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Theses
Thesis/Dissertation Collections
3-13-1992
Set design for A Raisin in the Sun
Laura S. Gygi-Gamble
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Recommended Citation
A Thesis Submitted
to
the
Faculty
ofThe
College
ofFine
andApplied Arts
in
Candidacy
for
the
Degree
ofMASTER
OF
FINE
ARTS
Set
Design for A Raisin in
the
Sun
By
Laura
S.
Gygi
Gamble
INTRODUCTION
1
BACKGROUND
The Playwright
2
The
Play
andThe
Characters
3
The Crew
6
CREATING A SET DESIGN
Research
7
The Design Process
1 4
Costumes
andLighting
2
0
Budget
2 0
CONCLUSION
Comparison
ofInterior Design
andSet Design
22
Comparison
ofSet Designs
26
APPENDICES
Appendix A
Sketches
3 0
Appendix B
Southside Chicago
in
the
1950's
34
Appendix C
Furniture
andFinishes
from
the
1930's
40
Appendix D
Preliminary
Drawings
5
1
Appendix E
Property
List
58
Appendix F
Costume Concepts
6 1
Appendix
G
Lighting
Concept
77
Appendix
H
Budget
8
5
Appendix
I
Cochren's Ground Plan
andSketch
88
Appendix
J
Final Model
andDrawings
9 1
LIST
OF ILLUSTRATIONS
9
5
My
husband
andI
choseto
goto
Walt
Disney
World
for
ourhoneymoon,
because
ofhis interest in
animation.When
we arrivedthe
world
that
surrounded us wasfascinating.
It
wasamazing
and strangehow,
for the time
we werethere,
this
fantasy
land
became
aform
ofreality for
us.While
atWalt
Disney
World,
I became
very
interested
in
setdesign.
The
environments created withinDisney
World
allowed oneto
be
entertained and
amused,
whiletraveling
through
dream
lands.
Being
ableto
design
withthis
kind
of playfulnessis very stimulating
to
me.Upon returning home from
Disney
World,
I
began
my
education atRochester Institute
ofTechnology
(R.I.T).
I
wasintroduced
to
many
newtechnical
skills,
whichI
neverhad
the
opportunity
to
learn,
during
my Fine
Arts
education.Throughout
the
yearI
struggled withthese
technical
skills,
and asthe
year cameto
a closeI
understoodthe
necessity
for
them.
However,
I
stilllacked
the
emotional playfulnessthat
I
wasexposed
to
whilevisiting
Disney
World.
With
that
in
mindI
began
thinking
about
my
thesis.
I
wantedto
create athree
dimensional
environmentunlike
any I had
createdduring
my stay
atR.I.T.
When I
wasdiscussing
various
thesis topics
withmy
advisor, she suggesteddesigning
a stage setfor
alocal
theatre
in
Rochester.
I
wasthrilled
withthe
suggestion.I
contactedJim
Tinsley,
the Production
Manager
atGeVa Theatre in
Rochester.
I hoped
that
he
would allow meto
usehis
guidance andGeVa's
stage as a model.
Much
to
my
surprise,
he
wasvery
receptiveto this idea.
During
ourfirst
meeting,
Jim
gave meGeVa's
standard set ofblueprints
including
plans,
sections and elevations.Jim thought it
wouldbe
convenient
for
him
andhelpful to
meif
we chose aplay
that
GeVa
wouldbe staging
withinthe
year.After
someconsideration,
he
suggestedthe
play
A Raisin in
the
Sun.
This
play
wasideal,
because
ofits
literal
style,
providing
a smoothtransition
between
interior
design
and setdesign.
All
scenes of
the
play
requiredthe
same setting.This
meantthere
were nomechanicals
involved in preparing
the
setfor
each scene.Also
the
play
took
placein
an apartment whichis
atypical
spaceinterior
designers
work with.
It
wastime
to
familiarize
myself withthe
play
A
Raisin
in
the
Sun.
I
was given a script whichincluded
the
cast ofcharacters,
the
production
notes,
the
dialogue for
allscenes,
aproperty
list,
and acostume plot.
BACKGROUND
The
Playwright
In
1956,
Lorraine
Hansberry
satdown
to
write aplay
which,
as shelater
wroteto
her
mother,
"tells
the
truth
aboutpeople,
Negroes
andlife."
The
play,
A Raisin
in
the
Sun,
openedin March 1959
--and,
asThe New York Times
summarized onits
25th
anniversary,
it
"changed
American
theatre
forever."
entire
history
ofthe
American
theatre
had
so much ofthe
truth
ofBlack
people'slives been
seen onthe
stage."The play had its
own originsin
the
playwright's own childhood experiences
in
the
1930's
Chicago
where,
in defiance
ofthe
"restrictive
covenants"
that
confinedblacks
to
the
ghetto,
her
family
movedinto
ahostile
white neighborhood.The
family
was evictedby
the
Illinois
courts,
but her father
andNAACP
lawyers
fought
the
case allthe
way
to
anhistoric Supreme
Court
decision
outlawing
the
covenant(Hansberry
vs. Lee).1In
A
Raisin
in
the
Sun
she created a ghettofamily
poised atthe
final
curtain,
in
alltheir
complexities and contradictionsthough
strengthened
within,
atthe
edge of a similar moveinto
uncertainty.A Raisin in
the
Sun
wasto
become
anAmerican
classic-"one
handful
of greatAmerican
dramas.
..inthe
inner
circle,
along
withDeath
of aSalesman, Long
Day's
Journey
into
Night,
andThe
Glass
Menagerie"
(Washington
Post).
It brought into
the theatre
a newblack
audience,
encouraged a new generation of
black
artists,
playwrights,
andperformers.2
The
Play
andThe
Characters
A Raisin
in the
Sun is
aboutthe
Younger's,
ablack
family living
in
Southside
Chicago,
during
the
1950's.
