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Big Idea/ Topic
Scenic Design
Connecting Theme/Enduring Understanding:
Exploring the connection between the theatre arts including performances with language arts and literature.
Creating theatrical representations of real-world observations.
Essential Questions:
What is the role of the scenic designer?
What is the process of scenic design?
What is the design concept?
Why do scenic designers use a ground-plan?
What makes some stages more effective than others for certain stories?
Standard Alignment
CREATING
TAHSTT.CR.1 Create technical elements of theatre (e.g. sets, props, costumes, makeup, lighting,
sound).
a. Explore and utilize the elements of design and principles of composition for a theatrical context.
b. Create basic to advanced technical elements by choosing appropriate materials, tools, and
techniques.
c. Analyze and/or develop choices in technical elements (e.g. sets, lights, costumes, sound) of informal
and formal productions and theatrical texts as a part of the design process, considering mood, tone,
and symbolism.
d. Create industry-standard paperwork (e.g. budgets, cut lists, materials, cue sheets, lighting and
costume plots, schedules, calendars) as it relates to completing design renderings and/or models.
e. Conceptualize and/or generate design elements for a dramatic work (e.g. scene, one-act, full-length,
musical).
PERFORMING
TAHSTT.PR.1 Produce technical elements in theatre.
b. Identify and interpret design and construction documentation, materials, techniques, and procedures
for production.
c. Differentiate between stock and non-standard material, scenic, or technical elements related to
production.
d. Conduct initial research about design to inform further development of the production concept.
e. Explore and/or produce an appropriate series of design documentation for a theatrical production (e.g.
thumbnail sketches, swatches, first renderings, mixed media presentation).
RESPONDING
TAHSTT.RE.1 Respond to technical elements of theatre using appropriate supporting evidence.
a. Revise projects, plans, and/or procedures after peer criticism to improve the development of technical
elements.
Grades 9-12
Sample High School Technical Theatre Learning Plan
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b. Identify and analyze the characteristics of different types of performance spaces and how they can
influence production decisions (e.g. proscenium stage, studio/black box, thrust stage, classroom,
arena, found space).
c. Evaluate the design choices of professional designers.
d. Evaluate design and technical elements in a post mortem following the completion of theatre
production.
CONNECTING
TAHSTT.CN.1 Connect technical elements of theatre.
b. Investigate the history of theatre architecture, stage technology, and other technical elements.
e. Connect design themes with historical and social relevance using dramaturgical research and an
understanding of historical and cultural-artistic movements (e.g. expressionism, realism, Kabuki,
Sanskrit Drama).
Instructional Design
*This lesson has a flexible timeline but can be accomplished in 5-10 days.
This lesson is intended to reach students in a virtual setting, whether plugged or unplugged. See the
bottom of the lesson for a list of unplugged supplies.
FOUNDATIONAL INFORMATION:
Safety and Introduction to Technical Theatre
CONCEPTS:
● The process of scenic design
● Elements of design
● Design execution
VOCABULARY:
safety, studio flats, canvas flats, platforms, leg, travelers and borders, ground plan, thumbnails, rendering,
white model, scale drawing, design concept, line, color, texture, mass, composition, realism, non-realism
LINKS:
Theatre Spaces Sample Video
Scenic Design and the Elements of Design Video
Theatre and Film: Technical Theatre I: Unit 2: Lesson Plan 1: Elements and Principles of Design PowerPoint
Theatre and Film: Technical Theatre I: Unit 2: Lesson Plan 1: Theatre Spaces and Scenic Design PowerPoint
Part 1:
The Elements of Design: Part 1: Student Journal Prompt
Have the students draw a bird’s eye view of their room in their journal with all of the furniture. This really could
be any room in their house or the classroom if the lesson is done at the school, but it needs to be a real place.
Tell them they only have 10 minutes to make it as accurate as possible. Let them know not to include people.
10 Minute Ground Plan drawing:
Draw an accurate bird's eye view of your surroundings.
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Write a brief statement describing your room. What do you like about it? What don’t you like? How does it
make you feel to be in the space? Why?
Write in your journal what you think you might need to convert this room to a stage set.
