Theatre Final

Casting Director

A specialist in finding actors for specific roles, assists the director in some professional productions

Pantomime

- a type of acting in which actors do not speak or use props, but utilize facial expressions and body movements. -a modern theatrical form in which a silent actor creates a scenario w/o words , relying on physical expressiveness

Musical Theatre

- the most popular form of performance in the 20th century

Role of the producer-Venues:

-Audition space -Rehearsal space -Performance space

David Merrick

-wrote 42nd street and abominable snowman

People you need to know:

Cameron Macintosh*-the british invasion-responsible for bringing the biggest musical hits to the stage Mel brooks-the producers (composer) David Merrick- 42 street and the abominable showman Aphra Bein*-the rover (first profession female playwright) Thorton wilder*-our town Richard Burbage*-most famous actor shareholder- lord chamberlains men-tragic actor Will kemp*-the lord charmberlains men-the comic actor-2nd most famous actor-shareholder Christopher Marlowe*-rival to shakespeare, master of history (the admirable's men) Edard Alleyn*-premiere actor for the Admiral's Men Tracy Davis-there must be an audience for it to be theatre Arthur Miller*-death of salesman, the crucible Jean-Baptiste Poqulin (Moliere)*-tartuff Horace*-theatre is dangerous;Purpose of theatre, according to Horace: To teach and to please Plautus*-the Menachmi-based off of for the comedy of errors Eugene O'neil* Georg the Duke*-1st modern director, representational plays after the rise of the modern director Andre Antoine*- created the 4th wall Julie Taymor*-auteur director Elia Kazaon* Peter Brooke*-supports tracy davis-there must be a lived audience; a shared experience for it to be theatre; "theatre of cruelty " Aristotle*-drama through empathy and catharsis; the understanding of plays: how the drama uses mimesis, and genre; void outside the construction of the brackets (of drama) nothing exists outside G. E. Lessing*-the first modern dramaturg Edwin Forrest: presentational (emblematic) actor Josef Svoboda: creating, setting with open spaces, the art of projection, and sparse use of set props; 1st to use film in production; presentational Konstantin Stanislavsk: founded the Moscow Art theatre; father of modern acting; actors psychologically breaking down the characters and making them more humanistic, believable, realistic; contemporary realism; magic if Adolphine Appia and Gordon Craig: don't need representational theatre b/c audience knows they're in a thatre; presentational design elements with techniques (highly realistic (materials) plays on presentational design (set design); breaking the 4th wall Bretlot Bretch-father of epic theatre; alienation effect; audience distancing themselves; aesthetic distance Tadashi Suzuki-traditions from Noh, Bunraku, Kabuki, braks 4th wall, contemporary presentational; epic style, founder of Japans 1st international theatre festival Nell Gwyn-King Charles II mistress, one of the first female performers; Charles II passed law for women to be actresses Florenz Ziegfeld: the greatest producer of his time

The Pulitzer Prize:

The Pulitzer Prize is awarded annually to outstanding achievement in American letters and literature, including drama. The Pulitzer Prize is the most prestigious honor given to playwrights who create substantive works that also comment specifically on American life and experiences.

Lighting console

computer console that is used to change the cues easily

tools of the playwright

stage directions, dialogue, and action

Jean Baptisites Poquelin (Moliére)**

- By Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (better known as Molière) -Tartuffe: Production by Moliere for Louis XIV Government destroyed the ending due to censorship -Known for ballets and comedies -stage name moliere -wrote plays for court of louis the 14th -comedic française - farcial writer**

The English Renaissance (Jacobean 1603—1625):

- Shakespeare was writing plays during both eras -jacobean: Anti theatrical attitudes of city authorities

The Revolve (stage):

- revolving stage (like a record player) always quick scenic change; but manipulating that revolve, underneath the stage floor-the scene can be changed very quickly, moving turn table stage; many designers use this today also for epic stories that are highly presentational production style, -japan around 1600s still used today

Emblematic acting**

-Ancient tradition -Abstracted form -Breaks the fourth wall -Plays key idea or communicates specific concept to the audience -Ancient greeks mask covering face- covering facial expression

"Confessions" and "apologies"-memoir**

-Apology and confessions of life of an actor -Begings in 1660s -Nell Gwyn • Kings mistress • One of first female performs • Scandalous reputaiton -Charles II passed law for women to be actresses

III. Thoughts (of the characters)

-As an element of drama, thought means the thoughts of the characters as a structural feature. -audiences insight into purpose; you can see it; the actors convey it to the audiences; connected to the style of the material; Character thoughts are the motivating forces for action in the play • Playwrights reveal character thought through the use of devices such as: o Protagonist: their purpose is to drive the plot, the central character driving the action o Antagonist: the force opposing the protagonist; not necessarily another character/person o Confidante: someone who you go to for advice, best friend, most closely trusted person, listening to the secrets of the central protagonists o Raissonneur: the mouth piece of the playwright, the character in the midst of the cast, who sounds moral; o Foil: presents a contrast to the central character, like the central character, who the central character could have been if certain things were different; almost near images of the central character expect o Soliloquies: long speech, delivering the characters secret thoughts to the audience o Asides: short statement, the meaning beneath the text, hidden messages o Subtext: underline meaning (Our town protagonist: Emily) (Our town antagonist: time, understanding the adult meaning of life, searching for life's meaning) -Emily's confidante: emily's dad, George, Mrs. Gibbs, her mom - Raissonneur in our town: the stage manager, dr. Gibbs, Foil in our town; emily's mom, mrs. Gibbs, George

Proscenium Stage

-Audience positioned -House is fixed, cannot rearrange the house; player on one side of the audience; audience on one side and players on the other; all audience members face the same direction. -Grand drape (curtain) -There's a stage, then the apron that extends beyond the arch, and then the audience -Proscenium arch-box that frames the stage; (has the most flexibility because you can hide things from the audiences); arch creates some limitations -Has wings and trap areas; props/actors/scenery waits in the wings (anything that they don't want the audience to see) -Cyclorama (?) -Downstage and Upstage-downstage (back in the day like Shakespearean time- the stages used to be tilted-raised away from audience to facilitate sidelines; downstage closest to the audiences)

Auteur, or Interpretive, director (Julie Taymor-the lion king 1997)

-Author=French "auteur" -designers job to support production in the directors artistic vision the directors interpretation

The Sound Designer: Use of Music

-Background -Underscoring: supports emotional experience; supports director's concept, to heighten tension, heightens the action, help audience understand time, filler of dead space; playing music quietly under dialogue or visual scene. Example: JAWS -Bridges: recorded sound, scene changes - to prepare audiences -Scene Changes -Prepare Audience -Permission: copy right requirement, royal often payed each time song played (commercial theatre)

Relationship between director and actors:

-Casting -Developing Character and Ensemble -Collaborative with Stage Management

The Admiral's Men:

-Christopher Marlowe (the expert in this drama; he borrowed on Shakespeare successes), playwright, rival to shakespeare; master of the history -Edward Alleyn (premiere actor); Alleyn joined the Admiral's Men and promptly ascended to the role of principal actor. He gained the respect and admiration of some of the most influential people of the day by playing the title roles in popular dramas • Dramas that are biographical; they put the history plays on the map • In competition with the other company

Role of the producer-Contracts:

-Contract is negotiated for each individual with each of these organizations and the producer

Theater is entertainment:

-Creation of art form for enjoyment, as a diversion, to entertain, excite us, makes us laugh, or make us laugh without being confronted with society's darkness

Work and Training**

-DCTC (national theatre conservatory) -Actors at work -Physical characterization -Vocal characterization -Movement and integrated vocal • Breathe, control and body • Projection/articulation • International phonetic alphabet

Julie Taymor:

-Lion king -Auteur interpretative director -Highly locked into their singular interpretation -Have clear concept and don't want people messing with it -Strong leader

Role of the Produce-Nonprofit and Amateur extras:

-Managing director in collaboration with staff -Season of plays is usually produced -Audience development -Shared responsibility (committees or volunteers)

Thrust Stage:

-More than one side -The oldest formal configuration stage -Audience is on 3 sides; less flexible; can't hide as much -Facade: structure (can scenery or curtain that blocks off the back stage; separation from the audience to the backstage)

The English Renaissance (Elizabeth 1558—1603):

-Preferences the time when Queen Elizabeth was on the throne -Shakespeare was writing plays during both eras -Queen Elizabeth and uprise of play emergence

Off-off Broadway theatre:

-Semi professional, lower context, cheaper ticket prices, amateurs working with professionals, experimental works, can be anywhere (doesn't have to be in new york) -Professional/semi-professional performances with very low budgets and seat less than 100 patrons -Term coined in the 60's from theatre that happened in experimental plays in NY like coffee houses, church basements, warehouses, etc; coined to identity performances that occurred outside the traditional theatre spaces of Broadway and Off-Broadway.

The costume designers - Rendering/Swatch:

-Showing costumes in full color and fabric swatches - samples of the textiles as suggestions for the costumes; this needs to be seen early in the process -Rendering: not drawn to scale - just a fashion sketch -There's a rendering for every single costume in the play -The costumes must look the exact same every night; they have to be washed and repaired - throughout the run of the play -keeping the costume fresh

Role of the Produce-Financial Records:

-The producer has to keep all financial records

Role of the Produce-Marketing and Publicity:

-The producer is responsible for the public relations

The Sound designer:

-The sound designer's work is the last chronologically to evolve, b/c we didn't have recorded sound until the 20's (1929) -The sound designer controls: -Sound cues -Ambient sounds -Sound effects -Amplification

Upstage/Downstage

-Upstage: Area furthest from audience -Downstage: Area closest to audience; on the raked stage of the Renaissance theatres, the stage literally sloped downward as it got closer to the audience

Dress rehearsal:

-Very last process of rehearsals, before the previews; final costumes

Oklahoma!

-a musical about farmers and ranchers written by Oscar and Hammerstein, began the golden age of American musical, using ballet and choreography to move the action of the play forward

greek theatre

-ancient Greek theater: oldest form of western theater; only a small fraction of the plays survived -fifth century -first formalized script -attached to religion -closed business and town and watched festival for 3 days and then picked a winner -Plays only performed during daylight house Use of natural sunlight as lighting source only

Subtext**

-as an element of language, thought** -The actual meaning of dialogue behind the words spoken -underline meaning -what is being communicated "under" the language

V. Song

-auditory experiences, its measurable, we hear it, could be music, or could be a bird, the sounds that are created

The Director:

-first personnel and key artistic position-the producer provides the ship and the director guides the ship to port (to the audience) -artistic visions -in order to be effective requires special skills, leads company with strength and unifying a wide variety of personalities-crew and actors-getting everyone on the same page

when does the stage manager take control of the play?

-opening night

Lighting plot

-schematic drawing of space, above the area, above the stage-each of these electric bays -showing where it will be hung, how it will be filtered, how its going to be set up for the console, what its filters are, how it will be wired; the focusing of the lights -document the master electrician uses to prepare and rig lighting -a drawing created by the lighting designer showing where each instrument is to be hung, along with the type of instrument and gel colors/color filters to be used.

Vomitories

An entrance to elevated seating for the audience that runs underneath the audience and come up to empty out into the seating area; passageways located underneath the seating that generally give access to the stage.

What is Theatre?

Interactive art form (social power, political history, religious); social function does it have-influenceing the ways poeple sees norms and cultures; educational

Additional Personnel:

Key personnel that brings a play to a musical: -Composer: compose musical composition of the piece -Lyricist: words of the music -Musical Director: directing vocalist, musicians -An arranger: break down composed score into parts for voices, parts for instruments, setting out those parts for the musicians and vocalists -Rehearsal Accompanist: providing music for staging before adding the element of orchestra -Choreographer: telling story through movement, forming the dance -Dancers/Singers

Role of the producer-Production rights:

Legal permission to produce the work with... -Playwright -Playwright's agent or attorney -Publisher -Corporation -Royalty payment (not rights, just payments, because its in nonprofit theatre; there are no profits in nonprofit productions so its just a flat rate for the legal royalty payment)

Who is Stephen Sondheim? Why is he important?

