Scenography

We explain what scenery is, what types exist and what elements make it up. Also, what was its origin and its history.

What is scenography?

Scenography is, within the framework of the performing arts, the set of elements that make up the setting of an artistic representation whether theatrical, musical, dance, cinema or another type. This is also the name given to the art and technique used in the construction and conceptualization of the environment in which a work takes place. Scenography professionals are called set designers.

It is possible to understand scenography as a cross between architecture and performing arts. Its purpose is to create spaces based on technical and aesthetic considerations to frame dramatic action or artistic representation. Thus, the scenery is combined with the rest of the elements (performances, sound, lighting) to give coherence to the fictional world of the representation.

The elements of the scenery not only accompany the performances and give context to the characters' actions but also tell the viewer where the action takes place. For example, in a play, certain urban elements such as houses and light poles suggest that the scene takes place in a city, while the presence of trees and wild plants will place the events in the countryside.

Scenography involves complex tasks that are usually carried out by a specialized work team, which must understand the conceptual proposal of the work and work based on it. After conceptualization comes the production stage, in which the scenic elements are prepared and arranged according to the requirements of the dramatic text or script.

See also: Characteristics of a play

Origin and history of scenography

the word scenography It is composed of Greek voices skene (“shed”) and graphos (“writing” or “drawing”). This comes from the Dionysian rites and dramatic representations of Ancient Greece where the priests had a small building next to the stage to change their clothes. This place later became the place from which the actors emerged during the representation of the famous Greek tragedies, and over time it began to be decorated elaborately to give context to the performances.

One of the great scenographic innovations of the Greek and Roman theater were the so-called periacts. These devices consisted of three sides that allowed the scene to be changed quickly according to the requirements of the work. Each of the faces had a painting of a different landscape or enclosure that, when rotated, appeared in the background of the scene to give the illusion of another space.

The relevance of stage work continued to grow during the Middle Ages due to the Church's interest in propagating its faith through dramatizations of mysteries and biblical stories. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, theater was flourishing noh Japanese, with its colorful masks and elaborate costumes, highlighted by simple and minimalist scenic backgrounds with a high symbolic load.

During the Renaissance and Baroque, a great leap was made in the development of scenography through perspective and the search for realism in settings. In the England of William Shakespeare (1565-1616), for example, large decorated tapestries and curtain combinations were used to achieve different aesthetic effects.

In the following centuries, scenography expanded its methods and procedures, particularly with new theatrical forms such as comedy del arte, opera and ballet, which brought with them other scenographic needs. Fixed decoration became mobile thanks to the use of frames an Italian technique from the 16th century that soon spread throughout Europe. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, there were famous Italian stage designers, including Sebastiano Serlio, Bernardo Buontalenti, Baccio del Bianco and Giacomo Torelli.

The arrival of the 19th century with innovative technologies gave scenography new dimensions. Gas lighting introduced a visual element based on the intensity of light, colors and shadows, which favored the evocative spirit of Romanticism. At the same time, the sets became more creative, with mysterious atmospheres that moved away from realism. Then, with the arrival of electric light, more sophisticated lighting techniques emerged, which were used by the nascent cinema and the avant-garde.

In the 20th century, new theatrical forms, such as breaking the fourth wall (in which a character breaks fiction and addresses the audience) and other challenges to traditional artistic conventions, They definitively revolutionized scenic art. This transformation has continued with the emergence of new narratives and aesthetics, such as non-linear languages ​​(fragmented ways of telling stories) or unprecedented fusions between disciplines, in addition to technological innovations such as augmented reality or mapping (projection of images on real surfaces).

Types of scenery

According to its aesthetic function, the scenery can be classified as follows:

• Realistic scenery. It is one that aims to faithfully and plausibly reproduce the environment in which the fiction takes place. It is explicit, literal and abundant in details.
• abstract scenery. It is one that uses shapes, images and other visual elements that do not correspond to reality and that do not represent a specific place or time. Sensations are suggested and effects are produced in a complex way, without using recognizable objects.
• Functional scenery. It is one that is determined by the dramatic requirements of the work, that is, it adapts to its expressive needs. It facilitates the movements and actions of the actors, as well as the development of the scenes.
• Minimalist scenery. It is one that consists of the smallest number of elements possible, so that it makes use of what is strictly essential to recreate the place of the action. It is usually more demanding for actors.

Scenography elements

The elements of the scenery are:

• Decorated. It includes all the elements that make up the space of the scene, both fixed (walls, ceiling, columns) and mobile (backdrops, false walls or trees, projections). It usually offers the temporal and spatial context in which the fiction takes place.
• Props. It includes the objects that accompany the action of the characters and are manipulated by the actors. They can have real referents and a literal use (a pen for writing, for example) or symbolic (such as a stopped clock, which can represent that a character has been trapped in the past). It is essential to characterize the characters and give verisimilitude to the action.
• Lightning. It is the use of light to generate atmospheres, highlight objects, spaces or characters, guide the public's gaze and give emphasis to certain actions. It can be both natural and artificial, and is conceived based on the atmospheres or emotions required by the fiction (for example, a very dim light can suggest the proximity of death).
• Wardrobe and makeup. It is the set of accessories, clothing and makeup techniques used to alter the appearance of actors and actresses and characterize the characters, as well as their changes or specific situations (for example, a king may wear a crown and cape at the beginning of the action, but if he is dethroned and banished, his clothes and makeup will change).

References

• Ferrera Esteban, JL (2009). Illustrated glossary of the performing arts. Lapels.
• Gómez García, M. (2007). Akal Theater Dictionary. Akal.
• Oliva, C and Torres Monreal, F. (2002). Basic history of performing arts. Chair.