His second contribution was the integration of actors with the design of the backdrop. He designed clever backdrops that made it realistic and gave viewers the perception that the actors is actually moving through the backdrop. He harmoniously combined movements in space and the color and lighting of the backdrops to give a realistic effect. His third contribution is the use of fixed flats that made it possible to have indoor as well as outdoor stages. He even filed a patent for this technical change in 1910.
What others think of him
Many people had mixed opinion about Craig because he was a brilliant artist and designer and also an extremely difficult person to work with. He wanted complete art control for an production and this was unacceptable to many directors and producers, This is one the biggest reason for his demise from the art scene.
On the most famous men, W.B. Yeats said, "the only admirable stage scene of our time, for Mr. Gordon Craig has discovered how to decorate a play with sever, beautiful, simple effects of colour, that leave the imagination free to follow all the suggestions of the play. Realistic scenery takes the imagination captive and is at best bad landscape painting, but Mr. Gordon Craig's scenery is a new and distinct art. The staging of Dido and Aeneas and...
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Notable shows
There are many notable shows done by this great artist. His first one was called No Trifling with Love and he produced this with Alfred de Musset. He was an actor as well as a manager in this production and he aimed to move onto to become the director. His first directorial attempt was Dido and Aeneas and this brought him instant fame. Under the Purcell Operatic Society, he also produced the Vikings with Martin Shaw. Another notable one was the Hamlet which he produced in Germany for the Moscow Arts Theater in 1911. Other lesser known shows include the Masque of Love, Nance Oldfield, Bethlehem, for Sword or Song and Much Ado about Nothing.
He is also well-known for authoring a book called the Art of the Theater. He opened a theatrical school in Italy with help from Lord Howard de Waldon.
References
Craig, Edward Gordon; Chamberlain, Franc. On the Art of Theater. New York: Routledge, 2008.
Bablet, D. The Theatre of Edward Gordon Craig. London: Eyre Methuen. 1981.
Akard, Jeffrey; Isakson, Nancy. Edward Gordon Craig. Cambridge: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1983.
