Scenography is what? Types of scenography

At the heart of the theatrical art, let everyone know, there are two components: professional actors play and well-designed scenography. This is a very capacious term, which includes many concepts and is an integral part of any theatrical production.

Help from the current dictionary

Going to the theater is an excursion to another world, another dimension. Why do we reason this way? Blame for everything is scenography - a special kind of creativity, which deals with the design of the play, creating within its framework a separate time and space. The scenography includes everything that is surrounded by actors and the actors themselves. This background scenery, props and various objects with which there is interaction, costumes, masks and makeup. To accurately recreate the situation and time in which the main action takes place, the living attributes (flowers, animals) and real objects of everyday life (genuine furniture, paintings) are used, and the creations of the hands of artists, that is, masks, outfits, picturesque imitations of streets and rooms .

At the origins of history

Scenography as art began to emerge in an ancient society, which was still devoid of a scene as a special construction, and actors as a profession. Our ancestors had a small folklore heritage, the creators of that time also composed parables, stories and epics. This material is often done such costume productions. In this way, the "genetic code" on which modern scenography was based was defined. These are the three basic functions, without which the theatrical production is inconceivable: a personal, playful and defining place of action.

Prescenography and its characters

The term "pre-evaluation" is used when it comes to the times before the onset of the antiquity era, within which the theater was defined as a full-fledged art form. Cave people, the ancient pagans already had considerable experience in stage activities, except that the productions differed fundamentally from modern ones. Then the scenography of the performance at the center of all events was placed by a certain character who was the main acting "person". At first they were rock paintings, circular images (which symbolized the Sun as a deity), various stuffed animals and totems. The performance was not a social event, but a ritual in which the forces of nature were celebrated, and deities worshiped and deceased ancestors.

Surprisingly, one of the ancient pagan performances is actual even in the present time! If anyone has not guessed, it's about the tradition to put a New Year tree in the house, dress it up and dance around it roundelays. For the sake of justice, we note that our ancestors dressed an eternally green tree somewhat differently. On the branches hung totems and talismans, as well as parts of the animals that were sacrificed. Fortunately, the darkest moments of this tradition have been left in the past, and only the most beautiful ones have reached us. That's it, if you want to clearly imagine what the old scenography of the performance looked like, just go to the central square of your city and admire the costume dances, dances, carols and other New Year's rituals.

Development of the game function

It is possible to say with complete certainty that in the era of antiquity a full-fledged set design, or theatrical and decorative art, is already in the making. The theater is gradually becoming a social event, the script is based not only on rituals and worship of the gods, but also on contrived life situations, and only specially trained actors act on the stage. Accordingly, there is a new, play scenography - a special kind of theatrical art. The first scenery is created, which brings the performances closer to reality, the actors are sewing costumes and masks (the make-up is still far away), necessary lighting and minimal special effects are created. In this form the theater passed not only through antiquity, but also through the Middle Ages.

Renaissance - the era of the revival of scenery

XV-XVI centuries - not only the era of humanism, going after the gloomy Middle Ages, but also the period for which the scenography was thoroughly formed. This is the time in which the greatest artists, sculptors and architects worked, mostly Italian. They then became the authors of many elements of the props, without which the present theater is unimaginable. It was decided to create for each performance a background, the same as that of the paintings of Da Vinci and Michelangelo. For the first time, Donato Bramante, the great architect, who mastered the theatrical perspective, coped with the task. In the foreground acted in the costumes, and on the second - backgrounds, corresponding to the described place of action. Later, Sebastiano Serlio, the architect-theoretician, distributed the scenery into three types: for comedy, tragedy, and pastoral. After these practical and theoretical works, scenography, like art and production, is embodied in the theater "Olimpico", which was built by the hands of Andrea Palladio in Vincenzo.

With the times

In modern man, the theater is instantly associated with the word "art", but the inhabitants of the Renaissance were only accustomed to this innovation. It was from those times that the performances began to follow the style dictated by artists and sculptors, and they inherited the main trends in philosophy and ideology. Since the Renaissance we examined, we turn to Italian baroque and its features. Following the new ideology, theatrical set design ceases to be two-dimensional (in the foreground actors, on the second - scenery). Now artists are surrounded by props from all sides, and the action itself can take place not only in comedy, tragedy or pastoral, but in the most incredible "worlds" (under water, earth, sky, clouds, etc.).

From the era of Classicism to modern times

By the beginning of the 17th century, scenography as an art and production was occupying an important segment in the sphere of life of all European countries. There were whole factories that were engaged in the production of theatrical scenery, so they have long become dynamic and plastic. The scene could consist of several scaffolding or levels. On the ropes placed branches of trees, the moon or the sun, clouds, and even the actors themselves, if required by the script. An important find of the 18th century was the curtain, whose work system was also painstakingly designed by designers. All these achievements were collected in a single whole, improved and grew with technical progress.

Due to the fact that the scenography is a special kind of art, and not just the production of scenery and various theatrical tweaks, it has been modified and stylistically adjusted for every era. Like music or sculpture, it embodied the style of rococo and classicism, absorbed the main characteristics of romanticism, and later - realism. Until the first half of the XX century, the theater and its scenery duplicated the main stylistic trends of the current epochs, until people decided to turn to the old days. Of course, our contemporaries did not return to the original scenery; on the contrary, the technical equipment of any, even the simplest theater, became more and more perfect. But the productions, places of action, heroes - all this was often a description of the past eras. Today you can see a play about the life of the ancient people or about the achievements of the society of the Renaissance period. There are performances in avant-garde stylistics, abstract and surreal, or we are shown maximum realism.

