Sets--General Concepts

From a directing standpoint what I need for the sets of the show are fairly simple.  Many scenes take place either on the street or in a yard.  The specific locations/interiors are only a few:  The Garter Inn, the Ford house, Dr. Caius' house and the giant oak tree.

A simple unit set would work best.  I would love to have something to represent both the Ford and Page houses as well as something else for the Garter.  I'm thinking three building fronts, so that we have three doors.



The real problem is moving from interior to exterior all of the time.  In Shakepesare's day it was a simple unit set that audiences just went along with, and you didn't need many specifics.  The characters almost always tell you when and where they are.

This fall I am directing a production of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's Rough Magic.  It's a play that brings several of the characters from The Tempest to life in modern NYC.  The locations transform there as quickly as they do in Shakespeare.  There is an intent to take that show on the road.  For that set I am going to build a replica of The Globe Theatre's stage, then I can use it for other Shakepeare productions as needed.  I am thinking now that perhaps if that set was designed to have somewhat interchangeable pieces, then it could look different for each show, and it could be used for Merry Wives as well.  Perhaps painted with a western motif.