Dialogues of the Carmelites - Set Design by: Alan Muroka, Costume Design by: Jaqueline Saint Anne, Lighting Design by: David Martin Jacques
When you watch television or go to concerts, it is amazing to see the elaborate stage settings that support the performers. The highly advanced technology used in theatrical design can make even the smallest stages look massive. Unfortunately, this technology usually comes with a price. The large-scale professional productions that I design usually have set design budgets that range from fifty thousand to over a million dollars. That being said, the shows we produce at California State University Long Beach have extremely small budgets, from fifty dollars to twenty-five hundred dollars. I find that many of our university shows are as effective as my multi-million dollar productions.
How do we do it? First, I stress that the function of stage design is to primarily support the actor. The stage design must have meaning within itself. It must reflect the message of the story. That meaning is usually based in emotion. This usually means that literal recreation of objects on stage may not be the most effective way to create such a supportive environment. With an understanding of what the essence of the environment you wish to create for your production, along with an understanding of the technology available for you to create these environments, you may be surprised how inexpensive stage design can be.
When I approach a set design I usually start with finding a strong metaphor that connects me with the story being told. For instance, if your pastor's message is about hope, then I find a simple object or symbol that connects me with that concept. One metaphor for "hope" could be a rainbow. I would use this image as a primary element in my design.
Although one could paint a rainbow onto a white flat, you could also creatively suggest the essence of a rainbow in more abstract, but emotionally powerful ways. You could project this metaphor by using the colors of a rainbow within the actual set design through paint or through lighting and projections. As discussed later in this article, using projections is a simple and ultimately inexpensive method of stage design.
If your pastor's message is about seeking truth in life, the metaphor you could use could be a pathway through a forest. The path that we all travel through life has many diversions, but there is only one pathway to truth. How would you show this on stage? You could literally create a path by using foliage and trees that you place on stage. Maybe you would paint the trees different colors as “diversions” to the path. You could also use different levels of platforms to create a path that must be climbed. Levels are a powerful element to use in any stage design. All you need are simple four by eight foot platforms that can be built and legged up to different heights.
All this is fine, except that scenery can cost a lot of money to build. With the rising costs of materials, it is becoming more of a challenge to create intriguing stage designs with a small amount of money. The cost of wood and plastics has gone through the roof, and forget about Plexiglas. One of the strategies that we use to save money is to find existing items that you can pick up for free. If you call ahead, you can usually find free trees and foliage at local nurseries and tree services. We have also found some beautiful trees that the city was throwing away.
For free lumber and even some stage platforms, call your local regional theater or university theatre departments. Many of these organizations have limited storage and end up throwing away very useful scenery that can be reused or easily altered to your specifications. We have found platforms and step units in dumpsters that can easily be reused. All you need is a truck to transport this. Again, call ahead to find out when they are striking their sets. We have many local poor theaters and houses of worship that will gladly drive a truck to our loading dock to take what we can no longer use.
Another inexpensive theatrical stage technique is through the use of paint. In my opinion, the power of color is underused in most worship stage designs. It's amazing how by just painting an object can change the meaning of the object to an audience or congregation. The difference in emotion that the congregation feels between a white platform and a red platform is dramatic indeed. So don't hesitate to paint your sets, you can always paint them back to their original color if you don't like it.
Other inexpensive everyday items can be used for stage scenery. We have incorporated paper and cardboard boxes as meaningful scenic compositional elements. Falling paper has a strong emotional effect as well.
The style of today's theatrical presentations usually includes video projections to help create stage atmospheres. With the costs of projectors and video monitors becoming more and more affordable, nothing beats projections for an affordable and infinitely versatile scenic device. I am not talking about those huge expensive LED projection walls that you see at large venues, but something as simple as a projector on a background. Most houses of worship already incorporate video into their services and presentations. I have seen some very creative video projections that go way beyond IMAG for the pastor. The beauty of projection is that you can have them project almost any image, and change that image by using a simple software program on your laptop. And don't forget, that video projector you purchase for stage designs can also serve as the backup video projector for your IMAG and video images.
What do you project the images on? One inexpensive way to create an interesting projection surface is to use fabric that is hung behind the stage. Adding folds to the fabric can distort the image and help catch rays of light to add dimension to the surface. We have used this technique in high- as well as low-budget productions.
The key to creating effective stage designs on a budget is to use your imagination. Find the one metaphor that projects the idea that you are trying to convey, and use your ingenuity to find design elements for little or no money to create it. You will find that simplicity and honesty are usually much more effective than the most expensive stage set. The power of your imagination will usually communicate your message in the most direct and most effective way possible.