Protégé of Oscar Hammerstein II; Became one of those reactionaries - developed "concept musicals" - he was a pioneer from it; 1982 he began working with James Lapine (director and librettist) -Created many brilliant "concept musicals" in the 70's and 80's. These included Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, and Sunday in the Park with George.

Story Musicals:

Story Musicals: musical play actions progresses through song and dance, the music; its show boat Ex: •Show Boat (1926)*, les miserables, Jesus Christ superstar, Legally Blonde -Jerome kern, composer -Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist -Adapted from Edna Ferber's novel

The Nature of Acting

The connection between empathy between actors and views, and aesthetic distance Mimesis: The artists process of imitating character and action; the imitation of human behavior, actions, and culture Persona: -For ancient Romans, this meant the mask worn by the actor (even if they aren't physically wearing a mask; the imitation; a distinct person) -The social role any person plays or presents in life (or on stage)

Why is Dionysus important to theatre?

The development of western theatre began with religious rituals to honor the Greek God Dionysus. -God of wine & revelry :::: ragedy and comedy had deep roots in the religious and communal life of the Greek people and were closely connected with the worship of the god Dionysus; his festivel was a show with a chorus (aka theatre)- could be the first form of theatre.

Antonin Artaud

Theatre of Cruelty. Theatre should purge audience of violent impulses. He was insane. -Theatre of Cruelty: Attempts to emotionally engage the audience, developed by Artaud, emotion over intellect, assault the senses

Interculturalism

When director incorporates multiple theatrical traditions from all over

Drama:

[--------------------------------] -Aristotle-suggests a void outside the brackets; void outside the construction of the drama; nothing exists outside the brackets; what exists between the brackets is the definition of mimesis by Aristotle (v) -Mimesis: there is a specific beginning, events manipulated, specific ending: and that is all that exists; its an imitation-an artificial creation by the author

Book musical

a musical play that tells a story and has spoken words as well as songs

Revue

a musical show consisting of a number of songs by a particular composer or lyricist, or consisting of a particular theme put together as an evening's entertainment. -Musical Revue: Collection of songs based on one main idea or by a single composer -showcases the music -a theatrical production consisting typically of brief loosely connected often satirical skits, songs, and dances

***Gobo

a stencil that makes a pattern or shape. it's usually cut out of steel and put over a light; cut out design placed over spotlight to make a pattern -thin sheet of metal that has stenciled out patterns that when inserted in a light projects patterns on the stage by covering up other parts of the light source -presentational effect, Svaboda influenced, projected art, words images, shafts of light means gobo does it, places in front of the light

Production:

all elements; all dimensions of life displayed in front of an audience

Context:

answering the question who are producing the work , what's the venue, (our town-commercial and professional theatre company; professional is a higher expectation, higher ticket prices)

active participation

audience is responsible for paying attention to whatever is being performed

American Minstrels:

behavioral stereotype of African Americans; a white producer visiting planation's of the south saw the slaves and was amused of the slaves joke telling, and dancing; tradition of entertainment form; hires white actors-paint black-highly offensive African American costumes and ; a lot of jokes and songs and a lot of racial stereotyping; act 2 olio* act-backdrop and collection of acts performed in front of the backdrop; a variety show; joke telling of the outsider/the other/the immigrant/the slave -Made into traditions by slaves on plantations, George Tyler (mid 1800s) mesmerized by slave culture and had white people put black on their face and act cruelly, contemporary issues. -impersonations of african americans, racism, would be considered very offensive to this day,

elements of a script

dialogue and stage direction -script: formal written blueprint for action

-G.E. Lessing (1729-1781):

first modern dramaturg-individual who practices dramaturgy), dionysis 1st modern dramaturg, not only writes, but adapts "bridges play with audience"

Wings

in a proscenium theatre, area/ spaces offstage on the right and left side of stage for actors, crew, and scenery not used in the performance yet

Anton Chekov:

most important Russian realism playwright. plays rey heavily on subtext and demand close analysis from both actors and directors; his plays are significant not only as realism but also as perfect examples of modern tragicomedy

Touring companies:

spaces that accommodate the touring company; must have 500 seats; accommodations need to match the Broadway space, must be adapted to match the demands of the Broadway venue

Style

the way a play is presented. -Style: The manner of expression and methods of onstage behavior as they affect composition and performance. Directors adaption of play can be seen through their style.

Aristotle (384 B.C.E-322 B.C.E.)

• The Poetics (c.355 B.C.E.): by Aristotle introduced two essential ways of understanding plays 1.How the drama uses mimesis (imitation of human action) 2.Genre (type/style of the material)

Catharsis

Used by Aristotle, described emotional release at the end of a tragedy, audiences feel cleansed of their emotions -purgation of pity and fear experienced upon watching theater.

Genre:

"Genre and purpose are related and relevant to one another as vehicles of the playwright's point of view."—Aristotle -Being able to understand artistic intent of the author -The "purpose" is unlocking the artists viewpoint/formula

Mimesis:

"The concept of imitation begins with the playwright's deliberate manipulation of events, words, images into a pattern."—Aristotle -The psychological impulse to imitate the behaviors of other human; process of imitation that is the root of ;the artists process of imitating character and action

Facts about David Garrick.

(1717-1779) The first person to be identified as "stage director" -He performed throughout his career in a realistic fashion, setting the stage for "modern actors" -He removed the audience from the stage -He managed one of London's most important theaters ,The Drudry Lane -He reinforced British theater to the world and works of William Shakespeare, Reinterpreting many of the Bard's most important roles. -Wrote a number of successful plays -He not only managed his acting company, but guided his actors to make a unified whole. -Startled audiences -Greatest Shakespearian actor -Emblematic, rhetorical style -Performances were frightening

ROMAN THEATRE: Orchestra

-Secondary acting area -Extension from the primary stage area

-Types of Spotlights:

•Spotlight: follow spots manipulated (follow spot: high powered single spotlight) -Follow spot- follows the actor or tracts motion Types of Spotlights: -Fresnel: instrument ;even wash of light in the playing area-no shadows, not a lot of hard crisp focus; mostly used for representational light-washed out natural look of lighting; most natural diffused light looks from nature; can have shutters applies; a soft, diffused light that can be focused as a spotlight or flood light; Named after Frenchman, it is the short fat instrument used for representational lighting, even wash of light on stage -Ellipsoidal: focused and control; can have shutters applies; hard edge typical spot light; shutters mask-created a sharp beam; keeps light from spilling into focus of places where lights not supposed to be;telescopic in shape, focus light on specific areas, representational scenes, controlled and focused by applying shutters around on the outside of the instrument; ellipsoidal, focus their light on specific areas with hard edge beams, controlled and focuses by shutters around the instruments and follow spots

Broadway:

(commercial production): top of the totem pole for professional theater and commercial production; defined as, geographically district in Manhattan, in a neighborhoods in new york, its in that district, it must be a house that can accommodate more the 500 patrons (must have more than 500 seats); if it isn't in the district and doesn't have 500 seat then its not on Broadway) -theatre that has a house accommodating 500 people and located in the Broadway district*(Broadway are strictly commercial productions); refers to just NY -if it houses less than 500 people or outside the district-its off-broadway (a blend of commercial and non-profit productions

Concept Musicals:

***-Musical play that progress its action through a theme/idea/or message (usually political) -Ex: Hair and Cats -Musical that explores ideas, rather than simply telling a story -shows that center their action, musical play whose action progresses around a theme -Civil Rights movement, the US-the Vietnam war; decade of individual protest for individual identity and individual power; hippies looking for a way for people in the U.S. to express themselves freely; movement looking for growing political body and resistance of war that no one wanted; during this time, minorities and marginalized groups are finding their voices on the American stages

-Epic theatre*

**Bertolt Brecht: the threepenny Opera-presentation -Father of Epic theater, wanted people to think about what they were seeing, alienation effect. -Breaks the fourth wall often -playwright, director & theorist associated with epic theatre & verfremdungseffekt -Musical theatre -Contemporary presentational --audience is always aware that it is watching a play bertolt brecht: -explored the theatre as a forum for political ideas and the creation of a critical aesthetics of dialectical materialism. Created aesthetic distance

Oklahoma: Production History

*St. James Theatre, New York City (1943): -Choreography by Agnes de Mille -Original production. -First-ever recorded cast album from a Broadway musical.** -The production ran for 2,212 performances, breaking the record for the longest running Broadway musical at that time. -Revival: This production moved to New York after four years in London and was the fourth, and very successful, Broadway revival of the musical. *National Theatre, London (1998): -Directed by Trevor Nunn -Choreography by Susan Stroman

***In Rehearsal:

-"Off-Book"- actors are free of the script (after blocking decisions have made, somewhere in the staging rehearsal)-actors are memorized movement and text; doing research for actors to better understand the play -Warm-up process: perparing the body/voice with a focus/means to perpare themselves for the production such as physical and articulation warm-ups -Movement Coach: help actors become aware of the own bad habits, and help them move their body's/prepare their bodys for the directors style that is relevant to the play-tuning up the movement characteristics -Vocal Coach: helping actors figure out their own bad habits with their voices, helps with accent and dialect -Run-troughs: the integrate portion of the work, developmental phase for the actor as the director puts together longer chunk-finding continuity, the sense of the ensemble, and their confidence that their super subjective that these choices are coming together

Off-Broadway:

-(commercial production) always professional theatre, non-profit, produce a season/ a collection of plays for a course of about 12 months -Theaters not located in the Broadway theatre district and usually seat 100-500 patrons (less than 500)

The Rehearsal Process:

*the period of time in which the play is made ready for the production/the stage; its the dictor's call, where the works needs to be; can last about 5-7 weeks for more professional production-or it can last much longer for amateurs or productions such as broadway that may last for months or years (such as Wicked)

Stage Manager Responsibilities

- Run all rehearsals - Build prompt book - Attend regular meetings with the Director - Run all weekly production meetings - Provide daily minutes for every rehearsal and performance - Coordinate all sound, lighting, sets, props, costume checks 1 hour prior to performance - "Open House" 30 minutes prior to a performance - Call "Places" for each performance - Call all cues for each performance

**Adolphe Appia and Gordon Craig (designers)

- saying we don't need representational theatre b/c audience know that their in the theatre we should remind them, presentational-design elements are blended with representational techniques; utilized units set, platforms, blank spaces, no walls, stairs; each unit is a seperate piece on sage (any object on stage that can be played with or played on on stage)-such as a wagon; highly realistic (materials) plays on presentational design (set design); asking audience to go to a more imaginary place -THINK ABOUT THEIR INFLUENCE ON "A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC" -Adolphe Appia and Gordon Craig**: breaking through the wall -new way to create worlds, setting on satge, realistic places, unit sets, presentatinal design even in representational plays -revolution against box set returning to basic performance- presentational

II.Character:

-"...personae who convey action on stage and reveal moral purpose, showing what kind of things a man chooses or avoids."--ARISTOTLE -agents of actions, they have one purpose, which is to further the plot, characters are robots, created for one purpose, the exist within the brackets; character actions further the plot -persona: the role in which an actor plays Character traits -biological -physical -professional/social -psychological/emotional

Lighting design and acting choices in soliloquies

-(higher pitched voice, and weight in the body; Light and setting is presentational because they are abstracted, very suggestive stage and lots of special effects that aren't realistic; must consider all of these elements

Collaborative Director

-**Elia Kazan "Death of a Salesman" (1949)-director; American dream-rags to riches-but realizes it isn't possible; takes place in the moment and the memory-realistically depicted set-realistically living space; Collaborative director-forming his concept together with the other members of the artistic team

