Pictures of History: The Scenographic Construction of Clifford Odets 1938 Play Rocket to the Moon

In a documentation of the set and costume design for Clifford Odets' Rocket to the Moon (produced by the University of Calgary and per­formed at the University Theatre in Calgary, Alberta Canada in Octo­ber, 2003), this book explores the concept of historical representation in performance. According to both Constantin Stanislavski's methodo­logy for actor training and Bertolt Brecht's dramaturgical philosophies, scenic design for the theatre takes on a role that goes far beyond the basic function if indicating time and place. Even though Odets' play takes place during a specific time in history, the play itself is less a realistic representation of that time, than a representation of how Odets viewed it. Therefore, the nature in which the environment of the play was crafted carried the potential of affecting the play's inter­pretation, first by the director and actors, then by the designer and the rest of the creative team, and then consequently, by the audience itself.