Drama - Lesson 6

characterization

important aspect of speech and drama
→refers to bringing out mental and moral qualities of the character we are portraying.
→study character thoroughly

to build character portrayal follow the steps:

1. study the play thoroughly - bear in mind period the text was written, clothing of the period.

2. study the character thoroughly - how they develop through the play, how they react to various situations, how other characters react to them. - study social postition, age, background, attitude, mood, beliefs, conviction of character - posture and correct breathing

3. if you are portraying a particular scene; pay attention to prior scene, set the mood and atmosphere for the currect scene

4. pay attention to sub textual meaning - facial expression must be lively and sincere, gestures must be natural

internal characterization

emotion shown on face

external characterization

accessories one uses

Konstantin Stanislavski method

Stanislavski system or “the method”
emotional memory → prepares actor for a role that involves fear, actor must remember something frightening and attempt to act the part using emotional memory that fear they once felt

actioning

british theatre director, max stafford clark
→brings out subtextual meaning in a piece of dialogue, process of discovery, help actors find new meaning, new interpretations to old texts
→external process
→added on after properly understanding character’s internal psychology + emotional journey
eg. after each sentence simplify that intention; “i …. you”

naturalistic movement

emile zola
→connections to medical fied
→tend to be clinical, coldly presenting the world as it is or how they saw it w/ flaws and disorders, no mystical or spiritual entities within the worlds created on stage

symbolist theatre

oppose complete removal of anything poetical or mystical in the world represented by naturalistic theatre
→area of interest everything left out by naturalists

stanislavsky’s techniques

1. the magic if

2. three circles of consciousness

3. 5 w’s

the magic if

→encourages actors to place themselves in their characters situation
→allows actors to explore characters emotions and reactions authentically
→helps authors personalize their performance
→bridges gap between reality and fictional world

the three circles of consciousness

concept refers to three levels of awareness an actor uses while performing
1. first circle : actors internal world, focusing on their own thoughts, emotions and physical sensations
2. second circlee: immediate environment around the actor, including interactions with other characters and objects on stage
3. third circle: wider environment, audience or broader setting
→helps actors control focus, adjust level of awareness to suit demand of a scene
→dynamic performance where actor can shift attention from personal emotions to interactions with other characters and even engage with the audience

the 5 w’s

help actors understand context of their characters actions
who: who is the character? what is their background and relationships?
what: what is happening in the scene? how is the character doing?
where: where does the scene take place? how does the setting influence the characters behaviour?
when: when does the scene occur? how does the time period or time of day impact the characters actions?
why: why is the character behaving this way? what is motivating their actions?
→provides framework for actors to analyze their characters objectives and circumstances, builds detailed performance by undestanding