Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Rabbit Hole set

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Message

Bella
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 11/14/07
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Topic: Rabbit Hole set
Posted: 10/26/08 at 1:30pm

Anyone have any insight for set design on this piece. My stage is pretty rigid for design. I'm wondering if I could do an open concept living room/kitchen with an upper level for the bedroom. All would be visible all the time and focus would be done with lighting. Small theater space about 150 seat audience.

Thanks in advance for your candid advice.

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JoeMc
Celebrity

Joined: 3/13/06
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 832

Posted: 10/26/08 at 11:52pm

I have done a few open multi zone sets, from time to time.

using lighting to define the area, which assists the punters & in turn helps the luvvies, to remember where they are.

however one thing I have found each time, your basic set idea is planned out, long before blocking & the rehearsal space is marked or spiked, from as soon as you can, if not sooner.

The worst one i have done was for 'Hotel Sorrento' a few years ago. The director could not grasp the concept, even though there was a model 7 scenoligy plans available.

Invariably she had actors talking thru walls & other ridiculous blocking aspects.

so much so one of the cast suggested, he should address the audience, before the show, to explain the set. I'm afraid I lost it there & spat the dummy.

I must have been a bad shot, because I still missed the mark & the director could not understand, the fact that the audience would be able to see thru the walls into different rooms.

It took her the full season to realise the audience actually can use their imagination & suspend disbelief as well, at the same time! Without having a road map or precurtain guided tour. { which I won out on eventually, so that the front of curtain bit, never happened. Because I threatened to pull the main fuses on the lights & have a smoke outside until the warm prop, finished his address to the punters. (Ahh the power of an Electrical Licences!

)]

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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theatremonkey
Lead
Lead

Joined: 6/04/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 35

Posted: 12/28/08 at 4:25pm

When we did A Christmas Story wehad a wall that went all the way across the stage with a front door, a basement door, and a door outside from the kitchen. Beside the front door there was a staicase that went up to Ralphie's bedroom. The bedroom had a bed, window, and and a big desk. On the lower level we had a kitchen set on the right side and a living room set on the left. Is that kind of what you're talking about?

theatre monkey

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DustinTurner
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 3/24/11
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 3/24/11 at 11:19am

I recently directed Rabbit Hole. Here's a link to our set design:

http://www.acpgallery.info/displayimage.php?album=380&pos=2

You'll see more of it by scrolling through the photos.

We used the concept that Danny's death is the one reality all these people share. Also, everybody has something to hide. Therefore, Danny's room was the only one with real walls. The other walls were simply frames, which hid nothing.

Also, in the scene where Howie watches the video, instead of using voice-over, we actually filmed the segment at a local park and projected it onto the walls in Danny's room. It was very powerful and effective.

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Set Design and Construction
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Set Design and Construction

Author	Message
Bella Walk-On Joined: 11/14/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Rabbit Hole set Posted: 10/26/08 at 1:30pm
	Anyone have any insight for set design on this piece. My stage is pretty rigid for design. I'm wondering if I could do an open concept living room/kitchen with an upper level for the bedroom. All would be visible all the time and focus would be done with lighting. Small theater space about 150 seat audience. Thanks in advance for your candid advice.

	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 10/26/08 at 11:52pm
	I have done a few open multi zone sets, from time to time. using lighting to define the area, which assists the punters & in turn helps the luvvies, to remember where they are. however one thing I have found each time, your basic set idea is planned out, long before blocking & the rehearsal space is marked or spiked, from as soon as you can, if not sooner. The worst one i have done was for 'Hotel Sorrento' a few years ago. The director could not grasp the concept, even though there was a model 7 scenoligy plans available. Invariably she had actors talking thru walls & other ridiculous blocking aspects. so much so one of the cast suggested, he should address the audience, before the show, to explain the set. I'm afraid I lost it there & spat the dummy. I must have been a bad shot, because I still missed the mark & the director could not understand, the fact that the audience would be able to see thru the walls into different rooms. It took her the full season to realise the audience actually can use their imagination & suspend disbelief as well, at the same time! Without having a road map or precurtain guided tour. { which I won out on eventually, so that the front of curtain bit, never happened. Because I threatened to pull the main fuses on the lights & have a smoke outside until the warm prop, finished his address to the punters. (Ahh the power of an Electrical Licences! )]
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

theatremonkey Lead Joined: 6/04/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 35	Posted: 12/28/08 at 4:25pm
	When we did A Christmas Story wehad a wall that went all the way across the stage with a front door, a basement door, and a door outside from the kitchen. Beside the front door there was a staicase that went up to Ralphie's bedroom. The bedroom had a bed, window, and and a big desk. On the lower level we had a kitchen set on the right side and a living room set on the left. Is that kind of what you're talking about?
	theatre monkey
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DustinTurner Walk-On Joined: 3/24/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/24/11 at 11:19am
	I recently directed Rabbit Hole. Here's a link to our set design: http://www.acpgallery.info/displayimage.php?album=380&pos=2 You'll see more of it by scrolling through the photos. We used the concept that Danny's death is the one reality all these people share. Also, everybody has something to hide. Therefore, Danny's room was the only one with real walls. The other walls were simply frames, which hid nothing. Also, in the scene where Howie watches the video, instead of using voice-over, we actually filmed the segment at a local park and projected it onto the walls in Danny's room. It was very powerful and effective.
	IP Logged