The Scenic Designer's 4 Basic responsibilities**

-*Creates the visual home for the world of the play 1) To inform the audience about the reality in which the play takes place (any reality related to the play ;given circumstances) 2) To communicate info such as time, country, season (time of day, the hour, geography, the ethnicity, the demographics) 3) To provide info abt characters inhabiting the set 4) To project a mood or atmosphere

The Rise of the Modern Director:

-1850's -Antiquarianism: an obsession w/ historical accuracy-people were interested in real things, scientists-examine underneath the surface of things, sophisticated theories of motivational theory; literary movement-moving toward realism*-this is exactly what happens on stage- the reflection of real life on stage-should be used as a bell-jar, creates a vacuum for scientists-and audience should use the stage in the same way to study and understand ourselves, not presentational qualities, now its realistic-now its representational theatre; everything before 1850 is presentational; birth of representational theatre -Long runs of single productions; achieving a great amount of profit-single productions running for a long time-commercial theatre; birth of commercial theatre-it runs as long as the audience are coming -Combination companies: tradition coming out, the expansion of railroad west-allows for productions to be loaded on trains; hybrid theatre-professionals working with amateurs heading west; national tour birth • Separate set of eyes is needed for these developments • National tour birth, representational (realism) birth, and the commercial theatre

American Vaudeville

-1880-1930: golden Age of American Vaudeville— producers realized that they had something special to share with audiences; most popular form of entertainment in our culture before film; funny goofy comedy, wholesome entertainment, family affair, clean family entertainment; a collection of unrelated acts; rotating repertory; performed twice a day-2:00pm matinas and 8pm evening shows—became the american tradition of performances time -A stage variety show, with singing, dancing, comedy skits, and animal acts; highly popular in America from the late 1880s to the 1930s when it lost out to movies, radio, and subsequently television. -unrelated acts all on one playbill, all day entertainment for families, plays go in rotation and play over and over again in their rotation

Street Scene by Elmer Rice (Broadway 1929):

-1st to introduced the audience to ambient sounds -Ambient sounds, background sounds, traffic, people laughing, yelling, underscore -establishing a mood; this had never been before - audiences blown away, sophisticated innovations

The Scenic Designer - Model:

-3d representation of each set-after every change in the play- particularly helpful to/ (benefit from) is to the director; getting a sense of depth-making decisions of actors-placing actors on the ground plan-for blocking- allows director to figure out what bodies will look; influence and inspiration is the director; -Helps the Stage manager-keeping all notes on blocking choices-whatever the director chooses he writes it down; -Helps the Lighting designer building depth and creating shadows, what color

The Red Lion Inn:

-A modern day pub-people could join together and socialize-where we see for the 1st time an admission price for people staying for the evening where there might be a performance; people paying money for entrance into the event; the birth of the box office -In-door performances

The Lion King (1996)

-An adaptation musical—story book musical—action progressed through song and dance -Elton John, composer -Tim Rice, lyricists -Adapted form the Disney film -Julie Taymor, director -expect more from the audience, concept of the lion king: highly presentational from all aspects; asks audience to finish the sentences, looking at the abstract and the non real -Contemporary social issues, such as idea of race -more spectacular visual designs

The English Renaissance (16th and 17th centuries):

-Anti-theatrical attitudes of city authorities: by the gov authorities (city gov); when we bring audiences together other than entertainment or teaching them-we run the risk of revolution; censorship on performance fear of audiences getting together and rebelling leading to political discontent; anti-theatrical growth in the verging of the actor-shareholder -Emergence of the actor-shareholder: the creation of show buisness; the business part of theatrical performances -Eminence of four major theatres in London: 4 major public theatres in London- center of the renaissance-during this period

Sounds:

-Acoustic -Recorded -Ambient sound -Sound effects

****The Professional Actor:

-Actor's equity association, and Screen actor's guild** -Actor's Equity Association: •Complicated to gain admission to membership in; a beginning actor needs to acquire points in the union to have enough credits to be giving them status as a professional actor in the association; an elitist group-when there's an audition the call comes out for actors who are actors of the union only to be eligible for the roles; its very difficult for actors who aren't a member of this association (non-professional actors) to get booked for a role; prof gets points by getting a foot in the door-they have to be a prof actor to get into an audition- 54% of membership is that they are current on their dues and working in professional roles-they are in good standing; has a about 39,000 members in the association-20,000 in good standing; The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union embracing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. -Screen Actors Guild ( prof union for actors, for film: •90,000 members- achieve member is to speak a line from a tv show or film; but only less than %1 work as professional actors; The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is an American labor union representing film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide.

The Professional Actor**

-Actors equity association/ screen actors guild -54 percent of its members 21 thousand people, were in good standing but unemployed -average actor worked for only 16 and a half weeks during the year -average median income around 6000 -more than 90,000 members of screen actors guild, less than 1 percent make living as full time actors

Actor Shareholders:

-Actors who own part of the company and share part of the profits; they had finances to buy in and own the company-they were a part of sharing profits 3 main actor/shareholder companies 1. Lord Chamberlain's Men (Richard Burgage, Will kemp, Shakespeare) 2. The King's Men 3. The Admiral's Men - Christopher Marlow and Edward Allen

Wicked

-Adaptation Musical-Story Book musical—action progressed through song and dance -Stephen Schwartz, composer -Adapted from original novel "The Life and Time of the Wicked Witch of the West" -More spectacular visual designs

Rent:

-Adaptation musical -Rock music score -conceptual musical -Adapted from Puccini's opera "La bohème" -Contemporary social issues, such as idea of race-top of cultures list -Jonathon larson

Adaptation:

-Adapting a work that has been previously produced; rewriting a play -derived itself from a previous source

The Scenic Designer - Section

-After ground plan; specific document to show to members of crew and other designers what the design will entail; schematics drawn to scale; showing everything a cross section of space-includes apron, house, and pit; shows where each unit is hung from the top-how it will be hung, what its placement will be in the play;

The Sound Designer: Sound Cues

-Ambient Sounds: atmospheric sound -background noise; often underscored, mood atmospheric, not sound effect, -Sound effects: Sound other then speech or music made aticficially -Sound Design Plot: A detailed plot of where sound devices are set; Charts and Organize sound plot (when sound will play each cue throughout production;detailed plot of where sound devices are set microphones, speakers, placement); specifying what each cue will be and how it will be delivered and how long it will be and where it will take place -Includes music (but not responsible for live music, the orchestration, or a band)* -They're responsible for underscore (underscoring of music - supports emotional experience)

Arena:

-Audience is positioned all around; an actor/audience configuration in which the audience completely surrounds the performance area -Entrances through the audience seating-vomitories-entrances to the playing area through the house (used by actors and audiences) -"Theatre in the round"- means that it's surrounded by the audience=arena -Space and stages- how are they utilized (what kind of space am I in and what kind of stage is being used)

Relationship between director and actors-Casting:

-Auditions: monologue prepared -Cold Readings: unprepared performance of a text; director judging what they can deal with material in the moment -Callbacks: brought back-the actor returns in the narrowing down process -Interview: get to sit down and talk with actors-asking them questions

Molierer (17th c. France)

-Author of Tartuffe (play wasn't paying enough honor to the king; got him landed in prison 3 times; play was considered evil by governmental censors) -Portraits of wealthy Parisian society -Hypocrisy and social mores -Domestic unrest -Magical ending (unusual)-satirical examination of hypocrisy-suggesting to the censors that the King is the hero after all -Should a theater company present a work from the past if its material is objectionable or "dated" today? (contextualized within its time period; what is the value of producing these old works that maybe historically locked that modern audience cannot connect to; because history repeat themselves and we don't really learn from our mistakes; urges us to not make those mistakes; the lessons/morals/values are universal and time doesn't change these messages; we do contextualize; how far have we come and are we progressing or are we back sliding; bring material into a more relevant concept to audiences) -the preeminent comic dramatist in the history of French drama; the author of thirty theatrical pieces including The Misanthrope.

The Rover by Aphra Behn (first professional female play write)

-Before this written, women weren't allowed to perform on stage in plays -examines treatment of women in a sexist society; expressing ways in which women are suppressed and held back -proto-feminist -Changing women's perceptions, individuality of women without the patriarch -Her plays were controversial, it was propaganda, to change a view -written by Aphra Behn, advocated equality for women. First play were women could preform professionally on stage

Actor: Movement and Integrated Vocal (integrated instrument)

-Breath, control, and body -Project/ articulation -International Phonetic Alphabet (to help develop the actors voice) Components of Actor's job: -body (dance, martial arts) -voice (projection, articulation, breathing) -mind (improve, script analysis, character development)

Peter Brook

-British director, -Wrote the empty space: I can take an empty stage and call it a bare stage, and if someone walks across the stage and there is an audience; this is all that takes for the audience to be engaged-this is theatre -Supporting tracy- saying that someone needs to be watching; but also saying not only are we watching but its also happening in the moment in the same space at the same time (rules out film); live action; shared experience; emotional identification; active participation; -coined the phrase "theatre of cruelty": Attempts to emotionally engage the audience, developed by Artaud, emotion over intellect, assault the senses, -Peter Brooks 3 elements of theatre: Any space A person in action in that space (shared space) An audience -English Avant Garde Director whose focus was universality of theater. Studied all types of theater from around the globe to have diff forms and structure. To be able to put on any play for any audience.

The Golden Age of Musical Theatre (1940-60)

-Collaboration between Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers—creates the golden age, great examples of the Story book musicals: •Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music (^^) -Rodgers and Hammerstein created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein adding the lyrics, five of their shows (^^^^) •My fair lady, West side story, Gypsy

Job Title:

-Commercial theatre: • Producer -Nonprofit theatre: • Managing Director/ Executive Director

The Comedy of Errors:

-Commissioned to be performed to a private audience of lawyers; written and commissioned for a specific audience -in the opening scene of the play, someone is almost executed looking for his sons, any visitor from Syracuse must pay a fine or die, opens in a court room; Plautus (The Menaechmi): (twins) -Shakespeare uses this farce as his (bases -Basically rewrites it an makes it his own The second set of twins, and the lock out set (added by Shakespeare; different from original) -Roman farce as Plautus writes it; is comedy Errors a farce? Shakespeare makes a few changes from the original play

Hybrid Theatre:

-Companies that are ranged, hybrid label for theatres that don't fit exactly one of these; somewhere in between, semi-professional; professional or oThe Invisible theater oOff-off Broadway theatre •Off-off Broadway and Beyond -Not completely professional or amateur, semi-professional, usually have a mix of union and non-union workers -do not fit neatly into professional or amateur category. Allows hiring of both union and nonunion performers, well-trained students or experienced community members.

