$5

weekly

or $20 for all content

Set Design in Theater

Completed by 13 learners

Ages 9-14

Self-Paced Class

Learn about the basics of Set Design and create your own design and mini model for a show of your choice!

Emily Lafferty

Average rating:

4.8

Number of reviews:

(469 reviews)

4 pre-recorded lessons

4 weeks of teacher support

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1 year of access to the content

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About Learning Overview Schedule Teacher Reviews

What's included

4 pre-recorded lessons

4 weeks

of teacher support

1 year access

to the content

Class Experience

In this Flexible Schedule class we will learn the basics of Set Design for the Theatre. Each week I will post a 20-30 minute lesson as a recorded video. Students will be assigned weekly tasks to complete to practice skills used in the field of Scenic Design. Students are encouraged to post photos of their work in the classroom for feedback and comments. 
Please note that this is a flex class that does not meet live. Please also take special care to look at the required materials for the class. 

During this non-live class I will be interacting with learner's asynchronously. I will respond to all questions, comments and photos of work within 24 hours of learners posting. 

*Required Materials:*
- Printed templates (provided by me)
- One normal-sized shoe box
- White Card Stock
- Scissors or hobby knife (if you choose a knife please make sure you have a cutting mat!) 
- A Ruler
- Pencil
- Paints or Makers (for coloring the card stock)
- Good quality craft glue like tacky glue ( you will find using a glue stick will be frustrating and not work well. I recommend a liquid glue)

Syllabus

4 Lessons

over 4 Weeks

Lesson 1:

Introduction to Theatrical Set Design

 For Week 1 we will discuss the role of the set designer and talk about specific examples of famous designers including David Korins, and Anna Louizos. Students will learn about different styles that designers have and try to identify their own . We will learn key vocabulary words such as "minimalism", "spectacle" and "props". Students will be asked to identify a scene from a show they wish to design for in the coming weeks and share that choice and reasons for the choice in the classroom. I will

18 mins of video lessons

Lesson 2:

Inspiration

 We will learn what a mood board is and students will create one in the coming week. We will talk about how important research is in the design process and identify what about our style makes our design unique. We will also talk the nuts and bolts of what needs to be on stage, as well as the important balance between practicality and artistic expression. We will look at examples of award winning sets to help inspire our own designs.

8 mins of video lessons

Lesson 3:

Sketch Design

 Students will learn how to use their provided set design template and be asked to use them this week to create a sketch of what their set will look like. I will walk students through how to draw their designs on paper and explain the importance of communicating an idea through both drawing and labels. Students will be asked to share their designs in the classroom.

8 mins of video lessons

Lesson 4:

Mini Model

 This week we will learn what a miniature model is, and why we use them in scenic design. We will look at specific examples and talk about the importance of detail in this project. This week students will use their shoebox, card stock, paints/markers to create their design in a 3 dimensional space. We will talk about scale and how to measure it to make our mini models as accurate as possible. Learners will be invited to share a photo of their mini model after they are complete.

11 mins of video lessons

Other Details

Parental Guidance

Please note this class encourages students to use a hobby knife or scissors to complete projects. please make sure your learner understands and practices safety when using these tools.

Supply List

- Printed templates (provided by me)
- One normal-sized shoe box
- White Card Stock
- Scissors or hobby knife (if you choose a knife please make sure you have a cutting mat!) 
- A Ruler
- Pencil
- Paints or Makers (for coloring the card stock)
- Good quality craft glue like tacky glue ( you will find using a glue stick will be frustrating and not work well. I recommend a liquid glue)

External Resources

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:

Meet the teacher

Emily Lafferty

Joined August, 2023

4.8

469reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

Hi There!

I am a passionate  theatre educator, currently working as a theatre director, stage manager and online instructor here on Outschool! 

I have my Bachelors degree in Theatre and my Masters degree in Drama Education.

I have worked in a variety of amazing and interesting jobs including touring as the assistant stage manager with a theatre company across Switzerland! For 3 years I was the Theatre Department director of a high school, teaching all the theatre courses and directing the plays, musicals and summer camp shows. I also have spent time working for children's theatre companies as an outreach director for underserved schools. For the past few years though I have found a love for teaching about the wonderful world of theatre, online. I love working with young people in theatre and helping them find their creative voice. 

My courses range from fun deep dives into favorite musicals, to readers theatre clubs. 

All of my classes are inclusive, fun and have a "we are all family" feel. Everyone is welcome, everyone's thoughts matter, and I invite each learner to bring their passions and authentic selves to my online classroom. My goal is to always create a space of belonging for everyone who enrolls. 

Policies*
Late arrival/missed classes/recordings:

Classes with 2+ students enrolled: 
Once at least one student has arrived in the classroom I will begin class. In the event that no students enter the classroom I will wait 10 minutes before closing the classroom. Please let me know if you are running late so I know to wait longer for you! If a student misses a class that ran with multiple students you can always reach out to request the video recording. Please request this via message to me. The "request recording" button does not actually go to the teachers, so I won't know you requested it. 

Please note if you miss 3 ongoing classes in a row, Outschool automatically withdraws you from the class. 

Classes with 1 student:
For one-time classes (such as my "working in theatre" or "Musical Theatre Hits" courses) I will sometimes run a class even with just 1 student. For these classes I will wait 10 minutes and then will close the classroom if the student does not arrive. No class will be recorded. Please let me know if you are running late so I know to wait longer if needed! If you miss a class that had only your student enrolled I cannot accommodate transfers.