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Scott R. Irelqn Western Michigo n U niversity

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EXPLORATION FOUR

Pe rfo r mer, D irecto r & Production Dromolurg

lnside every good ploy lives o q uestion. A g reot play osks questions

thot endure through time. We enact plays in order to remember

relevant questions; we remember questions in our bodies and the

perceptions take place in realtime ond spoce.

-Anne Bogart,,4 Di rector Prepa res, 21.

IM M ERSION #4 Being Present in the Moment

Performers strive to stay engaged as they act their roles.

\.{rtrile they are delivering memorized lines, they have worked long and hard to make these lines so accessible that they scarcely have to think about them. \Arhat becomes more important is being present in the moment, awake and aware of what is happening to and around them. This exercise makes us see how often we drift from the present and start thinking about the past or the future. With practice, we can become better able to stay in the moment both onstage and offstage.

NOTE: This is NOT a performance. It works best when everyone does it at the same time. This way, individuals focus on their own execution of the exercise, and the instructor can observe, commenting on the class's work as a whole.

Instructions: Assume a comfortable position, eyes open. Make observations of your sur- roundings, in the present tense. State these observations aloud. Reep going as long as you can without lapsing into past or future tense. When you say something that has to do with the past or the future, stop and begin again.

Example:

"I am working at my laptop. I feel my fingers on the keys. The sueen is bright. My calendar icon keeps popping up for some reason. It is red. The other icons are lined up across the bottom of my screen. I am wearing black shorts and a black and white top. I have two rings on my left hand. I wonder WhAt tiMC it iS." STOP BEGIN AGAIN.

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The performer, of course, is the most visible member of any live performance event. S,/he stands before watchers, appearing both nat- ural and artificial all at once-natural because the performance is be- lievable and artiflcial because watchers know that the person before them is in a designed costume, illuminated by designed lights, follow- ing a blueprint crafted by a writer, and moving about the space in ways a director has developed with them. During the rehearsal process, the director and dramaturgwork diligentlybehind the scenes to maintain a sense of unity and cohesive storytelling so that the performer can look and sound his or her best onstage. In this exploration we examine the importance of the performer-director-dramaturg creative triangle. In particular, we point to ways in which questions about the world around us influence how a written text might move from the page to the stage.

The Performer (aka Actor)

For over two thousand years historians, practitioners, and theorists have tried to deflne "performance" and "performing." Though the root of both is found in the Greek word mimesis (mimicry), differing ideas on these topics have emerged, offering us a variety of ways to think about the artistry and craft of being a performer. There have been de- bates over the years about the best ways for performers to prepare for live performance. One school of thought insists that an "inside-out" approach provides spectators with the most believable portrayals. With the "inside-out" approach a performer researches the written text to enter the mind of his or her character. In this case the performer looks for clues to the goals and desires of his or her character and lets those drive choices in rehearsal. Conversely, another school of thought in- sists that an "outside-in" approach is the best way to prepare. With the "outside-in" approach the performer first imagines how the character might walk, talk, and gesture and then considers how those elements influence choices. So, which one of these is better? With over two thou- sand years of history to look at, we can honestly say neither is better nor worse than the other. In fact, a balance of each approach is prob- ably most effective in preparing a character. The effectiveness of any approach to preparing for a role depends mostly on which way makes the performer feel confldent in his or her choices. Furthermore, some roles simply call out for more of one or the other approach. Ultimately, every role requires physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimen- sions in order to believably live in the designed setting that creates the visual world of the play on stage.

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Ever since famous Russian actor-director Konstantin Stanislavski, collaborator Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko, and the Mos- cow Art Theatre came to North America to perform in the 1920s, the inside-out approach has maintained popularity. Stanislavski argues that the work of a performer is to create an "inner life" by basing per- formance choices on the personal history of a character as found in the given circumstances of the written text. These givens allow a per- former to imagine him/herself in the same physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual life as the character they are portraying. This concept is known as the "Magic If." With this "what if" information, a performer can then flgure out the character's obiectives-the wants and needs of a character from a super-objective down to a minute-by-minute, even a second-by-second, obfective known as a beat. This analysis allows the performer to derive consistency and an overall goal, which is often called a through line of action.

