Home Artists Corner FRAMED?

SHAKESPEARE
20 minutes (20 pages) Pick an act or sequence. Linear or nonlinear (sequential or nonsequential) Nonlinear, deconstruct: absurd, expressionistic, stylized. Chunks from more than 1 play. Versions of a scene in different styles. Work selections around characters e g Lady Macbeth e g villains, servants, kings, women, monologues, minor characters, fights, love scenes, songs, dancing, weddings, language, figurative images painted as symbols for other things e g foliage, wildlife, spirit world - reorder into new sense. Who says the words - rhythm - in song. Interweave scenes e g superimpose, intercut. Puck's dream - Halloween (witches, ghosts, etc) - Star Trek, Star Wars, genre. New Age (Aquarius) fairies are dangerous, bestial, real. Strange tales, issues, tonality. Character appears on TV like Max Headroom e g Shakespeare's Women, R & G Are Dead

IMPROVISING THE SCENE
Directors use improv as an important discovery tool in rehearsal. Exploration lets actors reach greater, deeper character epiphany, helps directors realize more animated staging, helps director and actor discover the true, inherent shape of the scene. As an early rehearsal device it familiarizes actors with the text's meaning and gives directors a playground for prelim video explorations leading to more interesting shot compositiions and inform the storyboard process during preproduction.

1. Roundtable: read the scene carefully, slowly. Have each actor clearly articulate in active terms and in terms of the other character their objective.

2. Have actors jot down tactics they might use to gain their objective. Raise the stakes.

3. Decide when the IT occurs, who wins, who loses.

This established create a ground plan with depth, more realistic, less like a theater set. Have actors hook the characters as close to themselves as they can and play the scene in their own words. Encourage actors to verbalize the character's subtext when appropriate and not edit impulses regarding movement, secondary activities, etc. First time through, take notes. Give adjustments keeping actors true to the written text, reminding them of given circumstances, their characters, their relationships and status with each other, possible tactics, and the scene's antecedent beat. Improvise again with a handheld video camera. Shoot the story as it unfolds. This is not about creating a product. It's exploration. People edit and distance themselves from their emotions, choke back tears in front of others. Cover as a defense. If it sounds uninteresting, people can tell it's an actor. Commit to the character, be in the moment, hook it close to you, raise the stakes. Find the you in your character, the more vulnerable you are. If it's there it'll read who's he, what's happening? Actively do something to the audience. No association with lines - they leave you.

CONTINUITY
Pay attention to what's on camera, lines said, what happens (screen image), script. Arrow from start to end. Which line did what, how spoken, where actor looks toward, next to this take. Compare with next take, what kind of take (closeup, etc), which character. Pencil, clipboard: Take #, shot, characters, editor, a graph.

REHEARSAL JOURNAL
Copy as many as needed for each project. Name, Section, Project, Title, Role. Partner/team member. Time begun/ended. Date. Place. Problem, process, solution, choices, insights.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS for your monologue/scene
Name, Character, Play (title), Author.

A - BASIC ANALYSIS
1. Biographical (the present) Name, Sex, Age, appearance, education; economic, social and emotional status.

2. Given Circumstance - pre-existing conditions affecting behavior. Immediate past, childhood.

B - BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
1. Intention (what character wants to do, in active verb form) Intention for the play. Intention for the monologue.

Do the following for the scene in question not the whole play.
2. Obstacles (what gets in the way of the character's intention)

3. Recievers (who can help and/or hurt the character; why)

4. Tactics (what character does to achieve intention)(use active verb forms) Remember there's a tactic for every objective.

C - DRAMATIC ACTION ANALYSIS
In 5 sentences or less trace character's path thru the monologue with his major Tactics to achieve intention. If the character's telling a story, list primary events as they occur in the monologue. If not a story - the character's trying to affect someone's behavior, describe what happens during the monologue What's the main point of the scene from the character's POV?

D - SPECIAL MOMENTS ANALYSIS
Where are the scene's special moments from the character's POV, in his own words?

