Date of Graduation
5-2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Architecture
Advisor/Mentor
Riha, Michael
Committee Member/Reader
Goodstein-Murphree, Ethel
Committee Member/Second Reader
Terry, Laura
Abstract
Space as an expression of ideas is a relevant topic both in theatrical design and architectural design. Both create worlds, places in time, and experiences. The theatre is a platform where architectural ideas can be explored on a real scale. Audiences can make associations based on representation on the stage and connotations from popular culture. Theatre is more temporary than architecture by nature, and therefore theatre can reference architectural ideas in temporary settings to tell a story. By analyzing the physical characteristics of a space and the societal and cultural conditions that created it, a theatre set can isolate moments in time and place to create a space for a story to unfold.
Relationships between elements in space have the power to communicate ideas when designed with intention. Design is a higher power that unites many disciplines that can overlap and share ideas. Architecture and theatre both examine spatial relationships and the meaning behind them and strive to create new relationships based on the concepts behind a design. In both architecture and theatre, space is a representation of ideas. While the purpose of spaces may be different, the origin of theatrical space usually has roots in some sort of architectural typology. The relationships between elements in the University of Arkansas Theatre’s 2016 production of American Idiot! were designed with the intention of communicating major themes and emotions in the story using a combination of graphics, structural and architectural typologies, material choices, and spatial organization. The built environment of American Idiot! was designed using an architectural approach to expand the possibilities of what the set could be by thinking about the design on multiple scales, and the world that was created reflects the characters in American Idiot! and their attitudes towards society and the events in the story.
Keywords
theatre design, architecture, Broadway
Citation
Hunter, E. E. (2016). Communicating Through Space: An Exploration of Interdisciplinary Relationships between Architecture and Theatre through Practical Application. Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/archuht/26
Supplemental Visual Materials
Included in
American Art and Architecture Commons, Architecture Commons, Graphic Communications Commons, Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Visual Studies Commons