Processes of communication such as verbal discussion or sketching allow solutions to remain open while rehearsing a theatre production. Depending on the purpose or concept behind it, this characteristic can be either desirable or a hindrance to the development of the scenography. The decision to use a specific process of communication depends on the scenographer’s ability to master it, on the director’s capacity to understand it, and, above all, whether it responds to the characteristics of the production. In this article I look at how scenography is suggested, discussed and created through verbal or drawn discourse at the various stages of the design process. I argue that some types of design drawings, such as conceptual sketches, offer more capacity for reflection, while others focus on giving instructions for collaborators, and all look at registering action over time and space. Similarly, I contend that accidents and absences in design drawings are relevant in understanding changes in the scenography. Finally, I build upon the idea that drawing through rehearsal builds a lexicon of drawn material which is at the heart of a specific theatre collaboration. I use examples from my own scenographic practice and I work from a definition of scenography as the composition of all visual-spatial elements designed for the stage.
Spoken Parts: Processes of Communication in Designing for Theatre.
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