http://shakespeare.mit.edu/tempest/index.html
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/richardiii/index.html
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/othello/index.html
http://shakespeare.mit.edu/measure/index.html
YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PLAY ABOVE
Part 1: Research
After you select and read one of the plays, and do a little research, decide the themes and ideas of the play. Cover the big ideas of your design concept. It will be discussed more specifically in the Design lecture and in the Design chapter. A Design Concept is how/when you will set your play. This concept should serve the scriipt in some way and help you to clarify your theme choices. It often has to do with a time period, or a style of art. You will need to be specific here.
For the purposes of this project you will need to set the play in something different than what Shakespeare has done. That is to say, for example, if you were doing Julius Caesar it cannot be set in ancient Rome. You would need to figure out a way to put it into a different setting, like say the old west, or a Caribbean island. The sets and costumes would have to agree and work together. You will have to make choices about time periods, styles and specific places.
Once you have decided on a design concept, move on to part two:
Part 2: Design presentations
Decide whether you will do either SETS or COSTUMES. Then create a powerpoint that describes and illustrates your concepts and play. These powerpoints should have at least 20- 25 (the more the better) slides and incorporate the themes and design concepts that you have decided on. It should be remembered that this is mostly a VISUAL project the more you research and show in your slides the better.
Here are the expectations for either powerpoint:
Sets powerpoint: Need to choose from the theatre space types discussed in the spaces lecture (there are 4 outlined), do research on real theatres and you could select one that fills your needs. Then, using pics and illustrations, show how you would do the set of the show you have chosen. Please note that all of the plays selected have at least 2 locations, sometimes more (You will not need to do EVERY scene in your presentation, but make sure to address the major ones. An example here would be in The Tempest: there are the court scenes and boat scenes, and then there are the island scenes. The play itself hinges on the differences between these worlds, and any production would need to address them.) Keep in mind your design concepts and aim toward understanding tone and style in your slides. The set should help the audience understand the themes and concepts of the play. Other considerations (and possible pics)and ways to approach your presentation would be to consider colors, shapes, materials, and your space.
OR
Costume powerpoint: Need to figure out the period or style of the costumes (and be specific with dates and places and even styles). Do research on those concepts, and keep in mind the themes and ideas from the discussion to create a look that will make those ideas more understandable. Please note that all of these plays have characters who appear in more than one location and style, so some characters may need more than just one look. You do not need to do EVERY costume for every character. This would be a good place to maybe select people for your cast and use illustrations and pics to show them in the styles or general ideas of what you are looking for. Don’t do ALL the characters, but at least the major ones. Remember that costumes involve more than just finished pics: cut, line, fabric, color and condition are also ways of addressing the costumes. Try to consider the needs of the actors: quick changes and physical movement.