Cats:

-Concept Musical (Musical play that progress its action through a theme/idea/or message), based on poetry, rock music tradition -Andrew Lloyd Webber: British composer Cameron Macintosh -longest running musical until the phantom of the opera; 18 year run, pumped about 18 billion dollars into New Yorks economy; huge amount of income on the national tour-its the tour that's earning the profit for these big blockbuster productions-all merchandise -4.5 million jobs around the world-signnigcant contribution to the economy form the arts

Role of the producer-Backing (money):

-Cost of producing is very expensive! Because they are so many membership and unions, contract negotiations -Convincing individuals to put out this money because you believe in this show and you going to get profits in return

Economics of Producing:

-Cost: (expenses that every producer faces) • Production rights/royalty fee • Venues: utility bills, upkeep, renovation, repairs, taxes • All materials, labor, rental for sets and costumes (theatre is a hand made commodity, it must created a new for different set of audiences • Technical equipment (lighting, special effects, sound) • Advertising costs • Salaries of all professional staff and/or paid mentors • (Professional companies are unionized) Salaries of all company members; unionized salaries

IV. Language

-Diction is the pattered words intended to be spoken by characters • Verse/Prose: -Prose: unrhymed, un-metered language, the blank verse, the venacular, the every day speech; Language similar to everyday speech, not verse; the original form of spoken written language -Verse: Poetry, generally rhyming heightened language; composition • Monologue/Dialogue: Dialogue: conversation between characters, Monolgue: the characters speaking out loud-usually a listener, could be talking to themselves or another actor, but not the audiences • "verbal text" is more than words; spoken and unspoken, includes non-verbal language • Stage properties

The Dramaturgy:

-Dramaturgy defines the playwright's craft involving the elements, conventions, and techniques the playwright uses to delineate general and particular truths about the human condition. (includes the study of the playwright's world, and how it influences the playwright's map-the text) 1. Research 2. Interpretation/ Assimilation 3. Practical Application (research, liaison, interpreter, educational outreach, program notes)

Tragedy:

-Earliest form of drama -Tragedy's tend to focus on the moral questions/dire consequences (individual in confrontation with the moral); focusing on the moral quest -The chorus was the audience on stage interacted, sing, commenting; characters of noble birth are in tragedies-b/c it wants to show that characters audience must experience of the cathartic fall even of kings and queens, and people of noble birth because they are human too, and be able to relate it to their own lives; use characters of noble birth to suggest this to the audiences -tragic heroes; faced with events that doesn't allow them to go back, must move forward and embrace there destiny -Ends with dire consequences for the characters (especially, the main character); demonstrating the deep flaws of human kind -A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. People fighting pride

Empathy

-Emotional identification -The ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes - refers to a sense of participation -an identification with the character -Its experiencing the emotions with the character, its a connection; draws us in emotionally -Empathy emotional identification In theatre: refers to a scene of participation, you relate with the character

High vs. Low comedy:

-Farce: physically, exaggeration, fast action, use of language, with, words, rhymed cuplet, refers to intellectual understanding of the day; intellectual way of thinking of the day; pocking fun at something; the genre that involves lots of running, is fast paced, with some mild violence;highly comedic, light hearted. situation possible but not probable. physical, outrageous, fast paced. no serious idea, pure entertainment. audience not emotionally involved. broad physical stunts and pratfalls -Satire: pocking fun at something political, something going -Burlesque: type of performance; stylized, dancing, celebration of the female form, physical; low comedy -Domestic comedy: takes place in the home; in family units; comedy's related to family functions; community; -Situation comedy: comedy driven by the situation; ex: identity thief, two and half men; put characters in a situation becomes the plot, purpose, comedy; comic events revolve around the situation of the characters -Romantic comedy: couple coming together, social community; -Comedy of manners: high comedy; situation comedy, looking at a specific class of society, a group of people-usually the upper class; exposing the foibles, the flaws, often satires (high comedy) -Comedy of ideas: high comedy, social issue, contemporary concern that audiences are able to connect to; (High comedy)

Dress rehearsal:

-Final rehearsal, rehearsing technical cues of the play-can last days or weeks before the show is ready-all elements coming together; last to be added-designed to be worn on opening night; designers need to keep costumes fresh

Aristotle (4th c. BCE)

-First thinker told us that drama through empathy creates catharsis, which is the release of emotion; He says that it isn't drama unless there is empathy and catharsis; audience can connect with play through empathy with characters and the story because we are experiencing catharsis; but its really true now (we need aesthetic distance-reminder to us that it isn't really happening) -original dramaturg reminds you that you are watching staged event

Theater is social:

-Functions on a social level -**Horace (1st c.BCE) says that theater is dangerous b/c in theater the government can be criticized and it can lead to a revolution; he was warning the leaders of the Russian gov; theater should only have 2 functions: the teach or to please; b/c audiences are coming together in groups, talking to each other and getting ideas and it can be dangerous b/c it can lead to a revolution; leave out thinking part; -Purpose of theatre, according to Horace: To teach and to please; Horace: dangers in theatre, riot, revolution, talk, large group gatherings, anti-government ideas -Hanna Moore (1745-1833): used theater as a social form; producing plays for young ladies in London; taught social values and etiquette for ladies, performed for young women; expressing what is appropriate for young ladies in society; social function; Wrote educational social dramas to teach young women about etiquette -The London Merchant (18th-19th c.) appertinces see it; bad behavior leads to consequences; teaching a clear message- saying that you don't do anything against your masters wishes or you will be punished -The Lion King (1997): being social, moral lesson-centers around the circle of life, don't disrupt the circle of life, or bad things will happen; teaching audiences;

The rise of the modern director

-Goerg, the duke of saxe-meiningen -Andrew Antoine -The birth of realism/representational theatre -Post 1870s psychoanalysis/ advance in science • Sigmund freud, carl jung, alex comte, Charles Darwin -Konstantin Stanislavski

GREEK THEATRE: Parados

-Ground level exit -Used by characters in production who did not live in main setting -Used by wealthy citizens -In Greek theatre, an open space between the skene and the theatron that served as an entrance/exit for the chorus and sometimes actors

Tech Week (special rehearsals)

-Tech run: just for crew-rehearse cue over and over -Dry tech: start at beginning and run the show as if it were a show without any real performance; actors delivering dialogue around cue-so they can practice cue -Cue to cue:

Konstantin Stanislavski (1863-1938)

-He established the Moscow Art Theater and put it on the world map and subsequently revolutionized the way theatre is today; He strove for truthfulness in staging, playing his first major production was rehearsed on the actual site that it occurred; the Moscow Art Theater, which became the most important theater in the world. -Established a school for the training of actors -His company of actors traveled to America in 1923 resulting in many initiators in the country. -Father of modern acting, focused on plays of ANTON CHEKHOV, actor director who used psychoanalysis and a representational style -Actors psychologically breaking down the characters and making it more humanistic -mimesis-confined on what's happing off stage compared to it happening larger than life on stage -plays natural on style -Company was put on the map by the production of the Segal, this condition of realism-startling to the audiences; naturalism* -Interpretation (director): creating meaning beyond what is literal in the text-creating that understanding of what is believable and real; up to the director to decide what happens during a scene-different interpretation that work with the context of the play; we judge the interpretation of the director is it flows logically in this production -IN TO OUT APPROACH -Russian man who created the System foundation for modern realistic acting; he helped shape realism and naturalism -The Contemporary Actor - Magic if, "What would I do if I were this character in these given circumstances?" -developed the most famous system for training performers to act realistically, ie. to be believable -method acting: invented by Stanislavski. Attempt to create realistic performances. obvserve real people, put yourself in position of character, focus on objection of character. -First actor than director -Interpretation • Our intuitive reaction to what we are observing • Acting choices • Space and design choices -Contemporary realism • Actors play actions not emotions • Given circumstances • Super objective

High vs. Low comedy:

-High comedy: tends more toward the intellect, wit, parodies, satires; requires intellect; playwright uses these at the high level to connect with the intellect; ex: the wedding crashers; audience understands the jokes that are coming out of the play on an intellectual level; Types of drama: verbal wit, inconsistency of character, comedy of ideas, political satire -Low comedy: tends more toward primal; ex: three stooges; physical, active, fast, lots of slapping,; slapstick; exaggerated, master and servant conflicts; Types of drama: obscene, dirty, crude, physical mishaps, slapstick comedy. plot devices include mistaken identity, misunderstanding, and embarrassing situations

Antiquarianism:

-Historically accurate costumes and scenery -historical accuracy -Related to the Rise of the Modern Director*** -- work of actors, birth of realism , related to director, single run productions, antiquarianism--realism

Theater is religious:

-History-theater festivals staged for entire cultural, society was shut down-everyone attended the theater in honor of Dionysius; in it's roots, it expresses religious morals, honors the gods, teaches religious lessons; may not even have religious matter; it can change us, by having a religious; connection to our spirit to understanding ourselves, life, or sometimes the God -Interaction, direct connection between audience to the spirit, and channeling it to the audience; the interaction between the performance and the audience in any way; every performance in theater has the potential to be religious because it is collaborative, but it isn't always a religious experience -Transformation: we must be changed afterwards; a greater understanding of moral truths, deep moral lessons are learned; the audience individually or as a whole is changed, therefore the society can be changed; transformation doesn't have to be huge, just needs to have a better understanding and compassion for the human experience by being transformed by a religious event Honoring of the God Dionysis Medieval Christian Church-utilized theater to convert audiences, because they were illiterate, convert pagans into Christian church

Players:

-Household players: small companies of actors hired by the wealthy to live on site/estate and spend time rehearsing and preparing for performances on the whim of the landowner -Touring players: smaller independent groups of actors touring Europe, remembered for their splendid costumes (given extra legal permission to wear the costumes outside their station)

Role of the producer:

-Individual who handles all the financial aspects of the production; bringing a play to live, (first we need material, these are thing the producers need): -Production rights (legal permission to produce the work with...) -Backing (money) -Venues (audition space, and rehearsal space) -Performance space -Personnel -Contracts -Financial records -Marketing and Publicity -Nonprofit and Amateur extras

The Lighting Designer's 4 Basic Elements***

-Lighting to support the moment-to-moment action of the play -Intensity: how bright it is; amount of wattage; the amount of instruments on the set; raising/lowering instruments- more instruments-more intensity; less instruments -Color: created by use of filters-made by glass or plastic gel-placed in front of lens of spotlight to change that color of projection on stage-can thousands of diff shades in hue; very interested in palette( scenic designers palette and costume designers palette) concern for clashing; very important-color choices in those other two areas-how they chose filters -Distribution: determined by location of lighting instrument on stage-clues of distribution of place just by recognizing where they are (high/low angle light) pay attention to where the instruments are, and the angle of the light; affording themselves degree of flexibility on cues of moment to moment support of action; deciding what kind of instrument used and angle at which is places-distribution of light design -Orchestration: also means a change in distribution, intensity, or color; manipulated above elements by lighting console-each elements of lighting panel control the cues; lighting designer programs these cues; light crew member cues lights from the lighting designer; Any change in the above three, accomplished on a lighting console, call of a cue from the stage manager •Crossfade (console allows for this):one area of stage increasing intensity/illuminosity and the other area is decreasing its intensity/illuminosity; manipulating our attention-shifting focus from one side of the stage to the next; important for cues

Types of Spaces:

-Proscenium: defined by a large opening arch that marks the primary division between the audience and performance space. -Thrust:is surrounded on three sides by the audience even though a majority of the audience is frequently facing the performance from the front. -Arena: a space in which the audience completely surrounds the performance area. -Black Box: a small simple room transformed to a theatre space, usually painted black

I. Plot/Structure :

-Linear or Non-linear (chronology/ non-chronological) -Casual or not Causal (one event causing the next) -Point of Attack (point in the process, in which the characters cannot go back, happens after exposition (general info regarding play, characters, everything we need to know, and this is when conflict ensues) -Conflict Climactic or Formula Structure (pic) Exposition (tend to have more exposition, background info) Rising action: leading through conflict, building emotion, high point of events emotionally Climax Falling action: New Resolution: -small cast, one plot/storyline Episodic Structure -tend to have less exposition in the beginning of the play but rather through the play (background info is given throughout the play) -large casts, multiple plots and story lines, at the end comes together -multiple lines of stories -Loose Plot, large range of time that is often out of order -Our town is episodic (because we jump in time, flash back, appearances of ghosts, multiple story lines)

GREEK THEATRE: Orchestra

-Means "dancing place," Greek performing place -Circular acting area -Began as dancing place to celebrate planning & harvest -Primary for Greek chorus to perform -No women could perform/watch -Only citizens (men of voting age) could watch Orchestra Pit - where orchestra plays House - first level of seating

Costume Shop Manager:

-Measurements: measuring the actor's body - from top to bottom -Draping: playing with fabric on dress models/form -Drafting: pinned to fabric and cut; fabric selected -Cutting/Cutters: fabric pieces cut out -Sewing/Stitches: pinning the fabric and sewing it together -Fitting: actors called in for a fitting (building from sketches)

Adaptation Musicals:

-Musicals taken from previous source materials (ex: plays, novels, films); can be either concept or story book musicals

