RU Theater Appreciation - MIDTERM - Prof. Bender

What 3 components make theater possible?

Actor + Audience + Space

Difference between theatRE and theatER??

no real difference between the two;

some consider...

theatRE to be the craft

theatER is the space

Why do people choose to go to the theater?

-relevance, engagement

-pleases the senses

-social

-the talent, language, and music

performance

an activity where some people do something while others watch

What other times are performances held that are not in the theater?

-religious events (service, wedding)

-political events (public speaking, audience)

-sports events (time constraints, "costumes")

Shared traits of performances:

-people doing something

-something is being done

-audience

-performance space

-time constraints

Differences among performances:

-purpose

-relationship between audience and performers

-organizing principles

Many different forms of art! Art is...

-artificial

-stands alone

-self-aware

-produces a response

Differences between art:

-relationship w/ time and space

-audience

-form of presentation

Theater as a performing art:

-has actors

-performed live

-immediate and ephemeral

-uses performance spaces

-moves at its own pace

Theater is not a thing, it's a ...

PROCESS! A system of constantly changing relationships between actors, audience, time and space!

Theater is lifelike, ...

... but it is not life.

Preliminary work done by audience before a play:

-the play or musical itself

-program and playbill

-physical surroundings of the theater

What to take from a play:

-the visual and oral spectacle

-the language of the play

-characters

-plot

How to understand specific performances:

- previous action

-environmental factors

-polar attitudes

How is style expressed in theater?

-set design

-costume design

-detail

Proscenium Stage

-action of the play fits within frame

-identified by "proscenium arch"

-"wings"

-sometimes bad sight lines

What are "wings"?

the offstage areas to the side of the stage

Thrust stage

-audience can be seated on 3 sides of the stage

-no arch

-actors can enter from "voms"

What are "voms"?

aka vomitories are actor entrances located beneath the audience

Arena Stages

-surrounded by audience on all sides

-actors bring on props

-can enter throughout audience

-changes can be made in front of audience

Blackbox Theater

-often painted black

-audience/stage can be placed anywhere

-found in educational institutions

"LEVIN THEATER" here at Rutgers

Environmental Stage

-often outdoors

-no arch/ untraditional stage

-audience can be anywhere and move w/ actors

Alley and Booth Stages

Alley: audience on opposite sides of stage

Booth: temporary stage; performed in front of erected curtain

Types of Venues

-Broadway

-Off-Broadway

-Off-Off Broadway

-Regional Theaters

-Amateur Theater

Broadway

-highest level of production

-falls under contract negotiated by Broadway League

-500+ seats (expensive!!)

-about 40 in total

Off Broadway

-located on street off of broadway (lol)

-off broadway contract negotiated by off broadway league

- 100-499 seats

Off-Off Broadway

-started off as place for experimentation in the 1950s

-various contracts

-less than 99 seats

Regional Theaters

-usually not for profit

-more adventurous in performances

-can fall under different contracts

5 benefits of Regional Theaters

1. provides a place where new and classics coexist

2. develop new audiences for theater

3. provide major jobs

4. help to stretch an actors craft/skill

5. training ground for theater artists

Amateur Theaters

-educational theater

-community theater

-children's theater

Play from start to finish:

playwright

producer

director

designers

actors

set designers

rehearsals

tech rehearsals

preview performance

opening night

closing night

performers vs. actors

performers PLAY to the audience; actors PORTRAY characters for the audience

different actors

technical: builds a character out of concise and careful use of body and language; no life or imagination in their work

VS

inspirational: use mental and emotional techniques to reach their "centers"; more natural

3 main goals to understanding the script

1. understand the entire play

2. understand the place of the character in relation to the play

3. understand the details that comprise the character

goals of an actors body:

-resistant to fatigue

-quick responsiveness

-adaptive ability

Neutral Mask Work

-used to help actors express emotion through the body

Centering Exercises

-meditative exercises

-image exercises

-visualization exercises

-sense-memory exercises

-improvisation exercises

Different ways actors use to communicate

-simple gestures

-complex statements

-practical applications

-use of props

-movement in costumes

-movement on stage

The Group Theatre

-founded in 1931

founders: Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford

-created "American Acting Technique" based on Konstantin Stanislavski

The American Stanislavski System

the actor is trained to analyze characters to discover:

