The theme of my set design is a once vibrant and rich colourful household now decaying and crumbling with age. Both characters were financially well-off at a certain point in their lives; however, they have gradually become a dysfunctional family with little to no maintenance around them. The set pieces, though plush in appearance, suggest neglect, with the place they live in appearing abandoned for several months, cobwebs abound, and the paint on the walls wearing off. However, many set pieces like the practicals are still functional.
Theme: Boho and dysfunctional
This project was completed as part of my studies during the Theatre Arts Technical Production program at Humber College. It was an invaluable opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge and technical skills I acquired in the classroom to a hands-on, real-world setting. The experience helped refine my abilities in lighting design and set design.
title: vultures
playwright: katherine cullen
set and lighting designer: bharat vyas. n
SET DESIGN
these renders show the top view of the set with accurate measurements
List of set pieces:
- rocking chair (rattan furniture)
- cupboard (beside the bed, in washed out green colour, lighter green as compared to the walls behind)
- a picture frame beside the cupboard, a family picture
- a queen sized bed, preferably rattan again
- the bed sheets and the pillows will not be white as seen in the render, all the set pieces are listed below for reference
- the above renders only show the placement of the set pieces, and the basic idea of the whole set
- a bedside table with a floor lamp with practicals, beside the bed
- a dining table with two chairs
- a standing mirror, and a practical light above it (not shown in the render)
- another cupboard beside the mirror
- set of two stairs on either side of the stove
- each stair has all the essential for cooking and storage
- just beside the kitchen set up is the bath area, with a tub, a storage cabinet, a couple of hangers, a wall poster with dad's picture on it, and a laundry basket in the same area (not shown in the render above)
- ** the whole set will be majorly seen in two colours, distressed green, which is the colour of the walls, and brownish tint for the other set pieces, except the two cupboards **
- ** the colour of the bath tub need not be as gold as seen in the reference images, it needs to be as close as possible to match the colour of the rattan furniture **
Reference images for the set pieces and other props
rocking chair
bed frame
cupboard option 1
cupboard option 2
cupboard option 3
dining table with two chairs
bedside table option 1
mirror in the living area
bedside table option 2
bath tub
mirror in the washroom area - this can be used in the place of three hangers as shown in the renders above
laundry basket
washroom accessories
flower vases - need at least 8 of them, can be mixed and matched as shown in the pictures
storage containers on the stairs, on either side of the stove - the idea is to fill all the stairs with these storage containers, and make them look disorganized
candy box
bourbon bottle
tooth brush
rat poison
meat bucket
old pile of books
meat wrapped in saran
red tape
punch bowl
reference image for the colour of the pillows, bedsheets and throws
bunch of real lilies for the show
colour reference for cutlery
picture frames (ignore the flowers in the background)
wall treatment
scuffed flooring with red stains
LIGHTING DESIGN
I'd like to use horizontal venetian blinds to cover both windows. The play begins early in the morning, with both characters still in bed. I'd love to open the scene in silhouettes, as depicted in the reference image below, highlighting only the bottom half of the walls (theatre flats). As the play progresses, sunlight filters through the blinds behind the bed, gradually moving from left to right. Just before intermission, the sun shifts behind the kitchen, illuminating the scene through the kitchen window. Around the same time, the practicals will be switched on, assuming the play progresses from early morning to early evening. I aim to maintain natural lighting throughout the play, with the sun as the primary source. The practicals will be lit by the actors themselves, depending on the time of day. All the major set pieces will have their own specials. During the late evening scenes, when the sun is eventually gone, the set will be lit by using exclusively the practicals, like the chandelier, and other wall lighting fixtures as shown below.
Reference images for lighting
the play opens with silhouettes
reference image for daylight scene
daytime image reference
colour palette for the show
night scene reference
green and medium straw combination
light coming from the practicals like chandelier and the other wall fixtures are the only major sources of light for the late evening scenes; they're all tungsten light bulbs
R90 gel to accentuate the walls
R14 gel to mimic daylight
R65 gel to mimic night light
CAD drawings rendered using Vectorworks
Instrument Schedule
Channel Hookup
Colour Schedule
