Set It Up
You’re doing a play about animals in the jungle. Which of these is a good set idea: a city street, a classroom, or a group of tall trees?
What is a group of tall trees?
Your character is a chef. Which costume shows that best: a crown, an apron, or a space helmet?
What is an apron?
Which of these is a prop: the curtain, a magic wand, or the painted background?
What is a magic wand?
Why might an actor wear make-up on their face in a play?
What is to help the audience see them better or look like their character?
Your play is about kids who get stuck in a snowstorm. What 2 things could you add to the set to show that?
What are snowflakes and a snowy mountain (or ice, winter trees, etc.)?
You’re playing a character who lives in the ocean. What costume choices would help show that, and why?
What is wearing a mermaid tail, fish scales, or blue colors because they help show the underwater world?
You’re acting in a scene where a teacher gives out homework. What prop would help you show that?
What is a clipboard or a stack of papers (or a pencil, chalk, etc.)?
If you're playing a cat, what might the make-up on your face look like?
What are whiskers or a nose?
True or false: A play can have multiple sets?
What is true?
If your costume makes it hard for the audience to tell who you are, what could you add or change? (Ex. a teacher)
What is a badge?
Why is using the wrong prop (like giving a knight a banana instead of a sword) confusing in a play?
What is it doesn't represent the character well, sends the wrong message?
Your character is a ghost, and you have to look very pale and spooky. What kind of make-up colors or ideas could you use?
What is white, grey, and black?
You are in charge of designing a set for a story that starts in a forest and ends at a castle. What would you need to think about when changing the set between scenes?
What is making the forest and castle look different so the audience knows where the story is now?
You are playing a chef in one scene and a pirate in another. How would your costume change?
What is wearing a chef’s hat/apron and then a pirate hat/eyepatch?
You're doing a play where your character gives a gift, but there's no real present on stage. What could you do with your hands or body to "act out" the prop?
What is pretend or mime the present?
Why might an actor use make-up and a costume together, instead of just one?
What is because together they make the character clearer—make-up helps the face, and costume helps the body and clothing?
You are doing a play about outer space. An alien attacks an astronaut on their spaceship. Choose one item for each: set, costume, prop, and make-up, and explain how each one helps the audience understand the story.
Set: stars and a spaceship. Costume: spacesuits. Prop: space blasters. Make-up: green or grey makeup for the alien.