Stage Setting advice

[beeingclaire]

We are putting on a devised piece which is set in a visiting room.

 

I have 3 tables with chairs from u/s/r to d/s/r and same on s/l.

 

I am worried that the audience might not be able to see the u/s actors at the tables, I will move the actors around when they're not in dialogue but just wondered if anyone had any other advice.

 

 

Thanks (hope ive explained myself right!)

 

 

 

 

[WiLL]

Hmm, ok.

First things first, is your audience raised? Or your stage? Or are all the audience seats on the same level as the actors? An audience looking down onto the stage will have far improved sight lines than one looking up or straight on to it.

Secondly, try setting out the furniture and sitting in the audience seats to see how much of an issue it is.

Thirdly, I think you'll find that most people would regard this really as a Director's issue, and as all we humble technicians know, directors will listen to a technicians advice, and then ignore it. So maybe posting on a directing forum as opposed to a technical one might harvest better answers.

Good luck with the exam.

[andy_s]

You could use a bit of artistic licence and instead of setting the tables in parallel lines, put them on converging diagonals.(i.e. with the upstage tables on each side a little closer to the centre line than the downstage tables. the best angle for the diagonal can be ascertained by checking the sightlines as suggested by Will. An alternative version might be to have the two lines of tables on parallel diagonals rather than converging diagonals (i.e. downstage left furthest from centre, downstage right closest to centre, and so on, but you would have to be careful that the downstage right table did not mask the upstage left table when viewed from the stage right side of the audience. (or vice versa)

 

I'm imagining that the scenario is possibly several conversations happening at once at different tables, but the audience only hears selected moments of each conversation in turn. If each scene or dialogue section is very short,like intercut scenes in a TV play, you may find it is indeed better to find a way of arranging the sightlines so you don't have to move the non-speaking characters out of the way, as too much movement of people onstage can disrupt the flow of the dialogue and make it difficult for the audience to refocus its attention each time.

[ramdram]

You could consider "mapping" out the area, then placing the tables in various configs until the dialogue flows from table to table on paper, then try it for real.

 

Simply because the blocking is set out in a script is no reason NOT to experiment. After all it is "your" show, and it is very unlikely the play was designed for "your" venue so just experiment until you are happy.

 

You are are supposed to be the artistic element so be...artistic. Try your notion of moving actors around and if it works then well done you, If not then contrive some sort of business for the non verbal elements even if they are not fully lit. If that looks too fussy then don't do it.

 

In essence there is NO absolute right or wrong way of doing it...I have been involved in "normal" stage, in the the round and transverse. They are all different and obviously require a different approach.

 

Try everything you can think of and above all enjoy ourself. Don't be afraid to listen to others and see what they think...after all you came on this forum for advice so there is no reason not to ask your fellow conspirators...their opinions are no worse than on here.

 

Only YOU can make the call so the more experimentation the better.