A design concept is the driving force behind all the design elements for a production; the unifying idea or image that will inform the look of the set, the costumes, the lighting, and the sound of the show. For instance, the design concept for the production of Hairspray pictured below might have been: “Bright lights and colors lift the spirits and hope of everyone.” Your task is to come up with a design concept for the play Oedipus Rex that you read in the previous module. Begin by looking at images from past productions of the play. What set, costume, lighting, and other visual elements stand out to you? What choices might you make if you were to direct a production of the show? What would you want the overall look to be? Finally, how can you distill all of that down into one or two sentences that designers could use to inform their specific design choices?
