From Entertainment student, James Rusconi, Year 12
On 4 April the Entertainment classes from both Years 11 and year 12 attended a workshop on Stage Design in the PAC Theatre. The goal of the workshop was to provide an in-depth analysis of the process of stage design to the Entertainment students. The students were taught and tested by an experienced professional set designer, Deirdre Burgess, who also designed the set of our school musical last year “High School Musical”. Both Mrs Burgess and Head of Drama, Ms Alison Jinga, guided the students through the steps and procedures involved.
Through the workshop the students obtained knowledge of the various components of the stage design process. They were introduced to new tools of measurements such as the 1:25 scale ruler which they were shown how to apply to a stage design plan. They were also taught about the key components of a stage design plan, this being the Setting line and Centre line. The students were then engaged to combine their newly acquired knowledge and apply it to a practical task demonstrating how to use a scale ruler to mark up a stage floor with tape to then be able to accurately manoeuvre props and set pieces onto the stage.
This newly acquired knowledge is essential for the students as they are able to use it both for their HSC exam revision and as a component for the VET Certificate 3 Course. By getting a hands on experience with the concepts of stage design the students are able to gain a better understanding of how to apply the various techniques to questions within the exam. Overall this workshop was a great learning opportunity which enriched the classes of Year 11 and 12 Entertainment in the component of staging, specifically stage design.
