theatre

Creating a dramatic structure

**Opening scene - the first scene of a drama starts the action and sets the tone for everything that follows. -sets the action in motion. **Obstacles and complications - hurdles blocking a characters path, outside forces introduced at an inopportune moment **Crises and Climaxes - as a result of conflicts, obstacles and complications, characters become involved in a series of crises. -Final and most significant crisis is the climax

Climactic plot construction

**Scenes, locales, and. characters are restricted. **Construction is tight - events are arranged in an orderly compact way with no loose ends--once action begins there is no stopping. -aim is to make events so inevitable that there is no escape - at least not until the very last moment. *Deus ex Machina - "God by machine". It has come to mean anything that is used to resolve a play at the end

Types of dramatic characters cont.

**Stock Characters - Not three dimensional. One outstanding trait of human behavior to the exclusion of the others. **Characters with a dominate trait - One aspect of character dominates making an unbalanced and comical personality. **Minor characters - play a small part in the action. often further the story and support. **Narrator or Chorus - Speaks directly to the audience frequently commenting on the action. --Greek drama used chorus that commented on plot and main action through song and dance **Nonhuman characters - Actors play animals or concepts

Creating the script cont.

*Dramatic purpose - playwright must determine the purpose of the play. It can be casual or unconscious, conscious and deliberate, but every theatre event is intended to serve some purpose. it is possible for a theatre event to serve more than one purpose. *Structure in Drama - Every work of art must have some type of structure -like architecture, a play must have some type of structure or it falls apart. Different plays require different types of structure or framework for the dramatic action.

Thought

*Includes themes, arguments, the overall meaning, focus, or significance of the action. --all of which are usually implied rather than directly stated *a playwright cannot avoid expressing ideas through the events and characterizations of the play, which always implies some view of human behavior.

Character/Characterization cont.

*It is also necessary to ask how the character functions in the play --what purpose does the character serve in terms of his relevance to the story being told *How is a character revealed? --Descriptions in stage direction --Prefaces or other explanatory material --What characters say --What other characters say about her/him --What she/he does

Arts are selective

*Literary - sight and touch(excludes sound) *Visual- Sight and touch(excludes sound *Theatre, opera, dance- sight and sound(excludes touch) *Music- sound(excludes sight and touch)

Spectacle cont.

*Spectacle gives information -it helps establish when and where the action occurs, it make indicate that time and place are irrelevant too. -It aids in characterization by establishing economic level, class, or profession of the characters. -it aids in psychological aspects of a character such as what clothes are worn, what their room looks like, etc.

Creating the script

*Subject - Playwright must decide what aspect of human existence to write about *Focus and Emphasis - Who and what to focus on *Main Character - how we view them favorably or unfavorable *Greek Drama and Myth - dealing with characters who already exist.

How the audience participates cont.

*Willing suspension of disbelief. -We put aside all literal and practical considerations when entering the world of drama. *Aesthetic Distance -This is a requirement of all involvement in the arts -The viewer must be separated from the performance or object and realize that its a work of art--in order to experience it's aesthetic qualities. -Paradoxically, once the proper distance is established, the viewer can enter into the experience fully.

Characteristics of performing arts

-#1 they require interpreters as well as creators -playwright wrights the play but actors perform it -#2 they require an audience

The Auteur Director cont.

--Auteur directors do not hesitate to: --alter texts drastically --combine texts from different sources --introduce other elements such as film, video, dance, and visual art --to rearrange times and places in which the action of the dramatic piece occurs -it is the directors vision that controls what the audience sees on stage

The Auteur Director

--Auteur is the french word for author -This was an important development in the 20th century -A director who takes the text and gives it their own interpretation --vsevolod meyerhold --robert wilson

Elements of Stage Lighting

--Intensity - brightness controlled by a dimmer. lighter or darker --Color - gels are used to switch colors, many are combined for depth, texture, and naturalness -Gobo: Patterns --Direction: The way the lights are on or near the stage so that illumination comes from one particular angle -footlights are common at one time, but they create strange shadows on the face -most lighting is now hung at a 45 degree angle -Down lighting, directly overheard. Backlighting, from behind --Form- The form or shape of light -Single shaft of light -Patterned dappled sunlight through leaves -Edges can be sharp or soft --Movement - Light can shift its focus from location to location, it can change color, it can shift from day, to sunset, to night.

