As the rehearsal process progressed and our piece began to take shape, my ideas for set and props developed and changed profusely. When discussing with Harry and Emily our director and assistant director, we decided that the planets hung around the auditorium would create a confusion and break in the barrier between the imagination and reality of Sam, the boy whose story we follow throughout our piece. Although the planet’s were not involved in the set anymore, we decided to include a physical sequence within our piece that still used lights that appeared to planets or stars. Using paper lanterns and fairy lights we decided to create an imagination sequence centered around Sam, giving the illusion that he was being surrounded and intrigued by different planets/ stars. This is a close up photo of the lantern, and a video of one of this week’s rehearsals in which we began creating duets with the lights in order to spark ideas for the rest of the imagination sequence.

Gent, D. (2016) Paper Lantern Planet

Whilst devising our show and creating different scenes I made various different props to enhance the production, some of these were kept and some others were changed or taken out for different reasons, mainly because we all felt that they did not fit in with the style of the show. For example when attempting to devise as scene that would show the development in Sam’s personality, we were going to have him build a jetpack, in an attempt to be like the workers at NASA. I created a jetpack, by finding inspiration from different photos on pinterest and using some materials that I already had at home. However, as the piece developed further we decided it was not necessary to include the Jetpack building scene, it was just mentioned throughout in different letters written by Sam.

Gent, D. (2016) The Jetpack.

When discussing the colour of the boxes with Emily it also became clear that in order to use the boxes to create multiple stage pictures it would be easier to paint them black all over rather than the galaxy print, this will enable us to use them to create multiple illusions. Caspar Neher states;

“A Marble pillar can only be translated, i.e. at best hinted at; while if a turbine were a real one it would break the stage floor. This means that one always has to allow the audience to set their imagination to work in order to believe it could be a turbine, or might be a marble pillar. So you have to have an element of conjuring illusion.” (Neher, C in Willett, J, 1986, 76)

I designed the boxes so that we could use them in order to create different illusions for the audience and to enable us as an ensemble to remain present on stage throughout the performance reinforcing the illusion that we are playing the roles of Sams imagination, therefore we would always be present. Two of the main pictures we have decided we want to create are; a fort for Sam to sit in during the preset of the show and a rocket that Sam builds in the end scene of the show. The way in which I will create these images, is with the use of other props that can be stored inside the boxes throughout the performance and then attached to the boxes when needed.

Works Cited:

Neher, C., in Willett, J. (1986) Caspar Neher, Brecht’s designer. London: Methuen Publishing Ltd.

Gent, D. (2016) Paper Lantern Planets. 

PinPoint Theatre Company, (2016) Light Sequence Rehearsal. [Online Video] Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=753h9v0yNvE

Gent, D. (2016) The Jetpack