Here is a collection of earlier blog posts on
Theater Set Design, arranged by design phase or topic:
(Posts repeat under multiple topics but, just to confuse you, several early blog posts were titled "Set Designer's Day")
ALICE THROUGH THE PROSCENIUM (my how-to scenic design book)
Snippet Central (excerpts)
Book Time!
Pulp-o-mizer!
Kindle Editions
ANIMATION
Animated Set Design
ART
Art Break
Art as Set Dressing
ARTS FUNDING (and Supporting Theatre)
Million Muppet March
Woohoo! Arts Funding
Starting the New Year Right
Kickstarter is Kickin'!
AWARDS
Shout-Out!
Nice News
Critics' Forum Awards
Embarrassing Post
AXONOMETRIC DRAWING
Starting Construction Drawings
BIOS
Writing the Bio
Most Impressive Bio
BLOCKING
So Much Going On
Theatrical Sketches (Stanislavski)
BOOKS (as set dressing)
Finishing Touches
BOOKS (as, you know, books)
(What to) Coloring Book
Building With Books
BRICK (faux)
Set Designer's Day (Brick)
BROADWAY
Matilda on Broadway
BUDGETS and LIMITATIONS
Ruth Photo
Embarrassing Post
Not a Review: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Not a Review: The Odd Couple
BUILD
Build
Today's Lesson
Ha!
Set Designer's Day (Tree)
Set Designer's Day (Brick)
Fall in the Pool
Frequency Build
Weeding
Set Designer's Weekend
Low or High Tech
High and Low Tech - Part II
Too Tired to Write Much
Sign How-To
A Grab Bag
Painting Slats
Back to the Land of the Living...
Simultaneity
Progress Pic
This n' That
Tweaky, Tweaky
Load-In
Short Builds
Cursed Carpentry
Just Floatin' Along
Sitting and Looking
CHANGES
Changes
Scramble
Aurghhh!
So Much Going On
Rethinking a Design
Further Adventures of a Plan
Living Playwrights
A Grab Bag
Some Days...
Variations
Yet More Variations
Tweaky, Tweaky
Details, Details, Details
CHILDREN'S THEATER
Back to the Land of the Living...
COLLABORATION & COMMUNICATION
Collaboration
Schematic Design Meeting
Gettin' Along with Folks
Collaboration
Translation
Car Time
Urgent Messages
Remote Color Selection
Furniture Pull
Variations
Colleagues
Fun Stuff and Colleagues
How to Pick Stage Furniture
Production Meeting Weirdness
Show T-Shirts
Coffee Klatch
Community
COLOR
Fun with Hardware Stores
Silverizing
Alive on Stage!
Chip It!
Remote Color Selection
Set Designer's Life (flamingo)
Painted Model
Line Drawing
Color Schemes
(What to) Coloring Book
CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS
Construction Drawings
Drafting
Drafting Day
Spoiler! Construction Drawings
Starting Construction Drawings
REALLY Starting Construction Drawings
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS
Weeding
Simultaneity
Progress Pic
This n' That
Stretching...
CREATIVITY (also see INSPIRATION)
Hare Brain v Tortoise Brain
Recharging
Creativity n' Cool
Inspirational Photos
Set Designer's Weekend
To Do
Obsessed
Reading Play Scripts
CRITICS & REVIEWS
Critics
First Review is In
Criticism in Context
Gotta Laugh
Reviews
"Becky" Review
Set Designer's Day, the Press, and Treasure Hunting
Good Reviews
On Reviewers
Pictures in the Paper
Wodehouse World
Importance of Critics
DALLAS THEATER
New Venue
A Golden Age
Dallas Theater is Varied
DEADLINES
Deadlines
Crunch Time
DECISION-MAKING
Anticipation
Ha!
DESIGN (also see Schematic Design)
As You Like It
Designing in Model
Design Subtleties
Editing
Bad First Drafts
The Political Power of (Set) Design
Variations
Recharging
Fight Call and Farcical Design
Painted Model
Alternate Versions
Set Designer's Weekend
Minimalism
Just Floatin' Along
DESIGNER RUN
Taping Out
Fight Call and Farcical Design
Set Designer's Weekend
This n' That
Stumble-Through
DESIGNERS
Ephemera (Melziner's Death of a Salesman)
Renderings (Wade Giampa)
DESIGN METHODS
Snippet Central (from Alice Through the Proscenium's "Design Methods" chapter)
DESIGN PROCESS (reading through strike, also see ALICE)
How to Start a Set Design
I Wish...
DETAILS
Ruth Photo
Little Details
Details, Details, Details
Tech Details
Just Floatin' Along
DISASTER
Today's Lesson (Start the New Year Right)
DRAWING (also see CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS)
Fun with Colored Pencils
Drafting
Fun with Construction Drawings
Low or High Tech
Gesture Sketches
Squidoo Update (sketchbooks)
Architectural Sketches
The Importance of Drawing
Line Drawing
This n' That
New Toy
A Brand New Boise Opens! (Bernini drawings and models)
Theatrical Sketches (Stanislavski)
DRESS REHEARSAL
Dress Rehearsal
EDITING
Editing
EFFECTS (AKA Special Effects)
Living Playwrights
EMOTIONS
Up and Down
Favorite Shows
Not a Review: In the Next Room
Some Days...