Characteristics of Comedy

--Suspension of natural laws - temporary suspension of natural laws of probability and logic. actions in comic play do not have same consequences as actions as real life. --Contrast between individuals and social order -- either putting normal characters in an abnormal world or abnormal characters in a normal world. --the comic premise: an idea or concept that turns the accepted notion of things upside down. Lysistrata.

The costume designers collaborators

--The people who specialize in hair, wigs, masks, makeup --Costumers who sew the costumes and fit them to performers --The costume designer must also work closely with the director.

The Costume Designer

--The person responsible for creating costumes for the performers is the costume designer --he or she begins with a thorough knowledge of the play - subject matter, period, style, and point of view - with an intimate understanding of the characters

Domestic drama

--most of the plays in this category deal with people from everyday life, usually members of a family in their own home *this form has replaced tragic and heroic drama as the predominant type of serious drama

Elements of scenic design

-A designer must make use of all the following elements 1. Line - outline or silhouette of elements onstage - curved or angular lines 2. Mass - overall bulk of scenic elements, very large heavy platforms, or a bare stage. 3. Composition - balance and arrangement of elements - vertical or horizontal? equally distributed or all to one side? 4. Texture - the feel projected by surfaces or fabrics, glass, wood, brick 5. Color - Shading and contrast of color combinations --a designer will use these elements to affect audiences in conjunction with the action and other aspects of production.

Spectacle

-After sound, the visual elements of a play are the dramatists principal means of expression -However, since the author normally depends on others, to supply these elements, she/he does not have full control over them -Other artists must work through deductions gained from analyzing plot, character, thought, and dialogue.

Lighting in Theatre History 2

-Around 1600, theatre began to move indoors -candles and oil lamps were used -in 1803 in london a theatre installed gaslights -lighting became more manageable -some control over intensity and color -limited in effectiveness and used open flames so fires were constantly a threat

What is Art?

-Art is a mirror or reflection of life; and extension or projection of how we live, think and feel. -Artificial -Standalone -Self-aware --What the artist is trying to do --Aesthetic Response - appreciation of beauty some understanding

The effect the audience has on performers

-Audience has a huge effect --actors are encouraged by a responsive and energetic audience --discouraged by an unresponsive one --reacting to this, actors will change their performance in subtle but very real ways.

Elements of theatre

-Audience: people who watch the performer. without an audience the theatrical event is not complete. -Dramatic action embodied in a script- the story or text. In theatre it is called a script -Performers- People onstage presenting characters in dramatic action. Acting is a profession that requires considerable craft and skill. -Director- the person who rehearses the performers and coordinates their actions to make sure that they interpret the text properly, intelligently, and make it exciting to watch.

New Technology in lighting

-Automated lights or moving lights --color, direction, and movement can all be controlled --Lights can pan and tilt --The iris(controls the size of the pool of light) --Gobo - the template which determines the pattern of light

Forms of Comedy: Comedy of Manners

-Comedy of Manners- concerned with pointing up the foibles(weakness in someones character) and peculiarities of the upper class. -verbal wit -expose social pretensions(assertion of claim) -Comedy of Ideas- George Bernard Shaw used comic techniques to debate intellectual propositions(statement that expresses an opinion) such as the nature of war, cowardice, romance.

Forms of Comedy: domestic comedy

-Domestic Comedy- usually deals with family situations -sitcoms - modern family -family and friends caught up in a series of complicated but amusing situations.

The directors at work cont. 5

-Dress rehearsal run just like it would be performed in public -It's a chance for the actors and crew to solidify what they are doing and polish the performance.

Forms of Comedy: farce

-Farce- Thrives on all forms of exaggeration. Broad physical humor, plot complications, and stereotypical characters. -Entertainment and laughter -Excessive plot complications -Ridiculous situations -Pratfalls and horseplay

Plot(The End)

-Final portion of the play often called the resolution or denouement. -Serves to tie up loose ends and answer questions raised earlier in the play -Brings the situation back to equilibrium, satisfies the audiences expectations. -many plays deviate from the typical patterns, but all of them offer some resolution that brings the action to a close.

