Scene+Design+Resources

**The five major elements of stage/set design are:**

**Line:** the outline or silhouette of elements on stage such as lots of curved smooth lines versus lots of straight, angular lines.

**Mass:** the overall bulk or weight of scenic elements; for example a series of high, heavy platforms or fortress walls versus a bare stage.

**Composition:** the balance and arrangement of elements; the way elements are arranged for example mostly to one side of the stage, in a vertical or horizontal configuration, or equally distributed across the stage.

**Texture:** the feel projected by surfaces and fabrics for example, the slickness of glass versus the roughness of brick or burlap

**Color:** the contrast of color (light and dark) and the choices and amount of color used in the design.

During this unit you will be looking at many different stage designs and evaluating them using these five elements. You will then choose a story and design a set of your own.

For example, the description below uses these five vocabulary words to describe the design pictured here.

//The **__line__** of this design is very smooth and curved. While the trees do have some straight lines they do not come across as sharp. The **__mass__** is very light with only the trees in the background and a few small set pieces located on the stage. The **__composition__** is very even, there do not seem to be more trees on one side of the stage than the other. The __**texture**__ is also smooth, even though the background consists of trees they look like the bark is smooth rather than rough. The **__colors__** are all different shades of blue, black and white. The overall effect is dark, cold and sad. // 