The
Galvanometer
Phase I – The Designing
Design for me always comes with plenty
of research.
What is it? From where did it originate? What did it
do? What was its purpose? How was it made? How can we make an
affordable replica? What was the science behind it back then? What
did they have as building materials at their disposal?
Metal. Wood. Glass. Paper.
From there, I have to heavily consider
theatrical practicality: can the actor use it; can it be moved; who
will be taking it on and off stage; will the audience see it up
close; does it need to be opened and maintained; and what size does
it need to be in order to read as what it is supposed to be without
being obtrusive?
So – once I read the script of the
show – I talk with the director about how he would like the piece
to look. In this instance, we both referenced the film version.
I don't normally do that as there is a
great danger in getting research from Hollywood. Not just because of
accuracy...but also because other designers have already translated
into film what we need for stage. It's not always attainable from a
cost standpoint.
However, the creative team working on A
Dangerous Method very cleverly created what a Galvanometer would
have been used for in psychoanalysis (more like a polygraph machine
in the way that it measured emotional response via skin conductivity
rather than what a galvanometer was originally used for – magnetic
atmospheric field measurements).
There were enough recognizable shapes
and pieces that could be easily obtained by Ebay, Etsy, Thrift shop,
borrowing indefinitely and fabricating.
We had to scale it down, so I drafted a
plan to make the galvanometer system about 1/3 of the size in the
film. This included the periphery items such as the stop watch and
case and the slide rule – both of which are seen on other tables in
the scene. We needed all of the instruments to completely fit onto
one table/one tray (for ease of use and set change choreography).
I made a list of the important pieces:
The Conduction Paddles; The Galvanometer Base Instrument/Control
Center; The Stopwatch and Case; The Bell Jar Receptor; The Slide
Rule; and the Optical Tower. I drafted a rough sketch for the
director's approval.
Thereafter, I planned shopping and
acquisition so that I could get the materials right away.
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| Galvanometer Design for The Talking Cure Erin R. Gallagher 2015 |
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