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A Revolution in Stage Design: Drawings and Productions of Adolphe Appia

December 13, 2013 by Fosco Lucarelli 7 Comments

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Adolphe Appia, (1862-1928) was a Swiss architect, stage designer and theorist of stage lighting and décor. His theories and realized works transformed the practice of stage design and he had a great influence on the development of performing arts.

His sets and his drawings didn’t look for pictorial realism, their intent was rather to create and underline a believable mood for each scene. Symbols and metaphors prevailed over literal descriptions, as in the representation of trees. The actors and the script were of equal importance than scenery: for Appia, the four basic scenic elements were: Painted Scenery (Vertical); Spatial Arrangement (Floor); the Actor; the Light. “Inclusion of the Actor as a scenic element creates a completely new focus with resonance in modenism”. (Quote from here).

The practice of lighting was completely redefined: Appia distinguished between diffused light (allowing visible scenery) and concentrated light (modelling form), believed in the ability of light to be structural, fluid, plastic and “motivated”, eliminated footlights and even created novel lighting positions.

His influence was vast and lasting, and was mainly due to his drawings, more than his actual productions.

Image at the top of the post: Rhythmic Spaces

 

 

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Parsifal 1896


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Orpheus, Hellerau 1913

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Orpheus, Hellerau 1913

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Wagner: Tristan and Isolde 1896

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Rhinegold, Basel 1924

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Rhinegold, Basel 1924

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Rhinegold, Basel 1924

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Lee Simonson, Saint Joan 1917

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Norman Bel Geddes: Dante’s Divine Comedy 1921

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Jo Mielziner: Faust 1927

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Svoboda: Hamlet 1959

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Svoboda, Oedipus Rex, 1963

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Svoboda, Romeo and Juliet, 1963

Informations and images via:  Theatre at the UBC (University of the British Columbia)

 

 

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Comments

  1. wr9h says

    October 27, 2015 at 10:21 am

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  2. fosco lucarelli says

    October 27, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    You can subscribe following this link:
    http://socks-studio.com/subscribe-to-socks-newsletter/

  3. Nemo Cassum says

    March 29, 2016 at 4:04 am

    wow! these are amazing

Trackbacks

  1. “If You Get The Scale Right, Space Stops Being Space to Become Mind” Xavier Corberó – SOCKS says:
    October 4, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    […] ongoing result, a difficult match between Peter Eisenman‘s early houses linguistics and Adolphe Appia‘s designed-stages, is a juxtaposition of theatrical views like […]

  2. “If You Get The Scale Right, Space Stops Being Space to Become Mind” Xavier Corberó – SOCKS | MYYCp says:
    October 4, 2015 at 7:26 pm

    […] ongoing result, a difficult match between Peter Eisenman‘s early houses linguistics and Adolphe Appia‘s designed-stages, is a juxtaposition of theatrical views like […]

  3. Light, Shadows, Projections: Set Design by Josef Svoboda – SOCKS says:
    October 10, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    […] sometimes enormous and used to reflect and distort the stage floor. The influence of set designer Adolphe Appia is visible in the strong presence of architectural elements such as majestic stairs and […]

  4. DMTA:Research | ameliarossbruford says:
    February 16, 2016 at 5:38 pm

    […] in Stage Design: Drawings and Productions of Adolphe…. [online] SOCKS. Available at: http://socks-studio.com/2013/12/13/a-revolution-in-stage-design-drawings-and-productions-of-adolphe-… [Accessed 16 Feb. […]

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