Part 2:
Theatre Spaces Instructions:
In a live or recorded session present the information from the example lesson video, and the PowerPoint, on a
synchronous digital platform such as Google Meet (How it Works: Google Meet), or create an asynchronous
video of your own.
Sample Video:
Theatre Spaces Sample Video
After presenting the information about the proscenium, the thrust stage, the area stage, or theatre in the round,
and created or found spaces have the students discuss how they could recreate their room into a stage set in
each of these types of space.
Unplugged Variation: Have the student read the information about theatre spaces before determining what
type of theatre space you might choose to convert your room. Students can write in their journals explaining
how they might convert the drawn room into each of the major types of stage.
Following the class discussion about the benefits and pitfalls of converting the room to different types of theatre
spaces, you can move on to the next instructional portion of the lesson.
Have students watch the video or present the information from the example lesson script, and the Theatre
Spaces PowerPoint, on a synchronous digital platform such as Google Meet (How it Works: Google Meet), or
create an asynchronous video of your own. As an unplugged option, send the students a packet including the
information from the video and screenshots from the PowerPoint.
Sample Video:
Scenic Design and the Elements of Design Video
After the presentation of Scenic Design and the Elements of Design have the students draft a design concept
for creating a theatrical set for their room.
Student Instructions:
Use the brief description of the room and the drawing from part one of the lesson as inspiration. Remember to
include statements on tone and style, central Images or metaphors, and how you might coordinate with other
designers such as the lighting design and solve practical problems. Share the design concepts as a class.
Unplugged Variation: Have the student read the information about scenic design and the elements of design.
Draft the room design concept in the student journal.
Part 3:
Using the Scene Design Packet and your room design concept, Make a Key for your Ground Plan. Create
a detailed ground plan of your room as a theatrical set on a stage. Brainstorm the items you will need to
achieve your design concept. Fill out the budget form. Update your Room Key and Ground Plan to include
any items that were added after the budget. Create a full-color rendering or 3D Model of your set design.
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Send pictures or videos of your scene design to the teacher along with all planning documents and a copy
of your design concept. Be sure your final design addresses the central image or metaphor, location, and
period, the ideas of the design concept, tone and style, effective use of the elements of design, and any
safety and practicality issues actors might have using the set. This process may take several days.
Evidence of Student Success
Diagnostic: Draft of Room and journals
Formative: Teacher observation, discussion, and planning stages of the New Room Set Design Project
Summative: Scenic Design Rubric
Distance Learning Supports
Ideas for Differentiation:
Our goal is for all students to be actively engaged using the body, the voice, speaking, reflecting, and writing.
Below are changes to the lesson to help achieve that goal for students who need additional support. or
increased rigor. Note: Be careful using these lessons for all students.
• Consider allowing students to record their thoughts in a variety of ways: using the talk to text/dictate
feature, making an audio recording of their responses, drawing pictures, circling and/or labeling on
their diagram or PowerPoint printouts, etc.
• Students needing additional support the relative scale of the model or build a single element of the
design rather than the entire scene room.
• For low-tech and unplugged adaptation students can work one-on-one with teachers on the phone
during the planning stages of the project.
• Students working at an accelerated pace can complete rendering and a scale model of the room
design. For further exploration, students could create scenic design for a play rather than their room.
Unplugged Supplies: Lesson checklist, Journal, printed PowerPoint slides, and/or copy of lecture notes,
assignment handout, copy of assignment rubric.
Engaging Families
Materials included to support unplugged learners: Lesson checklist, Journal, printed PowerPoint slides, copy
of lecture notes, assignment handout, copy of assignment rubric
Optional materials to support learning:
• Victoria and Albert Museum: 19th Century Theatre
• Wikipedia: Theatre in the Round
• Wikipedia: Colosseum
• Wikipedia: Proscenium
• Wikipedia: Thrust stage
• Wikipedia: Scenic Design
• Wikipedia: Black Box Theatre
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Lesson Checklist
Part 1:
o 1. Draw a rough ground plan of your room.
o 2. Describe how you feel about the space.
o 2. Record reflections about the activity in your journal.
