Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1995 - 11

realiC)'. The producrion is "realisric" insofar as whar rhe specrarors see onsrage marches rheir menral image of observable
realiI:)', or ar leasr how rhearre represenrs rhar real iC)'. A "presenrarional" sC),le, on rhe orher hand, refers ro a producrion
rhar emphasizes rhe rhearricaliC)' of rhe performance, in
which rhe specrarors are deliberarely made aware rhar whar
rhey are seeing is an anificial, arrisric crearion.

OPEN STAGE:

Presentational·

PROSCENIUM:

Illusionistic

In a proscenium rhearre, rhe audience and rhe performance
are in rwo differenr rooms, wirh rhe audience looking
rhrough an opening inro rhe orher space. In an open srage
rhearre, rhe audience and performance share one space and
are under one roof. According ro Ming Cho Lee, rhis archirecrural disrincrion derermines rhe narure and receprion of
rhe producrion. On rhe open srage,
ir is nor illusionisric rhearre. Ir's a plarform and you
come on and do rhe play. The facr rhar you are in rhe
same room, under rhe same ceiling, makes rhe repre-

A CmlpARlSO:-:

senrarional or illusionisric approach ro rhe work
almosr impossible. The archirecrure is going ro fighr
againsr ir. 1

OF PRO CE:-:IL':>.t (ILLCSIO:-:I TIC)

A~D OpE:-: (PRE E:\TATIO:-:AL)

BY WILLL\,"

TAGE

CONDEE

hould rhe sryle of rhe producrion derive from rhe
rhearre space or from rhe play? To some exrenr, rhe
answer musr be borh: The producrion should be
appropriare ro rhe play and harmonious wirh rhe rhearre.
Bur individual rhearre anisrs rend ro give more weighr
ro one or rhe orher. Some argue rhar rhe form of rhe rhearre space dicrares a specific sryle; rhe producrion should
rherefore follow rhar sryle, while srill raking inro accounr
rhe narure of rhe play. Specifically, rhis posirion has ir rhar
a proscenium rhearre resulrs in an illusionisric producrion,
while an open srage resulrs in one rhar is presenrarional.
Orhers mainrain rhar rhe producrion should be based
almosr enrirely on rhe play, and rhar any sryle can be made
ro work in any space.
Definirions of rhearrical sryles are rricky and slippery; in
facr, some argue rhar one cannor define sryles of performance. \X!irh rhar cavear in mind, I offer working definirions
rhar can and will be undermined.
"Illusionism" is applied ro a producrion in which rhe
specrarors are meanr ro imagine, wirh a willing suspension of
disbelief, rhar whar rhey are seeing onsrage is an illusion of

Thearre anisrs who believe rhar differenr srage forms require
differenr producrion sryles use various rerms ro express rhis
disrincrion. Ming believes rhar on rhe open srage "you have
ro presenr realiry, you have ro presenr rhe real rhing." Ming
calls rhis sryle "real," nor "reaIisric." The designer can pull off
illusionisric design srunrs on rhe proscenium srage using
marerials ro represenr somerhing else, bur on an open srage,
Ming would "rhink rhree rimes before using sC)Trofoam ro
look like gravel."
Michael Yeargan describes his rechnique for designing a
"presenrarional" producrion on an open srage: "Ir is as if you
rake a planer; on ir you pur rhese objecrs and you presenr ir
ro someone, and usually you rip ir a linle bir. You have a
raked Aoor wirh objecrs on ir rhar say, 'I'm a real fireplace.
I'm a real srove.' Ir is as real as you can make ir."
john jensen expresses rhe difference berween designing
for rhe proscenium and rhe open srage in rerms of "illusion"
and "allusion":
Tradirional proscenium design leans ro illusion,
whereas on rhe open srage, you can selecr and suggesr,
because rhe convenrion exisrs and is accepred rhar all
of rhe walls are removed-nor jusr rhe founh wall.
Those people sining righr and lefr are looking ar rhe
resr of rhe audience. A whole bay window onsrage is
replaced by a simpler gesrure ro suggesr rhe window. Ir
can be an allusion ro a window. A window sear may
really counr for a whole room, even a very e1aborare
room if you carefully design ir ro describe rhe room's

T D & T

I ') ') 'i

\\' I 7' T E R

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1995