User:Foreigna15/Scenic design
 | This is the sandbox page where you will draft your initial Wikipedia contribution.
If you're starting a new article, you can develop it here until it's ready to go live. If you're working on improvements to an existing article, copy only one section at a time of the article to this sandbox to work on, and be sure to use an edit summary linking to the article you copied from. Do not copy over the entire article. You can find additional instructions here. Remember to save your work regularly using the "Publish page" button. (It just means 'save'; it will still be in the sandbox.) You can add bold formatting to your additions to differentiate them from existing content. |
Article Draft
[edit]Lead
[edit]Add to Lead
Modern scenic designers increasingly act as co-creators in theatrical productions. Instead of simply constructing backdrops, they shape the world of the play—often influencing blocking, pacing, and tone. Richard Foreman famously described scenic design as a way to "create the world through which you perceive things happening."
Examples of designers who have embraced this collaborative role include:
- Robin Wagner
- Eugene Lee
- Jim Clayburgh
Their most celebrated work came from productions where they had a voice equal to that of the director and playwright, creating cohesive and visionary performances.
Article body
[edit]Extended History
The New Stagecraft Movement In the early 20th century, American scenic design underwent a dramatic transformation with the introduction of the New Stagecraft. Drawing inspiration from European pioneers like Adolphe Appia and Edward Gordon Craig, American designers began moving away from the overly detailed naturalism of the 19th century. Instead, they embraced simplified realism, abstraction, mood-driven environments, and symbolic imagery. Leaders of this movement included Robert Edmond Jones, Lee Simonson, and Norman Bel Geddes. Their work laid the foundation for a more interpretive and artistic approach to stage design in the United States.
Poetic Realism and Its Legacy Following the New Stagecraft, designers like Jo Mielziner and Boris Aronson helped define a style known as poetic realism. Characterized by soft lighting, romantic imagery, scrims, and fragmented sets, this style prioritized the emotional tone of a production over strict realism. These designers often collaborated closely with playwrights and directors, shaping the mood and meaning of American theater classics like the early works of Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams.
References
[edit]Aronson, Arnold. “American Scenography.” The Drama Review: TDR, vol. 28, no. 2, 1984, pp. 3–22. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1145574. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
Beudert, Peter, and Susan Crabtree. “Scenic Art for the Theatre: Susan Crabtree, Peter Beudert: Taylor &.” Taylor & Francis, Taylor & Francis, 10 Sept. 2012, doi.org/10.4324/9780080489681.
Brewster, Karen, and Melissa Shafer. Fundamentals of Theatrical Design. Allworth Press, 2011, https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/6/.
Hayford, Michelle. Undergraduate Research in Theatre: A Guide for Students. Routledge, 2022, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003023807.
Malloy, Kaoime E. “The Art of Theatrical Design: Elements of Visual Composition, Methods.” Taylor & Francis, Taylor & Francis, 29 June 2022, doi.org/10.4324/9781003023142.