What is Genre?

-French word meaning category or type -Oldest and best known genre in theatre is tragedy and comedy. -The greeks made distinctions between the two by creating masks, one for comedy and one for tragedy. they are used as the symbols for theatre today.

Lighting in Theatre History 3

-In 1879 Thomas Edison invented the incandescent lamp(electric light) -The era of technological theatre lighting began -safe -brightness could be increased or decreased -color

The directors collaborators

-In addition to the actors, and design staff, the directors have other collaborators which are essential to production --Musical director --Vocal coach --Fight choreographer --Dance choreographer

Lighting in Theatre History 4

-In the past 50 years, there have been many advances with controls and equipment -computerization has been incorporated into lighting. by pushing a button an operator can shift dozens of lights in a split second

The directors at work cont. 3

-It is also the directors job to host rehearsals where they assemble the cast and work on the play scene by scene. -the directors also give: --the actors their blocking. blocking is the actors on-stage movement and where they will go depending on the point in each scene. -in preparing the onstage action, a director must keep in mind what the production will look like from the audiences perspective -the director is the eye of the audience -they must make sure the actors dont get bunched up on stage and that the pictures created are interesting and dynamic

Music cont.

-Language is not complete until the performers add pitch, stress, volume, tempo, duration, and quality to words. -this is how meaning is conveyed. -music is an interpretative element - what the performer does with the text when the drama is performed. -remember its extremely important that we look at plays as texts performed to an audience.

Lighting Controls

-Light changes or cues are arranged ahead of time -there can be several hundred light cues in a production -blackout, fade, cross fade, fade in or out

Stage Lighting

-Lighting in theatre history --for the first 2000 years of its recorded history, theatre mostly took place outside during the daytime --Since artificial lighting wasn't available yet, this was the best source of illumination

Related Elements

-Makeup- the application of cosmetics such as paints, powders, and rogues applied to the face or body help a performer personify and embody a character -Highlight facial features so they are not lost in the lights -Old age

Related Elements 2

-Masks are as old as theater. they were first used in primitive tribes and ancient greek theatre. A mask is an extension of a performer, a face on top of a face -they remind us we are in the theatre -they allow a face to be frozen in one extension -Hide identity -allow for extreme characterization

Music

-Music as it is normally understood is not a part of every play. here the term music is extended to mean patterned sound, making it an important part of every production. -music includes all sound affects, the actors voice, songs, and instrumental music.

Physical layout: Playing area

-Must fit into the stage space and accommodate(provide sufficient space for) the performers. Must be enough space for action to take place -A ground plan is a blueprint or floorplan outlining the various levels on stage indicating the placement for all scenery, furniture, doors, windows, and so on.

Plot(The middle)

-Normally composed of a series of *complications* - any new element that serves to alter the direction of action -discovery of new information, an unexpected event, the necessity of choosing between courses of action, arrival of a character, introduction of a new idea, etc. -Complications narrow the possibilities of action and create suspense. -In most complications the event is not as important as its effect on the characters involved. -The possibilities narrow to the point where the next discovery will answer the major dramatic question -This is the climax or the moment of crisis towards which the play builds.

Costume Design

-Of all the elements of theatre, costumes are the most personal because they are worn by the performers -Visually performer and costume are perceived as one, but they each have a value of their own, adding color, shape, texture, and symbolism to the overall effect

Lighting in Theatre History

-Playwrights use imagination to suggest night time or shifts in lighting --performers would bring on torches or candles --language was used in place of lighting --

Differences among performances

-Purposes- Why done? -Doers vs Watchers- Actor/Audience -Organizing principles- Beginning/End -Self-Awareness- Happen upon or Organized event -Ritual- Masks, Costumes, Dance, Music

Forms of Comedy: satire

-Satire- Uses whit, especially sophisticated language - irony and exaggeration to expose or attack evil and foolishness. -political cartoons.

Heroic Drama

-Serious drama that has noble and heroic characters and certain other traits of classical tragedy but differs from the tragedy in important respects. --having a happy ending or a basically optimistic worldview even if the ending is sad.

