Caroline
Chen

Graphic Design / Performance Design

Caroline Chen is a live performance designer based in Melbourne, Australia. Her design concept focuses around building a sensory connection between audience and stage. She has completed her degree in Bachelor of Design, major in Performance Design at the University of Melbourne.

Her works at the University of Melbourne have been displayed at MSDx Exhibition. She was also the Production Manager and Costume & Makeup Designer for student theatre group MUCTG. Her designs in this community have been nominated by UMSU for Union House Theatre Awards.




Orlando

Approaching Orlando, I was intrigued by the journey of Orlando, who travels through centuries to find identity and belonging. I wanted to create an audio-visual immersive environment for audience to experience this journey. So, it is crucial to achieve harmony between Set and Sound designs.

My design for Orlando focuses on creating a conceptual and theatrical space accompanied by live music. The Oak Tree is the thread that holds the play together, so I set up a tree-inspired time tunnel work with projection and fly system to emphasise the travel across centuries. An opera piano is placed at the upstage, all music and sounds are produced by this piano by live performance or manipulated recording.

I am using classic rhythm from Twinkle, Twinkle, Little star to connect eras. This nursery song is well-known by modern audience, it symbolises the start of life and journey to find identities. Piano's surface and strings will be used to create sounds, merging with famous historical elements to classify the eras. Different composition styles will create atmospheres for each stage of Orlando's journey. Performers will manipulate the piano into prepared piano on stage during the play, which highlights the uniqueness and freshness of each live performance.

Set Design Orlando
Act 1

Set Design Orlando
Act 2

Set Design Orlando
Act 3

Set Design Orlando
Act 4

Set Design Orlando
Act 5 and opening


Orlando (Video)

Sound Design Orlando
Sound design for Orlando by Sarah Ruhl one demo for each Act