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My technical advisor and I discussed different possibilities on how we could have dancers/actors walk on water, particularly the spirit character, Ariel. We talk about possibly using gym mats. Another option we discussed was to use a tension wire grid. I constructed a version of this for the model using a mesh mosquito screen. I ended up not using it for the actual model due to it being too bulky.
While looking at the basic structure of the set design, I had difficulty figuring out what to do with the cyc. A thought I had, was to have a plain muslin cyc leaving open the possibility to either paint or use projections on it. I decided to paint the back platform the same color as the tarp and have an angled mirror instead of a muslin cyc. The idea was to make the ocean appear more expansive to the audience as it is reflected. This also allowed a seamless transition from the back platform to the tarp.
I also wanted to focus on the look of the mast and crow’s nest and decided to paint it the same color as the other platforms. I distressed the sails by cutting and making holes in them. I used tea to stain and give the sails a worn discolored appearance.
I used wooden dowl rods, twine, thin basswood sheets, and muslin for the mast construction. The dowl rods were used for the mast, and twine was used to tie parts together, and also make the ratlines. Muslin was used for the sails and the basswood sheets for the crow’s nest. The process turned out to be fun. The ratlines were a challenge, and I eventually used opted to use glue for the entire construction of the ratlines. I put some of the design parts together to see if it worked, and I’m a little unsure about whether or not the woodgrain platforms work in the overall look of the design.
After constructing the basic outline for the set design, I met with my technical supervisor, Professor Varbalow. We discussed possible ideas for the look of the platforms and walls. I decided that I wanted to do woodgraining for the platforms and have the walls painted to look like storm clouds. I wanted the overall design to have a painterly quality.
The reason for the woodgraining was to give the appearance of a ship that had broken apart. I had originally constructed the model out of bristol board, but my technical advised me to use illustration board. The bristol board was too thin, and the illustration board was a better choice to paint on, so I began the construction process from scratch using the illustration board. For the painting process, I found a piece of wood as a reference for the woodgraining and used an online stock image for the storm clouds. The woodgraining was a challenging process, and I decided to make a stencil using the illustration board. It didn’t out too well, after two attempts, the stencils kept breaking apart after getting wet from the paint. I then decided to make a stencil using a thin wooden sheet. This worked way better and didn’t break apart.
Below I have shared an image of the first stage of the set design model build. The model will be in 3/8″ scale.
I found a venue called the Chelsea Factory. It has an open-plan warehouse-style layout that would allow for the space to be configured as needed. The set design model will be one room with a 40′ x 40′ dimension. I have attached some ground plan and section view elevations that are still a working progress.
In further research of The Tempest, I found many different interpretations of what the play is about and its’ meaning. Many writers argue The Tempest is an allegory for colonialism as pointed out in author Robert B. Pierce’s argument in ” Understanding The Tempest”. I thought this was a compelling argument and wanted to incorporate the issue of colonialism into the design from an anti-colonialist perspective. I did this by using painter, Théodore Géricault’s painting, Raft of the Medusa as a reference. Gericault was against slavery in the colonies and his painting is a protest piece against the practice.
I struggled to come up with ideas of what the set design would look like. I was stuck, and a little frustrated. I knew I wanted to include a ship’s sail as part of the set design. I hand-drew a rough sketch of a piece of fabric as a representation of a ship’s sail, but it didn’t read well without any context. I went to the New York Public Library to look at the images in the Picture Collection. I was looking for 16th Century ships, and they had an entire file dedicated to navigation and warships from that period. This helped me along in my process, as I was allowed to take pictures of the images with my phone.
It was a challenge deciding which scene to choose from The Tempest. I thought about Caliban’s cave as a set design option numerous times. My first choice was to design the room/set for the storm scene, but I couldn’t figure out how I would design the ocean. I started thinking about possible materials I could use. I thought about using a blue tarp as an option for the sea. I liked the sound it made when blowing in the wind, the tarp is loud and sounds like thunder. So I purchased some tarp and played around with it, trying to create a wavelike effect.
As part of our technical direction class, we were introduced to a new computer software program called Fusion 360. The program allows you to draw objects in three-dimensional form. It’s a challenging tool to figure out, it forces you to think outside the box. Although it’s another drawing tool, it functions differently from software tools like AutoCAD and Vectorworks. I’m still struggling to get the hang of it. We started off by drawing a cube. Our next assignment was to draw a more complex block drawing.
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