SPECIALIST STUDY Ready, Set, Go: An exploration of Adolphe Appia’s architectural elements in relation to Theatre, Stage and Set Design

SPECIALIST STUDY

Ready, Set, Go: An exploration of Adolphe Appia’s architectural elements in relation to Theatre, Stage and Set Design

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the architectural aspects of ‘stage space’. The historical background of stage design is discussed with a particular focus on the 20th Century and revolutionary theorist of the period, Adolphe Appia. The hierarchy of theatre, stage and set is explored in relation to two theatres with differing stage configurations because, ultimately, the potential for set design is dependent on the physical constraints of the stage space and the theatre building itself. After analysis, it became clear that there are advantages and disadvantages to both stage formats, namely that: proscenium arches can cause audience alienation, however, they are simpler to design sets for, whereas whilst theatres in-the-round can create the feeling of immersion, set designing is more complex. Applying Appia’s theory and philosophies of set design to four productions, two at The Lyric in The Lowry and two at The Exchange, has shown that it is possible to discuss the issues of architecture through the medium of performance. Through critical analysis of the productions, the architectural elements that were most prominent were identified and their success was evaluated in Act 3 of the study. Wuthering Heights proved to be the most dynamic performance because it used all of Appia’s architectural elements of stage space to create a unified mise-en-scene.

Extract from

Specialist Study

ACT 1

SCENE 1: Introduction

The following dissertation relates to stage design; more specifically, it considers the architectural space created by two theatres and how the physical constraints of a stage can be utilised and challenged by effective set design. It aims to investigate the relationship between stage space and theatrical space that is achieved in each.

The study begins with a brief overview of the history of stage design, where the key developments through the centuries are discussed. This is followed by a more in depth exploration of how the discipline has evolved during the 20th and into the 21st Century particularly as it relates to two different theatres in Manchester. The Lyric Theatre in The Lowry (hereafter referred to as The Lyric) was selected because, although built in 2000, the stage here has a conventional proscenium arch. This ‘traditional model’ will be considered in relation to The Royal Exchange Theatre, (hereafter The Exchange, 1976) which is an example of theatre-in-the-round. Both are contemporary although one, The Exchange, is housed in an older building that has been repurposed. The ‘theatre space’ (McAuley, 1999) which is the theatre building itself and ‘space of performance’ (McAuley, 1999) which is the stage space, will be considered. The advantages and disadvantages of stage-style will be discussed in relation to each space and coupled with my experiences of two plays/performances in both. At The Lyric ‘Hamlet’ (directed by Laura Harris) and the National Theatre’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ (directed by Stephen Daldry) are discussed. Performances attended at The Exchange were ‘Gypsy’ (directed by Jo Davies) and ‘Wuthering Heights’ (directed by Bryony Shanahan). Each production is analysed in relation to Adolphe Appia’s key architectural elements of stage space, as outlined in Appia’s essays that were translated and edited into ‘Texts on Theatre’ by Richard Beacham (1993). Conclusions are then drawn from this as to whether each performance was successful and how the architectural elements influenced this.

ACT 2

SCENE 3: The Four Plays

Edited by Richard Beacham, the book titled ‘Adolphe Appia: Texts on Theatre’ contains a collection of key essays (in translation) about his approach to stage design. He discusses the architectural elements of stage space: painted scenery; spatial arrangement (width and depth); the actor and the light. Appia argues that the integration of each of these elements is what creates a unified mise-en-scene, therefore these elements will be discussed in relation to two productions at The Lyric Theatre and two productions at The Exchange and their success will be evaluated. The two productions that will be compared and contrasted for The Lyric are a contemporary adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy, ‘Hamlet’ and a more traditional production of J.B Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’. The two productions that will be compared and contrasted for The Exchange are the musical theatre show ‘Gypsy’ and a contemporary dramatisation of Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’.