The Fun of Research
It's Like Sand Painting Isn't It?
ENVIRONMENTAL SETS
Set Designer's Day (Tree)
Weeding
ETHICS
The Ethics and Morals of Theater
FABRIC (also see UPHOLSTERY)
Hunt and Seek
Collaboration
Speed Teching
Business Inspired Design
Fabric Shopping
Color Schemes
Cursed Carpentry
Minimalism
Stretching...
FAILURE
Film Fest?
FAME / FAMOUS SCENIC DESIGNERS
Ephemera (Jo Melziner)
It's Like Sand Painting Isn't It?
FARCE
Fight Call and Farcical Design
FASHION (more or less)
Show T-Shirts
FAUX (Stone, Brick etc... see Stone, Brick, etc.)
FINISHING
Finishing and Reading the Omens
Simultaneity
FIRE DAMAGE (faux)
Punch Lists and Tech
FIRST READ-THROUGH
First Read-Through
FLOORS
This n' That (floor tile)
Back to Black
FOAM
Set Designer's Day (Brick)
FOLIAGE/PLANTS (see ENVIRONMENTAL SETS)
FREELANCING (also HEALTH, WEALTH, FAMILY-LIFE, and SELF-EMPLOYMENT)
Sidelined
The Arts and the Holidays
Theatrical Sleep Cycle
Distractions
One of the Perks of Freelancing
FURNITURE (also see SET DRESSING)
Pulling Furniture
Return of the Dreaded Sofa
At Home (At Home, by Bill Bryson)
Weather
Homework
Furniture Pull
The Thrill of the Find
Fight Call and Farcical Design
How to Pick Stage Furniture
Ha!
GEOMETRY
Back to the Land of the Living...
GIFTS (for designers and theater types)
Holiday Gifts
HAULING
Scheduling
Weather
Lugging Stuff
Driving Hazards
Runny Aroundy Day
Loading Up
Auto Repair as Archeology
IMPROVISATION
Free-wheeling
INSPIRATION
Inspiration
Art Break
Dreaming Up Ideas
Inspirational Photos
Minimalism
Up on the Roof
Obsessed
INTERNS
Interns and Apprentices
Intern-y
INTERRUPTIONS
Theater Interrupted
Good Reviews!
Book Sale and Status Update
White Christmas
Distractions
LIGHTING
Surfin'
Ruth Photo
Short Builds
LISTS
Monday Mornings
LOAD-IN
Load-In
MEETINGS
Meetings
Theatrical Sleep Cycle
Holiday Prep
METALS
A Grab Bag
MODELS
As You Like It
Designing in Model
Now This is What I Call a Model!
Model Building
From Model to Full Sized Set
Mystery Model
Set Designer's Day (tree)
Painted Model
A Brand New Boise Opens! (Bernini drawings and models)
Minimalism
MOTIVATION
Project, Service, or Ego?
MUSICALS
Music and Set Design
NOTES (see Rehearsal Reports)
ORGANIZATION
Studio Organization
Into the New Year
Holidays Approaching the Studio
OPENING
Approaching Opening
Set Designer's Day - Rest
Opening for Collapse
Reminder: The Whipping Man
Towards Opening...
Opening and Other Up-Dates
Book Sale and Status Update
PAINT ELEVATIONS (Also see Scenic Painting)
Paint Elevations
Watercolor Sketching
Painted Model
PAPER
Back to the Land of the Living...
PERFECTIONISM
Perfection
Minimalism
PERIOD PIECES
Surfin'
How to Start a Set Design
PHOTOGRAPHY (see also CONSTRUCTION and SET PHOTOS)
Black and White
Model Photography
A Day for Set Photos
Surfin'
Inspirational Photos
Ruth Photo
The Fun of Research
PLANTS/FOLIAGE (see ENVIRONMENTAL SETS)
PLAYWRIGHTS (and Writing)
Honestly
Living Playwrights
US Versions of UK Stories
Attention Aspiring Playwrights!
Play Writing
Reading Play Scripts
POLITICS
The Political Power of (Set) Design
PRACTICALS
Practicals (general and Coke machine)
PROBLEM SOLVING (and fixing problems)
Finding Solutions
Minimalism
PROCRASTINATION
REALLY Starting Construction Drawings
PRODUCTION DESIGN (AKA "movie sets")
Production Design
PRODUCTION MEETING
What Happens at a Production Meeting?
Production Meeting Weirdness
Stumble-Through
PROJECTIONS
Minimalism
Stumble-Through
Not a Review: Diana Krall
Stretching...
PROPORTIONS
Proportions
PUPPETS
A Grab Bag
QUALITY CONTROL
Sitting and Looking
READING SCRIPTS
Reading Scripts
Catching Up
How to Start a Set Design
Reading a New Script to Design For
Reading Play Scripts
REALISATION
I Wish
REALISM
Crazy Busy!