It deals
withthe
inner
desires
ofeach
family
member.Because
ofthese
desires,
conflict arises withinthe
family.
The
matriarch ofthe
household, Mama,
desperately
tries to
keep
the
family
together
andhappy.
1
Lorraine
Hansberry,
A RaisinintheSun, ed. ThirtiethAnniversary
Edition , p.157.2
Lindner,
George,
andAsagai.
Mama is
the
widowed mother ofWalter Lee
and
Beneatha.
Walter Lee is
marriedto
Ruth
andthey
have
ason,
Travis.
Beneatha has
two
boyfriends
George
andAsagai.
George is
from
Chicago,
and
Asagai
is
from
Africa.
Mr.
Lindner,
a whiteman,
is
the
spokespersonfrom
the
whiteneighborhood,
whichthe
Younger's
aremoving
into.
The
family
is awaiting
alife
insurance
check of$10,000.00,
from
the death
ofthe
father,
Walter
Lee (Sr.).
The
checkbelongs
to
Mama
andshe
is
very
unsure about whatto
do
withthe
money.Walter
Lee
(Jr.)
struggles withbecoming
the
"man ofthe
family".
He
wouldlike
the
entire$10,000.00
to
invest
in
apartnership
withtwo
ofhis
friends.
They
areplanning
to
open aliquor
store.Walter
Lee
is
convinced
that this
is
a"foolproof"
business deal.
Mama absolutely
refuses
to finance
what she considers such animproper
business
asliquor.
Ruth
is
dealing
with an unwanted pregnancy.During
the play,
Ruth
contemplates an abortion.
She feels it's
unfairto
raise another childin
the
run-down apartmentin
whichthey
live.
Travis,
her
son,
already
has
to
sleep
onthe
couchdue
to the
lack
of space.She
hopes Mama
will use someof
the
money
as adown
payment on ahouse.
Beneatha
wantsto become
adoctor.
She is
more philosophicalthan
the
rest ofthe
family.
She does
notbelieve in
God;
or atleast
shefeels
achievements,
instead
ofblessing
God for giving
them
so much.Beneatha
is
alsovery interested in her heritage.
She is
giventhe
opportunity
to
goto
Africa,
to
medically
aidthe
African
people,
andto
makethem
aware oftheir
choices offreedom.
Beneatha hopes
a portion ofthe
money
will gotowards
her
education.Mama
conveys an abundance offaith,
pride, strength,
anddignity.
When
these
characteristics are challengedby
her
family
shefeels
her
family
is
failing
her
andthe
late
Walter Lee.
Mama
electsto
divide
the
$10,000.00
among
the
family.
$3000.00
will gotowards
Beneatha's
medical education.
Mama
alsodecides
to
make a$3500.00 down
paymenton a
house
in
a whiteneighborhood,
because it
is less
expensivethan
ahouse
in
ablack
neighborhood.With
the
exception ofthe
down
payment,
Mama
gives all ofthe
money
to
Walter Lee.
Walter Lee
is
putin
charge ofthe
money.Mama
askshim
to
put$3000.00 into
an accountfor
Beneatha's
education andfor him
to
look
after what remains.
Walter Lee
does
not putthe
$3000.00 into
an accountfor Beneatha.
Against Mama's
judgment,
he
takes
$6500.00
andinvests it
in
the
liquor
store withhis friends.
One
ofhis friends
stealsthe
money,
leaving
the Younger
family
withonly
the
down
payment onthe
house.
After
Mama has
made adown
payment on ahouse,
Mr. Lindner
visitsthe
Younger
family.
He is willing
to
pay
them
moremoney
than
they
have
extremely disappointed in Walter Lee's decision.
He is just
aboutto take
the
money
whenhe
standsup
for
himself,
his
family,
andhis
race.This is
the
day
that
Walter Lee becomes
the
"man"he's been striving
to
be.
Walter
Lee
speaks ofthe
pride and advancements ofhis
people.He
willnot
destroy
whathis
racehas
achievedby
taking
the
money.The Younger
family
movesinto
their
newhouse
andMama's
prideis only
strengthenedby
the
pride ofher family.
The
Crew
The
crew consists ofthe
productionmanager,
the
director,
the
setdesigner,
the
setbuilders,
the
propspeople, the
costumedesigner,
andthe
lighting
designer.
The
production manageris
in
charge ofthe
productionfrom
hiring
the director
andthe
designers,
to
making
surethe
setbuilders
and propspeople are on schedule and within
budget.
The
director
is in
charge ofthe
actors andthe
designers.
All design
decisions
arebased
on criteria setby
the
director.
The
director
makes allfinal
decisions
aboutdesign.
The
setdesigner
is
responsiblefor
designing
a set whichbest
represents
the
environmentdescribed
by
the
playwright andby
the
director.
The
setbuilders
are responsiblefor
building
the
setaccording
designer.
Props
people arein
charge offinding
and/ormaking
allthe
properties
(props)
for
the
set.The
props canvary
depending
onthe
play.For A Raisin in
the
Sun,
propsincluded,
acouch,
abed,
chairs,
lamps, food,
pictures,
flowers,
aplant,
and various otheritems.
Costume designers
are responsiblefor
designing
costumes whichwill provide actors with
the
visual characteristics oftheir
characters.Therefore,
the
costumedesigner
helps
makethe
actors seembelievable
onstage.
The
lighting
designer
is
responsiblefor
lighting
the
stageaccording
to
the
wishes ofthe
director,
the
playwright,
and sometimesthe
setdesigner.
Lighting
helps
setthe
mood ofthe
play
and often aidsin
the
setdesign.
The
lighting
designer
mustdesign
the
lighting
effectively
to
achieve
the
necessary
result.CREATING
A
SET DESIGN
Research
I
began
my
researchfor
this
projectby
reading
two
theatre
books
that
Jim
Tinsley
lent
to
me.I found
them
interesting,
but
more relatedto
historical
aspects of stage andtheatre,
than
to
the
process of setdesign.
