ABSTRACT
Theatrical productions include lighting and sound to enhance the theatergoing experience by immersing the audience’s senses in ‘the scene.’ Integrating the olfactory sense adds a new dimension to the theater experience. This chapter explores elements of olfactory art in theatrical production design using examples from a case study of The Soap Factory Art Gallery (Minneapolis, MN). This will highlight challenges and considerations including: the integration of olfactory experience in the artistic design; the creation of ambience using ambient scent; immersion in the reality of the scene (without ‘gimmicks’); dispersion, control and clearing of scents; a focus with ‘scent spotlight’; and enhancement of production enjoyment value.
