The Multidisciplinary Designer: Creating a Cohesive World

Design is an integral part of the theatrical experience. The environment in which the action of the play takes place serves many purposes; it not only provides visual context for the audience, but impetus for actor movement and interaction. Scenic design informs the world, costume design outwardly reflects the characters, lighting design gives focus and emotional connotation, sound design further immerses the audience in the world, and media design rides a line between all of these, blazing a new artistic path within the theatre.

The job of every designer, like all other members of a production team, is to support the text. Theatre is by nature a collaborative artistic process, but if there is not a unifying vision, the story becomes less clear for the viewer. It is important that all of these people are working in the same world and bringing their interpretations and input to the table. In doing this, the designer ensures that a cohesive narrative is formed within the visual elements of the production; by supporting the other designers in the room, they are inherently supporting themselves.

Multi-disciplinary designers have explored different avenues of expression and have a well-rounded understanding of how the pieces fit together. This provides more flexibility and consideration for others in the room and can inform their own design by having a closer relationship to other elements onstage. This thesis examines how my graduate work as a multi-disciplinary designer has fostered my ability to create more integrated experiences for the stage.

The entire breadth of my thesis portfolio can be found at the link:

https://ir.uiowa.edu/theatre_d_folio/