What is special about the modern theater?

In current years, it will not be enough to say that design is a special kind of art, because this industry has come to the forefront in the theater. In some ways, she even eclipsed the importance of acting (so the great Maestros forgive) and got a new name - stage design. In large productions for the assembly of scenery, the design of the stage and the creation of the necessary atmosphere, a lot of money and effort is spent. Leading designers and builders can take part in the process, and all these efforts are just for the sake of one performance. Similarly, the stylists work on the actors' images - carefully selected costumes and make-up.

Types of scenography

To observe how far the modern theater has moved forward, it is possible by the number of workers who work to create scenery for each individual performance. If earlier, to create the necessary atmosphere, invited, so to speak, a universal professional, who in a short time embodied the reality of costumes, props and background production, now this task was divided into many industries. So there were different types of scenographic art, and about what they and who are working on them, we will now figure it out.

• Spatial scope of the play. In other words, this is the basis of any production, which requires the presence of one or more backgrounds, scenery, as well as scaffolding, and auxiliary devices (stairs, ropes, safety mattresses, etc.). It's easy to guess that such work goes to architects and planners.
• The external appearance of everything that makes up a performance. Here all the responsibility lies with the artist and the make-up artist. Sewing costumes, inhaling life in a sham, decorating the scene and creating the necessary space-time atmosphere.
• The third kind of scenography is directing. She is responsible for the mise en scene, adjusts the arrangement of actors and scenery in various scenes of the play and coordinates all movements.

A modern person can say that the number of working people in the theater, as well as the quality and realism of all the decorations, are unequivocally inferior to the cinemas. But for the sake of justice we note that this work is also colossal. And it is unlikely that our ancestors, who were satisfied with the director, architect, director and costumer in one person, suspected that their efforts would grow into something beautiful over the centuries.

The theater is the work of professionals

You can learn the art of creating performances in theatrical universities, but this specialty is not intended for applicants who have just finished school. The faculty of scenography includes people who already have practical experience in the theater or cinema industry, or they are representatives of artistic professions. The selection criteria are such that a person who does not have a certain creative base behind his back will simply not be able to pass the entrance exams and, most importantly, he will not join the course, as it is assumed that the basics are already familiar to all students. It can be said that in the framework of teaching scenography is a narrow specialization that extends the possibilities of any representative of the sphere of art, or, on the contrary, directs those who are searching for their "I" in the right direction.

Course subjects

At the Faculty of Scenography there is nothing superfluous, but the list of disciplines is still quite extensive. Teachers say that this is a necessity, thanks to which graduates will have a full range of knowledge and will be able to handle non-standard and unique work in this field. Among the items listed are the following:

• History of the theater.
• History of styles.
• The history of dance.
• Fundamentals of light.
• Basics of sound.
• Basics of installation.
• Directing and acting.
• Modern Art.
• Theatrical design.
• The technology of costume and make-up.

It is also worth mentioning that the interests of students are taken into account at the faculty as much as possible. Many students already have jobs in the theater or film industry, or they receive other specialties in parallel. Therefore, classes are held in the evening mode, or are carried over the weekend.

Contact with architecture

From the side it seems that the profession of an architect belongs to the exact sciences and only remotely affects the field of art. But the faculty of scenography often gets graduates of construction universities, and that's why. The fact is that in the theater it is almost impossible to do without an architect. Only he can competently design the scene, given the mass and size of the stage, actors, decorations and furniture. What is important - he will do it all in strict accordance with the artistic idea. Architects in the theater also often perform the roles of designers, decorate the stage and pay special attention to every small detail.

To the note incoming

To become a student of the faculty of scenography, you do not need to prepare for tests or detailed written answers. Since the specialty is exclusively creative, the entrance examinations, or, as they like to say, the interview, will have a relaxed character. It is important to provide the members of the commission with a portfolio that shows your experience in one of the creative fields.

One should also prepare for improvised inquiries. Teachers will be interested to know what is the source of inspiration for you, why you decided to enter their faculty, how you see your future in the field of scenography and are you ready to face the issues that are most important in the theater.

The third mandatory condition for admission is a creative task. It is necessary to create a sketch of the scenography of a work, a poem or an epic. Technique of this task, choose absolutely any, it is absolutely not important. Assess your creative approach, the ability to submit material. Also the role will be played by the individuality of your work, so it's better to sweat on its exclusivity and become the author of a brilliant idea. The work is accompanied by sources of inspiration, as well as a short story about why you decided to depict this particular production and what inspired you.

Prospects of graduates

Having received the coveted diploma, you can become a representative of one of the following professions:

• Production designer.
• Costume designer.
• Designer of events.
• Scenographer of fashion shows and concerts.
• Scenographer of exhibitions and other museum events.
• Work in the field of contemporary art - artist, decorator, etc.

As you can see, having this education, you can get a position not only in the theater. It all depends on your creative skills, fantasies and tastes.

Undoubtedly, the theater is an art with a grand scale and chic. It is not everyone's taste, but only the true connoisseurs of beauty. It is imbued with the spirit of the past and that is why it creates an incredible atmosphere of celebration and celebration.