The show has been and gone, and I have loved creating and performing in The Truth About Bedtime… with this amazing group of women. The show was a success, and I am very proud of how it was received by the audience. When in the space, with the set built, the audience was transported into a comfortable and cosy area, where they could feel relaxed enough to laugh loudly to the humour and jokes within the show.
If I was to change anything within the set design, it would be the sheet. On the show day, when the set was fully up in the space and the seating was laid out, I realised that the sheet was not long enough to hide all of the cast members behind it. While standing behind it, the audience on the side rows could clearly see us. To adapt the set for future performances, I would make the sheet wider, so that every cast member that goes behind the sheet is hidden and does not ruin any of the effects behind the sheet for the audience.
Throughout this process, I have enjoyed immensely being a set designer for Sherbet Lemon Theatre. I have been given the chance to express my creativity and imagination. It has been a fun journey to see my wacky designs become a reality. I am excited about the future of the company and would love to work as a performer and set designer again.
Works Cited:
Sired, K. (2018) The Truth About Bedtime… Dress Run Photos [image]. Available from https://www.facebook.com/KSIREDPHOTOGRAPHY/photos/a.1817093908311824.1073741878.1494033543951197/1817101074977774/?type=3&theater [accessed 24 May 2018].
As sleep is a very personal part of our lives, and usually our issues with sleep are kept a secret, I wanted the set to reflect this. Elements of the set are planned to be hidden in a normal bedroom/ den setting, and only revealed while the show is being performed.
One of these features is a light bulb effect on the white sheet. I wanted to experiment with the idea that certain parts of the sheet could light up, to reveal hidden words or features. The drawing of the light bulb would light up and flicker for dramatic effect in certain scenes. It was created by folding a piece of white fabric multiple times to create layers. The section where I wanted the light to shine through was cut down to one layer. The multiple layers around the shape stopped the light passing through and allowed the bulb shape to appear bright and glowing. I then sewed this extra fabric onto the sheet and practised the effect with a torch behind the bulb area.
(McConnell, 2018)
Once I was happy with how the light bulb looked, I presented this idea to the company and explained to both Chloe Denby (Technical Designer) and Chloe Mckay (Stage Manager) that the effect could be used by either a profile light on a stand behind the sheet, which could be controlled from the lighting desk, or manually turned on and off with a cast member holding a torch. It was then their decision to pick which method would be most beneficial and effective. The profile light behind the sheet method was picked so that all the cast were available to perform in the space.
The addition of the light bulb correlated with the theme of the drawings through our marketing campaign on posters and flyers, and added a quirky lighting feature to a bedroom themed set.
There was one feature of the set that I focused a lot of time on and subsequently felt most proud of. This was the handmade clock. I knew early on that this was going to represent an alarm clock, but with a hidden feature. The plan was to have shelving hidden inside, behind a cloth, which would be individually lit up to reveal a word. These words would represent each stage in the sleep cycle and would highlight our structure for the show. Our original idea for showing each transition to a different stage of the sleep cycle would have been expressed through a sound effect for each stage. However, Emelia (the Director) and Ellie (our Dramaturg) felt the approach was too obvious. I then decided to see if the set could do the job of telling the audience which stage of sleep we were in, instead of the sound effects.
(Mason, 2018)
A stencil was created with a cloth placed over it so that the words were hidden and only appeared during transitions when lit from behind. The fairy lights inside were put into compartments which were separated by shelves to stop the light invading into the different sections, making sure each individual word can light up at separate times and are different colours (which fit in with the colour scheme for the costumes and dream catchers). Red lights were used for REM to correlate with the lighting of the scene. Red is a bright and stimulating colour, which links to REM as it is the most active, easiest to wake up from, and the last stage of the sleep cycle.
(Mason, 2018)
The clock was made large so that the words could be seen in the performance space, but small enough to still be easily transported to and from rehearsals, which has helped Emma to become accustomed to this piece of the set.
This was my favourite part of the set to make, and I am pleased with the final product. I think it added a fun and quirky way to aid the show in teaching the audience about sleep and fitted with how we are as a company.
(Mason, 2018)
A.M
Works Cited:
Mason, A. (2018) Clock designs [image].
Mason, A. (2018) Clock stencil with lights [image].
After deciding on an overall theme of the set as a den in a bedroom, I am looking into objects that are usually found in bedrooms to see if I can create some unique elements to the set to make the sheet and poles seem homelier. At this point I wanted to experiment with the concept of the dream catcher. When researching the history of dream catchers, I found that they originate from The Ojibwa. They would hang the decorations above the place they would sleep, to catch dreams. ‘The good dreams, knowing their way, pass through the opening in the center of the webbing while the bad dreams, not knowing the way, are caught in the webbing and destroyed at the first light of the morning sun.’ (DreamCatcher.com, undated). Other legends say that the feathers connected to the bottom of the dream catcher directed the good dreams down to the individual who sleeps below it. I wanted to stay true to the original designs and history of the dream catcher while also doing a unique twist to entertain the audience when they notice them among the set. I want to incorporate a “cheeky” reference to the myth of “counting sheep to help you get to sleep”. Instead of the web design in the centre, I am going to put a geometric simple design of a sheep, allowing a gap in the centre to allow the good dreams through to follow the tradition. The design of the sheep will not be a distraction from the performers during the show, but something for the audience to view, think about, and “count” while being in the space. The idea is for the dream catchers to be hung around the space with feathers pointing downwards towards the performance area, to allow the good dreams to be channelled to the audience and performers.