Plot(the Beginning) cont.

-Shakespeare uses an early point of attack he begins at the inception of the story and works in chronological order. thus there is little exposition -Greek tragedies use late points of attack thus making room for a lot of exposition. they only show the final parts of the story thus there is lots of exposition. -in most plays from the past, attention is focused on a question, potential conflict, or theme. Therefore the beginning includes an *inciting incident* - an occurrence that sets the main action into motion and usually leads to the main dramatic question in which the play is centered around.

Evolution of the director

-Some people argue that directing didn't exist until 1874 when the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, George the II, oversaw every action of his court productions -Directing has been around since the greeks, only it didn't have the title "director" -Often a lead actor or playwright would serve as the director. --Aeschylus --Shakespeare --Moliere -Today because style unity and a cohesive view of society are so elusive, the directors task is so important. -Directors. get their training in many ways -many begin as actors -others train in academic institutions that have specific programs for directors

Sound Design

-Sound has become an increasingly important element of theatre production -The sound designer - will read the script and take note of any requirements in the play or requested by the director -He/She must then figure out how to meet the need of the production with the sound

The Costume Designer's Objectives

-Stage costumes should meet six requirements 1. Help establish tone and style of the production --Along with scenery and lighting, costumes should inform audience of the style of the play 2. Indicate Historical period of a play and locale in which it is set. --costumes indicate the period of a play whether it is historical or modern, set in a foreign country or U.S., etc. 3. Indicate the nature of individual characters or groups in the play: their stations in life, their occupations, personalities --The costumes will tell us whether the people are aristocrats or ordinary people, blue-collar workers or professionals. In theatre such signals must be clear and unmistakeable --Costumes should also tell us about characters personality --flamboyant? flashy --Shy?? reserved 4. Show relationships among characters: separate main characters and minor ones, contrast one group from another --characters can be set apart by the way they are; costumes or group together 5. Meet the needs of individual performers --Make it possible for an actor to move freely in costume. allowing them to dance or perform in a sword fight --when needed allow the performer to change quickly from one costume to another --the costume must work with the performer 6. Be consistent with the production, especially with other visual elements --costumes should fit with the scenery and other elements

The directors collaborators 2

-The Stage Manager is vital to any production. the stage manager helps coordinate schedules and the actual running of the performance. -the stage manager: --calls rehearsals --lets performers know their rehearsal schedule --Makes all important announcements --coordinates all the elements of light, sound, and scene changes during the technical rehearsals, previews, for the run show.

The Costume Designer cont.

-The costume designer must decide whether the costumes will be pulled or built -Pulling a costume means renting them from a warehouse or choosing them from a company owned inventory -Building means creating them in a costume shop under the supervision of a designer

The directors at work cont. 4

-The director must always keep in mind the Stage and Picture, or the visual composition of the production -It is also important for the director to be aware of the pace of the production -If the play moves to quickly the audience may miss some of the story, if it moves slowly the audience may become bored. -Before the play opens, all of the elements are brought together in a technical rehearsal -A technical rehearsal, or tech, combines all the elements of the production for the first time: Actors, props, costumes, lights, sets, sounds, etc. -The director must coordinate these rehearsals and fix what doesn't work.

How the audience participates

-The immediate, personal exchange; the magic and the chemistry that gives the theater its special quality. -Audience participate vicariously through mind and heart. --through imagination we come to believe what we see on stage --We become involved with the characters --We cry, we laugh, hate, love, suffer.

The lighting designers Collaborators

-The lighting designer will draw up a light plot(a map of where all the lights will be hung) the light crew will then hang the lights according to the plot -there will need to be a person to run the light board during production -If a follow spot is used, there must be a crew member to operate it.

Tragicomedy

-The point of view itself is mixed; the overall prevailing(existing at a particular time, current) attitude is a fusion of serious and comic.

The producer or manager

-The producer is the directors counterpart in the business and management side of theatre production -Not all theatre productions have a producer, but any true commercial production does. -Producers in commercial theatre are responsible for entire business side of production --rasising money for finance of production --securing the script rights --Dealing with agents for anyone involved in the production --hiring the director, designer, and stage crews, he/she may even have a hand in casting. --dealing with the theatre unions --renting theatre space --keeping the production on budget --publicity

Diction

-To convey(carry) plot, character and thought, a playwright only has two means at his/her disposal. Sound and spectacle(visually striking performance). -Spectator takes in theatrical experience wholly through ears and eyes.

