A Lighting Design Process for The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Rupert Holmes

The Mystery of Edwin Drood, with book, music, and lyrics by Rupert Holmes, was a theatrical production presented November 7 through November 11, 2012 at The Ohio State University. It was produced by the Department of Theatre in collaboration with the School of Music. This thesis is a documentation of the lighting design process for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The musical is set in 1892 and is centered around the acting troupe of The Music Hall Royale and their production of Charles Dickens' incomplete final work: The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In order to accomplish this production the design team drew from historical research to transform the Thurber Theatre into the Music Hall Royale while the performers emulated the vaudevillian performance style of the period. The overall goal was to transport our audiences to another time and place for “a frothy Victorian romp.” (Parry) The scenic and costume designs utilized styles and practices of the period along with modern techniques to craft a world reminiscent of 19th century London. The sound design created sound effects live per the tradition of the period, while supporting these with modern amplification and playback of edited tracks. The lighting design was able to heighten the sense of theatricality and compliment the other design areas.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Fine Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Theatre

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Elston, Brian Louis

Contributors dc:contributor

• Tarantino, Mary

• Design
• Theater

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366216721

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1366216721