Since I
wasdesigning
a setfor
A
Raisin in
the
Sun
andmodeling it
to
GeVa's
stage,
I felt
it
wasimportant
to
learn
aboutGeVa's
stageThe
stage atGeVa Theatre is
athrust
stage.A
thrust
stagehas
three
visible sides ratherthan
just
one.It
canbe
sculptedto the
designers
needsby
removing
parts ofthe
forestage
andby
adding
platforms
to
the
remainder.The
prosceniumis
the
areaup
stagefrom
the
forestage.
GeVa's
stage
has
proscenium wallsthat
are uneven andjagged.
Therefore,
it is
important
for
the
setdesigner
(designing
from
GeVa's
stage)
to
measurefrom
the
plasterline
ratherthan
the
prosceniumwalls,
during
the
creation of
the
design.
The
imaginary
line formed
wherethe
prosceniummeets
the
forestage is
the
location for the
curtainto
be
hung.
Although
athrust
stagehas
nocurtain,
it
still contains a proscenium andforestage.
/
\
/
\
/
\
I
T
upstage\
/
\
/
PLASTER LINE\
PROSCENIUM
/
/
\
PROSCENIUMWALL.
/
.../
nnno^nn,,*
?WALLWALL\
'^_stagerightJ
PROSCENIUM stage left _^?**'
FORESTAGE
downstage
?
/
SIGHT LINEX
GeVa's Stage
THRUST STAGE
sections,
and elevations.The
ground plans consist ofthe
stage andthe
seating
section.It
wasimportant
to
be
aware ofthe
sightlines in
these
plans.
Sight
lines
arethe
boundaries
that the
audience can nolonger
seepast or
have
afull
view ofthe
stage.There
arefour
sitelines,
two
sightlines
onthe
left
side ofthe
seating
section andtwo
onthe
right side.Two
arelocated
onthe
balcony
level
on either side andtwo
onthe
orchestra
level
on either side.Important
areas ofthe
set shouldbe
designed
withinthe
sightlines.
The
elevations andthe
sections consisted ofthe
stagein
relationto
the
trap
rooms andto
the
catwalks.Trap
rooms existbelow the
stage andcan
be
usedfor
special effects and mechanical operations.Catwalks
arelocated
abovethe
stage.They
may be
usedby
the
crewto
aidin
mechanical
operations,
electricaloperations,
or special effects.Having
never seenblueprints
of a stage,I
had
difficulty
understanding
the
relationshipsbetween
catwalks,
traprooms,
andthe
stage.
Jim
Tinsley
showed methe
actual stageto
better
explainthe
blueprints
on site.It
waschallenging
organizing
the
information
from
the
script.I
determined the
space requirementsfor the
set,
by
making
alist
ofhow
many
people wouldbe
on stage at atime
and wheretheir
path ofwhich are a written
description
ofhow
the
playwright visualizedthe
set.PRODUCTION NOTES FROM A RAISIN IN
THE
SUN
The
Younger
living
room wouldbe
acomfortable and well-ordered
room,
if
it
were notfor
a number ofindestructible
contradictionsto
this
state ofbeing.
Its furnishings
aretypical
and undistinguished andtheir
primary feature
nowis
that
they
have clearly had
to
accommodatethe
living
oftoo
many
peoplefor
too
many
years-andthey
aretired.
Still,
we cansee,
at sometime,
atime
probably
nolonger
rememberedby
the
family
(except
perhapsfor
Mama),
the
furnishings
ofthis
room wereactually
selected with care andlove
and evenhope-and brought
to
this
apartment andarranged with
taste
and pride.That
was along
time
ago.Now
the
onceloved
pattern ofthe
couchupholstery
has
to
fight
to
showitself from
under acres of crocheteddoilies
andcouch covers which
have
themselves
finally
cometo
be
moreimportant
than the
upholstery.And here
atable
or a chairhas
been
movedto
disguise
the
worn placesin the
carpet;
but
the
carpethas fought
back
by
showing
its
weariness,
withdepressing
uniformity, elsewhere onits
surface.Weariness
has,
in
fact,
wonin
this
room.Everything
has
been
polished, washed,
saton, used,
scrubbedtoo
often.All
pretensesbut
Living
itself
have
long
since vanishedfrom
the
very
atmosphere ofthis
room.Moreover,
a section ofthis
room,
for
it is
notreally
a room untoitself,
though
the
landlord's
lease
would makeit
seemso,
slopesbackward
to
provide a smallkitchen
area wherethe
family
prepares
the
meals which are eatenin
the
living
room proper which must also serve as
dining
room.in
the
course of aday
is only
that
whichfights its
way
through
this
little
window.3After
I
readthe
productionnotes,
I
concludedthat
there
werefour
important design
problems which neededto
be
addressedto
completethe
set.
The first
and most obvious wasthe
interior
ofthe
apartmentitself.
The
second washow
to
describe
whatSouthside Chicago looked like
during
the
1950's.
The
third
wasthe
psychologicalimportance
ofthe
singlewindow.
The last
problem wasto
makethe
apartmentfeel
asthough
it
existed as one
floor
ofmany
in
a multi-level apartmentbuilding.
Based
onthe
productionnotes,
I
concludedthat
the
apartment shouldcontain a
living
room and akitchen
area.Most
ofthe
action occursin
these
areas.They
had
to
be
visibleto the
whole audience andlie
withinthe
sightlines.
The
production notes also made referenceto
two
bedrooms
and ahallway
that
would contain abathroom
sharedby
othertenants.
If
the
director
chooses, these
areas couldoccasionally
be
usedthroughout the
play.Since
the
storylineis
notdependent
onthe
actionoccurring
in
these areas,
they
do
nothave
to
fall
withinthe
sightlines.
