Elements Of Design In A Play Essay

There are many things which can both attribute and take away from the overall production of a performance or play such as a Shakespeare play. Such things include costumes, props, lighting, set, and sound. All of these factors are vital in the ending effect that the performance has on the viewing audience. Firstly, when attending a play, their are several things that one will notice; all of which will contribute to the sufficiency or insufficiency of the performance. Among these many things include costumes. Costumes are considered to be one of the most influential and important factors or aspects of the play itself. For example, the colors of the costume help to set the mode and theme of the play. If the play is considered to be a somber or tragic and sorrowful play, then the colors of the costume may be dark and morbid. The darkness of the costumes will add to the morbidness of the play. This is a considered to be a vital aspect by many to any play or performance. However, if a play is uplifting and happy and the costumes should also represent the same thing. They too should be uplifting and bright. Thus, the colors of the costumes should be bright and colorful. Therefore, a happy play representing colorful costumes on their actors is vital in the overall production of the play because it adds to the joyfulness and bright aura that is to be represented through the performance. Another important factor which importantly attributes to the success of a play is the sound or the music. Without the proper music, the play will not appropriately fit with the story-line as it should. For example, with a tragedy, such as â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, much of the music is somber and sad. Without the emotion emanating from this music, the final influence of the production would not be the same as if the music were cheerful and happy throughout the entire play. Also, with a play that is cheerful and happy, the music must be cheerful and bright. Sound is vital in any performance and play. Without it, the play will be dull and unfitting with the plot of the story. The music adds to the emotion and the effect of the play. Next, the set itself is also extremely important in contributing to the overall success of the play or performance. It must be carefully detailed and match with the era or time that the play is supposed to be taken place in. For example, if you were having a play that was supposed to have taken place before electricity was invented and the set included objects such as light bulbs and television sets, this would conflict with the entire plot, because it would not make any sense. Thus, the set is extremely important. Another extremely and vitally important aspect that attributes to the success or failure of plays and productions are props. Props are anything from pots and pans to furniture and food. Whichever props are used in a play should be affiliated with the time period that the play was supposed to take place in, just as the set should be. Finally, our last and equally important attributing aspect for plays is lighting. Without the proper lighting a play can be a complete and utter failure. However, with the necessary lighting that is require to see each and every prop, background, and costume, the play should certainly be a success if all of the other aspects are followed through properly. SOURCES: Musical: â€Å"Cats† (Broadway)