Modern Tragedy

-Tragedies of the modern period, do not deal with kings and queens and are not written in verse. --some argue that these modern tragedies aren't true tragedies.

Traditional tragedy cont.

-Tragic Irretrievability: the tragic situation becomes irretrievable; there is no turning back, no way out. must go forward and meet their tragic fate. -Acceptance of responsibility: a tragic hero shows responsibility for their actions and a willingness to suffer, as well as an immense capacity for suffering. -they recognize the flaw or fault in the character that caused their tragic downfall

Traditional tragedy

-Tragic hero's and heroines --usually an extraordinary character(king, queen, nobility), a person of stature. they stand as symbols for the entire society. --in traditional tragedy the universe seemed to trap the hero, or heroine into a fateful web. --heightened language or verse.

The lighting designers resources

-Types of stage lights --Soft-Edged spotlights- Fresnel -the lens produces a soft edged beam and feathered or undefined edge. top and backlight --Soft, Concentrated Spotlights - Ellipisodial reflector spotlight -"Workhorse of contemporary practices" -Greater control and shaping of edges -A mobile spotlight controlled by an operator, a follow spot. --Floodlight -scoops, strip lights, and border lights -bathe a section of the stage in a smooth defused wash of light --Automated or moving lights -new to theatre, they are able to move by remote

Plot(the Beginning)

-Usually establishes the place, characters, and mood, the theme, and the scheme of probability -Talks about earlier events, the identity of characters, and the present situation. --Amount of exposition needed for clarity is determined by *the point of attack*:the moment at which the story is taken up.

Another characteristic of art is its relationship in time and space

-Visual Arts exist in space -Music exists in time -Theatre and dance occupy space and time

Episodic plot construction

-different from climactic in almost every way. -People, places, and events, all proliferate(increase rapidly) --extended period, even years --many scene locations --may be a parallel plot, or subplot

The theatre audience

-each theatre performance is unique and occurs in the presence of an audience. -Actors must most through production from beginning to end, if a mishap occurs, the actors must correct it and move on. -There is no chance to do a scene over and no editing -Therefore each theatre event is live, immediate, and unique.

Character/Characterization

-primary material from which plots are created -characterization is how the playwright differentiates one dramatic personage from another -Four levels of characterization are --Physical appearance --Social status --Psychological makeup --Moral code playwright may emphasize one or more of these levels.

The director at work

-the director Begins with a close examination of the text --they must understand dramatic purpose and dramatic structure --the playwrights intention --fundamental drama or conflict in the play --The "spine" or main action of the play

The Scene Designers Objectives

1. Help set the tone and style for the production -Scenery can help establish mood and the way a play is viewed, Realistic? Not realistic, Symbolism? Surrealist? 2. Establish locale and period in which play takes place - should tell us when and where the play takes place, also what kind of characters the play is about. 3.Develop a design concept consistent with director's concept. -To convey information a scenic designer often develops a design concept -this is a unifying idea carried out individually -this concept should be arrived at in consultation with the director 4.Provide a central image or metaphor whenre appropriate -Stage design consistent with play as well as having its own integrity -The elements of design-lines, shapes,colors- should add up to a complete visual universe for the play -Designers often use central image or metaphor to tie everything together. 5.Ensure scenery is coordinated with other elements of production -Must provide scenery consistent with playwrights intent and directors concept -If text and acting are highly stylized - then set should be too. -realistic? set should be to. 6. Solve practical design problems -solving these problems often involve elements of scenic design.

Aristotles 6 elements of drama

1. Plot - summary of the plays events, which includes a storyline and organizes all of the elements into a meaningful pattern. --Plot is the overall structure of the play --According to aristotle a play should have a beginning, middle, and end.