Part 2:
o 3. Read, watch, or listen to the information about stage spaces.
o 4. Discuss how you could convert your room into a theatrical set in each of the major stages.
o 5. Read, watch, or listen to the information about scenic design.
o Create a design concept for your room.
Part 3:
o 6. Make a Key for your Ground Plan.
o 7. Create a detailed ground plan of your room as a theatrical set on a stage.
o 8. Brainstorm the items you will need to achieve your design concept.
o 9. Fill out the budget form.
o 10. Update your Room Key and Ground Plan to include any items that were added after the budget.
o 11. Create a full-color rendering or 3D Model of your set design.
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Example PowerPoint Slides: Theatre Spaces
Example PowerPoint Slides: Scenic Design and the Elements of Design
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Georgia Department of Education
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Georgia Department of Education
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Personal Room Set Design Planning Packet
This Packet Includes:
• Set Plot/Ground Plan Examples
• Set Rendering Example
• Planning Page
• Budget Request Page
• Drafting Page
• Key Page
• Rubric
Set Plot/Ground Plan Sketch Example
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Using the example on the first page as an example, create a key for the items in the Room. Make sure to label
what each symbol means.
Using the key you just created and the example on the top page, complete the following steps on the next
page:
1. Sketch the perimeter of the room on your page.
2. Fill in any doors, windows, or other items that are built into the walls.
3. Begin placing the furniture you identified in the key in the Room sketch. Try to place these as accurately as
possible.
4. If you realize you need to add something, put it in the key above, and then add it to your image.
5. When you are finished, you will have a set plot/ground plan for your Room!
Room Set Plot/Ground Plan
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Set Rendering Examples:
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Room Set Rendering
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Brainstorm
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Consider what you would change in the Room if you had an unlimited budget. Think of how you would change
furniture, items in the room, or other ideas to improve the theatre Room
Brainstorm those ideas below!
When a designer begins to plan for a new set design, they must go through a budget request process. To do
this, begin researching the items you would like to change in the room and record the prices for those items
below. Remember to pretend that budget is not an issue and you have all the money you want.
Item
Cost per Item
Quantity of Items
Final Cost
EXAMPLE:
Blackout Curtains for
Windows
$20.00
5
$100.00
What is the total cost of the changes you want to make?
Create an updated Room Key
Using the key you just created and the example on the top page, complete the following steps on the next
page:
1. Sketch the perimeter of the Roroomn your page.
2. Fill in any doors, windows, or other items that are built into the walls.
3. Begin placing the furniture you identified in the key in the Room sketch. Try to place these as accurately as
possible.
4. If you realize you need to add something, put it in the key above, and then add it to your image.
5. When you are finished, you will have a set plot/ground plan for your NEW theatre Room!
Create a NEW Room Set Plot/Ground Plan
Create a New Room Set Rendering
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Room Set Design Project Formative Rubric
Concept
1 point
2 Points
3 Points
4 Points
Planning
The student did
not complete
the planning
documents
before
illustrating a
design.
The student
completed
some of the
planning
documents but
did not finish
the work.
Students
completed most
of the planning
documents but
did not finish
the work.
The student
completed all
planning
documents.
Key
Students did
not complete a
key.
The student
drew some
images but did
not label the
images well or
included other
images in the
final product
that cannot be
found in the
key.
Students drew
some images
but some
images that
were not used
in the key.
Student’s
images are
complete and
labeled
correctly. They
are easily
identifiable in
the final
product.
Set Plot/Ground
Plan
The final result
was not
completed or
could not be
deciphered.
The final result
was difficult to
understand but
had some
elements that
could be
identified.
The final result
was mostly
identifiable, but
some elements
were not clear.
The final result
was clear, and
the elements
were easy to
identify.
Set Rendering
The set
rendering was
not done with
care and the
image was not
easy to identify.
The set
rendering was
complete, but
the student did
not incorporate
color or textures
to help identify
the setting.
The set
rendering was
complete, but
the student
implemented
only color OR
texture to help
identify the
setting.
The set
rendering was
complete and
contained
plentiful color
and texture to
help identify
the setting.