Hamlet and An Inspector Calls in a traditional, proscenium arch theatre

After having seen two productions at The Lyric Theatre in The Lowry, it became clear just how much scope there is for a conventional proscenium stage. The 14m by 16.2m stage was adapted for each production and the outcomes were very different. Produced by ‘The Boaty Theatre Company’, the version of Hamlet that I experienced had a simple set-design that was contemporary in feel. This was because there was no two dimensional back-drop to this production. Black curtains lined the sides and rear of the stage giving the illusion that it was much smaller and thus more intimate. As for three dimensional painted scenery, a steel framed cube as shown in Figure 12 (Cox, 2020) was rotated and moved around the stage to represent changes of location. Use of this cube meant that there were very few scene changes and the actors themselves were responsible for moving the scenery at critical points of the dialogue. Also, central to the success of this set-design was the careful consideration of surfaces. Transparent and reflective surfaces were used throughout the performance to achieve different effects. For example, one side of the moveable cube was covered with a transparent material that had been written on with coloured pens, this tied in with the plot but also acted as a screen to hide and reveal the scene. Appia did not believe in using stage sets to create pictorial realism, rather he wanted to create a sense of

mood to allow the audience to interpret the performance in their own way. This production of Hamlet achieved this sense of anti-realism. The simple steel structure did not demonstrate reality, instead it was used as a theatrical device to both define the stage space and worked as a metaphor to give the audience the impression of a change of scenery without an entire change of set.

Using depth and the horizontal dynamics of the performance space was also central to Adolphe Appia’s philosophy; he believed that the success of a set is dependent on the spatial arrangement. The way that The Lyric performance space can be adapted for two contrasting performances, such as Hamlet and An Inspector Calls, only emphasises Appia’s argument. Both productions successfully worked within the same physical constraints of the stage and this highlights just how important the horizontal dynamics of a stageset are in defining a performance.

As previously mentioned, the set of Hamlet consisted of a steel framed cube and this piece alone was responsible for the spatial arrangement of the set. As its position was altered, other temporary objects and the actors themselves were forced to work around this structure. There was no use of perspective or illusion in this production of Hamlet, the front and back and left and right of the stage space were given equal value and importance.

The three dimensional movements of actors during the performance, how they occupy the stage and interact with each other the set is another of Appia’s key points. According to him, stage space is a dynamic area that attracts both actor and spectator and brings about their interaction; as such the performers themselves could be considered to be the elements of scenery, for they also ‘construct a relation with the dimensions of the stage’, (Temizer, 2003). When the set was designed and Hamlet was produced, the movement and interaction of the actors was clearly considered and carefully choreographed. The title character remained on stage for much of the play, highlighting her significance, thus her interaction with the set and the other actors became the main focus of the performance along with the spatial arrangement. The limited, painted scenery was cast in a supporting role so as to enhance rather than distract from the story line.

According to Appia, the role that lighting plays in a production cannot be underestimated, for him it is the ‘principal element of expression in a setting’, (Beacham, 1994). Besides its basic function of enhancing visibility, carefully considered lighting unifies the actors and the setting into an ‘artistic whole’. (Izenour, 2019).

Gypsy and Wuthering Heights in-the-round

Having seen a musical (Gypsy) and a dramatisation of a novel (Wuthering Heights) on The Exchange stage, it was remarkable to experience how a relatively small stage could be adapted and used for two different styles of performance. Gypsy is a longstanding Broadway musical that is typically done on a proscenium stage, however this version was adapted to suit a theatre inthe-round. This production demonstrated novel ways of changing the scene. With the audience all around the actors and the set, there was nowhere to hide and no way of using a traditional backdrop. Instead, the scene was set using temporary objects and elements of painted scenery that could be moved around to different positions. For instance, a large lighting gantry shown in Figure 20 (Cox, 2020), acted as a movable framing device, almost like a proscenium arch. This could be clamped into position and pushed around a circular track that ran around the perimeter of the stage space, the movement of which is indicated in Figure 21 (Cox, 2020). Whenever this structure was rotated to a new position, it indicated a change in location and / or time to the audience. This piece of scenery was crucial to the climax of the play, where the title character rides it like a fairground carousel. Other pieces of painted scenery, such as furniture and windows, were either on wheels and pushed on and off the stage by the actors themselves or dropped down from above the stage space as indicated on Figure 22 (Cox, 2020). These mechanisms allowed for quick changes in scene, whilst also defining the stage space and setting each scene.

