Lecture 1: September 7, 2011Why do we go to the movies more frequently than theatre?CostAccessibilityVisualAdvertisementProblem??“The Graying of the American Audience”Why do we study theatre?Universality of TheatreTheatrical ImpulseAristotle The Poetics (335 BC)Innate mimetic desire in humans“mimesis” = imitationThe definition of TheatreTheatre must have a(n)…ActorStoryAudienceLivenessCommunication Interaction ModelSender message receiver feedback Theatre requires actionTheatre uses actors (an actor is a performer who impersonates)Theatre is a hybrid formTheatre is a collaborative artTheatre relies on “liveness”Theatre requires a spaceTheatron = seeing placeTheatre is ephemeralThree Way Theatrical InteractionPerformers AudienceAudience PerformersAudience AudienceHow do audiences negotiate the theatre event?Theatrical Conventions: rules, practices or shorthand that audiences agree to acceptWilling Suspension of Disbelief: Although audiences know the events of a play are not real, they agree for the moment not to disbelieve themAesthetic Distance: audiences remember that events on stage are not real so they do not interveneTheatre EtiquetteBeforeAppropriate dressArrive earlyRead the programDuringAvoid noiseNo food or candy wrappersNo talking, singing, phonesAfterNo early departuresStanding ovations“Three Block Rule”Lecture 2: September 12, 2011How to think critically about performanceThe theatre production is the:SUM OF A SET OF CHOICESPlaywrightArtistic DirectorDirector – “Director’s concept” (what do you want that piece to ‘say’)DesignersActorsAs an audience member you should ask yourself:What are the choices made by all the people involved with the production and how well do they work?What was attempted? Was it accomplished? Was it valuable?Lecture 3: September 14, 2011History of DirectingRichard Wagner (1813-1883); wanted people to be fully engulfedWanted unified production/ gesam kunstwerk(potential extra credit)Director’s Concept or Thematic ThrustOverall image or metaphor for the playDirector’s three main jobs:InterpretationUnificationCommunicationLecture 4: September 19, 2011The PlaywrightWhere do you start?ImageCharacterStoryJust a lineLocationAction and ConflictAction is a series of eventsConflict is the soul of dramaDrama happens when a character wants something and meets obstaclesSuper-objective: main thing the actor wantsThemeAn abstract concept which part or all of a play is “about”The World of the PlayThe world of the play must be understandable and complete with its own logic and rulesCharacter, which is revealed…Through how a character interacts with othersThrough what others say and do in relation to the characterThrough a character’s actionsGood playwrights show instead of tell!LanguageReveals information about charactersHelps create the world of the playPlot and StructurePlot vs. StoryPlot is the ordering of incidents in the playThree major types of plots:Climatic/LinearEpisodicCyclicalDramaturgy: Established and New PlaysOn an established play:ResearchAsk questionsDefend textProgram Notes and Lobby DisplayPre- or post-show discussionsOn a new play:Helps playwright refine scriptDirect Staged ReadingsPre- or Post-Show discussionsTranslation“Every translation is also an adaptation”Problems with translationMeaning…Tone…Poetry…Death of a SalesmanWhat are the specific different between the two productions?Biff was more loving of his father in the earlier version, whereas it seemed as if Biff had much more contempt for Willy.Willy moved around much more in the ’85 version. Took a couple laps around the kitchen.In later version, Willy is much more emotionalMore of a build up in the ’66 version, but Dustin Hoffman comes out right away yelling.How do these two productions feel different?Willy was smaller and not a strong voice in Dustin Hoffman version’66 version was more homey. More stuff in the house, more colorfulFamily more involved in the older one compared to new oneEarly version: sad New version: angerWilly was passive aggressive and more senile in the ’66 version, not as engagedWilly more stubborn in the Hoffman versionWhich production was more effective? Why?’66 was more effective because there was more physicalityDustin Hoffman more effective because of the intense anger that the family has for WillyLecture 5: September 21, 2011Acting!What is Acting?Embodying a scriptWhat is “Good” Acting? Bad Acting?Definitions of Acting“Acting is living truthfully under imaginary given circumstances” –Sanford Meisner“The thing about performance, even if it’s only an illusion, is that it is a celebration of the fact that we do contain within ourselves infinite possibilities” – Daniel-Day Lewis“Usually in a battle sequence when a bomb is going off, you forget you’re acting” – Charlie SheenPrimary Responsibilities of the ActorStudy the textMaintain flexible mind, body & voiceWork collaborativelyContribute creatively to the rehearsal processSkills of the Actor / Actor TrainingFocus and ConcentrationOpenness and NeutralityDiscipline and RelaxationCuriosity and PlayfulnessTHICK SKINApproaches to ActingInternal ApproachExternal ApproachInternal Approach to ActingDefinition: identifying as closely as possible with the emotional life of the character portrayedKonstantin Stanislavsky (1863-1938)Russian Theatre Director and ActorDeveloped a “system” for actingMost taught acting system in AmericaKey TermsGiven CircumstancesPersonalizationIntention/Objective/Super-ObjectiveExternal Approaches to ActingDefinition: Shaping character by making conscious physical and vocal choicesAnna Deavere Smith (1950-)Playwright, performer, teacherWalking in another’s shoes“…say a word enough, and it becomes you”Actors & The Production ProcessAudtitionsOpen Auditions and Cattle CallsClosed Audition and InterviewsCold Readings v. MonologuesCall BacksAdditional Skills – Dance and MusicRehearsalsIt’s A Hard-Knock LifeAn actors pay = dogshitLecture 6: September 26, 2011Blake Robinson: Artistic Director of Round House TheatreTheatre major in collegeStarted out as an actorEarned MFA (Master of Fine Arts)Moved to NYC to actStarted a theatre in home state of VermontSelf-declared artistic director after theater in Vermont took offBeen in DC for 7 yearsJOB OF ARTISTIC DIRECTOROversees castingDevelopment of theatre in the communityDonors, theatre goersFace of organizationConstantly
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