1.4: Deciding on a Setting
The setting is the environment in which the conflict can take place. The conflict and setting will also contribute to the action (or things that happen) on stage. You can set your play in any location you choose and as many locations as you would like. You can have a single location or multiple locations however, there are pros and cons to each.
When creating a play imagine that the life of the character is continuous and the play takes place on the most important day or set of days in this character’s life. Now you cannot stage the continuous life of this character uninterrupted because it would take too long, so you are choosing to show us the most important parts, of the most important day. Because you are selecting the most important events that happened on this day, all essential conflicts and actions should happen on stage. You want to make sure that the audience gets to be present for the major events, this will engage them more and allow them to feel as though they are part of the play.
In the beginning of your process, you can choose any location you want and your ideas will come from the combination of Location + Setting + Theme. Explore and choose a setting or world that would be fun to explore. Use the same selection process as before. Choose a general location first and know that as the idea progresses you can add additional settings if needed.
Single Location
If you choose to set your play in a single location your play will be easier to produce and will be more accessible to theater companies later. Having your play in one location also allows your set to be detailed and specific. Your designer is only working on one location so the designer can focus on specifics. The catch is that you have to choose a location where multiple characters would logically meet and engage in the story and conflict. If, for instance, you have set your play at a school, you may want to choose a location at the school that everyone would use like a courtyard or cafeteria rather than a classroom because you will create an opportunity to introduce more characters. Setting your play in one location can be difficult, but if it is possible, try to achieve it.
Multiple Locations
If you choose to set your play in multiple locations then you are only limited by your imagination. You are free to take your audience to any location you choose at any moment, free from limitations. The drawback to this is that the more locations you choose to add into your play, the more money it will cost to produce it which can limit your accessibility, and the set design for each location will be less detailed than if you set it at one location. I have done plays with over 50 locations and some locations had to be suggested through lighting and sound only. Do not limit your creativity. Write your play the way you want, it is your play.
Process
Have each person present a location or world that they would like to set a play in. Have each idea be presented to the group by the person who is bringing it in. This will allow the idea to be introduced to the group by its most passionate representative, and then open the idea to questions. Make sure the questions are positive and are designed to see where the idea can go dramatically. Once the idea is presented then move to the next until all ideas have been brought forward.
Next write the ideas on the board and give everyone 2 votes meaning that they can vote to select 2 items. Go through each item and tally up the results. Erase the ideas with the lowest votes and repeat the process giving each person only 1 vote. Continue until you have 2-3 ideas and then select the idea with the highest votes.