RECYCLING and REUSE
A Terrific TED Talk (Dan Phillips Houses)
REDESIGN
Cut-n-Slash
REHEARSAL REPORTS
Details, Details, Details
REHEARSALS
Taping Out
Stumble-Through
REIMBURSIBLES
Reimbursibles
RENDERINGS
Line Drawing
Renderings (Wade Giampa)
RESEARCH
Research
Set Design - Research
Details
Painting Day
Set Designer's Weekend
The Fun of Research
Color Schemes
Research Libraries
Catch-Up
REVIEWS (see CRITICS)
SAFETY
Fight Call and Farcical Design
Today's Lesson Children?
SCENE SHOP
Shop Visit: or Our Industrial Legacy
SCENIC CARPENTRY
Cursed Carpentry
Minimalism
Just Floatin' Along
SCENIC PAINTING
Tech Weekend and Scenic Painting
Set Design Day
The Zen of Painting
Strangest Industrial Injury
Painting the Stage
Paint Elevations
Homework
High and Low Tech Part II
Ladder Work
Helping Out
Painting Slats
Time Flies
Painted Model
Simultaneity
Tweaky, Tweaky
Short Builds
News from the Painting Front
Cursed Carpentry
Faux Stone
Minimalism
Improvising Techniques
SCHEDULING
Crunch
Set Designer's Life
Overlap
Scheduling
Creative Time Management
Full Time
Drowned in Work
Time Off
Set Designer's Day (Cake)
Visit from the Future
Set Designer's Day - Rest
Sidelined
Homework
On the Drawing Board
Lull? Not So Much
Scheduling in Advance
Set Designer's Life: Sleep Deprivation
Monday Mornings
The Arts and the Holidays
Time Flies
Simultaneity
Theatrical Sleep Cycle
Tweaky, Tweaky
Short Builds
Details, Details, Details
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
Schematic Design Meeting
Sneak Peek
Variations
SECRET
The Secret
SET DRESSING
Shopping
Weeding
Set Design Day
Pulling Furniture
Phew!
Tip for the Day
Set Dressing is Everything!
The Hunt
Stuff!
Striking
Fun with Hardware Stores
Little Jobs
Details
The Thrill of the Find
Art as Set Dressing
Dressing a Boar
Runny Aroundy Day
Finishing Touches
How to Pick Stage Furniture
Little Details
Tech Details
SET PHOTOS
My website www.devriesdesign.net
Furniture Pull (In the Next Door: the Vibrator Play)
First Peek at The Divine Sister (The Divine Sister)
Ruth Photo (Ruth)
Alternate Versions (Boeing, Boeing)
I Wish... (Beauty Queen of Leenane)
Interns and Apprentices (Lawrence and Hollowman)
Minimalism (Hamlet)
Intern-y (The Glass Menagerie)
SETTINGS (and PLAY SCRIPTS)
Honestly
SHOPPING
Hunt-n-Seek
Fun with Hardware Stores
Set Designer's Day, the Press, and Treasure Hunting
SIGHT-LINES
Finding Solutions
Painted Model
SIGNS
Sign How-To
Speaks for Itself
SKILLS
Funny Skills
Film Fest Wedged into Tech
Mini-Project
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Living Playwrights (fire, Hell, boiling swamp)
Not a Review: God of Carnage (vomit)
Production Meeting Weirdness (vomit)
STONE (faux)
Faux Stone
STRIKE
Strike
Car Load of Strike
Another Strike
Striking
Back to Black
STUDIO
Office Environment
Aaaand Spring Cleaning
External Factors
Reorganizing the Studio
Holidays Approaching the Studio
Studio Organization
Picasso's Studio
Imperfect Studios
Up on the Roof
TASTE
Taste for Designers
TAXES
Set Designer's Life
Taxes
Taxes!
TAXIDERMY
Art as Set Dressing
Dressing a Boar
Runny Aroundy Day
TD (Technical Director / Builder / Carpenter)
Just Floatin' Along
Starting Construction Drawings
TECH (the theater definition)
Tech Weekend and Scenic Painting
Film Fest Wedged into Tech
Speed Teching
Dry Tech
Tech, Notes, and the Punch-List
Punch Lists and Tech
TECHNOLOGY
Low or High Tech
High and Low Tech - Part II
TRANSIENCE
Ephemera
"It's Like Sand-Painting Isn't It?"
TRAVELING
Life Interrupts Set Design
TYPICAL DAY(S)
So Much Going On
Theatrical Sleep Cycle
UPHOLSTERY (also see FABRIC)
Film Fest Wedged into Tech
VACATION
Busman's Holiday
VENUES
New Venue
Alternate Versions
VIEWS (as from a window)
Not a Review: The Odd Couple
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers
Painting Slats
WAGONS
Today's Lesson (Starting the New Year Right)
WAREHOUSE (Props and Furniture)
Pulling Furniture
Furniture Pull
WATCHING THE SHOW
Re-Viewing the Show
I Like It
This n' That
Stumble-Through
WATER
Back to Black
Not Reviews: Penelope and King Lear
WEATHER
Weather
High and Low Tech Part II
Load-In
WOOD (or wood-look)
Painting Slats
Time Flies
WORLD PREMIERS
Living Playwrights
