1. The acting area is that part of the available space occupied by the set and used by the actors when acting.

2.   Staging is the position of the acting area relative to the audience.  Types of staging are  End on  Theatre in the round  Thrust  Proscenium Arch  Avenue  Promenade For more information on staging, refer to the Staging PowerPoint. Staging

3.  Areas of the stage Areas of the stage indicate the division of the acting area into nine sections. The allocation of left and right is taken from the point of view of the actor.

4.  Areas of the Stage The nine areas are, in either word (as above) or initial form. For example Upstage Centre becomes USC and Downstage Left becomes DSL and so on.

5.  Set Set is scenery and furniture on the acting area indicating the setting. To dress the set is to add soft furnishings and set props, for example cushions, table cloth or photographs. Theatre Art:

6.   Scenery and furniture provide a realistic or symbolic setting. They can make your drama more interesting and believable.  A set designer is responsible for the set but they take into consideration the other theatre arts, props, lighting and costume.  The design has to be agreed with the director. Usually the set designer has a meeting with the director to discuss their ideas relating to the setting of the play, the atmosphere they wish to create and the message they want to portray. The set designer creates a scale model of what they want the set to look like and the final decision lies with the director. The director considers all the theatre arts and the practicality of the set for the actors. Set

7.  Set Designs Examples of set designs: Scale Model: Set Drawing:

8.  Examples of completed Sets

9.  Ground plan A ground plan is a bird’s eye view of the set, showing furniture, entrances/exits and the position of the audience.

10.   The ground plan should be a simplistic drawing that anyone should be able to interpret to create the set you need for your performance. Ground Plan

11.   The following should be evident in any ground plan:  A delineation of the acting area  Position of audience  Entrance/exits  The viability of the set  An indication of scale  A key Ground Plan

12.   Indicates the boundaries of the acting area. This is the conventional outline used for End On Staging. If you had chosen Theatre in the round, your outline may look like this. A delineation of the acting area

13.  Ground Plan Position of Audience  This is indicated simply by the word ‘audience’ in the appropriate place(s). There is no need for drawings. Audience Entrance/exits  These are indicated by arrows to show the actors where they can enter and exit the scene. The Viability of the set  Sightlines must be considered.  The set must allow actors to move around the acting area, entrance/exits must be clear and the audience must be able to see the action and actors.

14.   Indicate the relative proportions of items on the set and the amount of acting area they occupy. Use your common sense and knowledge of the size of furniture compared to each other to create your ground plan. For example… You should not draw a sofa occupying the entire stage area even if it is your only piece of set. Or a chair the size of a matchbox. An Indication of Scale

15.  A Key  Your ground plan must include a key so anything that is drawn on your ground plan is fully explained. The following items should only be represented by these symbols. Symbols for other items may be designed, and should be clearly displayed in the key.

16.   Using your notes and knowledge of set and ground plans you should create a ground plan for a room you know well. Then you should draw a second ground plan trying to adapt the set to fit a stage area. Consider where you would place the audience, how much stage space you have to act in, is all of the furniture necessary? This will be used in class.  Extension Task: Create a ground plan for a performance you have already done, considering staging, stage areas and the rules of a ground plan. Task