Objectives of Lighting Design

1. Provide visibility -first and foremost we must be able to see the performers faces and actions 2. Help establish time and place- the color, shade, and intensity can suggest time of day and even season of the year. -whether or not you are indoors or outdoors 3. Help create mood --light, along with scenery and costumes can help create mood. --a stage flooded in blue light might be a romantic moonlight night or a dark, evil, cold setting. --when action, words, and scenery are combined together, they tell us exactly what the mood is 4. Reinforce the Style of the Production -Lighting can indicate whether a play is realistic or not realistic -Red can help envelope a scene of damnation -Green can cast a spell over a nightmarish scene 5. Provide focus on stage and create visual compositions -In theatre "Focus" means beams of light are aimed at a particular area -it directs the attention to one part of the stage -generally where the important action is occurring and away from other areas -"Composition" is the way lighted areas onstage are arranged in relation to each other - which areas are dimmed, which are brightly lit, and what the overall stage effect is with regard to light 6. Establish Rhythm of Visual Movement --light changes occur in time, so they establish a rhythm running through a production --Abrupt staccato changes create one type of rhythm --Slow fades and gradual cross fades create another

The process of a scene design

1. Read the Script 2.Make preliminary(an action or event done before in preparation for something) sketches: thumb nail sketches. 3.Combine sketches in full color and detail: rendering 4. Once the director approves it, a model will be constructed 5. The set is built

Why study theatre at all

1. Theatre is the number 1 foundation of all drama: Film, tv, theme parks, etc. 2. the History. each time we see a performance we are taking part in history. 3. Because it's different from every art form in the sense that it's a live performance. The heart of the theatre experience is the performer or actor -audience relationship. the audience can affect the performance in some ways 4. While entertaining theatre often makes profound, provocative, timeless observations about a human condition. immediate and ephemeral: now, real time, short lived

Criteria of Criticism

1. What is being attempted? What is the playwright or production trying to do? -is the director presenting the play in the same way as intended by the playwright, or are they trying to make a different statement. -An *Auteur Director* tries to present his own version on the work. -it is a critics job to be informed about such things and point them out. 2. How well has it been done? How well has the attempt succeeded? -Has the playwright realized their goals? How well have the director and actors brought the play to life? -generally a critic makes their own personal review and doesn't take audience reactions into account. -may comment on how the audience responded if their opinion differs. 3. Is it worth doing? Was the attempt worth making? -Is this kind of production valid? Does it fulfill a legitimate purpose? Is the production itself a worthwhile undertaking? -A critic should state the context in which he/she is making their value judgement.

Materials and Devices of Scene Design

A designer will begin from the floor up -to create walls or divisons the most common used used element is a flat or soft flat- canvas over a wooden frame. A hard flat uses a piece of wood instead of fabric. All flats are then painted A scrim is a gauze or cloth screen. it can be painted but also allow light to pass through -great for special effects and flash backs give a fuzzy otherworldly(imaginary spiritual world) quality.

Elements of Costume Design

Among the resources a costume designer works with are: --Line - of Prime importance is the cut or line of a costume -Does the clothing flow or is it sharp? -Does it follow the line of the body or is there some element exaggerated? --Color - used to make characters stand out or together, or to contrast other characters -colors also suggest mood -bright and warm colors = happy -dark and somber colors suggest a more serious mood --Fabric- The medium of a costume designer - it is how line and color are displayed -texture and bulk of the fabric are also important. how does light play on the fabric? is it absorbed? reflected? etc. -fabric also has symbolic value, burlap or other rough-textured cloth suggests lower class; silk and satin suggests elegance, upper class --Accessories- Ornamentation and accessories are another important resource for designers. Fringe, lace, ruffles, feathers, belts, beads, jewelry, can add attractiveness and individuality to a costume

Three categories of art

Literary: novels, short stories, poems Visual: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography Performing: Theatre, Dance, Opera, Music. -Film is both visual and performing

Essentials of dramatic structure

Plot - the arrangement of events or the selection and order of scenes in a play usually based on a story: a full account or a series of events usually in chronological order.