The
single windowbecame very
important
to
me,
asI
readthrough
the
play.The
windowis
symbolic ofthe
family's hopes
anddreams.
It is
beyond
this
windowthat
the
dreams
ofthese
people exist.Doors
areaccessible
to the
outsideonly
whenthey
areopened,
whereas,
windows'
provide visual
accessibility
whether opened or closed.Mama has
a plantthat
is very dear
to
her.
She
keeps it
onthe
window sillin
the
kitchen. It
is
the
light
ofthis
little
windowthat
keeps
Mama's
plantalive,
just
asit
is
the
dreams
that
keep
the
characters alive.I
felt
the
window shouldbe
located
in
a prime position onstage,
soit
would notbe
overlooked.I had
tried
placing
the
windowup
stage,
down
stage,
stageleft
and stage right.Finally,
I decided
up
stage wouldbe
the
best
location.
I
preferredit
to
be
somewhat centered within
the
apartment and alwayslit
brighter
than
the
rest of
the
stagefor
emphasis.Locating
the
windowin
a central positionwould allow
direct
focus
onthe
window andit
would notbe
overlooked.Reference
to
the
hallway,
the
bathroom,
and one ofthe
bedrooms,
was created
by
using
cutaway
walls.A cutaway
wallis
constructed whenpart of
the
wallis physically
removed sothe
audience can seethrough
the
removed
area,
into
the
spacebehind
the
wall.Cutaway
walls wereimportant
because, they
offeredthe
audience moreinformation.
For
example,
a whiteman,
Mr.
Lindner
comesto
visitthe
Youngers just
afterMama buys
ahouse
in his
"white"neighborhood.
He
is
a nervous man whocomes
to
tell
the
Youngers
they're
not wantedin
his
neighborhood.Seeing
Mr.
Lindner
through
acutaway
wall,
nervously approaching
the
apartmentdoor,
whilethe
Younger
family
is
happy,
content,
andhopeful
ontheir
moving
day,
creates a sense ofanxiety for
the
audience.script
does
notindicate
whichfloor
it is
on.There is
reference,
however,
to
amulti-story
building
whenMama
says,
"My
-them
steps
is getting
longer
andlonger.
Whew!"4I
felt
it
wasimportant for
the
apartmentto
appear
that
it
waslocated
on one ofmany
stories.To
further determine
the
limitations
ofthe
stage,
I
starteddrawing
sketches
to
decide
whereboth
interior
and exterior areas could exist onstage and
how
they
wouldbest
relateto
each other.(Refer
to
Appendix A
to
view sketches).Creating
the
exterior world ofSouthside
Chicago
wasimportant
to
the
playwright andto
many directors
ofA Raisin in
the
Sun.
Having
neverseen
Southside
Chicago
in
the
1950's,
I
relied on researchto
determine
how
rundown
it
really
was.This
researchincluded
photographs ofSouthside Chicago
during
the
1930's-1950's.
The
photographs wereextremely important
in
designing
the
exterior world on stage.(Copies
ofthe
photographs are shownin Appendix B
).
Another
important
aspect ofmy
researchincluded
studying
furniture,
interior
finishes,
and appliances appropriateto
the
time
andsetting.
Knowing
that
Mama had lived
in
this
apartment sincethe
day
shemarried,
20
to
30
yearsbefore,
led
meto
believe
that the
furniture
wasprobably from
the
early
1930's.
Finding
information
onthe
1930's
style offurniture,
that
the
average
family
owned wasdifficult.
I
had
no problemfinding
furniture
designed
by
Le
Corbusier,
Frank Lloyd
Wright,
orinternational
designers
in
the
early half
ofthe 20th
century.However,
this
furniture
was notfinancially
availableto the
Youngers.
Librarians
atthe
Strong
Museum,
authorities on
the
history
ofthe
American home
andsociety,
led
meto
Sears
catalogs and1920's
-1950'sBetter Homes
andGardens
magazines.These
magazines and periodicals containedfurnishings
usedby
typical
middle-class
families.
Most
ofthe
information
I
needed was availablein
these
magazines.Appliances
and otherfurnishings,
including
arefrigerator,
kitchen
sink,
stove,
toaster,
kitchen
cabinets,
wallpaper,
rugs,
and window coverings werebased
oninformation
from
these
sources.
From
the
Rochester Public
Library,
I found
the
book
Furniture
From
the
Depression Era.
Without
this
book,
I
would nothave been
ableto
understand what
Lorraine
Hansberry's
specification of1930's
"undistinguished
furniture"looked
like.
(For
research offurniture
andfinishes,
referto
Appendix
C).
The
Design
Process
Utilizing
my
sketches and researchdata
ofthe
1930's-1950's,
I
prepared
preliminary drawings.
Relating
the two
dimensional
ground planto
athree dimensional
set provedto
be
difficult.
I
had
trouble
visualizing
where
the
walls ended andthe
catwalksbegan,
because
I
didn't have
avisualize what
I
wasdoing,
I
workedthree
dimensionally
from the
beginning.
As
statedby
the
playwrightin
the
productionnotes,
the
kitchen
areacontains
the
single window andthe
dining
table.
In
earlier sketchesI
had
chosen
the
windowto
be
upstage and centered.Much
ofthe
actiontakes
place around and near
the
dining
table,
soI
elevatedthe
kitchen
area 6"higher
than
the
living
room areato
provide greater visibility.One important
aspect ofthe
apartment wasthe
exteriorfacade
ofthe
building
and a sidewalk.To
expressthis,
I
choseto
createthe
illusion
of
looking
through
abrick
wallinto
the
apartment.Placing
a sidewalkin
front
wouldhelp
createthis
illusion.
I
was careful notto
makethe
facade
and exterior
leading
to
the
apartment moreimportant
than
the
apartmentitself.
I
left
the
living
room area at stagelevel
andlowered
the
sidewalkto
6"below
stagelevel.
