The Servant of Two Masters

I began my research process by creating a list of research goals. I like to use modern websites like Pinterest and Reddit in my research process in addition to articles and images from across the web. Pinterest uses an algorithm that shows a feed related to recent searches and saves, so I am able to easily find inspiration that aligns with my personal style, as well as related images I may not have thought to specifically search for. I also like to use forum websites like Reddit to read about other designers' experiences with similar shows and styles of sets. Here is some of the information I gathered from several sources that helped me create my design: About Commedia: Commedia dell'arte is a style of theatre that was popularized during the Italian renaissance. It was intended to be viewed by the common man and was performed in the street on a simple wooden platform with some sort of curtain or tent to divide the platform into both a stage and a backstage. These shows are highly interactive due to the nature of theatre at the time. the audience is expected to talk back and interact with the characters. The sets are typically raised in order to allow a crowd to gather around in the street and be able to see what is happening. What makes Commedia so unique is its use of stock characters, which correspond to masks that the actors would wear. These characters could be found in all sorts of different plays, but they would always be the same character archetypes. Some examples of Commedia stock characters include Arlecchino or Truffaldino, the hungry servant, Sir Pantalone, the grumpy old man, Brighella, the butler/inkeeper, and Zanni, the jester-like servant. Commedia was most popular during a time when theatre design was not really practiced, so modern commedia designers, especially lighting and scenic designers, have to get creative with their work. About Servant: "The Servant of Two Masters" was written in the 1700s by Carlo Goldoni as an attempt to revive and repopularize the dying art of commedia dell'arte. The show includes a cast of half stock characters and half original characters, and features highly progressive themes for its time, such as criticism of the treatment of servants and women. By the time Servant was written, women were allowed to act onstage. The play features strong themes of female empowerment that still deliver a strong impact to this day. My direction: The first thing I noticed about traditional Commedia sets was that they reminded me of the stage in Esmerelda's dance scene in Disney's "Hunchback of Notre Dame." I ended up including stills from the movie in my reference images. I also noticed an opportunity to utilize my knowledge of painting wood grain. My school had not had a scenic painting class in several years, so most of my classmates had never had experience with it. I wanted to be able to share my painting knowledge through this process in hopes to push for more paint-heavy designs in the future. I also decided to include some personal flair in this design in the form of a decorative front piece to hide the footlights, and three giant flats with an Italian street painted on them to frame the set. I wanted the audience to feel like they were being transported to an Italian street in the renaissance period, seeing a Commedia show during its peak. The director requested that I include powerlines in the backdrop flats in order to tie the show back to the modern era, creating an unclear time period and making the show more applicable to the audience. We agreed that we wanted to avoid the fourth wall that historical plays such as Shakespeare's work tend to create between the audience and the characters. I find that old plays tend to be polarizing because not everyone in the audience understands the language and dynamic of the time period. Solinas and the design team aimed to blend the historical significance of this show with small elements of modern flair to fully capture the audience for the full duration of the show.