Since this is a lot of information to keep filed away during rehears- als, Stanislavski recommends actors score their texts by writing down the results of all analysis and imaginative choices, breaking them into workable units. These notations are of further use when thinking of endowment, when the performer must, for example, use props that are not the real obfects (for example, iced tea instead of whiskey) or give the effect of being outside when everyone knows that they are

Exercise #32 What does my character want?

Freely adapted from Robert Cohen's Acting Power

Just like real people, characters have wants and desires, and they try to attain them. In attempting to get what s/he wants a character uses a variety of tactics.

Instructionsz Workingin pairs, decidewhowillbe"CharacterA" andwhowillbe"Char' acter B-" Later, you will switch roles. You do not need to assume any particular roles or establish any relationship between your two characters. Character A determines something s/he wdnts from Character B. Character A may use only the word "Please" in communicating; Character B, for the time being, may only say, "No." Character A uses dffirent tones of voice and physical gestures, repeatedly asking, "Please." Character B responds with, "No" until s/he finds Character A believable and sincere. Then Character B may respondwith, "Yes." Swap roles.

To avoid self-consciousness or a sense of performing, students (in pairs) may con- duct this exercise all at the same time, with the instructor observing.

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Exercise #33 The Silent Screen

Watching other actors is helpful in understanding and appreciating objectives and tactics they use to achieve those obiectives. An actor's attempt to attain a goal or meet an obfective can be observed without words. Find a "high stakes" scene- one where you know that a character wants something very badly- on a YouTube clip or DVD. Cue up the scene, but turn the sound off. Watch how the actor attempts to get what s,zhe wants. lVhat are their facial expressions? How does their body move? Do they lean in toward another character? Turn their back and walk away?

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inside, on a stage, or looking through an onstage window. Closely re- lated to endowment is sensory recall, which is when a performer uses the five senses to awaken personal memories of both physical circum- stances and sensations already experienced in hisAer life.

Beyond sensations, performers often work with emotional re- call. Emotional recall involves remembering a moment of a particular feeling from a past circumstance and then focusing an aspect of it on what the character is going through, as in sensory recall. Emotional recall, however, must be approached with great care. Choosing a mo- ment that we have not yet worked through in our real life can result in an onslaught of uncontrollable emotion. Theatre should never be

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Exercise #34 Endowment One-25 Ways to Use a Cube

This exercise is like the "Props" exercise on the W show "tt\hose Line is It, Anyway?" h works best in two groups-observers and participants, but it may be done alone.

Participants each use a traditional rehearsal cube or plain chair. Their task is to use the cube in unusual ways, as if it were something other than a cube. In other words, they endow the cube with properties that make it recognizable as something else. For example, one might look at the cube as if one were watching television, or put an imaginary plate into the cube's opening as if it were a microwave, etc. Ob- servers watch and comment on the variety of ways in which the cubes were used. Then the groups swap.

The instructor or a student calls out, "One, two, etc." possibly all the way to "Twen- ty-five" as participants transform their cubes into other objects, creating a fleeting situation or circumstance.

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Stanislavski is not the first and only person to suggest that an inside-out approach might lead to a more believable experience for the audience. He is, though, the flrst to articulate such ideas in a systematic way, suggesting that attention to motivation of choices is the key to success in live performance. "The System" or "The Method" and its derivatives keep a performer from playing to spectators while keeping him or her "being" or "living" within a character.

In many productions, the setting requires that performers live in a world of the play that might be very hot, even a tropical environ- ment. Recalling how we react to extreme heat allows us as actors to personalize our character and to incorporate reactions that are more believable than simply fanning madly. Think about how silly it would look to watch a group of characters sitting on or around a New Orleans porch all fanning themselves in unison! Localizing the place where the heat is most intense rehearses us for moments in production in which a character might get burned, for example. In a production, one actress needed to react to scalding hot spare ribs thrown against her bare back. She recalled when she had set the temperature in her shower too hot and burned herself.

Tvpes of Gestu re

Functional: Achieves a specific purpose like combing hair or scratching a bug bite

Conventional: Culturally-based replacements of words such as shaking head yes" or no"

Social: Culturally-based rituals of communication like "flipping the bird" or wav- ing "hi"

Habitual: Repetitious, unconscious routine(s) such as licking lips, biting nails, or tapping foot

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Exercise #35 Sensory Recall

This exercise focuses specifically on how you might utilize sense memory in a particular moment in production. You may be gaided through this exercise as a groLtp, or you may work though it on your own, individually.

