Set Design Unit Plan for Theatre I

Session Design by Elizabeth Bohannon

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Content Standards
 Theatre Create # 6
o Apply basic research and skills to construct ideas about the visual composition of a drama/theatre work.
 Theatre Create # 5
o Develop imagination to create artistic ideas and work.
 Theatre respond #7
o Identify and explain why artistic choices are made in a drama/theatre work.

Essential Questions
 How do visual images create emotional responses?
 How does a set design create a mood for a play?

Enduring Understandings
 Students will understand that visual images can be manipulated to create an emotional response in viewers and
can therefore enhance a theatrical performance.

Key Knowledge
 Students will know that evocative images help establish mood and a starting point for creating a design.
 Students will know that conceptual designs are the first sketches of drawing the set design.
 Students will know that a set rendering is the 2D design of the set.

Skills
 Students will be able to create conceptual designs.
 Students will be able to create a rendering of a set design.

ASSESSMENT
Performance Tasks
 Students will present their final set design to the class which will include their concept designs, final rendering,
and how they incorporated their research on the play and their own imagination into their design in order to
fulfill Theatre Perform #5 and skills 1-2.
 and the enduring understanding.

Other Assessments
 Students will complete the research worksheet, and present their information in class. This research will include
information about the time period, key set pieces in the play, as well as themes of the play and will include
evocative images to communicate the mood that they want their set design to have in order to fulfill Theatre
create #6.
 Students will define conceptual design, rendering and evocative images in a quiz in order to fulfill key knowledge
1-3.
 Students will view a variety of set designs and write in their journals following the prompt: “What artistic choices
did the set designer make? How did these choices effect your interpretation of the set design? Why do you think
that designer made the artistic choices they did? Were they effective in its purpose? Why or Why not?” In order
to fulfill Theatre Respond #7
MATERIALS NEEDED
Teacher Materials
 Evocative images
 Images of set designs
 Google slide presentation on Set design process
o https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DYK64L88nae7j1ynLTFn7c5Ug2sDWpb9ShXmvjhjOyU/edit?
usp=sharing
 Images of 3D models
 Copies of the following plays that only have one set throughout the play (you may use other plays as you see fit).
o 12 Angry Men
o Wait Until Dark
o Doll House
o The Glass Menagerie
o Our Town
 Paper
 Cardstock
 Markers & Crayons
Student Materials
 Journals
 Pencils

