Unit 2 Sample Unit - Defining the Production Concept

In this lesson, students will learn that design and production elements, in combination with direction and performance, create the world of the play. They will understand how meaning can be transmitted through conceptual and design elements and that the production concept is the central creative idea that unifies the artistic vision of the director, producer, and designers. The production concept usually evolves from the combined input of the members of the production design team.

What is the function of a production concept?

How is a production concept formed?

How does a production concept reflect the analysis and interpretation of a script?

How can a production concept activate story and theme and contribute to the creation of a dramatic presentation?

How does a production concept establish a point of view in a dramatic script?

How do production elements work together to establish the production concept?

How do theatre artists create a production concept?

A1.1  develop interpretations of drama texts or other sources from a variety of Western and non-Western traditions as a basis for their own drama presentations

A3.3  select and use a variety of technological tools to help convey mood, create tension, and suggest universal connections

B1.2  analyse a variety of contemporary and historical drama works to determine how they communicate themes and dramatize issues

C1.3  demonstrate an understanding of how various media can be used in the production and promotion of drama works

C3.2  demonstrate an understanding of the tasks and responsibilities involved in producing drama works

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Relate production design to the communication of story and theme in a dramatic script
• Interpret the aesthetic aspects of a variety of images and themes
• Reflect on the creative process and its application to other contexts
• Use appropriate design terminology
• Articulate the basis for their production concept
• Explain the importance of visual research in developing a production concept

Readiness

Students will have defined their theatre company and selected their production. Prior to this lesson, students will know the roles of various theatre personnel and understand theatre production hierarchy; have experience with the creative process through drama exercises; have experience with co-operative games and drama exercises that honour diversity and respect synergy; and will understand a variety of drama forms and elements.

Students will have already explored the themes of their play and decided on the theme that is central to their interpretation of this play. Use BLM#8 Play Analysis Worksheet for preliminary analysis of the script.

Terminology

Materials

A single object (or photograph of the object) that has a variety of "textural" qualities. To indicate a variety of different aspects, consider the term texture broadly, to include age, quality, physical texture, colour, tone, period, etc.  Possible objects include:  A rusty gate, a bicycle, a piece of sheepskin, etc.

A large quantity of magazines, photographs and/or pieces of fabric.

If possible, computers with a printer.

Copies of the various companies' scripts.

BLM#8 Play Analysis Worksheet
BLM#9 Visual Research Assignment

Whole Group > Discussion

Hold up the object (or photograph) for the students and ask them to list qualities of the object. As they describe a quality, write it on the blackboard.  Encourage students to explore a range of different qualities, including the object's age, physical texture, colour, tone, period, monetary value, emotional content, etc. 

Ask the students to imagine that the object is in fact a work of art and not simply a found object. Teacher prompts: What are the themes of this work of art?  What would this piece of art be saying about people?  Society? The world? 

Individual > Writing

Instruct students to individually create a thematic caption to describe the object in the photograph. The only rule for the caption is that it may not reflect any of the following aspects of the object: what it is made of or the name of the object itself (though they may reference its purpose or function). Just as they should know that theme and plot are separate, encourage them to separate the work of found art from their thematic caption.

Whole Class > Sharing

Have each student read their caption aloud.  Ask students which of the captions best described the themes of the work of found art. Encourage students to explain their reasons.

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Through observation during discussions of the found object, determine if students are able to work outside the literal elements of a set and work to explore tone, mood and texture.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Encourage students to support their thought process during their group discussion.  They must explain why they believed that their image choices supported the themes of their play while at the same time work to understand the thought processes of other students.

Quick Tip

If, in Unit One, the class chose to work on a single script or topic, have each small group (of about four students) select a well-known story to explore. Or, have the entire class work together to create the design concept. Ask students to bring in as many magazines and/or photographs for cutting and pasting as they have.

Differentiated Instruction (DI)

Students work from the scripts/stories they have chosen. Students choose which design role they wish to do their Visual Research Assignment on.

Hyperlink

The Theatre Ontario website describes the roles and responsibilities of the members of the artistic team, the technical team, and administration.

Whole Class > Discussion

Link the preceding "texture of an object" discussion to the notion of a production concept and the creation of the world of the play. Teacher questions could include: (a) How would you describe the "feel" or "emotional texture" of your play? (b) How could set or costumes help to reveal this texture?  (c) Why would we try to replicate the "feel" or "texture" of a play in the set design, instead of the literal elements of the setting?

Explain to students that today we will begin to create the world of the play their group has chosen for this production course.

Individual > Image Brainstorming

Instruct students to search through the pieces of fabric, magazines, and photographs for anything that has the feel of the play their production company is exploring. Tell students to treat this as a brainstorming exercise, encouraging them to select images based on feeling, rather than thought. Explain to students that they are to avoid connections with literal elements of the play and instead use abstract thinking (e.g. for Romeo and Juliet, a photo of a balcony is a literal choice whereas a gauzy curtain to illustrate the notion of secrecy would be more expressionistic). Tell students to pull as many photographs, images, and objects as they can.

Small Groups > Collective Collage

Ask students to return to their theatre company groups bringing their items with them. Tell students they are to remain silent during this activity. Instruct students to choose one item from their pile that they believe best describes the feel of their play. Tell students to place this item in the middle of their circle. Remind students to remain silent.

Ask students, in silence, to come to an agreement on one item they feel best illustrates the feeling of their play. That item remains in the centre of the circle while the other items are returned to the owner's original pile. 

Tell students that the company member whose image was chosen will have taken the "first" turn and now, every other student in the circle, will place an image into the circle (it may be a new item or the same one from before) of similar "textures" to form groupings.  If they feel that they have an image which represents an aspect of the play that has not been introduced to this collage, they may put that image down and start a new grouping. Students may choose to not include images that no longer work within the collage that is forming.

Small Group > Discussion

When all the images are placed in the circle, ask students to look at the groupings of images and discuss what each grouping means and how they feel it relates to their play.  Ask students to eliminate any images that no longer "feel" like their play. 

Have students decide if the original central image they chose is still the best central image to explore the theme that is central to their interpretation of their play or if they would choose a different one from the images present. If none of the images work to express their central theme, ask students to decide on what their ideal image would be. Assign them to each bring in their version of that image to class the next day. Have students create a collage by gluing their images to a large piece of chart paper. Post collages on the wall.

Ask students to create a statement that they will use as a driving force for the description of their play, one that encapsulates the texture of their play, but also expresses the theme central to their interpretation. This statement should be both thematic and provide some visual or other sensory information.  Examples of a statement could be "Cage fight," "Love and bloody hearts," "The light at the end of a cold, wet tunnel."  Have students write their statement on a piece of paper and post it above their collage.

Small Groups > Visual Research

Discuss the importance of visual research and hand out BLM#9 Visual Research Assignment.  Explain to students that they will now be exploring their design concept using the central image and design statement they created. Clarify the way in which visual research relates to the production concept and to the set design for the play (it provides visual information for the designers; it can spark new ideas; in a discussion, it is used to communicate visual information and explain thoughts).
 

Next Steps:  Next class, students will share their Visual Research Assignments with their groups and discuss what works and doesn't work.  Given the research, some groups may change their concept statement.