Directing Flashcards
Who was in charge of a play in Ancient Greece?
The actors
Who was in charge of a play during the Renaissance?
Playwrights
When did the director become prominent in plays?
The 19th century
What does the director do?
Integrates all elements of a play into a finished production by imposing one central view on the script, casting, acting, movement and design, to turn it all into a coherent whole
How has casting changed since Shakespeare’s time
Historically, there wasn’t an attempt to match the actor’s identity with the character
Later, Hamlet would mostly be played by white male actors in their 30-40s
Why does casting matter?
Because casting is part of storytelling
Why can’t you cast blind?
Because theater is a visual medium, and because we interpret from what we see it becomes part of the meaning of the play
What questions should a director ask when casting?
Does the script specify who should play the part?
Does casting any actor change the story in a productive or unproductive way?
What is one of the most powerful tools of expression for a director?
Movement
What should a director think about when deciding where and how the actors move onstage?
Visibility
Focus
Script requirements
Stage picture
Interest
Viewpoints
A set of names given to certain principles of movement through time and space
What are viewpoints used for?
Training actors
Staging a play
How do we use viewpoints?
To create movement that is original and personal to the actors, and forms abstract images for an audience
How does Charles Mee construct his plays?
By using existing texts, making his plays collages of previous work
What was Rauschenberg’s style of art?
To take things that don’t seem to belong together and put them together