-given circumstances

-motivation

-objective

-super-objective ("life goals")

Method Acting

-created by Lee Strasberg

-the process of connecting oneself to the character using personal emotions and memories to portray the role

Chekhov Acting Technique

-created by Michael Chekhov

-focuses on the internal problem of the character and expresses feeling through movement/ external gesture

Meisner Technique

-created by Sanford Meisner

-the actors "live truthfully under the given imaginary circumstances"

Practical Aesthetics Technique

-created by David Mamet & William Macy

-breaks down a scene in a 4-step:

1. literal- most basic description of what's happening

2. want- what does one character want the others to do or say

3. essential action- what the actor wants in the scene

4. AS IF- relates to the "essential action" of the actor's own life

Theater Tradition

-romans and greeks included music and dance

-shakespeare included musical numbers

First Musical

The Black Crook

-deal was made to combine the productions and the 1st Broadway musical

Rise of American Theater

-european model focuses more on literature then entertainment

-working and middle class demanded popular entertainment

Beginnings of musical theater

-all sorts of acts performed in vaudeville palaces

-mostly visual melting pot of talent

Writing a musical

- adaption of a play, movie, book, short story, biography

-"does the material SING?"

--- should happen when characters cant express emotion

Elements of musical theater

Seed - what all the upcoming struggle revolves around

Story - whats it about

Spirit - essence

Sound and look

Point of view- who's story is told

Style

The Book or Libretto

-What makes or breaks a show

-The dialogue that connects the show

"To write a good libretto you have to accomplish everything a play accomplishes

Song Types

Delineate character

"what i want song" -- song that introduces the main character and his or her dreams

ballads

narrative songs

list or series songs

comedy songs

Directing

the directors role is defined not by what he/she does but what he/she is responsible of

Responsibilities of a director

1. mood: feeling or emotion generated by clash of forces in dramatic action

2. style: the individualization of the art form

3. tempo: changing rates or beats of a dramatic action

4. idea: summary statement

How is mood generated?

-tragedy

-comic relief

-lighting

-communication

Styles

can change the perception of the entire play

subtext -- underlying meaning of what a play has to say

Tempo

changing of scenes, multiple or few and how it affects the show

Idea

-shouldn't be forced!

-work from bottom of triangle to top!!!

TRIANGLE:

-given circumstances

-dramatic action

-characters

-IDEA

the business of acting

AEA: actors equity association

SAG/AFTRA: american federation of television and radio artists

-2 major cities: LA and NYC

You pick NYC, now what??

-find a survival job

-you'll need to get headshots taken

Headshots

-the primary way to promote yourself

-should represent you

-photo session can cost between 100-700!!

-dramatic and comdeic

Resumes should include:

-personal info

-acting experience

-education

-special skills

How to gain real-world experience??

-backstage magazine

-open calls

-online services

what are sides??

Sections of script from the actual play

The AGENT

-what most actors work toward getting

-can get you into "big" auditions

-can be found at agent showcases

-negotiates contracts for you

Technical rehearsals

-all technical and artistic elements come together for the first time

-1st time actors on stage

blocking

the planning and working out of the movements of actors on stage by actor and director collab

preview

1st time show is performed in front of audience

opening night

-critics in the audience!! eek

-party is held for cast and working parts

-all kinks worked out

run of the show

-stage managers job to maintain shape and integrity of show

-actors continue to bring their all

pantomime

Acting without words

start of mime

-Ancient Greek / roman theater

---- wore masks to see expression

Commedia del arte

"art of comedy"

- group of actors went from town to town performing

-"stuck" characters but improv

PEDROlino

servant character/ kitchen slave

very clumsy, not bright

bakers son, face became covered in flower and that's how he became the literal face of MIME

PARIS and MIME

very popular mime performance destination

Paris went on to make laws, requesting performance only be spoken in french, and ppl were like nuhuh so then they didnt speak and thats why mimes dont speak to this day

In French Pedro translates to...

Pierrot

"the click"

when your energy becomes one with other energies

most famous mime:

Marcel Marceau