Resource Page:
Ground Plan Key:
https://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/pacshop/graphics.html
Ground Plan and Rendering for Secret Garden:
http://faculty.trinity.edu/sgilliam/SLG/SECRETGARDEN/homepage.html
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Scenic Design Rubric
COURSE: Technical Theatre UNIT: 2 LESSON: Scenic Design
SUMMATIVE SCENIC DESIGN ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
Criteria
Advanced/Level 4
Proficient/Level
3
Emerging/Level 2
Developing/Level 1
Central Image or
Metaphor
TAHSTT.CR.1
(a,c,d,e)
TAHSTT.PR.1
(d,e)
TAHSTT.RE.1 (a)
TAHSTT.CN.1 (e)
The design provides a
clear image or
metaphor for the
audience to understand
the world of the play.
The metaphor or image
continues to enhance
the audience’s
experience throughout
the performance.
The design
provides a clear
image or
metaphor for the
audience to
understand the
world of the play.
The design
provides an image
or metaphor for the
play, but it is
unclear how it
enhances the
audience’s
experience of the
performance.
The design does not
provide an image or
metaphor.
Locale and
Period.
Location and
period
TAHSTT.CR.1
(a,c,d,e)
TAHSTT.PR.1
(d,e)
TAHSTT.RE.1 (a)
TAHSTT.CN.1 (e)
The location and period
are clearly defined and
enhance the
audience’s ability to
contextualize the
performance.
The location and
period
identifiable and
clearly make
sense with the
theatrical text.
The location and
period are clearly
defined but are not
recognizable or not
clearly tied to the
text of the play or
the design concept.
The location and
period not evident.
Design Concept
A clear
understandable
vision of the
scenic design
closely tied to
and amplifying
the initial
description of
how the room
feels.
TAHSTT.CR.1
(a,c,d,e)
TAHSTT.PR.1
(d,e)
The design concept is
exceedingly clear in the
execution of the
design. The concept
clearly enhances the
theatrical text.
The concept is
generally
identifiable and
often enhances
the audience’s
experience of
the performance
of the text.
The design concept
is clear but does
not clearly enhance
the audience’s
experience of the
theatrical text or
works in opposition
to the text.
The design concept
is not evident.
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TAHSTT.RE.1 (a)
TAHSTT.CN.1 (e)
Tone and Style
Use of line, color,
texture, mass,
and composition
to convey the
tone and style
TAHSTT.CR.1
(a,c,d,e)
TAHSTT.PR.1
(d,e)
TAHSTT.RE.1 (a)
TAHSTT.CN.1 (e)
All elements of scenic
design work together to
create a specific and
clearly defined mood,
tone, and style which
enhances the theatrical
text and aids
performance.
The elements of
scenic design
work together to
create general
moods, tones,
and styles
appropriate for
the theatrical
text.
The elements of
scenic design
occasionally work
together to create
general moods,
tones, and styles
which are generally
appropriate for the
theatrical text.
The elements of
scenic design no not
work together to
create general
moods, tones, and
styles that are
appropriate for the
theatrical text. The
tone and style are
either not evident or
contrast the text in a
manner not
indicated by the
design concept.
Practicality
Safety, functional
use for actors,
directors, and
other designers
TAHSTT.CR.1
(a,c,d,e)
TAHSTT.PR.1
(d,e)
TAHSTT.RE.1 (a)
TAHSTT.CN.1 (e)
The design is safe for
actor use. The design
is exceedingly helpful
to the director in
staging the play
providing multiple
levels and planes for
staging. The scenic
design specifically
addresses considering
other areas of the
technical design.
The design is
safe for actor
use. The design
is helpful to the
director in
staging the play
for the audience.
The scenic
design takes
some of the
other areas of
the technical
design into
consideration.
The design is safe
for actor use. The
design is somewhat
helpful to the
director in providing
some levels and
planes. The scenic
design mostly
considers other
areas of the
technical design.
The design is not
safe for actor use.
The design does not
provide the director
with many options
for staging. The
scenic design
hinders other areas
of technical design.
_____ /20