(As previously
noted,
I
raisedthe
kitchen
areato
6"
above stage
level.
)
KITCHEN AREA
LIVINGAREA
SIDEWALK
"
I
6"
Above Stage Level
Stage Level
6"
Below StageLevel
As I
notedpreviously,
it
wasimportant
to
makethe
building
appearas
though
it
weretaller than
2
stories.Most
apartmentbuildings
that
I
researched were
3
or more storiesin
height.
The
maximumfootage
between
the
catwalks and stagelevel
was22'-8".
There
was enoughvertical space
to
provide almosttwo
stories.I
chosethe
facade
wallsto
be
22'-8"in height
to
usethe
maximumfootage.
The interior
wallsshould
be
12'-0"in height.
This
provided a walltall
enough sothe
audience
in
the
balcony
couldn't see overthe
walls.No
roofline ordetail
was added on
the
facade
that
would confineit to
only
2
stories.At
first,
I
assumed
I
could add a secondstory
to the
apartmentgiving
the
illusion
ofan apartment above.
I
found
this
approachto
be
very
inappropriate;
instead,
the
Younger
apartment appearedto
consist of2
stories.Therefore,
I
choseto
leave
the
interior
walls at a singlestory
of12'-0",
rather
than
atwo
story
22'-8"in
height.
Scrutinizing
the
scriptagain,
I
followed
the
circulation paths ofthe
characters.
These
paths were criticalto
the
furniture
placement.At
notime
couldany furniture
block the
path ofthe
character orbe inconvenient
to
utilize.The
nextstep
wasto
draw
elevations ofthe
interior
walls andthe
facade
and consider additionaldetail.
I
included
some patterns ofthe
wall
finishes
andfurniture
onthe
elevations.At
this
stage,
the
show some
detail
of style.(Preliminary
drawings
are shownin
Appendix D).
At
the
completion ofthe
preliminary
drawings
my
advisors critiquedthe
design.
It
was suggestedthat I
pay
more attentionto
the
style ofthe
facade
ofthe
apartmentbuilding.
There
was not enoughdetail
onthe
facade
to
givethe
building
architectural significance.Uncertainty
existedbetween
the
relationship
ofthe
two
story facade
andthe
singlestory
apartment.
It became
necessary
to
startbuilding
apreliminary
model,
soI
could experiment with
these
issues.
I
decided
a white model wouldbe
the
best
representationfor the
setof
A Raisin in
the
Sun.
Color
and pattern could changedramatically,
from
that
chosenby
the
setdesigner
andthat
executedby
the
setbuilders
andprops people.
If
a setdesigner
chooses a green patterned couchfrom
the
1930's,
the
props people wouldprobably find
onefrom
the
1930's
but,
it
could
very easily be
in
brown
or mauve with a patterndifferent from
the
one
the
setdesigner
chose.In A Raisin in
the
Sun,
the
playwrightspecified
the
couch asold, worn,
and undistinguished.Since
shedid
notspecify
any
color,
pattern,
or stylefor
the couch,
it is
notnecessary
to
spend
the
time
andmoney
to
reproduce a specific couch.The
character ofthe
modelis
moreimportant
than
the
exact replica ofthe
set.The preliminary
model wasbuilt
offoam
core,
paper,
and wood.use
the
measurementsfrom
the
elevations whilebuilding
the
model.All
the
furniture
wasin
block form just
to
determine
spatial relationships onthe
stage.The finished preliminary
model presented some problems.The
mainproblem was
the
awkwardrelationship
between the
two
story facade
andthe
singlestory
apartment.Another
problem wasthat
the
set was morespacious
than
I
had
expected.Third,
the
exterior was undeveloped.At
this
point,
I
had only
plannedto
utilize abackdrop
of paintedscenery
depicting
Southside Chicago
during
the 1950's.
More
description
was needed.During
ameeting
withJim
Tinsley,
wediscussed
the
problemsinherent
to
the
preliminary
design.
The facade
wasapproximately
onestory
taller than
the
rest ofthe
walls andit
created an unbalancedrelationship
between the
two.
Jim
suggestedI
addflats behind
the
apartment walls
depicting
buildings
from
Southside
Chicago's
environment.
A flat is
a rectangularframe
work oflumber
covered withlinen,
muslin,
plywood,
luan,
or other material.It
is
abasic
piece offramed
scenery,
that
can represent abuilding
facade,
interior
wall orlandscapes.
Incorporating
the
flats,
I
could add abackdrop
ofimplied
distant
scenery.The
physical presence ofthe
addedflats
andtheir
height
would not
only
solvethe
problem ofthe
awkwardrelationship between
the
facade
andthe
interior
walls,
but
would also give a more realisticimage
moving
the
whole apartmentdownstage
two
feet.
There
weremany
things
to
consider whilepreparing
the
final
production.
The first
wasthe
ground plan.Moving
the
apartmentdown
stage
forced
meto
adjust allthe
measurementsto
coincide withthe
loss
of square
footage. The
ground plan wouldindicate floor
materials andfurniture layout.
From
the
completed groundplan,
I
could usemeasurements
to
draw
the
final
elevations.The
elevations wouldinclude
indication
ofmy
choice ofwallpaper,
base,
cornice,
molding,
doors,
furniture,
and paint.It is
from
these
elevationsthat
a setbuilder
woulddraw
a set ofworking
drawings.
After I
finished
the
ground plan andthe
elevations,
I
neededto
build
afinal
white model ofthe
setin
a scale of1/2"=1'-0".
It
wasimportant
for
the
modelto
showfurniture,
molding,
base, doors,
kitchen
appliances,
and cupboardsin
the
1930's
style,
because
the
modelis
a representation ofthe
design.
From
the
script,
I
discovered
many details
which were criticalto
the
set.For
examplethere
was a picture ofthe
late
Walter
Lee
(Sr.),
avase with
flowers,
doilies
placed onthe
sofa,
and a mirror onthe
closetdoor.
