skilled in
us, bur often unused, i.e., me art departsidered me most useful poinr of view for
menr. It would seem like mis is so obvithe graphic arrs were those who had
each scene. The result was an animated
. .
..
many opporrunltles ro practice, I.e.,
ous thar it does not even bear
and powerful set of slides mat reflected
those of us who were privileged ro actumenrioning; however, it is my observame feelings of the show as much as still
tion that in most institurions, the meatre
ally design and thereby required ro use
phorography could. Where did he learn
those skills over and over again unril
deparrmenr has litrle ro do with the arr
ro do that? I don't know, nor do I think
they became second nature ro us. Even
deparrmenr.
he knew. He was practicing an art form
so, it always seemed ro me that renderWhile painring and rendering skills
separate and apart from what I did, and

TD&T

1990 FALL

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