Contemporary presentational **

-Noh Theatre -Kabuki Theatre -Bunraku Theatre

Hypokrites

-Original Greek word for actor, literally translated "answerer" -actor in 5th century Greece

Frame of reference:

-Personal, historical, culture context that we bring to the work, our tastes to the material, our personal reference; our personal experience with the work; how we feel about the work; previous experience, political or social experience

Jobs:

-Playwright: author of the play -Producer: handles the business aspect of the show -Director: oversees artistic aspects of show -Casting Director: a specialist in finding actors for specific roles who assists the director in some professional productions -Scenic Designer: creates a visual home for the play -Costume Designer: designers costumes for the show -Lighting Designer: helps establish mood, place, & intensity with the use of light -Sound Designer: creates a soundtrack to support the show. It may be recorded or live -Stage Manager: oversees the entire production crew, rehearsals & performance -Front of house: usher; shows people to seats, checks tickets

Rhetorical delivery-continuation emblactic style**

-Presentational form -Not believable -A code for actors -Actors were shown and schools in how to position themselves to portray certain emotional point of view -David Garrick -Edwin Forest

Producing Options

-Professional or Amateur -Commercial or Non-profit

Theater is political:

-Propaganda: Material specifically designed to advocate a particular point of view, to both support the status quo and challenge or undermine it; intentionally created to change, confront, or challenge a political belief; specific political intent

Representational vs Presentational

-Representational: crafted realistically to look and function just as the scenic location would in the real world, whether interior or exterior; Designs imitate real life, realistic details, historical accuracy, imaginary fourth wall; the act of making a stage more real and less fantastical -Presentational: not meant to resemble everyday life; it may be stylized, abstracted, or suggestive scenery; Designs that suggest, distort, or abstract reality, deliberately incomplete, environment not possible in real life, often rely on mood, color, shapes, visual symbols; acknowledges theatricality and does not attempt to created the impression of "real life" on the stage. Presentational scenery, costumes, and lighting may suggest, distort, or even abstract reality; Resists against realistic

The costume designers - Sketches:

-Representing visually the director's concept

Environmental Theatre:

-Requires more than an agreement between the spectator and the... -Sense of activity; audience had to actively engage with the environment -Blurry lines between the house and the stage -the audience and actors share the same space with little or no separation between them. -non traditional, where actors preform within the audience i.e. cirque de sole -Happening in the audience, dynamic use of space

Oklahoma! (1943)

-Richard Rogers (composer) -Oscar Hammerstein II, (book and lyricist) -Agnes de Mille (Choreographer) -Oklahoma was adapted from Lynne Riggs' play "Green Grow the Lilacs" -Utilizes actors in the dream ballet -Style: dirty, dusty concept of life, life was hard, supports real gritty concept -nostalgia revisiting of hopes and dreams, that got our country through a time of uncertainty, makes us feel better; Oklahoma has done that for our culture -Looking at the dark, dirty, darker elements, the dusty life style -first collaboration between Rodgers and Hammerstein - the golden age -An innovation in American musical theatre b/c of its experiment with realism and its seamless integration of dance and story. -Hammerstein and Rodgers won Pulitzer Prize for Oklahoma in 1944 -The production was nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. -The musical was adapted as a film in 1955 -First show to smoothly blend; story, music and dance * Western movement, taming the west, bringing civilization -Musical comedy -Proscenium

Relationship between director and actors-Collaborating with Stage Management:

-Right hand of the director -Role of the stage manager :"...coordinates a show during rehearsal and performing and keeps the director's choices in tact during the run." Stage Manager: Oversees the entire production crew, rehearsals, and performance (business person in theatre);Has several key responsibilities and tasks in each phase of production like scheduling and running rehearsals, overseeing the show each time it's performed in conjunction with the director -On board with directors concept, management of the actor; has more contact with he actor-responsible for policing the actors; nurtures the actors; -They plan rehearsal schuedul through directors decisions; creates the documents, organize and assigning jobs to actors, crew; take care of all praticial matters of the production related tot the director-so the director can focus on the artistic matters ; • responsible for organinzing the audition process, • prepare rehearsal space; • ground plan • Rehearsal props and costumes • Discplinary-policing people • Production paperwork • *The Promptbook- has everything, all edits and changes, all of the blocking, the movement of the actors, all of the cues-for actors, lights, sounds-its the change-the change in lighting, a change in the set, an actors entrance; they record all cues in the prompt book-a warning and a standby • "Call the show"; tells what cue is coming up throught the head-set-constant process through the production-lights, sound, actors, • Run crews-head crew cheif-of the run crews-run crews help the crews run -coordinates all aspects of a production related to the director and actors, both during rehearsals and the run of the show; ensures director's vision in maintained.

GREEK THEATRE: Periaktoi

-Rotating triangular shaped wall with different scenes painted on each of the 3 sides -First type of moveable scenery -Installed in archway of Skene

Comedy:

-Sacred use of the mask; ceremony involves with the changing of the masks -focuses on the social and the community; ends with community a social coming together, emphasizes; social world restored

GREEK THEATRE: Skene

-Scenery -The stage house -Used as actors' entrance & exit -Dressing/storage area -In Ancient Greece, a stage house upstage of the circular orchestra, source for the words scene and scenery -"behind the scenes"

Designers:

-Scenic Designer: responsible for the visual world of the play; Creates visual home for the play -Costume Designer: artist that creates wearable scenery; Designs costumes for the show -Lighting Designer: lighting creates mood or atmosphere; supports the actions of the play by creating visibility; Helps establish mood, place, and intensity of light -Sound Designer: responsible for acoustic and recording sound; Creates soundtrack (recorded or live)

GREEK THEATRE: Theatron

-Seating area; steeply raked -Means "seeing place," the audience seating area in the theatre of ancient Greek theatre

Death of a Salesman-Arthur Miller, playwright Jo Mielziner, Scenic Designer

-Selective realism; the got rid of the walls of the house, no door/windows, suggestive pieces of furniture and set pieces to depict the scenery; Selective realism is not realism-it has some magic in it-it doesn't apply to all productions; not very collaborative -Arthur Miller: American playwright who wrote Death of a Salesman.

The Costume Designer's 4 Variables*****

-Silhouette:a silhouette—the shape of the bodies tells what the time period is; communicates historical time periods -Color: the details, the trim, the accents, and the embellishments for the costumes of the time period; audiences are more psychologically happy when they encountered with brighter colors, and they're more psychologically sad when they encounter darker colors; costume provides insight into who the character is as soon as the audience sees them -Texture: the feel of the fabric; the way it feels through our eyes to the touch; most closely communicates socio-economic class; if its a nicer, more expensive looking fabric, such as if it's velvet, soft, luxurious, then it indicates upper-class, or royalty, kings; or if it looks cheap, dirty, ragged, it indicates lower-class, such as a burlap sack being made into a dress; if its satin or silk—its soft, sexy, desirable—through the eyes; its connecting to the character to the audience -Accent: Finishing details, such as hats, gloves, laces, buttons, trim, makeup, jewelry, scarves, wigs; adding a statement—expressing individual characters experiences; also indicates the time period; if an actor is wearing a bigger, brighter costume—it makes a statement; or if an actor is wearing something super basic—that also makes a statement (such as they're boring); for ex: one guy is wearing a tux w/ a rose and the other one isn't -what does that say to the audience? -Fabric: before the 1940's who wore denim?—it was a working class fabric, workers, farmers; now everyone wears denim; historical evolution—socio-economic

Soliloquy vs. Aside

-Soliloquy:When a character is alone on stage or the others characters are not supposed to hear the words of said character -Aside: Brief remarks by a character. Meant to be heard by the audience but not by other characters; Short statement made to the audience, breaks 4th wall

To consider...from The Comedy of Errors:

-Space/ stage -Representation or presentational? (it's Presentational b/c of the soliloquies-the characters addressing the audiences and breaking the forth wall) Why? -Chiming Clock? (Yes, b/c -Costume design of twin Dromios -Lighting design and acting choices in soliloquies -Actor's physical and vocal characterization as Antipholus

Tech Week (costume designer)

-Special rehearsal - final component -Dress parade: the formal opportunity -for the whole design team to sit in the house (with the director) to look at the actors wearing the costumes on stage under the set design and lighting design - changes are called and made by the director

The living theatre (1950s-60s)

-Staging the happening-improvising performance that examined political issues, brought it to main stream white audiences that attended theater at the time -highly politicized content-confront audience in a brutal way, nudity, weed, mingled with audience during performance, to created a -issue of war, freedom, suppression of individual repression

Actor-Playwrights and Company Leaders:

-Standard way of producing through history; the notion of the poet serving the directors due; the playwrights becoming actors to help make the artistic vision that the directors due today

Actors work with observations**

-Substitutions/ abstractions -The Magic "if": what would I do if I were the character in the given circumstance -Sense Memory: recalling sensual experiences -Affective memory: element of Stanislavski, call onto personal details of situation and add to the actor

Off-off Broadway and Beyond:

-Summer stock: hybrid theatre company, seasonal production houses, producing a series of production, same actors and directors, equity wavier conditions: -Actor's Equity Association -Equity waiver production (LA) -Off-loop production (Chicago) (summer stock: off-season productions)

The Director's Role:

-Textual interpretation and artistic conceptualization-coordination of all the elements -Coordination of all visual and aural elements -Actor coaching-responsible for result

Producing for the Theatre

-The Producers (2001) Mel Brooks, composer (Mel Brooks wrote the producers) -David Merrick, 42nd Street (1980); the producer whose gift for creating Broadway hits was matched only by his genius for attracting publicity and making enemies; the dominant showman in the Broadway theater-known for "the abominable showman";(famous ny charachicature) -Cameron Mackintosh, the British Invasion (during 1980s-1990s singularly responsible fro bring the biggest musical hit to the stage) (the phantom of the opera,cats, singuan, les miserables-costing more than films)

The Sound Designer: Amplification:

-The Sound designer only amplifies the orchestra and controls levels of orchestra and characters, but that's it -in Broadway only in musicals, singing at the same time as talking to help enhance what we hear, could be hidden or we could see the headsets. RENT- 1996 Broadway production- changes the use of amplification for sound designers, post modern musical, orchestra and rock band, lead to an idea for sound designers to control the levels of sound, intentionally decided the headsets as the concept in full view.

