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Canon: core classic books/important texts· Film vs. Theatreo Advertisingo Visual /special effectso Cost – cheaper to go to a movieo Perfectionismo Accessibility· Why don’t we go to theatre often?o Expensiveo Not convenient- plan in advance, theater isn’t close byo Requires more concentration than movieso Movies turn over more quickly than playso Actor recognition- knowing a movie star vs. a theater staro We talk about film more than we do theatero “Graying of the American audience”- theater audiences are getting older and aren’t being replaced by younger audiences. *older people are more likely to be viewers· Why do we study theater?o Historically relevant- it is one of the oldest forms of arto It’s an art form, part of cultural literacyo It’s universal- all cultures have theatero Theatrical impulse- innate mimetic desire (desire to imitate) in humanso The language of theatre helps us understand how we organize life· Theater must have/be… (definition of theatre)o A performer/ actoro An audienceo A text (not always written) following an actiono “Liveness”o Ephemeral: theatre is fleeting and impermanent, so you can never recapture a show from the past (shortlived, you can never experience the same thing twice, which makes theatre a very difficult study)o Aesthetic, not efficacious· Communication interaction modelo Sender  message  receivero Receiver  feedback  sender· Theatre…o requires actiono requires a spaceo uses actors – people who impersonateo relies on “liveness”o is a hybrid form it requires spoke word, art, and architecture because there are so many dif-ferent components; it is a collaborative art· Theatrical conventions: rules or shorthand that the audience agrees to accept. Ex: men playing parts of women or when the curtain goes down and then up to show darkness which would mean night time· Willing suspension of disbelief: although we know the events of the play are not real, we agree for the time that we’re in the theater not to disbelieve them.· Aesthetic distance: we remember that events on stage are not real so we don’t intervenePlay writing and Dramaturgy:· The theatrical performance is the sum of a set of choices made by:o The producer or artistic directoro The playwrighto The directoro Designers o Actors · It is a two step process: identifying and evaluating – as audience members· Play vs. Productiono You see or read a playo A production is an entire show; everyone is involved, it is what you see· Play vs. Playwrighto The play is the texto Playwright is the person, author, creator of the play Has choices to make based on subject: history, biography, autobiography, current events/contemporary, abstract inspiration, existing source material He/she creates the blueprint for a production based on decisions made for the setting, characters, dialogue, actions, themes, and textures· How to read a playo Start with the title; understand what t is going to be abouto Cast of characters; personalities the order will set the level of importance for that charactero Stage directions; everything that is not dialogueo Given circumstances Facts about the world of the play that are giveno Themes· Plot: the order of incidents in the play. Composed by actionso Linear/climactic plot: cause and effect. Ex: DOASo Episodic plot: what happens in one episode doesn’t affect another. Ex: family guyo Cyclical plot: begin and end in the same place· Story: sets the scene and is what actually happened; exposition (things that happen beforethe play begins)o Point of attack: point in the story where the playwright begins the plot. o Complications or obstacleso Climax: point of the greatest dramatic tension. Ex: in DOAS, it’s the fight be-tween Willy and Biffo Denouncement: falling action or resolution· Types of characterso Protagonist: desires sustain the dramatic action (Willy)*o Antagonist: creates complications for the protagonist (Willy/society/Biff)*o Raisonneur: speaks for the author, other than the protagonist. (Biff)o Foil: contrast to another character (Charley)*o Stock characters: common and predictable types that reappear· Dramaturgyo Dramaturgs: good at analyzing plays; interested in context and conversationo Different situations:  Literary managers· Full time position, they maintain script library for theatre, and helpwith the season selection Production dramaturgs· Hired for one play· Do a lot of research on the playwrights, context for the play, major productions, context for this production, and visual images· Communicating with the production team: directors, actors, de-signers, marketing· Communicating with the audience: lobby display, program notes, pre- and post- show talk backs New play dramaturgs· Working with the playwrights· Listen ask questions, help developo Adaption vs. Translation Adaptation is when, for example, a story is turned into a play production Challenges of adaptation· Stories are written with description· Plays are described with dialogue and setting (how do you get thoughts on the stage)· Play setting needs to be clear· Size of the cast· References of specific places Translation is a form of adaptation – is helps to understand the true mean-ing· Plays are translated into different forms such as from old English to contemporary ways for better understanding· Theater etiquetteo Dress: business casualo Arrive early- read programo No noise- candy wrappers, talking, phoneso No early departureso Standing ovation is not necessary but up to you· Production coordinator/ manager (Cary Gillett)o Sees the show from the very beginning to the end. Responsible for overseeingo Makes sure that everyone is collaboratingo Leads negotiations· Stage manager: (take down blocking, run rehearsals, call the show)o Responsible for just as much communication but on a smaller scaleo He or she is at all of the rehearsals and performances and collaborate mostly with the directoro There is a different one for every set cast/showo Responsible for calling the show and making sure it follows out to be exactly howthe director directed it and left it to be (during the actual performances)o Takes down all blocking (anything an actor does on stage) into a prompt script just in case an actor forgetso Calls the cueso Takes information that designers give them and regurgitate the information for every performance (to the people doing the lights for example)o Sits in the booth


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UMD THET 110 - Canon

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