Discoveries (new information from outside the character)

Recognitions (information from outside and new thoughts from inside the character)

Realizations, resorted info from inside char which brings the character a whole new way to perceive things

WRITING THEATER REVIEWS

1. Let the general outline consider IN ORDER unless with good reason script, actor's interpretation of characters, director's guidance, designer (set, costume, light, sound), other physical contributing elements

2 Production elments: Writer, actor, director, designer intention. How well they achieved it. If not perfect, what might've been done?

3 Avoid meaningless generalities e g did a good job, loved him, hated her...

4 Use plenty of detail & examples to support your critical positions.

5 Don't just recount the plot. A mere description is no substitute for evaluation.

6 Review should be at least a page long.

7 Don't dwell on minor items if you haven't considered major ones - e g trouble actor had with his shoes if far less important than his misconception of the character or his inability to feel its depth.

8 Don't use pronouns before establishing the noun first. The first sentence in the review should NOT read "THIS was a very interesting production." Avoid passive voice. Avoid abbreviations. Check for typos, misspelled words. Don't shift tense (e g past to present) Avoid using second person e g YOU were taken in by the beauty...

9 Your idea is only as good as you express it. Awkward, unintelligible sentence structure obscures meaning and negatively affects readers' attitude toward the material.

10 Don't try to be literary in your writing. State directly and clearly what you mean. Organize your thoughts before stating them.

11 Remember each paragraph should contain one major idea that's developed. Don't ramble on and throw unrelated ideas into one paragraph.

CHARACTER Visual presentation
  Centricity, size: time onstage
  Active line, what chars think of others, self
  Passive line, what others think of him
  Strengths, weaknesses, changes during play, given circumstance
  Situation, emotions, ties
  Protagonist, antagonist

COMEDY
  Has its own rhythm, rules, convention (part of pacing)
  Bodies are funny; talking heads aren't. Physical.
  Sense of comedy: sense of rhythm, why it's written, 
      humor, punctuation, objectives, obstacle.
  Character - raise the stakes BIG TIME
  Know where the joke is; create obstacle at that point.
  Long axis points; depth of scene.
  Sense of character, dynamics of relationship.
  Bring more to this episode than to overall. 
  Add width, dimension.
  Timing, rhythm is everything and written in the script.
  Jokes come in 3's - 3rd turn (twist)

                ***** LADDER OF COMEDY *****

FARCE (low comedy) - SATIRE (high comedy)
  1. Obscene (bodily functions) Not necessary for story line.
  2. Physical mishaps. Ripped pants, banana peel, pie in face.
  3. Plot device. Mostly visual. 
     Look ridiculous, lose control of self or situation. 
     Charlie Chaplin story line, driven to silliness.
  4. Verbal wit.
  5. Inconsistency of character.
  6. Comedy of ideas.

THEATER TECHNICIAN'S BIBLE

GENESIS
In the beginning was the Stage, and the Stage was without lights or sets. Darkness fell on the actors. And the TD said, Let there be lights! And the Techies wired and wired and there were lights: spotlights and specials, areas and backlighting, lights of all shapes, sizes and hues. And the TD saw the lights, well aimed and focused and gelled according to scene. No more was there darkness on the face of the actors, and it was good. And the evening and the morning were the First Day.

And the TD looked on the actors and saw that although they walked in light they did walk on a bare stage with no place to be, and the TD was moved to pity. And the TD said, Let there be a set! And the Techies scrambled and worked and there was a set with platforms, wagons, stairs and furniture of various types and sizes, each according to need. And the actors did walk within the set and did have a place to be. And the TD saw the set, and it was good, and the evening and the morning were the Second Day.

And the TD saw the actors, that although they did have a place to be they did look like fools, for they waved their hands, clutched at open air, and struck at each other with nothing. In his heart the TD was moved to pity and said, Let there be props! And the Techies worked feverishly and did buy and build, and there were props. And the TD saw the props and they were good, and the evening and the morning were the Third Day.