LEARNING PLAN
Day 1- Intro to set design conception process
Framing / Hook
1. As students enter hang up various evocative images on the white board, giving a large amount of space between
each image.
2. Have students look at the images for a few minutes and think about the following:
a. How does this image make me feel?
i. Why does that image make me feel that way?
b. What stands out in this image?
c. What words come to mind when I look at this image?
3. After giving them a few minutes to look at the images, have the students write on the white board around each
image words that they thought of in relation to each image.
a. Have each student write at least 2 words for each image.
4. Once everyone has written at least 2 words, have students return to their seats and discuss the words around
each image, and ask students to share why they wrote the words that they did for each image.
a. What effect did these images have on their feelings and moods?
i. What parts of the images made them feel that way?
b. What elements of design were used to help create that mood?
5. Explain to the students that these images are evocative images.
a. Ask students if they have heard of the work evocative before. If so, have a student define the word. If
not, explain that according to google, evocative means: “Bringing strong images, memories or feelings to
mind”
i. Ask the students if the images were evocative to them?
Process
6. Explain that they are entering a set design unit and will learn how set designers create a set for a play, and that
throughout the unit they will act as set designers and create their own set design for a play.
a. Ask the students the following questions about set design:
i. What is set design?
ii. Why is set design important in the theatre?
iii. What does the set do to help tell the story of the play?
iv. How can the set help enhance the play?
1. Answers should include:
 a. Set is the scenic elements that are often on stage and brought on stage to help
tell the story of the play.
b. Set helps establish time period.
c. Often it is the first thing the audience sees as they enter the auditorium, and it
sets the mood for the piece.
d. It adds to the storytelling element of the play by helping create the suspension
of disbelief.
e. Set Design is important because it adds a visual element that helps complete
and complement the acting, costumes and light on stage.
7. In small groups have students look at various set design images and answer the following questions:
a. How does this set make you feel?
b. What makes you feel that way?
c. How does the color enhance or inhibit the mood?
d. How does the shape of the set enhance or inhibit the mood?
e. How do the angles of the set help to create the mood?
f. What does the set design tell you about the play?
i. Even if you aren’t familiar with the play.
8. Once students have answered each question have each group share their information with the class.
9. Explain the Set Design process. Use the google slide presentation as a visual aid.
a. The 1st thing a set designer does is read the script.
b. The 2nd thing a scenic designer does is identify all the essential elements and time period the set must
have according to the script. Such as a door, window, castle, store, etc.
i. Display the google slide with the example of the first page in Doll’s House that establishes the
elements the set must have.
ii. Have a student read the example and then identify as a class the key elements of the set that the
script requires. Write their responses on the board.
1. Elements should include:
a. A door that leads to the hall
b. Door that leads to the study
c. A piano
d. A window
e. Round table with armchairs & small sofa
f. A stove with fire in it
g. Armchairs and a rocking chair
h. A little table
i. Engravings on the wall
j. Small book case with books in rich bindings
k. Carpet on the floor
iii. Explain that these elements are things the playwright wants in the set and it is important to
honor that. However, they are not limited to only including these things. Set designers can add
more things to the design as they see fit. Certain playwrights are very detailed in what the set
should include, and others are very vague. It is the set designer’s job to fill in the gaps and to use
their imagination to create a set design that works with the director’s vision for the play.
c. After reading the script and establishing the required time period and elements the set must have, a set
designer brainstorms the themes and moods of the play that they want the set to establish.
i. They often do this with the guidance of how the director wants the show to go with their
director’s vision.
ii. To help set designers establish what they want the audience to feel when they look at the set,
they research evocative images that create the mood they are looking for, along with other
images that help communicate specific elements that they want in their scene design.
1. Show the example on the google slide of the Phantom of the opera evocative image and
the candelabras. Explain that these images help get the designer’s creative juices flowing
as they start to design a set.
 2. Ask the student how the finished set design used the evocative image and candelabras
and turned it into a set design that provided the same feeling as the images.
d. Explain to the students that next class they will learn how designers go into the rough sketches and
creating a design.
e. Explain to the students that throughout this unit they are going to work with a partner and become set
designers for a play. They are going to do research on the play and find evocative images that help
demonstrate the mood they want their set to have based on the play and its themes. They are also going
to do research on the play’s elements in the script and find 3 key set pieces that the script calls for and
provide images in their research presentation on those elements.
f. Divide the students into pairs and assign each pair a play listed above.
i. Note: there will be pairs that have the same play. This will encourage creative freedom and will
allow students to see how each design can be very different even from the same play.
g. Explain to the students that their homework between now and next class is to read the entire script, and
to have a list of themes and moods that they want the set design to have, and to come to class prepared
to share that list with their partner to start collaborating on research together for their set design.
Reflection
10. In the last 8 minutes of class, have the students watch the video of Hamilton set design and write in their
journals a response to the following prompt: “how did the research that the designer did effect his final set
design? What images did he find? What feeling did he want the set to have?”

Day 2- Group Research collaboration day and teach about basic rough sketching for a conceptual design.
Framing/ Hook
1. Once students are settled in their seats have them use their journals to draw a picture of the word on the board.
a. Explain that they have 1 minute to draw each picture. They don’t need to worry about it being a perfect
drawing, they aren’t going to share their drawings with the class. They just need to try their best to draw a
picture of the words.
i. Have them draw the following:
1. a box
2. a cat
3. a horse
4. a couch
5. a play ground
b. Discuss the activity
i. Did they like it?
ii. What was challenging? Easy?
iii. How could it have been better?
iv. Does their drawing look like what it was supposed to be?
v. How many people used quick pencil marks?
vi. How many people firmly gripped their pencil and drew dark lines?
c. Explain that set designers do many fast-rough sketches of potential designs to get their ideas on paper. They
lightly grip their pencil and make several soft light sketches on the page to help them finalize a set design.
i. Draw a circle on the board to demonstrate this.
ii. Have all the students pick one of the words above and try drawing with a light sketch, again only
letting them have one minute to do so.
1. When finished ask the students to compare the second time to the first time. What was
different? Was it easier or harder?
Process
2. Return to the Set design google slide. Display images of concept designs for various plays.
a. Explain that after designers have done all the research on time period, set pieces that the script calls for, the
mood and have evocative images that help explain what they want in the set, they then start out to draw
rough sketches of what they think the design may look like.
 i. Explain that these sketches are small and not very detailed. They provide a rough outline of what
they want the set to look like.
3. Have students get together with their partner and discuss the play they each read. Have them share with their
partner their ideas on the theme of the play and the mood they want the set design to have.
4. Give the students the majority of class time to research together evocative images to communicate the feeling they
want the set to have. Have them research 3 key set pieces and how they want those set pieces to look like. Once
they have established the time period, and the mood they want in their set design, have them begin to draw rough
sketches of their design together.
a. Explain that next class they are going to present the research they have on their set design next class. In the
presentation they will explain how they want their design to look like and feel. They should use a power
point to present this research.
i. They are not presenting their concept drawings, until later. They will use their drawings to help
finalize their design and to create a rendering of their design that will be due at the end of the unit.
Reflection
5. In the last 10 minutes of class have the students return to their seats and watch the Designing on Broadway set
design video. (in google slides)
a. Have them write in their journals about the following: “How did the designer research key elements for this
play? What role did his research have on the set design of the play?”

