# Set designs for Caught in the Net



## stagenazi (Jul 18, 2005)

Anyone have any pictures of their set designs for Caught in the Net by Ray Cooney? Or do you know where I can find some? I'm directing it for our 2005-2006 season and I'm having a heck of a time finding any pictures on the internet that are worth looking at. I'm trying to get some ideas.... Or does anyone know of a theatre in the Texas-Kansas-Oklahoma-Arkansa-Missouri area producing it between now and March? Once again, can't find any info on the internet that is useful.....


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## Foxinabox10 (Jul 18, 2005)

Did you Google Image search it?


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## ship (Jul 18, 2005)

What if it were a new play that had never been produced before? How would you than design the show given you could not "get ideas" from what ideas other people already had on their own design? How did those people before you come up with a design?

Perhaps instead of searching for pictures to get some ideas you might research the author, the play, it's concept, those of the culture it's intended to make a statement about, art of the time, your director's thoughts and concept and other things. Don't stop studying into it and re-reading the script until the set and ideas of what you want to design are your own and perfect for your production. Perhaps avoid what other people have done when doing the same production. Instead concentrate on what you are doing if you want a truely great artistic statement and design that stems from you.


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## Traylen (Jul 19, 2005)

Ship, stole the words right out of my mouth!  

Well... he beat me to it I mean to say. Don't rely on other people to "do" (for lack of a better word) your designs for you. This is a chance for you to give your imagination and creativity a work out. It's also more rewarding when it comes out really nice and you did it all by yourself. 

Like Ship said, what if no one had done that play before? Relying on other's work can be hazardous to one's career. Perhaps if you don't intend to follow the path of the designer and you're just doing this for your high school or whatever, and just want it done, then I guess it's ok. But if this is something you want to do. Experiment! It's high school, it's your chance to make mistakes, learn concepts, see what works and what doesn't. Stretch your thinking ability; train your mind to think in a different way. To problem solve how to fix the many problems that occur during the design process. 

Suggestions for your process if you choose to do it yourself:
1) Read script for fun (no notes)
2) Read script again but take some notes on what scenes there are, what things are referred to. 
3) Make a list of all the different scenes contained in the show, what order they are (scenic breakdown), how many times they are used, and how big they need to be.
3.5) Scripts are usually read 3 or more times depending on the designer, but it's not necessary if you don't want to.
4) Research what things looked like in that time period
5) Combine your research with your scenic breakdown and begin to sketch out possible ideas of how you want the scenery to look.
6) Begin to consider how to create the scenery, how it will move, fit together, be built etc.
6.5) Sketch and make note of ideas.
7) Hopefully if I've made this list right (not leaving anything out that is, I'm a bit tired) you should be ready to draft out your set once you've decided on all of your design concepts and what not.

*Remember, it's not set in stone until it's been built. 

Anywho, hopefully that helped! Enjoy this experience! Let your imagination run wild!!


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## Foxinabox10 (Jul 19, 2005)

One other thing that is helpful is if you got a used bookstore and find magazines from the time period, if possible. They help with pictures of furniture, room layouts, and even costuming.


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## stagenazi (Aug 7, 2005)

You're not telling me anything I don't already know about set design but most of my problems are technical, not design oriented. The play is set in the present (written in 2002, I think) so I don't have to research the time period much. I've read the script through about a million times. It's a farce so the set has to be able to withstand all kinds of door slammings and people running into them. It's a box set and the script calls for 8 doors and a set of stairs (which are very much all needed). The action takes place in two separate houses simultaneously and part of the space is shared between the two locations. What I'm trying to figure out is, how can I squeeze 8 doors and a set of stairs onto my tiny little stage? How do I define the different spaces? How do I define the shared space? I've got an idea of how I want to solve these problems but I'd like to take a look at how other people have dealt with the problem so I can see if I'm missing something. I'm not trying to swipe someone else's ideas, just glean some information from people who have already dealt with the same problems.


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## ship (Aug 8, 2005)

Perhaps put it on a turn table?

In the end however, those bunch of things you need to do and want to do, is as a designer design and flow choices you make as part of your art. Seeing how someone else solved the problem is still cheating.

Perhaps you should talk with the director more if not even get out a floor plan and say a few small army men or models than also a pencil to lay out on the plot some scene to scene flow and blocking thus also good locations for doors and stairs. This for where in general the director would like stuff or the two of you work out where stuff needs to be or where the conflicts are.

Really are a billion ways to solve problems such as you are looking for help on, it's also part of your job to figure out those solutions on your own for your space.


These are just my thoughts however on design. 

Perhaps even if 2002, more study is still necessary. Let's say it's an apartment. Never read the play but let's say it's an apartment. Is it an upscale apartment and where is it? Put yourself into the research mode of where the characters would live. What is the style of apartment they would have or be most likely to choose. What floor is it on, what's the view? Next how's it decorated?

Otherwise if less realistic, You start with some base requirement and throw in the Psyche of the characters in the play in helping them along. In say something like form a Shephard play, things don't have to make architectural sense persay.

In other conditions, perhaps a doorway that's parallel with the Center Line of the stage, from one direction with lighting goes to a washroom but from another direction goes to a bedroom. It will become confusing, but can be made to work. One door can even lead to many places.

Once saw a full play that used two black 18"x48"x24" boxes and that was about it for set and props. Play and talent was good enough, the designer did not need anything else besides fresh black drapes and fresh black paint on the boxes and stage.

Lots of ways of solving problems and ways of design. This challenge you have is part of your role as a designer. Sit down with the design team or at least the director sketch, plot walk about the stage etc. Study the times and means and culture the cast would live in. Is their above apartment something straight out of architectural digest, without a thing out of place, a Victorian study, or something similar to a college dorm room at the end of the year?


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## Radman (Aug 10, 2005)

If you have room in the house you could always build out the front of the stage to give more room for the set.


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