The Craft and Art of Scenic Design

Chapter 3Working with Directors

Collaboration

Collaboration is at the core of the theatre. It is one of the things that makes designing in the theatre unique. Unlike other art forms where the artist creates his work alone, in the theatre the designer works from the very beginning with others.

As important as all the collaborators involved in the long process of realizing a design on the stage are, the first and most important is the director.

The most vital part of the designer’s responsibility concerns determining the size, shape, and rules of the world of the play. The director’s mission is exactly the same. Though their paths will diverge, the designer to oversee the construction of the set and the director to oversee the actor’s rehearsals, ...