And the Costumer looked on the actors and saw that they did go forth on the set in jeans and knew this would not do. And the Costumer said, Let there be costumes! And the Techies did sew and shape and there were costumes, each sized to the actor, according to the play, in keeping with the role. No more did the actors go forth in jeans. And the Costumer saw the costumes and they were good, and the evening and the morning were the Fourth Day.

And the TD watched the play and saw the actors wait in silence, and was moved to pity. And the TD said, Let there be sound! And the Techies worked and taped and played, and there were sounds, each according to its place and cue, all to the proper levels. And the TD heard the sounds and they were good, and the evening and the morning were the Fifth Day.

And lo, all these works were completed in 5 days, showing if God had used sufficient Techies in the first place He would have finished sooner.

PROVERBS
Behold, here is my wisdom. Pay heed to these words, and the days of the play, in the hours of performing, thou shalt not be caught short. Pay heed to errors of others and you shalt not make them yourself, and again, as we have been told from old, to thine own self be true.

1 Give no actor his props before their time, for surely he will lose or break them.

2 When the Director orders placement of props write not these things in ink on thy script, for so shall the Director change his mind.

3 Speak not in large words to actors, for they are slow of thought and easily confused.

4 Speak not in the language of Techies to actors, for they're uninitiated and will not perceive thy meaning.

5 Tap not on the head of a nail to drive it, but strike it firmly with thy strength.

6 Keep holy the first performance, for afterwards you shall party.

7 Keep holy the last performance, for afterwards you shall strike and party.

8 Remember always the TD is never wrong. If it appears he is, you misunderstood him the first time.

9 Leave not the stage area during the play to go talk with actors or you'll miss your cues and be summarily executed, or worse.

10 Beware of actors during scene changes. Unlike you they're blind in the dark.

11 Beware of actors when flying in walls, for they will stand and watch and get crushed.

12 Take not thy cues before their time, but wait for the proper moment to do so.

13 Take pity on actors, for in their roles they are as children, and must be led with gentle kindness. Speak softly and not in anger.

14 Listen carefully to the Director as to how things should be done, then do them the right way. In the days of thy work, he will give thee wisdom, give himself credit, and rejoice.

15 Get carried not away with glowtape or thy stage will look like an airport.

WORDS
My friends, be deceived not by deluded actors masquerading as Techies. Remember the signs by which thou shalt know a true Techie: They move softly during scene changes, not stumbling or falling; they're silent backstage and aware of what's happening; they speak with knowledge of tools; they respect each other's jobs and aid where they can; they don't just stand and watch. Remember always thou art a Techie, born to walk the dark places of the stage and to know the secret ways of equipment. To your hands it is given to mold dreams and thought of those that watch and to make the stage a separate place and time. Seek not, as do actors, to go forth in light upon the stage. Though they strut and talk and put on airs their craft depends on you to shape the dreams they show. Remember thou art a team, for thou shalt party together.

PRAYER
Lord, let my arms grow never weary of carrying or pulling on ropes. Let my lights always work and my sound always be prepared. Let me not miss my cues nor be caught onstage when lights come up. Keep my hemp always strong and fresh and my borders always in trim. Keep the party long and joyful. Amen.

PSALM
The TD is my guide; I shall be informed. He shows me where my props must go, and how the stage must be set. He tells of the setting of the lights, and checks the sounds I prepare. Yea though I walk through the darkness of the stage, I shall not fear, for I am a TECHIE and I see in the dark. My paths are prepared beforehand; the actors get not in my way. Lights stay down until I leave. Surely I will answer my cues at the proper time, and I will dwell backstage forever.

LOGIC
In is down, down is front, out is up, up is back, off is out, on is in, and of course - right is left and left is right. A drop shouldn't and a block and fall does neither. A prop doesn't and a cove has no water. Tripping is OK. A running crew rarely gets anywhere. A purchase line buys you nothing. A trap won't catch anything. A gridiron has nothing to do with football. A strike is work. A green room, thank God, usually isn't. Now that you're fully versed in theatrical terms - break a leg ...but not really!