Set Design and Effects

Shakespeare plays are traditionally all set in the same time period. Obviously, there is the more traditional approach, set in the Elizabethan era in the mid to late 16th century. The architecture was quite lavish and detailed, and therefore so are the set pieces. Below is an example if a modern day take on the show.

Here, is an interview that I found with set designer Gage Williams, who designed the set for "Twelfth Night" at the Great Lakes Theatre Festival. He talks about what inspired his scenic design for the show.


http://gltfcleveland.bandcamp.com/track/gage-williams-set-designer-twelfth-night


I personally was able to see a production of "Twelfth Night" at the Seattle Reparatory Theatre in 2007. The production had some very visually stunning aspects to it. The show had begun with the storm and ship wreck seen and they chose to put the whole stage under the "water" by putting a see-through scrim down and putting the actors on a fly system. That way, Viola and Sebastian could sink down from the ceiling to the bottom of the stage as well as swim up from bottom to the top. Meanwhile, the lighting effects were projecting a watery and bubbly effect on the scrim. When Viola and Sebastian were separated, the were under water and then ripped apart, thrown to opposite sides of the stage and gone. Also, much of the production took place outside, which in most Shakespeare's work, makes a lot of sense. Shakespeare's plays give a lot of room for outdoor scenery. Below is a photo from the show; the scene where Olivia first falls in love with Cesario, not knowing that she is really a girl.

MvB, . "Review: Twelfth Night @ the Rep." SeattleSt25 Sep 2007: 1. Web. 10 Mar 2011. <http://seattlest.com/2007/09/25/review_twelfe_t.php>.


Williams, Gage. The Great Lakes Theatre Festival, 19 Sep 2009. Intervew. Web. 11 Mar 2011. <http://gltfcleveland.bandcamp.com/track/gage-williams-set-designer-twelfth-night>.