- The most direct objective of a well-crafted stage design is to communicate the setting of the story. Even a simple backdrop or a few pieces of stage scenery can ground a play or other performance by visually summing up the story's time period and locale and the characters' social class and circumstances. Minimalist set design may provide a stark tone or seek to emphasize the human element of the production. Ornate sets can dazzle an audience and enrich a performance.
- The goal of furniture and other large objects on the stage is to fill out the details of the setting. Some stage furniture also fulfills additional roles, such as holding important props until they are used. Breakaway furniture is specially rigged to fall apart in a specific way when triggered. It should trigger reliably and fall apart in a predictable fashion -- and ideally be reusable. Beyond these functional roles, stage furniture should be easy for the stage crew to move quickly between scenes.
- Props and small decorative objects fulfill some of the same purpose as furniture and scenery, such as communicating details of the setting and circumstances. However, actors also interact with the props to enhance their performance. This means that an important objective in prop design is tracking the movement of each prop, including where it will be when it first comes on stage, when and where actors will pick it up and put it down, and how it will be removed from the stage.
- Lighting is an aspect of stage design that is usually handled separately from sets and props. Light designers work with the director to choose the best combination of the lights' shape, color, intensity and transition. The goals of light design are to sufficiently illuminate the action of the play while using light to set the tone for each scene and to draw the eye to the desired points on the stage. During a performance, the objective of the light operator is to execute each cue at the right time and, in some cases, to follow certain actors with spotlights.
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