Day 3- Present research- Teach renderings and models

1. Have students practice their drawing skills by repeating the warm up of day 2, but this time with different words such
as:
a. A House
b. A living room
c. Car
d. Kitchen
2. Ask the students how they feel about these drawings.
a. How have they improved? Or not?
b. What was challenging or easy?
c. Did they remember to lightly hold their pencil? Did this help?
Process
3. Have each pair of students present the research on their play and what they want their set design to be like.
a. Each presentation should be 3-5 minutes
4. When all the students are done presenting have the class discuss the things that they learned in the presentations
and what they find interesting. Particularly point out the differences and similarities in design concepts of the same
show.
5. Start the google slide presentation on the Rendering slide. Explain to students that once the designer has drawn
many concept drawings, they finalize a design and create a rendering
a. Explain that a rendering is a final idea that they want the set to look like. Unlike concept drawings,
renderings are more detailed and cleaner and provide colors and patterns to the design.
b. Explain that next class they will create a rendering for their design with their partners.
Reflection
6. In the last 10 minutes of class have the students return to their seats and watch the Wicked set design video.
a. Have them write in their journals about the following: “What was the intended mood that the designer
wanted to create with the set? How did he achieve that? Why was it important to the playwright and
designer to have a universal design for all the Wicked shows around the world?”

Day 4- Work on Conceptual designs & Renderings in class.

Framing/ Hook
1. Do the same drawing activity as day 2&3 but this time have them draw shapes such as squares, cubes and
rectangles.
Process
2. Use this full day to allow students to work on their concept drawings and their renderings in class with their
partners.
a. Be sure to provide cardstock for the rendering drawings and markers, crayons and other artistic materials
you see fit.
b. Side coach students in drawing and in design ideas.
Reflection
3. Have students gather in a circle and share one word of how they feel about set design. Then once everyone has said
a word, have them slap the floor at the same time.

Day 5- Present designs.

Framing/ Hook
1. Have students stand in a circle and play the game one-word association.
2. Ask the students how this game may relate to set design?
a. Answers could include:
i. Visual designs help us think of many different things and knowing how other people relate to and
think about things is important when designing a set to provide the right mood and feeling to the
audience.
Process
3. Have each group of students present their concept drawings and renderings and explain how they went from their
concept drawing to the renderings. Have them explain what they found challenging and what they enjoyed in the
design process.
4. Have each group hang up their rendering on the board with their names and the title of the play next to it so that
students can reference the designs in their journal prompt.
Reflection
5. Have the students take the Set design definition quiz.
6. Once each group has presented their designs have the students write in their journals a response to the following
prompt about the designs they viewed from their classmates. “What artistic choices did the set designer make? How
did these choices effect your interpretation of the set design? Why do you think that designer made the artistic
choices they did? Were they effective in its purpose? Why or Why not?”
ATTACHMENTS
Name________________________________________________________ Date_____________________Class_______

Set design definition quiz

1. Define Evocative
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2. How do evocative images help set designers?
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3. What is a concept design/ drawing?

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4. What is a rendering?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What role does research have in the design process?
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__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How can a set designer use their imagination and the script to design a set?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Evocative Images

https://www.google.com/search?
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 Set Design Images

Amadeus Set Design by Richard Finkelstein

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Center stage The Royal Family May 2017. Pictures compliments of Wayne Stephens.
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Hamilton set design by David Korins

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/hamiltons-david-korins-explains-what-makes-smash-
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Sponge Bob the Musical by David Zinn

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