Quarter 2 Week 1 Mise En Scène

Mise En Scène in Young Sheldon

Setting: Young Sheldon takes place in late 1980s Texas. The Cooper family lives in the fictional town of Medford. The town is very similar to the classic southern feel, even including some protestant Christianity. The setting conflicts with Sheldon's character as traditional southern and Christian values are the opposite of his genius mind. The homes and electronics also are older, including incredibly older computers. The era of the show is really well established and convinces the viewer that it is really taking place in the late 1980s Texas.

Lighting: As Young Sheldon is a comedy show, there are tones and moments that are darker. At school and at the Cooper home, he lighting can be very soft and peaceful. High key lighting is used predominantly in the show. There isn't much tension in these scenes. Darker events tend to occur at night rather than during the day. Some of the sadder events occur at night, such as Mary's breakdown in Season 2 Episode 3 or Sheldon's sleep over in Season 2 Episode 4. The lighting helps keep a positive mood, or a negative mood, to the show as it's meant to not be so serious.

Costume: Sheldon, the main character, wears "nerdy" clothes. He doesn't wear glasses, but he does a bow tie and wears semi-professional clothing almost everywhere he goes. At night he switches into his pajamas which symbolizes how he is still a kid even if he is very smart. Mary, Sheldon's mother, wears dresses similar to Christian housewives in the late 1900s. Her costume demonstrates the purity and gentleness of her character as the mother of the household. Missy, Sheldon's twin sister, wears a combination of young southern dresses and tomboyish clothing. She does not belong to one particular sphere and signifies how her character is free. The costumes work well with the setting as it establishes the the southern and Texan feeling to the show.

Staging/Acting:  Method acting is the type of acting used in the show. Each of the characters act uniquely to their quirky characteristics. The family has a very stereotypical family set-up. There is the Christian house-wife who takes care of her children and her fat, football coach husband. In this episode specifically, George Sr. has to take on many of the roles in the house because of Mary's depression. George takes up the role but not to the same skill or degree, meanwhile Mary accurately displays her suffering. Sheldon, Missy, and Georgie all demonstrate the innocence of children when it comes to their parents emotions. Georgie and Missy are not necessarily bothered as they don't understand what their mother is suffering through, but Sheldon does. The staging and acting for Sheldon combines both the logical and emotional side to ease his mother's pain. The actors are great and I love how many lines the younger kids have in the show. They're really amazing actors!