Class Notes!

Script Detective 27/04/16

• Start with stage directions and dialogue

• What does our character do

• How do they interact with other characters

• Dialogue gives us info about characters issues, context

• Character

• Relations

• Themes

• Issues

• What educated guesses can we make about our character by examining the dialogue

• Given Circumstances

• Overall situation of the piece/play

• Ask questions like:

• Where am i

• Why am i here

• What time is it

• What season is it

• Who am i with

• Explicitly linked to EOD situation

• Given circumstances influences what you do in the scene

• Character Objective: what do you want to achieve?

• Superobjective: the overall aim of the character

• Subobjective: little objectives they have to overcome to get to the superobjective

• Units: smaller obstacles in the monologue

• Usually indicated by a change in thought process

• Beats: even smaller than units.

• Unit: you are angry at someone

• Beat: the reasons why you are angry

• Objectives aren't always clear

• Stanislavsky: father of realism

• Work on independent research

Six Steps to Rehearsing + Performing *Script*

1. Given Circumstances

2. Character Objectives

3. Second Reading

4. Rehearsal Stage

5. Performing

6. Evaluation

Rehearsals

• Need prompt copy

• Trial and error stage

• Read initial reading and ideas recorded . ie objectives (super/sub/units)

• Record blocking (consider given circumstances)

• Consider the use of space and levels

• Consider props and how they are going to be used

• Birds eye view drawing of staging

• Improvise situations

• Work with other people

• Character bio

• Learn lines early!!!!

Directorial Concept and Elements of Production

Directorial Concept

• Physical and Metaphysical vision of the director

• Performance Style

• Melodrama

• Realism

• Commedia

• Absurd

• Naturalism

• Themes and issues

• What are the main performance elements in the play?

• What are the main themes?

• Set designs may make connections to current work climate

• The audience keeps being drawn to classic plays because of the directorial concepts

• Target Audience

• A performance may be targeted at a particular age group

• Audience is 50% of the performance

• How is the performance going to affect them

• Performance space

• How can the space highlight the concept

• Awareness of where you are

• Be comfortable in the space

• Good understanding of the space to ground the characterisation even more

• Given Circumstances

• Elements of drama

• Set design

• Not meant to be realistic

• Includes hand props

• Costume design

• Think about hair

• Think about period

• Costume that clearly links to the character and the scene

• Allowed to change the period as long as it is justified.

• Lighting and sound

Steps of what we need to do:

1. Research and selection of Monologue

2. Script detective work: includes more research and character bio

3. Rehearsing: performing for feedback

4. Directorial concept + elements of production