Adolphe Appia’s idea of depth and horizontal dynamics cannot be applied so easily to a theatre in-the-round performance space. This is because in contrast to a conventional proscenium stage (which has an inherent front and back) the way the horizontal dynamics are perceived depends on where the spectator is positioned. The spatial arrangement of actors and set is therefore all the more important for productions at The Exchange to ensure the performance can be enjoyed by each member of the audience no matter where they are sat. In Gypsy, there were minimal pieces of set in each scene that were spread across the stage space to avoid obscuring the audience’s sightlines. At The Exchange there are discounted banquette seats that are only available on the day of performance, these seats are at the same level as the stage so it may have been difficult to ensure the view from these low seatswas not obscured. The entire stage at The Exchange can rotate as shown in Figure 23 (Cox, 2020), this rotation allows the set to be observed through 360 degrees. The initial arrangement of the set therefore becomes less important, because its position is constantly changing while the stage rotates.

ACT 3

SCENE 1: The Conclusions

To conclude, through the exploration of two theatres and the careful analysis of four plays using Appia’s fourpoint approach, it became clear that the building and what it contains - a stage constrained by size and shape coupled with set designs that change for different productions and within each show - are inherently architectural art forms that combine to create an ephemeral experience for the audience. Investigating the history of the discipline made it possible to understand the developments of theatre in relation to its origins. Advancements and enhancements to the basic principles that began in Ancient Greece and later - such as the introduction of sliding sets during the 17th Century and the development of spaces that allowed for an immersive theatre in-the-round experience in the previous century - have made stage design what we know today. Exploring the influence of Edward Gordon Craig and Adolphe Appia has shown how the approach to stage design changed in the 20th Century. For these significant designer-directors, spatial expression became central to their philosophies. The shift from realism to anti-realism has allowed set designers more freedom to be creative as audiences no longer necessarily expect a literal representation when they go to the theatre. In order to appreciate how these developments affect set design today, it was important to choose two theatres with different stage configurations, which uncovered more variations such as scale and audience capacity. Firstly, I considered their exteriors in order to establish an understanding of the architectural styles of the buildings, to compare their dimensions and to analyse how these combine to shape experience for the public. Contrast occurs in both theatres; the traditional space of performance at The Lyric contrasts with the contemporary theatre space of The Lowry itself. At The Exchange, the juxtaposition occurs between the container and the contained; the classical architecture inside and out contrasts with the contemporary steel module of stage space within. Secondly, the interior accommodation of the two theatres was compared and contrasted and, as expected, it became clear that while what happens ‘backstage’ is conventional at the Lyric, at The Exchange, the all-inclusive layout means there is no such clear distinction. The study then discussed the different spaces of performance and the relationship between the stage and the space occupied by the audience. An investigation of the dimensions of the stages is crucial to help disseminate the physical constraints set designers have to work with so as to

adapt the space for the different needs of productions with contrasting styles, be it a musical or tragic drama. Investigating the process of set designing has deepened my appreciation for the complexities an artistic designer faces so as to ensure that what is created meets the needs of those behind and on the stage, while also creating the best possible spectacle for the audience. Exploring the facilities and back stage areas of each theatre has given me insights as to what goes on behind the scenes of shows at The Exchange and The Lyric. Also, this helped me analyse each production with a more critical eye. Ensuring that I sat in different seats for each of the four performances made it possible to evaluate audience sightlines from various positions and gave me an opportunity to think about if and how location impacted my experiences.

Having analysed four plays in relation to Adolphe Appia’s architectural elements of stage space - perpendicular painted scenery, depth and the horizontal dynamics of the performance space, the actor and the lighting - it became clear that the productions all demonstrated these elements. The same stage space was then adapted to accommodate the National Theatre’s production to varying levels of success. It was important to see a Shakespearean play such as Hamlet because they are so well known and notoriously complicated to convey effectively. The version at The Lyric was contemporary, and, with minimal perpendicular painted scenery, this production focussed on the horizontal dynamics and arrangement of stage space. The steel cube was the key piece of scenery - however it was not clear why it was there. It did not have an exact symbolic role, because its movement did not coincide with any particular event on stage. Hence it might have been more successful if Hamlet had gone into the cube each time she recited a monologue, for instance. This performance was produced by a smaller theatre company with financial limitations, which might explain the simple set design. However, the lack of complexity with regards to the set design did mean that it was simple to imagine this production being effective on many different stages. Despite the unavoidable distance between the audience and stage created by the proscenium arch, Hamlet’s use of Appia’s anti-representational approach helped to break through the ‘fourth wall’ and resulted in a more emotional involvement for the audience, making it more comparable to the in-the-round productions at The Exchange.