Scripts
alsoinclude
aproperty
list.
The property list includes
props
that
the
playwrightfeels
areimportant
for
the
actorsto
utilizeduring
the
production.(Refer
to
Appendix
E
for
the
property list).
Many
ofthe
items in
this
list
had to
be
reproduced at a scale of 1/2"=1-0"in
the
Costumes
andLighting
Once
an actoris
onstage,
the
setis greatly
affectedby
the
actor'svisual presence.
For
the
look
ofthe
play
to
be
cohesive andbelievable,
it
is necessary
for the
setdesigner
to
consider costume andlighting
design
while
designing
the
set.(Refer
to
Appendix F
to
readthe
costumeconcept).
One
majorfactor in any
setdesign is
the
lighting.
The
setis greatly
affected
by
the
lighting
design.
Lighting
is
important for
emphasis,
mood,
and
clarity
of a play.For
these
reasonsthe
setdesigner
should alwaysbe
aware of
lighting
during
the
design
process.(Refer to
Appendix
G
to
readthe
lighting
concept).Lighting
and costumes are complicated aspects of aplay
productionand are specialized
fields.
The
setdesigner
does
notusually
createthe
final
lighting
or costumedesign.
Because
oftime
constraints andthe
scope of
this
project,
I
choseto
develop
only preliminary
conceptsfor the
costume and
lighting
design.
Budget
Set
designers
work within abudget
determined
by
the
client.The
client
may be
the
artdirector,
productionmanager,
ordirector.
To
makethis
project as complete as possible,I
estimated abudget.
Preparing
the
budget
involved
research onthe
fabrication
oftheatre
setflats,
Hollywood
flat instead
of atheatre
flat,
because
the
Hollywood flat is
less
expensiveto
constructthan
the
theatre
flat.
A Hollywood flat is
constructed with
1"x3"'s
andis
typically
4'-0" x
8'-0"
in
dimension.
It
has
two
supports andis joined
with nails or screws.A
theatre
flat
alsois
constructed of1"x3"'s
andis
typically
4'-0"
x
8'-0"
in
dimension.
It
has
one support andis joined
by
2
toggles
and4 keystones.
Linen
Muslin
Plywood
~~H1--~m
H
"0^ i"< 3" Luan Other Material I" x 3" Toggle Keystone
HOLLYWOOD
STYLE
FLAT
(nts)
THEATRE
STYLE
FLAT
(nts)
The
number offlats
andtheir
finishes determines
a majorpercentage of
the
budget.
My
drawings
were groupedtogether
on a numberof pages and mounted on mat
board.
With
eachboard
ofdrawings,
called aplate,
I had
to
determine
how
many flats
were needed.Then I had
to
calculate
the
quantity
ofwood,
paint,
luan,
molding,
wallpaper,
brick,
andvarious other materials
the
flats
would require.With
Jim's
guidance,
I
final budget
was$9226.13.
(The
materials needed andtheir
prices arelisted in
the
budget
in Appendix H).
CONCLUSION
Comparison
of setdesigns
Felix Cochren
wasthe
setdesigner
whodesigned
the
setfor A
Raisin in
the
Sun for
the
GeVa
theatre's
actual1991
production. "'I
began
by
reading
the
script,'Cochren
says,
'and then
I
researchthe
areain
this
case,
Chicago
in
the
'50's.
I
make notes aboutthe
characters andthen
discuss
all ofit
withthe
director.
We
have
to
decide
whoseplay
this
is,
which character
this
play is
about.Then
I
goaway
and createthe
wholeworld.'"5
Both
Cochren
andI
began
designing
our setsby
reading
the
script,
researching
Chicago
in
the
1950's,
anddetermining
characterneeds.
Thereafter,
Cochren
andI
approached ourdesigns
withdifferent
attitudes.
I
did
nottalk
to
the
director,
asdid
Cochren,
because
I
neverhad
the
opportunity.
If I
had it's
possiblemy
attitude couldhave
changed,
because
set
designers design
according
to
the
criteria setby
the
director.
Cochren
and
Woodie
King
Jr.,
director
ofGeVa's
1991
production ofA Raisin in
the
Sun,
decided
that the
central character ofthis
play is
Walter
Lee.
They
consider
him
"a
reckless manlooking
for
a quickfix
to
his family's
socialstatus.
Consequently,
Cochren began
to
design
a setthat
reflectedWalter
Gary
Resch,
"Creating
theSetofA Raisinin theSun"Lee's
predicament.Cochren
says,
'Walter
Lee is
trapped in
a wholelot
ofthings.
He
wantsvery
muchto
getout,
asdoes
the
rest ofthe
family.
But
since
the
focus is
onWalter
Lee,
we'retrying
to
makethe
setsomething
that
confines andimprisons
him.' "6
I
think
that in
abroader
sense we would all cometo the
sameconclusion.
The
playwrighthas focused
on ablack society imprisoned
by
the
ghetto.I feel
it is important
to
concentrate onthe
entirefamily
during
the
creation ofthe
set and notjust
Walter Lee.
The
family
is
in
apredicament
together.
What
one memberdoes,
reflects uponevery
memberof
the
family.
Mama
mustdeal
withallowing her
sonto
become
aman,
sending
her daughter
to
college,
andkeeping
her daughter-in-law from
having
an abortion.Ruth
must acceptbeing
pregnant,
raising
a sonin
a rundown
apartment,
andmaking
a marriage work.It
becomes necessary for
Beneatha
to
learn
to
love
unconditionally
and understand whatis
attainable without
letting
her dreams
fail.
Walter
Lee
desperately
wantsto
be
a manby
owning his
ownbusiness
andhaving
money.Regardless
ofthe
approach,
I
think
Cochren's idea
ofcreating
a claustrophobicenvironment was an excellent
design
statement.A
claustrophobicenvironment can
help
portray
the
frustration
andanxiety
the
Youngers
felt
trying
to
leave
the
ghetto.My
design
statement was one ofhope
wherehope did
not exist.I
wanted
the
audienceto
understandthat
eventhough these
people werein
predicaments,
they
neverlost
sight oftheir
dreams.
