Two weddings: an examination of the design process as applied to Blood Wedding and Vernasz

The objective of this study was to examine the design process, and how it was affected when applied to the different forms of opera and theatre, using two specific examples as test subjects. To ensure homogeny between these subjects I chose Federico Garcia Lorca's play, Blood Wedding, and an operatic adaptation, Sandor Szokolay's Vernasz. Using my personal design process as a basis for study, I developed preliminary and final scenography, including scenery and costumes, for both pieces concurrently. These theoretical productions were designed for the Shaw Festival Court House Theatre and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, respectively.

The results revealed that, although scenographic decisions were influenced by factors exclusive to opera, theatre, and the selected theatres; the design process itself was unaffected.