Plot:

-The arrangement (or deliberate manipulation) of action; plot is not the same thing as a story; its how that story is arranged; the deliberate arrangement of the story.; the playwrights deliberate actions to create the story

The Theatre (later the Globe), the Curtain, the Rose, and the Swan:

-The charging of admission into these theatres-people are making money -The Theatre (later the Globe): the first -The Theatre (later the Globe) and the Swan were given the highest critical acclaim --The Swan and the Globe were rivals -Thrust stage, fully enclosed amphitheater stage; a phisode; used the discovery space-the under area of the balcony; the storage space for the scenery the place above the balcony; platform stage about 4-5ft off the ground; the pit/the yard/the ground-cheapest tickets-people who sat down there were the lowest members of the economic class; directly out center from the platform stage-stage center box-most expensive seats-royalty usually sat there- ***The tiring house (be able to equate the tiring house to the thrust stage?)- where the actors waited backstage between acts = phisode; midterm question

Resident Theatre:

-The company lives in the community that they serve; all are non-profit resident company oGuthrie Theatre: thrust (Resident theatre company) oArizona Theatre Company: is housed in two cities, in tucson, but after show, everything is loaded to; different venue same company; professional theatre but not commercial -Professional, non-profit organization that maintains a constant presence in the community and produces an entire season of plays -Resident theatre are sometimes called: regional theatres

Costume Plot:

-The costume plot is a chart of every actor, every piece of clothing the actor wears for every scene of the play - where each garments goes and has each of the actors name on each garment -Carefully organized -spilt up by character and by each act and scene

GREEK THEATRE: Proskenium

-The first "stage space" -Used as acting area, extends in front of Skene (stage)

The Scenic Designer - Ground Plan:

-The first official document to communicate the plan; takes s designer plan; birds eye view of the set; set to scale, each unit/platform draw to scale on ; each set properties and unit is labeled on the ground plan; specifies where the wall will reach; visual overhead-architectural schematic drawn to scale*; getting closer to final approval; -a drafting of the plan of the set as seen from overhead. A ground plan shows where any scenic pieces or set props (such as furniture) are to be placed

What is art:

-The imitation an expression/experience of something in the natural world or something that has been completely imagined; expression of human experiences of something in the natural world or imagined world

Drama (According to Aristotle)

-The imitation of human action (in performance) -Shows and enacts (from our human experience -Characters living and moving before us -Art imitates nature (mimesis); a reflection of ourselves, this experience a connection with the characters and how this relates to our actions in our world; confronts the audience

The Costume Designer:

-The job of the costume designer didn't start until theatrical community, art representational theatre and antiquarianism; before this, actors were the ones responsible for dressing themselves, until rise of the modern director - emphasis on realism -Costume designers create wearable scenery -Important work with the work of the actor - their work begins as the work of actors; this all starts in the given circumstances, practical considerations* -Starts with given circumstances -studies physical needs of the actor - the things the actor needs to accomplish - or are limited to accomplish; costume designers need to know these needs and what the actor will be called to do by the director - they'll be present in the early rehearsal process; costume designer also studies the blocking choices, and prepares for this; constantly evolving (costume choices) -Working to support the directions visual concepts** -States of being for the characters on stage -Works closely with the scenic designer and the lighting designer, so there's no clash of colors; Dependent on choices being made in other design areas -Because of color choices and the limit on fabric choices - creates a need for flexibility -Costumes are more fragile than a set; costumes are the last added in the rehearsal process (dress rehearsals)

The Globe theatre:

-The theatre where Shakespeare's company of actors worked primarily -has a tourit -fully-enclosed theatre -Most famous public theatre, a 3 story, 8 sided, open to the sky theatre, with a rust stage that played to the public in England The most famous public theatre in Elizabethan England was the Globe Theatre created by Shakespeare's company, the lord chamberlain's men -Shakespeare's theatre. outdoors. open in center. public theatre. performed in summer. thrust stage.

VI. Spectacle (least important)

-The totality of all vision elements -*6 components of spectacle: • Setting • Actors • Costumes • Lighting • Properties • Movement (motion)

What is imagination:

-Things that don't exist; *the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality

Commercial theatre:

-always fully professional-in means of making a profit, artists may not be a professional working for to make a profit for the investors; the idea is that one singular production is being produced for profit at a time; ); commerical theatre-singularly produced for that company -Professional, shows that are produced to earn a profit for investors -Musicals and comedies make the most money

Types of stages:

-Thrust: oldest formal stage -Proscenium: most modern type of stage -Arena: least common; audience completely surrounding the players;seating on all sides of performance space; economic; intimate theatre/actor relationship; has global style -stage the playing area-which include: thrust, arena, and the proscenium; the space includes the house and the playing area- the complete environment-which include thrust, black box, proscenium, arena

Thunder run vs Thunder Sheet:

-Thunder run: elaborate wooden scaffolds, built in the back of the proscenium; built for one sound effect: balls rolled around - to make a thunder sound. -By the time of the industrial Revolution, use more metal -Thunder Sheet: most theatre have/use this stil today; best creation of thunder sound and preferred method for creating thunder on stage

What is theatre:

-Tracy C. Davis: compares theatre to literature; theatre happens in present; in order to be theater it must have an audience; reacting to a live event; it has witnesses for the event; it's a private event; has to have an audience in order for it to be theatre -Theater: imitates, parodies, criticizes (judgmental, might have a moral lesson to teach), celebrates (celebrates humanity, and things in our community); (in this expression of human experiences; these are the 4 functions)

Alienation Effect:

-Verfremdungseffekt = "alienation": makes the audience feel detached from the play -Bertolt Brecht; wanted audience to think about what they were seeing rather than blindly feel. Accomplished by interrupting dramatic moments.

Edwin Forrest**

-Vocal quality -Command attention of the audience -American Actor -Voice of Niagra Falls -Native american and blackface were his known characters -Presentational

Magic 6 Weeks

-Week 1: week of Auditions/Design complete -Week 2-5: Rehearsals/construction of set -Week 6: week of tech run through -Preview: a play has one to three of these after the magic 6 weeks -Opening: First time a play runs -Run: Time period of when a play is showing -Close: when a play stops running (also known as strike)

Role of the producer-Personnel:

-Who are you hiring first: the director; and the designers that you have in the early interpretation

Dramaturg:

-Writes, translates, adapts plays -Analyzes scripts -Educates audiences, bridging the opportunity for the audience to connect with the work -Plans theatre season -LITERARY EXPERT ON THE PLAY -A specialist in dramatic literature and theatre history who serves as a consultant for production. -advises directors, and works with playwrights on new pieces

The Crucible (1953)

-Written by **Arthur Miller--about salem witch trials; the affair that drew out this event; political body that was so quick to judge; writing about 1953; examining the 1950's during the red scare-when american committee went on a witch hunt fearing communist; examining this witch hunt; about the fear that was created from the fear of the outsider

Our Town (1938)

-Written by Thorton Wilder, The most popularly produced play in the US (why do you believe that this play is so universal with audiences?) -Specifically presented to works; encapsualte an american experience as its depicted in the play, the character the stoy-it becomes more and more diverse, so why is it so popular, and universal -genre: tragic comedy -episodic structure -protagonist: emily -antagonist:time, understanding the adult meaning of life - Presentational, Tragic comedy, dark, environmental theater

-Chiming Clock (in the comedy of errors)

-the clock chimed to begin a new act or a scene -when a soliloquy was being said the other actors stop in their place and the light highlights the solo-speaker

Concept:

-artistic decisions meant to communicate a specific interpretation of a play to the audience. -Interpretation leads to the concept of the production -Concept: is made up of the artistic choices that communicate the interpretation to the audience; conceptually the visual representation, the directors interpretation-does it work with the scene? Judging conceptual how the intrepretation seems to play; how do we judge concept; the production style-how we are measuring both visual and orally on stage-everything we see and hear-gives up concept; judge style by everything you see and hear-music (style), where is it coming form, what style is it; accents-use of language, words, sounds of the words, the way in whcih language is presented (formalor); everything visual and ordity; created by other designers that are in collaboration with the director-working toward a common goal of the diectors artisitic vision -Artistic designs meant to communicate a specific interpretation to the audience, created visually and aurally by scenery, costumes, lighting, rhythm, movement, and composition

Operetta:

-begin throwing in dialogue in between the singing; still the emphasis on singing ; social and community emphasis; comedy; typical pace of a musical -A theatrical piece of light and sentimental character in simple and popular style,containing spoken dialogue, music, and dancing. -A form of musical theatre that is not set entirely to music, but generally features a romantic story set in some far-off locale; the most famous versions were made popular by the team of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan in the late 1800s. -tell large stories with big casts, episodic plots, same as opera -Shortened versions of operas; lighter mood; found in Europe; Ends in romance not death; very reliant on visuals

Tragicomedy:

-bitter sweet, may be laughing and crying at the same time; sense of survival, of celebration, of community, of coming through not completely clean; the high and lows of everyday life; in real lives we are living the -a naturalistic vision of the world; ex: wolf of wall street; our lives on stage is a tragicomedy -Our town is an example of a tragic comedy*?

Staging:

-blocking-the preplanned movement on stage (movement of everything-director figuring out where actors need to be, special effects, where scenery needs to be; -composition-consideration of height, width, depth of the play space-creating that overall image, drawing focus, asymmetrical, symmetrical, balance, unbalanced (suggests diharamony psycholohyy-its unsettling-lack of staging), creates the directors emphasis, the picture; the set properties; in such a way that the eyes of the audience are being drawn into focus, director is creating a stage picture stagig choices -focus -asymmetrical, asymmetrical staging

The Scenic Designer: Communicating w a Production Team

-brainstorming and conferencing with the director, producer and the designers; creating correct visuals that support the directors concept; as critics when you judge concept-we look at visual and oral elements wrapped around **style -The Scenic designer supports the directors concept with this scenic style; -Very collaborative, working cohesively with the other team members. Design supports the directors interpretation and concept, which we judge by design style

Burlesque:

-burlesque as comedy (low comedy, very physical) and burlesque as a performance; highly interested in the female form; Very bodied, led to the striptease, riskay -entertainment form, dance and comedy (low), turned into gentlemen's club dancing

The King's Men:

-called the King's Men when the there's a King after queen; same company as the-different name

what occurs when one is "calling script"?

-calling cues for lighting and sound

The Box set:

-came about well after the rise of the modern director and still used today (very realistic production style); much more realistic-realism as its high, very representational; treatment of all 6 size of the set-treats the enclosed space seperate from the audience; only in representational performances because the fourth wall is always there; thrust?; actors and furniture are up against 4th wall -used so that the "fourth wall" was adhered to constantly -a type of set that consists of three connecting walls enclosing three sides of the stage with the fourth wall removed giving the appearance of a real room.

**Projection:

-can be representational or presentational; Josef Svoboda's influence; if there's moving film (cinema), patterns in the projection -use of gobo's- small metal stencil-cut out design-filter that be placed in front of lens of spot light; forcing pattern on to the stage floor (such as a sun-even though its not realistic-its representational because its a realistic use of the gobo); any pattern projected that isn't realistic-with gobo-would be presentational (not realistic use of gobo); sometimes there's moving film projected that realistic projecting light on to actors (through a rotator)

Medieval Play Masters:

-can be traced back to the med -Play master called the ordinary-modern of the master of ceremonies-a priest a member of the clergy b/c during this time there were the only people who could read, church interested in converting pagans to their religion-wanted to teach people about religion in prompt books-kept detailed records of everything going on during the performance-became the bible -Promptbook-contains dialogue by playwright- it has edits playwright, staging choices, sound effects-that musicians might play, it mentions who might be playing -local actors/community members led by the community leaders

Olio

-collection of acts, variety show American Minstrels uses this Act two (the olio) was the variety section and a precursor to vaudeville. It included singers, dancers, comedians, and other novelty acts, and parodies of legitimate theater.

Producer:

-the facilitator of the production, responsible for all financial aspects-bridging the play to the audience; constructing that bridge with that money; the first member of the team to come on board -Handles business aspect of the show, hires director

Opera:

-completely musical-singing and orchestration only; classical opera tends to examine issues that audience were familiar with—stories around classical tales, history that the audience know; emphasis on spectacle** ; you can see that opera is an influence in Oklahoma; epic stories; audience is invested; tragedy emphasis -A drama set entirely to music; first developed in Venice, Italy in the 1600's -Italian Renaissance, all music, there are elements of Aristotle's drama, arrangement of story elements (plot), dark and somber in tone stories, settings are elaborate, influence to American is the fascination and reliant on skeptical and visuals costumes and sets.

Costume design of twin Dromios

-costume design is representational because it's close to being historically accurate, they're not abstracted, they are period clothing that appear during the late audience); -The two Dromios wear workman's brown pants and vests, but their bowties match the colors of their master's neckties and their shoes and dog caps are different shades, Dromio of Syracuse in tan, Dromio of Ephesus in dark gray. -Dromio of Ephesus wears coke-bottle eyeglasses -As the Syracusean Dromio, McElherron was clumsy, goofy and superstitious. As Dromio of Ephesus, McElherron remained dry, short-tempered and dissatisfied with his state of servitude.

Professional Theatre:

-created by individuals who earn (or attempt to earn) a living as a profession -profits are earned; touring production and resident theatre

Community Theatre:

-created by residents of a particular area who come together to create theatre without being part of a larger institutions -provides the opportunity for diverse individuals, many of them in other professions, to create plays and be part of an active social and artistic community.