It
is
through
hope
and
dreams
that
they
were ableto
moveinto
abetter
environment and gainthe
love
andunderstanding between
family
members.I feel
my
design
wasmore optimistic
than
Cochren's
was.The
backdrop
ofCochren's
set wasoutstanding
andvery
effective.In
Southside
Chicago,
during
the
1950's,
the
eltrains
werevery important
recognizable sights.
The
eltrain
track
in
forced
perspective onCochren's
back
drop
added muchdimension
to the
representation ofSouthside
Chicago.
(Refer
to
Appendix I for
Cochren's
sketch ofthe
eltrain
tracks
and
his
ground plan).Although it
was painted on atwo
dimensional
form,
it
made mefeel
asthough there
were noboundaries
ofthe
stage.The
track
appearedto
go onindefinitely.
I
choseto
design
my
eltrain
track
with a
three
dimensional
form
that
started stageleft
and ended stageright.
The
track
waslocated up
stage and surroundedmy
representation ofSouthside Chicago.
It
was athree
dimensional
form,
that
readflat
whencompared
to
Cochren's
two
dimensional
form.
Another
difference
wasthe facade.
I had designed
afacade
to
the
apartment
building
and a sidewalk.I
felt it
wasimportant because it
would
convey
aframe
of referencefor the
audience.I felt
there
wasenough action which could occur
in
this
spaceto
warrantits
generous usebuilding.
After
having
designed
afacade
ofthe
apartmentbuilding
onmy
set,
I felt Cochren
couldhave improved his
setby designing
afacade.
Also in my
set,
I
choseto
createthe
hallway
andbedroom
visibleto the
audience,
so action could occurin
those
places.This is
a choicethat I
feel
could workeffectively
if
directed
carefully.Cochren
chose notto
expose
these
areas.I
strongly
feel
it is
advantageousto
the
storylinefor
the
audienceto
experiencethe
actionin
these
spaces.More
drama,
tension,
and emotions couldbe
exposed.Metaphors
arevery
important
in
this play,
but
one needsto
be
careful not
to
over-use metaphors.I
feel
that
is
whathappened
withCochren's
set.Cochren
said"Every
detail
he
administeredto the
trapped
theme.
'The
clotheslines andtelephone
wires were workedinto
the
apartment
itself,
serving
as extensioncords,
going
up
and overthings.
There
aren't enough outletsin
this
house.
Not
enough outletsfor
the
electricity,
the
powerthat
Walter
needsto
break
out.There
are alot
oflittle
metaphorsin
the
set.Nothing
is
arbitrary.'"7
Some
ofthe
metaphors
that
existed on stagelost
their
significanceto
Cochren's
design.
For
example,
I found
myselfquestioning
the
abstractrepresentation of
telephone
wires,that
Cochren
had
created abovethe
apartment.
Since
his
set wasliteral,
incorporating
an abstractintertwining
ceiling
oftelephone
wires causedconfusion,
instead
of7
making
the
design feel
more claustrophobic.While reviewing
the
sets,
the
differences
werefew.
Those
whichI
found,
when comparedto
the
similarities,
did
not make one setbetter
than
the
other.They
merely
expressed ourindividual
approaches and ourpersonal attitudes
toward the
play
and ourdesigns. The play
wasvery
literal
and yetI
feel
weboth
successfully
accomplishedthe
requirementswith
two
different
attitudes.Designing
a setthat
encompassesthe
audiences attention
to
the
atmospherethat
existsfor
the
charactersis
important.
Part
of a setdesigner's
responsibility is
to
take
the
audienceinto
the
fantasy
world.The
atmosphere andthe
feeling
that
each setradiates
is
onevery
distinct
similarity.(Refer
to
Appendix
I
to
viewthe
final
model anddrawings.).
Comparison
ofSet
Design
andInterior
Design
Since
the
setdesigner
is creating
atemporary
environment,
he
orshe
is
allowedto
create withfewer
limitations
than
aninterior
designer.
A
setdesigner
is
not as concerned withfire
codes andbarrier-free
requirements as an
interior
designer
or an architectis,
for
the
following
reasons.
A
setis
usedby
actors who rehearse onthe
set andbecome very
familiar
withit.
A
setis
not usedby
the
general public asis
the theatre
itself.
The
setis temporary,
whereas abuilding
is
permanent.Materials
used
to
constructthe
set are similarto
architectural materials.In
setFor
instance,
aflat representing
awall,
built
ofluan
and1"x3"'s does
nothave
to
meet afire
rating,
whereasin
interior
design
a wall of studs and gypsumboard
does.
A
setdesigner's design has
to
be
functional
according
to the
script.If
a script callsfor
abedroom
and no action occursin
the
bedroom,
then
the
setdesigner
can place a non-functionaldoor
on aflat
that
leads
nowhere.An interior
designer
has
to
be
sensitiveto
human
needs.If
a client wants aninterior designer
to
design
abedroom,
the
designer
cannot placethe
door
leading
to
a spacethat
does
nothave
enough square
footage
for
abed,
adresser,
acloset,
and circulation.But
a setdesigner
can.The
process ofinterior design
and setdesign
is
quite similar.Without my
interior design
education,
designing
this
set wouldhave been
nextto
impossible.
I
would nothave
known how
to
demonstrate my ideas
on paper.It
washelpful understanding
the
process ofdesign
I
had learned
from
courses atR.I.T.,
suchas,
starting
withbubble diagrams
andworking
my
way step
by
step
to the
final
production.I
had
to
know how
to
readblueprints,
draft
plans,draw
and render elevations.It
wasbeneficial
to
have
experienceworking
withbuilding
codes.For
example,
I knew
I
wouldn't wantto
create anopening,
which a person might walkthrough,
less
than
2'-6".
