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Assignment: Designing Scenery for a One Act Play

Due Date:  Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Each of you will be assigned a one-act play, which you should try to read by the end of next week. Your assignment is to create a design for the play to include a floor plan and a sketch of the scenery, as well as a brief written explanation of your set. In addition to the written component, you will be asked to share your designs with the class in the form of a presentation of your work. Presentations will be given on June 12th and 13th.

Your project should include the following three items: 

1)      Floor Plan – We have spent some time discussing the key elements of a floor plan (Center Line, Plaster Line, Key, Scale and other important symbols), and your design should include these elements. Be sure to read the play, including stage directions and other notes in the script, very carefully. At the minimum, your design should include everything that the script calls for in its text. Of course, substitutions and/or changes may be made, as long as a reasonable explanation is given. You should also add anything to the set that you feel would appropriately enhance the scene. You can add MORE than what the script calls for (furniture, doors, windows, etc.), but you must include the elements called for in the script. Your floor plan must be drawn to scale (either ¼"=1' or ½"=1'). You can accomplish this using a scale or a ruler (or tape measure) as we discussed in class. Keep in mind that your scenery should be designed for our stage. The dimensions of the stage are as follows: 

Back Wall to Plaster Line – 22’; Proscenium width – 38’; Plaster line to lip – 5’; Length of lip – 41’

Other important dimensions to remember: allow 4' for a door; 8' for double doors; 6' for French doors; 3’ for a window. Furniture should be the correct size. 

If you would prefer, you may download the Microsoft Word template for our stage. With this file, you may either print a blank page and do your drafting by hand, or you may use the Word Drawing Tools to complete the project

You can also download and print a PDF of a 1/4" scale ruler here!

2)      Sketch – This can be a very simple sketch of what the stage will look like when your scenery is built. It should not be to an exact scale. It should be as neat and detailed as possible, but remember – it is not an elevation! You should spend some time on this; don’t just draw something sloppy at the last minute. Use a pencil for the drawing – not a pen (That goes for the floor plan as well). You may do it in color, but that is not necessary.  

3)      Write-up – A simple paragraph or two (or three or four) explaining why you chose to create the design that you have. This is where you should explain anything that you added to the design, as well as any changes you may have made from what is called for in the script. This should be typed. Remember that I have already read all of these plays, so an explanation of the plot is not needed, unless you are using it to refer to a specific part of you scenery.

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