**Josef Svoboda:

-creating setting with open spaces and projection sense; sparse use of set properties; the art of projection of light/images/moving images; to project cinema or moving images on stage; influence on Julius Caesar? -open spaces, first to use film in productions, creating setting with light -Josef Svoboda Cceck designer Utilized empty spaces, projection screens and projections of light to the stage Suggestion in the patterns on stage Film on stage, moving pictures and cut out reflections -First to use light in sets; Utilizes empty space; One of the first designers to use film and moving pics; Presentational; Came up with projection -INFLUENCE ON "A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC"

Relationship between director and actors-Developing Character and Ensemble:

-directors interpretation of the script, physcially placing actor, director showing the actor how to move the body, and how to ; Creating a cohesive group of actors-how they are related as a cohesive group

Read through and analysis:

-dramaturg, actor, and directors making dialogue reworking, editing, actors taking notes of that what direction this work is gonna take intro historical insight and author insight -othello-actors spend a lot more time there b/c of language (shakespeare)

Communciating and Managing the Artisitc vison

-everything visual and ordity ; created by other designers that are in collaboration with the director-working toward a common goal of the diectors artisitic vision

Oklahoma: Dramaturgical Notes

-examines the expansionist American culture of the late 19th century, specifically in and around the Oklahoma territory prior to its statehood -examines the identity and roles of men and women, farmers and ranchers, immigrants, and others struggling to realize an identity in the American west. -The gritty, realistic subject matter is anything but typical escapist comedy and the genre of musical theatre was permanently changed by its influence.

The Invisible theater (Tucson):

-experimental works, companies not locked into turning profits, taking chances

The Scenic Designer - Front elevation:

-final document-to the members of the crew to communicate how its going to be put together, and what it will look like; each piece of scenery from the front what it will look like; drawn to scale; understanding the ornamentation, and decor from the front

Georg, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (1826-1914)

-first modern director -keeping details and records meticulous recording in the prompt work; these productions of the company- first play small productions then came successful-ppl were demanding that they travel and play for them and they did; characters were starting to create realistic moments-representational-changing everything b/c people were used to presentational -First director, began to make the director a separate entity to the development of a play *-He set a new standard for classical and romantic plays with his concern for historical accuracy and his freedom from commercial pressures.

Preview:

-follows dress rehearsals; called rehearsal but people can buy tickets and come see it and for professional company's, we are assuming that everything is set when previews start b/c thats when critics come and see; director is still involved in previews b/c their seeing the audiences reaction

House Manager:

-in charge of everything from the back of the house to the front of the stage

William Shakespeare (1564-1616):

-interested In theatre as a tool for social change; audience become informed about the human experience; fast rate of change in religious, the supernatural (many elements of the supernatural-witches, fears, nightmares) -157 sonnets, 37 plays/ 4 genres • Histories • Comedies • Tragedies • Romances (the "problem plays") (35/37 of his plays of solely his plays) -Plays that are bitter sweet- both dark and light at the same time; may not end with a happy couple; unsettled resolutions; watching with a smile and a tear

Space/Stage (in comedy of errors):

-it was a thrust stage because the audience was on three sides of playing areas, there's a phisode, non-flexible room, there's a permanent configuration, eveything is butled down; vomitories through the house, the house not compltetly surroung the playing area;

Melodrama:

-main form of literature; a genre of drama; melodrama is type of literature; highly stereotypical character (good vs evil); social value-theatre that teaches and socializes audiences; romantic literary movement; good always prevails; lavish highly examined descriptive novels in nature; such as man vs nature; looking at human individual struggle against the society at large -a dramatic genre featuring a conflict between good and bad characters, fast paced action, a spectacular climax, and poetic justice -the dominant dramatic play form of the 19th c.: consisted of a hero being troubled by a villain and being put through a series of dramatic perils before becoming triumphant over the villain in the end; accompanied by music and spectacle and simplistic plots -over the top, emotional, good v evil, stereotypes, influences through minstrels •Uncle Tom's Cabin: by Harriet bercher stove; romantic era novels; tend to let the reader decide regarding slavery; sparked discussion and popularity of novel; not only the story and political discussion of whether slavery is moral or amoral; literary movement; the power of these works to shift our culture; George Akin adapted and staged a play of it, looks at the life of slavery taking a non partisan view by depicting both sides of the issues, important because of the social issue, abolitionist point of view. First time black actors were allowed to act in theatre. •Tableaux Vivant: means living picture, silent, no dialogue; spectacular visual experience, acting with no dialogue (ex: nativity-actors playing out the scene of the manger w/o talking); its living- its not just a picture

English Renaissance

-monarchs b/c they are the patrons of Shakespeare company; the Kingmen and the -three major developments: anti-gov attitudes, the emergence of the actor-shareholder, and the presence of household players, the first time admission was charged (the red lion), then later complete integration in the public play house; features of the playhouse, -Shakespeare: lifeboat, the wedding and the Stratford and the widow (?);35 plays (2 plays in collaboration)

The Lord Chamberlain's Men:

-most famous company during Elizabethan era) -Actor shareholders • Richard Burdage-renaissance favorite actor; helped build these theatres; most famous actor shareholder, the tragic actor; he owned his roles; owned the characters/sides; no one else could play those roles) -Will Kemp (2nd most famous actor shareholder, the comic actor; he owned all the comic roles; owned the characters/sides; no one else could play those roles) -William Shakespeare • Asides: collection of dialogues for only one actor; no one else could play those roles • Referred to the Lord Chamberlain's Men b/c required a parton a member of nobility to sponser the group, and say that the company will honor the king/queen; because you can't call them the queen's men (because it's a sexist time) so they were call this because it's the name of the event planner of the Queen

Bunraku:

-most representative form of puppet theater goes back to the 17th century. -puppets are manipulated by 3 puppeteers -The least experienced member of a team moves the feet, another manipulates the left hand, and the master puppeteer is responsible for the delicate movements of the head and the right hand. Each of these steps, takes about 10 years to master. -A singer tells the story/recites the lines of the characters in song accompanied by a shamison player. -In this form of musical recital, clear expression of the narrative is more important than musical showmanship, correct pronunciation takes precedence over voice -The house of a blind man named Sawaichi and his wife Osato; having solving their misunderstanding, the couple leave to pray to the goddess of mercy -Telling himself that his wife would be better off without him,he kills himself, she finds out and kills herself too. -The goddess of mercy saves them, bringing them back to life and restoring Sawaichi's vision -This story combines a very Japanese sense of religion, marital love, and the asthetic beauty of death

The Scenic Designer - Rendering

-next document; colored rendition of the finished set, from view point of the audience, giving an impression of the finished set; envisioned in design-giving the idea of palette ; director is able to say what he likes/doesn't like; by this time-close to final approval -a colored picture of the set drawn in perspective from the audience's point of view.

Amateur Theatre:

-non-professional production; individuals not paid, coming together for ; student produced work-receiving credit for performance, lower ticket, less of contextual expectation from the audience; producer set up company so that can make profits and no one else is getting any of the profits -Everyone is volunteers, no profit -used when the practitioners do no rely on theatrical activity for their livelihood.

Non-Profit theatre:

-non-profit are never commercial but may be professional; the profits are put back into the organization to fund the program; money is funneled back into the budget for the next year (for the next season of plays) -Can be professional or amateur, profit goes to production of future plays; workers only receive fair compensation, usually produce an entire season of shows and funded by private gifts and grants -may be professional but are not commercial. Any money taken in at the box office is used to support other shows and programs.

Actor's physical and vocal characterization as Antipholus

-one is very confident and in control; one uses more strength; more control in voice; element of confidence vs. lack of confidence; there's a more feminit of the character) - Antipholi's both wear blue blazers, white pants, and white fedoras, though, if the other characters paid close enough attention, they would see that Antipholus of Syracuses's blazer has tan trim and pocket handkerchief while Antipholus of Ephesus's blazer has red trim and pocket handkerchief. -To distinguish which twin was which, the Syracusean Antipholus and Dromio wore a hat and glasses whereas their Ephesian counterparts did not. -Antipholus of Syracuse was jolly, nervous and uncertain but his Ephesian counterpart was violent, angry and loud. -Antipholus of Syracuse is arguably the strongest character in the play, since he is the only figure to whom Shakespeare grants an interior life. He describes himself early on in the story as unhappy and plagued by feelings of incompleteness--sentiments that drive his quest for his missing family members. Antipholus of Ephesus, by contrast, feels no such sense of incompletion: While the Syracusan brother is a questing figure, his Ephesian twin is well satisfied with his lot in life. He is an established figure, rather than a wanderer, with a wife, a home, a business, and an important place in the community.

-Nell Gwyn-establish**

-the most famous Restoration actress also the mistress of Charles II. -kings mistress -one of the first female performers -scandalous reputation

Developmental Period

-period of tidium -putting the half pages together -running scenes-working longer chucks, starting to realize a low, then actors and directors are experiencing the rhythm of the text, it isn't until the end until the actors can feel confident , the building and the constructing of the ensemble; running things without stopping, and when you finish this process, the production is ready to be moved to the stage; the show's concept is demonstrated in the staging and acting choices ensemble-cohesive group in the company

Henrik Ibsen

-pioneer of realism who challenged audiences to face their personal demons -Norwegian playwright who is the founder of modern realism; known for his mastery of dramatic technique & poetic symbolism -Playwright who kicked off realism. Plays dealt with social problems and shocked contemporary audiences.

**Eugene O'neill (1888-1953)

-premiere american playwrght, pultzer prize winner; experimented with form -1921- the Straw on Broadway- cost 9,000 to bring it Broadway, low production costs, small crews, it was a flop, closed after 2 weeks -1999-The iceman cometh-single set, small cast, few costume costs, low expenses, only set to play on Broadway for a 13 week engagement, estimated 5 mill to get the production to opening not and not including the next 13 weeks; it has to be a success on broadway for it to be successful anywhere else around the world -Plays are about the role of the american, white middle class dreams/tragedies

Wing, Drop, and Border Scenery:

-proscenium like a frame of one side perspective-renaissance interested in the *single point perspective-things disappearing as they get further away; giving depth; if you sit on the sides, you loose the central point perspective-it gets distorted as you move away from the central view point; fabric hanging there cover the fly space-painting like a drop back, the wings and the border are treated; the complete area of the frame is creating that perspective -italian reniassance and still used today

Stage Lighting

-provides visibility, shape, form, focus, composition, mood, style, time and place, rhythm, and reinforces the central image -Visibility of action to audience -Selective focus of a given moment -Modeling -Mood -intensity, color, distribution, movement -supports action of the play Ellipsoidal-bright hard edged Fresnel-soft-edge -visibility and support of moment to moment of action in the text

A Midsummer Night's Dream-(1901 production directed by H.B. Tree)

-representational set, even though there is fairies and magic, gnomes, sprites, elves; reflects the cultural interest in fairies-visually

Opening Night:

-runs on Broadway until it stops making money; one play per season -non-profit performances-usually for a set amount of time (scheduled on the calendar-beginning and end dates); -there are season of plays being produced -The run is the amount of the time -Closing performance: the formality of the acknowledgment that we have just shared -Curtain call (david merick?) -Strike: follows the closing; the breaking down of everything and being shipped out; in non-profits all materials are being scrapped and saved for further use-usually have huge costume spaces because they can be reused; but on Broadway everything is made from scratch each time

***The Lighting Designer - Scrim

-sheer fabric-used by lighting designers that can do one special thing-projected light (svavota); a transparent world; light from the front theres a scene greets the audience but as the lights dim themselves then the fabric suggests to the audience that it has disappeared-supposed to look like it magically changed set, but people are behind, and then the light moves behind it and the fabric disappears (selective realism) instant scene change -material that makes screen transparent -what can a scrim do? project an image on the screen and allowed for theatrical changes -lighting designer wanting to control what we are looking at, translucent piece of fabric, opaque when lit from front and see through when lit from back

The Scenic Designer - Painters Elevation

-shows each scenery with palette choices, painting technique using colors that will create the scenery; color representation of a piece of scenery -Once of all these documents are finished-the scenic designer is done

Andre Antoine (1858-1943)

-starting to experiment with (40 yrs) placing objects along the edge of the a proscenium stage; everything happing on a closed stage-no actors engaging with the audience; the creation of the 4th wall (invisible wall between the audience and the play, they don't know the audience is present), actors were blocked, staging of realism* -Andre Antoine founded The Free Theatre in Paris. First director to popularize realistic theatre. Invents 4th wall.