Essentials for dramatic structure

**Action derives from the greek root dran meaning "to do" "to act". **Conflict - the collision or opposition of persons or forces in drama that give rise to dramatic action **Opposed forces - the people in the conflict are fiercely determined to achieve their goals. they are powerful adversaries for eachother **Balance of forces - People or forces in conflict must be roughly equal in strength or determination -the struggle as much as the outcome is a source of pleasure

Two basic structures: climactic and episodic

**Climactic plot construction - all aspects of the play: duration, action, local, and number of characters are very restricted. -this results in a confined or intense structure in where little time occurs before the climax.

Episodic plot construction cont

**Contrast and Juxtaposition(two things close together with contrasting effect) - action alternates between different elements. --short scenes and long scenes --drama and comedy **overall effect is cumulative(increasing in quality or quantity)- creates effect of events piling up. --rarely is a characters fate determined by a single incident.

Costume Design 2

-Clothes have always suggested several things about the wearer --position and status --gender --occupation --flamboyance or modesty --independence or regimentation --occasion - work or leisure, a routine event or special event

The directors at work cont. 2

-Directors hold auditions where actors try out for different roles --actors may be interviewed, asked to bring in a monologue, read a scene from a play, dance if the show calls for it, etc. --based on the audition, look, and previous knowledge, the director casts the play -The director also works closely with the, costume designer, set designer, lighting designer, and sound designer to develop the visual and aural aspect of the production. -its important that all areas mesh to ensure a unified and consistent production.

The directors at work cont.

-Directors must find a way to translate the play from stage to stage --Many directors develop a "directorial concept"-an overall image or metaphor of the play. --bobby as beta in company --blind ambition in macbeth -the director is responsible for casting his/her production -casting involves choosing actors that are the right fit for their character

How the audience participates contt.

-The power of the audiences mental and emotional participation has manifested itself in positive and negative ways. -Negatively it has taken to form censorship. those in authority fear the affect it might have on the audience. -Positively, it is a means of educating people and furthering a cause.

The Scene Designers Collaborators

-The technical director-Oversees construction of the set and the scene shop -Scenic painters -Carpenters

Descriptive vs Prescriptive Criticism

Historically, critics have taken one of these two approaches. -Descriptive criticism- attempts to describe as clearly and accurately as possible what has happened in the performance -Prescriptive criticism - offers advice and sometimes rules as to what should be done in the theatre

Types of dramatic characters

Extraordinary Characters - Heroes and Heroines that are larger than life; King's Queens, Generals, etc. --often represent some kind of extreme human behavior. Representative or Quintessential Characters - three dimensional, highly individual, but at the same time ordinary. Represent large section of population.

Melodrama

Historically means "song drama" -this came from the music played to accompany the action -played on strong emotions of the audience- suspense, fear, nostalgia --easily recognized stock characters(damsel in distress, the sidekick, the villain.) --Strong conflict between good and evil --good always wins.

Aristotles 6 elements of drama

Plot, Character, Thought, Dictation, Music, Spectacle(visually striking performance) **Aristotle greek philosopher 4th century who wrote The Poetics**

Scene design

Scenic designer is Responsible for stage set, which can range from very bare to very elaborate.

Plot

Sequence of events/scenes in the play that make up the story. the plot is what occurs on stage, not what is talked about.

Elements of theatre cont.

Theatre Space- A stage or some equivalent area where actors can perform. Also essential is a place for audience members to sit and stand Design elements- visual aspects Costumes, lightings, sets, and sounds.

Conditions for Tragedy: Theatre and Society

There seem to be two conditions of society that are conducive(making a certain situation/outcome likely) to tragedy: 1. One the idea that human beings are capable of extraordinary accomplishments. 2. The idea that the world is potentially cruel and unjust. two periods in which both ideas were prominent(important, famous), and which did prove conducive to tragedy were: -the golden age of greece(5th century b.c.) -the renaissance(14-17th century europe)

Preliminary Work

Title - straightforward vs mysterious Cast - Names, Ages, Gender, Relationships Opening Stage Directions - setting, description. Questions - Theatre space, period, buildings, furniture, indoor, outdoor. First reading - what happens in the play? Ant/Pro. Joyful or tense? Ending - goals achieved? better or worse than before?

Theater

a building in which theatrical performances take place. A physical space

theatre as a collaborative art

for a theatre event to take place it's various elements must be brought together and coordinated.

Theatre

the art form