Research Project
Production Design Research: A Collaborative Inquiry and Expression of Shakespeare
Faculty Mentor
Prof. Brian Jones
What is your research?
My research is focused on assisting Prof. Brian Jones in developing a scenic design for IUP's performance of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing on October 16-24, 2020. My research involves reading and analyzing the script, developing lines of inquiry from these readings, gathering multiple sets of images for image banks based on this inquiry, and then sharing these image banks with Prof. Jones. I also do dramaturgical research to ensure that all of the images selected fit in with the time period and location of the script, as well as highlight the themes that the director of the production has decided to focus on. These steps occur multiple times until we have a concise and accurate image bank that properly honors the stories and themes of the script from which Prof. Jones can draw influence when designing the set for the production.
Why is it important?
This research is important because it ensures that the final scenic design for the production of Much Ado About Nothing honors and serves both the original script as well as the director's vision for the show while also giving the actors and audience a physical space in which they can engage with the world of the play. On a more personal level, this research is important to me because it allows me to see and be a part of a professional collaborative experience in my field of interest, theatrical design.