Box Office Manager:

-supervisor of the people who are working

when do all the elements of play come together?

-tech rehearsal

Technical Staff

-technical Director -stage manager -technical rehearsal -Technical Director: supervising crew members, responsible with the safety; the go to chief; works closely with stage manager; also works closely with the Properties Manager; enforcer of work place safety codes; Maintenance of Budget; Oversight of Construction; Maintenance of Stage; Responsible for all Safety within the Theatre; Attends all Production Meetings • Scenic Shop Foreperson: supervisor for the carpenters, painters, and crafts person; scheduling and hiring for backstage crew -Carpenters -Scenic Painters -Crafts-persons • Properties Manager: oversees crew of workers that build, buy, borrow the props; responsible for getting of the props; responsible for all set pieces; personal properties by actors -Crew

Acting Choices:

-tempo-rhythm at which the actor is using their body, and the talks -Leading body -physical characterization -Vocal characteristization -Ensemble

Director:

-the artistic vision; the leader, takes the team and fosters the relationships, handles all artistic aspects of the production -Oversees the artistic aspects of the show -Leadership, inspiration, and unification, textual interpretation, artistic conceptualization, coordination of all visual and aural elements, actor coaching

The Scenic Designer - Rear Elevation

-the back of scenery-what it will look like from the back-the members of the crew-how its put together, all the elements from behind that might be important

Technical Period:

-the moving of everyone out of the workshops and the studios and put together (al elements production with in the tandum ); setting those levels, volumes, light intensity, everything is flowing the way the directors/designers want it to flow

Black Box Space:

-there is never a black box stage, only a black box space; can be a black box space with a Proscenium, Thrust, or Arena stage -a flexible performance space (usually small) in which the actor/audience configuration can be easily changed for each production -Small and intimate, most flexible stage designed to be rearranged -Empty room -Any type of stage

Master Electirican

-through supervision of Technical director -Hang -Focus -Filter -Set up the circuitry -Supervise crew -installs and hangs lights to be used on stage

Tadashi Suzuki***

-traditions from noh, bunraku, kabuki -breaking 4th wall -Japanese born American director -Incorporating presentational traditions with contemporary performance -Uses actors trained in Japanese forms- presentational styles -Staging and way actors plays scenes are representational (eastern and western) -Presentational theatre -Epic style -Uses design elements that are abstracted which is presentational -Staging and actors play scenes that are representational -Founder of Japans 1st international theatre festival

Sight lines and Masking

-what the audience can see and what audience shouldn't be able to see; sometimes using black velvet drapes/velur fabric; the places that the scenic designer doesn't want you to see are masked (with wither black fabric or lighting) -Choosing what the audience can and cannot see

Tools of Director

1. Blocking 2. Stage Designs 3. Composition 4. Emphasis 5. Balance 6. Status

-Define the 3 elements of a musical:

1.Music 2.Dance 3.Text/Script/Play

Six Elements of the Drama( from Aristotle's point of view)

1.Plot (most important) 2.Character 3.Thought 4.language 5.Song 6.Spectacle (least important)

Noh

Classical Japanese theatre ( early 14th century) -influenced by Zen Buddhism - ultimate peace -The oldest form of traditional theatre is Noh, goes back 600 yrs. -Minimalist, speak Japanese. Masks worn. nothing is allowed to separate stage from audience (not even curtain). Buddhists Beliefs Stage for Noh drama consists of: -supported by 4 pillars, constructed so roof is visible to audience. Actor's vision is restricted by a mask, relies on the pillars to orient himself on stage. -nothing is allowed to separate the audience from the stage, not even a curtain -Actors make stage entrances on a long, bride-like passageway -the music consists of a chorus of chanters and 4 instruments -bridge to the main platform and pillars -audience sitting on two sides and an orchestra is in between (all performers are male, main characters wear masks) - the art of walking. -Noh continue ancient tradition of wearing masks. Through his discipline movements, the actor suggests the spirit, animating the personality of the role he is playing. -vengeful spirts and hermits in the mountains -Traditions outside the West -Highly stylized performance with music and dance -All performers are male -The main actors in the play wear masks

Hair: The American Tribal Love/Rock Musical (1968)

Hair: •Gerald McDermott, composer •Rado and Ragini, book and Lyrics •First entire score of Rock Music** -Concept Musical: Musical play that progress its action through a theme/idea/or message -American tribal rock musical, and protest theater; brought these ideas of the hippie movement and counter-cultural resistance, and trying to make it okay to freely protest

Theatre Funding: Commerical theatre

Commercial theatres: - investors -Box office receipts -Merchandise -Commerical only cares about getting one set of audience to come once; not come back a few times *Commerical relies on backers

Representational or presentational? Why? (in comedy of errors):

Its presentational b/c they address the audience because it acknowledges the audience during the play of the audiences by using soliloquies and asides to address the audience); this is presentational because theres interaction between the actor and the audience (such as when the character throws a flower into the audience) -Soliloquy: speech revealing a character's thoughts, spoken when the character is alone on stage. Asides: lines spoken to the audience. The other character on stage doesn't hear.

Kabuki:

Japanese Theatre ( early 17th century ) -means "deviant" or "to behave outrageously" -Stage revolves and uses trap doors -Female roles played by men -Episodic - complete within itself -Dance, song, and spectacle -No masks, instead wear bold makeup. -Most popular form of Japanese theatre and the one that tends to more accessible to Western audiences -flamboyant scenery, costumes, exaggerated gestures and colorful makeup, acrobatics, and lively music -The passageway which runs through the audience fulfills a vital psychological function by drawing the audience into the drama, which is a standard convention of Kabuki. -a man is captivated by the musical drama being played by a beautiful woman. This man is actually a fox who magically changed himself into human form. He's listening to the voices of his parents whose skins were used to make the drum; his true form is revealed, the man gives the fox the drum. -Kabuki made political statements through absurd fairytales. -The dynamic stage is equipped with an impressive variety of mechanical devices, developed in age without the benefit of electricity and were originally all operated manually. -It is within this blend, that the contemporary Japanese thrives in every aspect of his life

Prompt Book

Known as the "Production Bible" Complete Cast List Contact Sheet Working Script - Blocking Notes, All Cues - List of all recordings - Production schedule - Ground Plans and all Plots - Printed Program from the Production -The book that the stage manager starts to gather so they can know all the costume changes, lighting cues, furniture, scene shifts etc. Everything that happens in the play. -Complete record of the production, blueprint for any individuals wanting to produce it. Closet form of modern theater created during the Medieval Era. Exists for every single production.

The Lighting Designer - High vs Low angle lighting

Low-angle Lighting: candle light or lighting at the edge of the stage, you could see the bodies on stage; first kind of artifical lighting, to communicate the time of day; lighting on the lower PART; tends to distort human feature by putting lighting from below-to create the affect of shadow and visibility; showing an audience, providing amenity, and ;the angle at which the lighting instrument is used; (look at the lighting instruments at the play to see what kinds are used) -High-angle lighting: suggests day time, lights illuminating the stage from the stage (balance of low/high angle of light, how we understand the play)

Musical:

Melodrama -simple stories; characterized by the end having a moral lesion-usually good always conquers evil stereotyped; characters recognized of good guys vs. bad guys -lowest intellectual audiences -simplest stories; most musicals are melodramas

Theatre Funding-Nonprofit theatres:

Nonprofit theatres: -box office receipts -National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) -Corporate sponsorships -Seasons subscriptions -create reliable profit by creating seasons subscriptions, to get the same audience back into the seats, to fill the theatre 5-6 times a year *Nonproft relies on merchandise, and box office receipts, grant money

Who is Oscar Hammerstein? Why is he important?

Part of the Golden Age of Musical Theatre; Developed a formula of various elements that worked to create "unity"; Found characters and song types that proved popular- and all had dramatic function Hammerstein/ Gold Age Theatre Formula - Common characters: Lead couple, Supporting couple, Villian, Older generation character (tears/laughter), large ensemble

Royalty (fees)

Payments made to the playwright by the producing organization each time a play is produced, after Elizabethan era

Elements of dramatic structure:

Plot (not story)-arrangement of action (genre)-not one o the 6 but related to purpose -Character-agents of action -Thought-element of drama-what we believe to be the playwright' s thought found in character-b/c characters is reveal -Language-diction-the patterned words intended to be spoken by characters; verse/prose; monologue/ the sound of the text, the sound of the plays language (can speak to us -Sound- oral -Spectacle-all visual elements

Aesthetic distance

Psychological separation -A sense of detachment (different from empathy-b/c empathy is the connection) -Literally means "the distance of art"

****The Lighting Designer - Primary or Secondary focus

Pulling and sending detail in and out of shadows; controlling masking on stage; what needs to be seen 1st-is primary focus; and Secondary focus are less important and aren't what most needed to be focused on; we see primary focus where the director wants us to focus; the manipulate where we focus; the play of shadow and light-pulling actors in and out of relief; creating depth; through employment of focus-mystery, aminity, and ; perspective is implemented, produced, and created-creating relief with shadow and light

Plautus

Roman comic playwright; slapstick; bawdy humor; simple plots; used mistaken identity, and wrote "Menachmi" and "The Pot of Gold"

Show Boat:

Show Boat: -america's biggest contribution to theatre, first musical was showboat ****(know him) Florenz Ziegfeld: Producer celebrating the female form dancing body; beautiful girls; folly's type variety show, emphasis on female form; greatest producer of his time; Influence of popularity of American... and melodrama of opera; its a sad/ dark piece b.c of mixed races, ideas of black and whites sleeping together; For the 1st time, central character-urnes to be performer, but her parents refuse to allow her to performe, shes singing to the man about her repressive parents and shes singing to him and hes singing to her and by the end of the song they are in love-progressing the action through song -first American book musical by Jerome Kern and Hammerstein, based on a novel by Edna Ferber and featuring a subplot of a love story between an African American woman and a white man -Dark subjects -contemporary issues -Influences from story musicals -Influences of melodrama and American minstrel -A performance venue in the late 19th century that utilized a floating barge converted to a theatre that was pulled or pushed by a tugboat up and down the larger rivers in America bringing theatrical entertainment to river towns. Later versions were steam powered and self-propelled. Later immortalized in Edna Ferber's novel and Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein's musical.

Why is Thespis important to theatre?

Was the first person ever to appear on stage as an actor playing a character in a play. -originally the member of a chorus but stepped out from it in 534 BCE- thus creating the first actor...EVER. He portrayed a character other than himself; origin of thespian; awarded a goat a a prize -First Greek actor/playwright, started the introduction of dialogue

Play to Production

What is the key process for bringing a text to life on stage in front of an audience? -The plan of that production; sometimes a story; a traditional text-dialogue (convo between characters) and stage directions; *its the plan or blueprint of the production (may be a script or may not-may be loose-can have no script) -An idea: Imagination, Adaptation (adapting a work that has been previously produced; rewriting or reworking a play), Commission, Improvisation (the blue print of the production; Experimentation (how the performance is formulated) -A Script -A dialogue (only words spoken by the characters) -Stage directions (actions by the characters -Production: all elements; all dimensions of life displayed in front of an audience -Key players: Playwright (dramatist) Producer Director Designers Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer -Sounds -Audience -House: where the audience is, seating area -Front of House personnel -House Manager -Stage: the playing area