Midterm Flashcards
Responsibilities of an actor
o To study the text
o To memorize the lines and blocking quickly
o To bring new ideas to the rehearsal process on a daily basis
o To work openly with the director and other actors
o To be creative in rehearsal
o To constantly refine and adjust character development
o To maintain health and flexibility of voice and body
o To sustain freshness in performance and execute repeated performances at a consistent level of quality
In rehearsals, what is the purpose of table work?
o To discuss the play, share background materials on the play and establish the directorial concept
What is a “cold reading?”
o When an actor reads scenes from the play in an audition with little to no time to prepare
Skills and talents of an actor
o Interest in human nature o Keen observation o A good memory o Concentration o Imagination o Determination o Drive to appear onstage in front of an audience
What is your favorite acting game we have played? Why and how does it train an actor?
o 1 in 1 out improve game- trains an actor to be able to add their own creative spin on productions and prepare them for any unexpected occurrence onstage
Given Circumstances of an actor- name and describe
o Who ♣ Who am I? o What ♣ What do I want? o Where ♣ Where does the scene take place? o When ♣ What year does the play take place? ♣ What just happened before the scene started? o Why ♣ Why is it so important to get what I want?
Which of the following is not true in terms of color-blind / inclusive or non-traditional casting?
o American directors prefer to avoid color-blind/ inclusive and non-traditional casting
o There is increasing participation in the theatre of actors and directors from diverse ethnic groups
o Contemporary productions frequently combine actors from different racial backgrounds even when playing members of the same family
o Directors utilize color-blind / inclusive casting in an attempt to cast the best actor for the role
A
Why was the position of the director created in theatre?
With the advent of realism and a profusion of theatre styles that arose in response to realism the new the new plays required a director to stage them
What is the process of guiding the audience’s attention to a specific actor or point on stage called?
Focus
Director in Theory: The philosophy of a director
o Artist (Director stands back and considers the big picture) o Critic (Is this making any sense?) o Teacher o Scholar (dramaturgical research)
Directors in Practice: How stage directors train
o Analysis
♣ Defining the world and structure of the play
♣ The givens, dialogue, characters, idea, moods, tempos
o Staging
♣ Visual actions within the world
♣ Ground plan, composition, gestures and props, picturization, movement
o Coaching
♣ The essential action or the fighting for, character coaching, relationship, orchestration, moment to moment
Three different kinds of theater spaces (Draw and describe)
o Proscenium theatre
♣ Audience sits opposite of the stage, facing a rectangular form as if they were looking through one end of a box
o Thrust theatre
♣ A theatre space in which the audience is placed on three sides of the stage
o Arena theatre
A square (or round) stage completely surrounded by the audience
Which of the following responsibilities is not applicable to most theatre designers?
o Read the play carefully and research possible sources
o Prepare an appropriate breakdown of design elements
o Attend rehearsals and monitor changes in the designs
o Fix problems as they come up during performances
D
¬ Who calls the light cues when a show is in performance? o The director o The lighting designer o The stage manager o The light board operator
C
¬ What do the director and designers strive to accomplish in their collaborations before rehearsals begin?
o To arrive at a production concept
¬ What is one of the set designer’s main responsibilities?
o Know the when and where
¬ Artistic process steps
o Commitment
♣ Director choosing to do the process, ask themselves why
o Analysis
♣ Analyzing what the script and space is
o Research
♣ Want to learn about people in play, time period, décor, furniture, meet with director
o Incubation
♣ Synthesizing all information, not making any decisions yet, usually back away from project
o Selection
♣ Usually start with rough sketches, communicate to director what it will look like, then drafting, rendering, white model
o Implementation
♣ Build it and put it on stage, have 3 types of rehearsals with cast, performances
o Evaluation
♣ How did they do? Tend to wait a week or so, so that emotion is not present
¬ What was unique about OKLAHOMA! in terms of the development of musical theatre in America?
o It was the first musical where each song contributed to the development of the plot or the emotional state of the character
¬ What was the major contribution of My Fair Lady?
o Introduced brilliant language to the stage
¬ Book musicals
o Reliance on traditional dramatic plotting, tells a straightforward story
o My Fair Lady
o Oklahoma
¬ Concept Musicals
o Emphasizes a theme in which scenic and performance elements are of greater significance than the plot
o Cabaret
¬ Instead of writing upbeat, lighthearted and sentimental musicals, which musical theatre artist explored musicals that examined the stresses of urban life, the difficulties in building satisfactory relationships, the painful and sometimes bitter path to maturity, and the contradictory nature of American values?
Stephen Sondheim
¬ Who were the authors of such musical theatre hits as OKLAHOMA!, SOUTH PACIFIC, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC
o Rodgers and Hammerstein
¬ Video clips: What were the highlights? Why was a specific composer / choreographer significant?
o Cole Porter – Anything Goes
♣ 1930s- depression- provided a sense of escape, upbeat, fun to watch, impressive choreography