HEAT qnd COLD

Close your eyes and remember a time when you were hot. You may have been at the beach or at a pool. Perhaps you just came offthe field, court, or track at an ath- letic event. Maybe you were walking down a busy street in a big city. \.A/herever you were, start by remembering all of the circumstances, then focus on the feeling of be- ing entirely too warm. \Mhen you get too hot, where do you feel it most? If you have long hair, then do you feel it most at the back of your neck? Do you sweat heavily? Do the palms of your hands get moist? Your feet? How about your forehead? Zero in on where you feel the most warm, and focus there. After "localizing" the place(s) where you feel the most hot-and only after your recollection has made you feel warm-react to that feeling. You may lift the hair off the back of your neck. You might wipe your brow, etc.

Repeat the exercise using extreme cold. Again, recall a situation in its entirety, then localize and focus on where you feel cold the most-Toes? Hands? How about your nose?

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Exercise #36 Endowment Two-The Senses

Taste: Drink a glass of water as if it were milk, your favorite soft drink, cough syrup. Remember how each liquid tastes. If it is carbonated, for example, then how does that feel?

Smell: Smell an artificial flower as if it were a rose, before moving on to some other kind of flower. Use an empty bottle and smell it as if it were whiskey, rubbing alcohol, hot chocolate, coffee.

Sight: Look out an imaginary window and see a beach, a thunderstorm, sunshine, a beautiful garden. Take your time and enfoy-relish-each detail of the scene you imagine.

Touch: Sit on a rehearsal cube or plain chair. Endow it with the properties of a "cushy" couch, a classroom chair, a recliner.

Sound: Close your eyes and just listen to the sounds around you. Now, try to hear the wind, rain, traffic, children on a playground.

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The Outside-ln Approoch to Actina

We should note that Stanislavski never excluded the need to de- velop a character via external considerations. As a trained singer, he knew all too well that attention to technical details of voice, diction, and movement were important in communicating emotional and spir- itual states. In fact, by the end of his career he had changed his mind on the usefulness of sensory recall, replacing it with a focus on truth- fulness of physical actions as a way to avoid too much stewing in emo- tions. This shift in thought is the impetus for many twentieth century investigations of outside-in approaches to performance.

Michael Chekhov, nephew of Russian writer Anton Chekhov, is one of the pioneers of outside-in approaches in the twentieth century. In- terestingly, Stanislavski considered him both an ideal pupil and a bril- liant performer. For Chekhov, the approach to believability is tied to imagination, feelings, atmosphere, and gesture rather than strict ad- herence to "inner life" of a character/persona. Accordingly he devised a series of imaginative methods that explore connections between the body and the mind. With this psychophysical approach, a performer is trained in a variety of daily movements and principles that can bring about sensations and emotions in order to create an "inner event." This event creation and the ability to bring it to bear in live performance

Exercise #37 Fashion Photographer

Large group activity (may be conducted in smaller groups, with observers)

Participants cross the room on a diagonal as if it were a "runway" and they were fashion models. The instructor or designated student calls out emotions such as "Atrgry," "Ecstatic," "Grieving." When participants hear the emotion named, they freeze, assuming facial expressions and poses appropriate for the emotion.

Exercise #38 Walking the Walk

Large group activity (may be conducted in smaller groups, with observers)

To begin, slips of paper with particular character types listed on them are distrib- uted to the class (i.e., model, librarian, tourist, teacher, priest). The group prepares to cross the floor, one by one, single file on a diagonal. As each person crosses, others observe and guess the identity of the walker. No talking. No props. Participants must convey their character through physical movement alone.

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"-"--'-."-=i is what Chekhov identifies as the "Creative Individuality" of the per- former, which has no direct connection to his or her emotional recall or images. Creative Individuality attempts to support a union between performer and character without the ego of the performer getting in the way, which he believes occurs with the inside-out approach (espe- cially in the US).