(Mason, 2018)
I decided on the use of dark blue wool to decorate the outer ring and create the central design with light blue wool, in keeping with the colour scheme of the show. When in discussions with Lucy (creative designer), she planned for the pyjamas to follow a blue theme due to research revealing that ‘people whose rooms are painted blue tend to sleep longer than those who get their shuteye in rooms with different colors.’ (National Sleep Foundation, undated). I do not want the set and costumes to clash, so to eliminate this risk I will follow the same colour scheme as the pyjamas. The dreamcatchers, therefore, will be blue with white feathers to fit in with the aesthetic of the show.
National Sleep Foundation (undated) What your bedroom paint colors have to do with sleep quality. USA: National Sleep Foundation. Available from https://sleep.org/articles/best-colors-for-sleep/ [accessed 4 April 2018].
One of the first things that came to my mind when we decided on the topic of sleep was dens. Sheets billowing down from the ceiling, fairy lights providing a light source and a way to hang sheets up, with pillows and blankets scattered everywhere… The perfect place for relaxation.
I am having discussions with Emelia (our Director), and we both came to the same conclusion that we want an intimate experience for our audience due to the immersive style of including verbatim from real people. For inspiration, I researched a performance called Partus by Third Angel (Third Angel, 2017), which was a good example of a friendly, intimate staging that made the audience comfortable. It was performed in a way to invite the audience to take part and feel connected to the verbatim stories about pregnancy. Their seating was arranged in the round, allowing the performers to sit and talk to the audience.
(alexander_kelly, 2016)
Inspired by Third Angel’s production, I decided that our show: The Truth About Bedtime…, is going to have staging on a flat surface with chairs set out in a horseshoe shape (thrust staging) to allow the actors to perform in front and very close to the audience. Pillows, cushions, and blankets are going to be placed around the performance space, giving the opportunity for audience members to be comfortable and cosy. Chairs will be available just behind the pillows and blankets to allow accessibility and provide comfort for people who cannot sit on the floor or who would prefer to sit on chairs. With the staging going to be flattened to allow this type of seating, it allows our production to accept audiences who are disabled or struggle to go up steps. Chairs will be reserved where appropriate and can be removed to allow space for wheelchairs. From the beginning of the process, I want the staging to allow accessibility for all as the theme of the show is to educate audiences about sleep, something we all do. The show has the opportunity to bring ‘us [performers and audiences] together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better.’ (Arts Council England, 2018). The choice of including verbatim within the show, and the seating providing accessibility, presents our company as inclusive of a wide demographic. Our show, I believe, meets the criteria to introduce and continue to offer the Arts to greater numbers of people, which is something Arts Council England are keen to support.
(Mason, 2018)
The original idea for the set contained white sheets on three of the sides of the auditorium to hang from the grid. An example of how they would look in the space is seen above in the video and the design below. This would enable the company to experiment with shadow puppetry while giving the space a comfortable feeling. Although this idea mimics a den and would be very homely, the desired feeling of intimacy would be a struggle to replicate in the auditorium of the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre due to its open space. It would remind an audience of the auditorium’s size, eliminating the relaxed atmosphere we are trying to create. Also, the sheets from the ceiling would be very restrictive because it would reduce our availability with lights, thus limiting the visual aesthetic of the show.
(Mason, 2018)
The company still wanted the possibility of having a sheet for comical effects, so I redesigned the set. The idea was to draw the eye to the sheet, to create the illusion of intimacy and closeness within the space while still keeping to the den theme.
(Mason, 2018)
The new idea is to have a sheet (only two metres tall) held up by poles inserted into water filled bases, with fairy lights connecting the sheet poles to two other poles closer to the audience. The poles will be extendable to allow enough space for the actors to go under the hanging fairy lights, and it will be easier for the company to travel with. The quick assembly of the set is important to me to allow the company to practice with the set in rehearsals, making sure that early on in the process that I can sort any issues if they arise. It also allows the set to be placed into a range of spaces, for example, community halls and studios. This gives our company the opportunity to tour our show to a range of venues and audiences who may not have the chance to see theatrical productions normally performed in theatres. This set includes the iconic items found in a bedroom (sheets, pillows, blankets, alarm clock, dreamcatchers and fairy lights) while also not distracting from the performance space. The items and staging promote a setting of a bedroom to the audience, which reminds them of a comfortable environment, intimate enough to explore the private and personal subject of sleep.
I am Amanda, and I am the set designer for Sherbet Lemon Theatre. Although I love to be arty and creative, I have never put these talents to set designing and set building before. So, this process will be very new to me. I’m very excited to see where the set will go and what the final product will be.
I intend to translate the quirkiness of the company over to the design of the set, with creative elements to promote the sweet and sour of sleep, and the company itself.
More soon to follow from the Sherby Lems to appease your sugary cravings.