Any
measurementless
than
that
could causeinconvenience
in
exiting
orentering
the
stage.Standard
measurementswas
helpful
information
I
gainedfrom
my
educationin
interior design.
Before
beginning
this
project,
I
had
neverheard
ofthe
play
A
Raisin
in
the
Sun.
It
wasinteresting learning
aboutthe
playwright,
Lorraine
Hansberry,
andher
play.Hansberry's
creationis very
enjoyableto
read.Each
characterhas
adeveloped
personality,
which makesit easy
to
identify
withthem
and understandtheir
predicaments.I
feel
she wrote avery
effective script.I
learned
alot
aboutthe
process ofputting
a productiontogether.
It
takes
afairly
large
crew,
to
makethe
production possible.Each
crewmember
has his/her job
to
perform,
budget
to
follow,
anddeadline
to
keep
in
orderfor
the
productionto
runsmoothly
and on schedule.From
researchto
final
production,
I
thoroughly
enjoyedcreating
the
set.
The
creativedevelopment
ofthe
set wasvery
stimulating
for
me.Because
it
wasdifficult
to
find
information,
learning
aboutthe
stylesfrom
the
1930's
wasfrustrating
attimes.
By
the
final
production ofthe
design,
the
drawing
andmodel-making
ofthe
intricate
detailing
became
monotonous.
Regardless,
it
was anextraordinary
experience andI
hope
to
have
more opportunitiesin
setdesign.
I feel
that
setdesign
requiredmy
knowledge
ofboth
my
interior design
andmy fine
arts educations.Thanks
to
Jim
Tinsley,
Production Manager
atGeVa
Theatre,
andto
my
thesis
committee,
I
was ableto
fulfill
my desire
ofdesigning
a set.My
relationship
withJim
Tinsley
is
onethat
has
provided aninteraction between
the
Interior
Design
Program
atR.I.T.
andGeVa
theatre.
This
will give other studentsinterested
in
setdesign
a chanceto
experience
the process,
under supervision ofthe
professors atR.I.T.
andAPPENDIX
A
SKETCHES
x
y2$
1/
J
pdn$&
APPENDIX
B
SOUTHSIDE
CHICAGO
IN
THE
1950s
APPENDIX
C
FURNITURE
AND
FINISHES
FROM
THE
1930's
Dresserwith matchedOrientalwalnut veneer ontopandsides,
diamondandV-matchedOrientalwalnut veneer on drawers
and a
banding
of zebranowood andmarquetryseparatingthe first twodrawers,44"wide.20"deep.71"high,late1930s. Part
ofthefive-piece waterfall set.
Upholsteredarmchair with rolled and ribbeddesignedhard
wood arms andfeet,31"armtoarm,
34"
high. 1935. Purl of
two-piecesetincludingdavenport thai is notpictured.
?
Vanity
with matchedOrientalwalnut veneer ontopandsides.diamondand V-matched Orientalwalnut veneerondrawers
ind a
banding
of zebranowood andmarquetryaboveapron,14"
wide,
18"
deep,66"high,1930s. Partofthefive-piecewater
fallset.
Armchair with originalmohairupholsterymadebyKroehler. tl5"
armtoarm.
33"
high,1930s. Partoftwo-piecesetincluding
Bedwith diamondand V-matchedzebranowood panels, 41"
highheadboard.24 "highfootboard.1930s.Partof atwo-piece
waterfall set
including
dressermadebyI).Bassett Manufac
turing
Company. (Bedroom Furniture) BassetI. Virginia.Chifforobewith matchedOriental walnut veneer ontopand
sides,diamondandV-matched Orientalwalnut veneer ondoor
anddrawersand a
banding
ofzebranowoodandmarquetrv separatingthefirst twodrawers;thecabinetbehindthedoor is cedar-lined. 36"wide.20"
deep. 62"
high, late 1930s.Part ofthefive-piecewaterfall set
including
bed, dresser,vanity andbench (notpictured).
Buffetwithfiguredwalnut veneertopandsides. V-matched
Orientalveneer onbottomoutsidedoorand center panel butt
walnut veneer on two top drawers and
outside of center drawers,maple veneerhorizontalstrips and
veneerite(artificial)
marquetry,59'
wide.20"deep,33"
uide, deep, high, 1930s.
Occasionaltablemade of selectedhardwoodsstained i
15"
square.28"high, 1930s.
alnul.
A breakfast setincludingan oak extension table, 42"wide,
32"
deep.30"
highandfouroak side chairs.
35"
high, 1930s.
Hat erfalloccasional table uith
selectedharduoodbaseand narrow mahogany veneer
strip in the center of the too
separatingtwofigured walnut veneerpanels. 26"
wide 14
deep,24"
high,early 1940s.
Waterfallcoffer orcocktailtablewithfiguredwalnut veneer
topand selectedhardwood base.32"
\\ide. 17"
deep, 18"
high,
selectedhardwoodframe,21" wide, 12" deep. 35" high, mid dle 1930s.
Coronadofloormodel radio withfigured walnut veneer case
andselectedhardwood decorations, 21 wide. II deep. 36' high, late 1930s. Chromium framedclock ononyx base, 10'
wide.
4"
deep. 10"
high, madeby Manning-Bowman.
Sentinelsofa radio with plain-sliced walnut veneer and selected
hardwoodcase,21"
wide, 13
"
deep,21"
high,late 1930s. Aradio ofthis type was placedby thearm of a sofa.
Majesticradio withplain-slicedwalnut veneertopandsides,
butt walnut veneerfront and stilesand selectedhardwood
frame,25"
wide,
16"
deep, 38"high, middle 1930s,madeby
Grigsby-Grunow.TheclockisaPlymoutheight-day.
13"
wide.
1"
deep, 9"
as
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