Anne Bogart and Tina Landau developed another outside-in ap- proach often referred to as Viewpoints. Drawing on elements of dance- particularly when thinking of time and space-Bogart and Landau

rc Viewpoints of Time

Tempo: How fast or slow movement occurs

Duration: How long movement(s) is/are sustained

Kinesthetic response: Spontaneous reaction to motion

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Shape: Outline of the body or bodies

Gesture: A behavioral or expressive movement of the body

Architecture: Awareness of how the physical environment affects movement

Spatial relationship: Distance between things on stage

Topography: The landscape, floor plan, or overall design

VocalViewpoints

Pitch: Frequency of a vocalization

Dlmamic: How loud or soft a vocalization is

Acceleration/Deceleration: How fast or slow a vocalization is delivered

Silence: The absence ofvocalization, perhaps fllled by gesture

Timbre: Quality of a vocalization

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devised nine physical "viewpoints" and five vocal "viewpoints" as a way not only to train performers but also to create visually dynamic movement for live performance. Bogart and Landau argue that training in and rehearsing these viewpoints is not only a physical technique for working outside-in but also an overall aesthetic approach to live theatre. They also insist that this approach is necessary because the Americanized version of Stanislavski's inside-out "System" is too con- fining. By thinking about time and space a performer is not limited in his or her character choices as they might be if only considering "inner life" as defined by the written text.

Basic awareness of body and mind is needed in either the inside-out approach or outside-in approach. This awareness often comes from ex- ercises that relax both physical and psychological tensions and open the performer up to a clearer state of receptivity when building a char- acter. It is also important to develop a sense of a bodily core, known as centering. It is from this center that all movement impulses emerge.

Another good habit to develop is a sense of play. Somewhere be- tween our formative years and reaching college-age, many of us lose a sense of imagination and creativity. Since these are the foundation

Exercise #39 Engaging the Viewpoints

This engagement focuses on the Viewpoints of Topography (Space), Tempo (Time), and Acceleration/Deceleration (Vocal). Make sure that the performance of these Viewpoints is done with a soft focus so that you remain aware of your surroundings in their entirety.

1. Begin by walking about the room at the speed you would usually walk. 2. After a minute or so, all persons with blue eyes should begin to walk quickly. 5. After a minute or so of that, all persons with green eyes should walk in slow

motion.

4. Pause. Talk about what it felt like to go quickly, in slow motion, or stay usual speed (Tempo).

5. Draw a simple grid pattern on the board. This is what everyone will now follow as they walk (Topography).

6. Combine the Tempo Viewpoint as described above with the TopographyViewpoint iust drawn.

7. Pause. Now add in the phrase "I like walking quickly/slowly/norma11y" to match the tempo at which the topography it traversed fl/ocal Acceleration Deceleration).

8. Stop. Break into small groups. 9. Randomly choose an adiective (or have one assigned to you) that is relevant to a

character from a playyou have recentlyread (i.e. Drunken, Saddened, Enraptured).

10. As a group, develop and then perform the Viewpoints of Topography, Tempo, and Acceleration/Deceleration that match the character attribute/adjective.

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Relationship: A way of defining what a person or obf ect means to a character

Obiective: \.A/hat a character wants

Obstacle: Something or someone in the way of an obiective

Strategy: The plan to get around the obstacle to reach the objective

Tactics: Speciflc maneuvers within the overall strategy

Text: Things that are said (lines)

Subtext: Also known as interior monologue; things that are not said in the script

Evaluation: Reflecting on how well the overall plan is going

Beats: Shifts in scene, plan or obfective

Being: Living in the character and not on top ofthe character

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Exercise #40 Roll Down

This can be a group or individual exercise, and is a common one that can be done with variations. Itworks on centering.

Participants stand, balanced evenly, with a comfortable space between their feet. Slowly, beginning by dropping their heads to their chin, they begin to roll their bod- ies down, toward the floor. The feeling should be that of moving down slowly, verte- bra by vertebra. Stomach muscles should contract, as if a fist were pressing against the stomach, but not to the point of discomfort. Arms should dangle down (knees may be slightly bent), gradually touching the floor. Participants should rest in this position, then begin to reverse the process and roll up. The head should come to rest-not ierk up-and rest atop the body, aligned nicely. Repeat.

After completing the roll down a few times, participants should be centered, re- laxed, and, at the same time, ready to move.

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Exercise #41 Walking with Memory

Created by Becca Worley

Although this was designed as a group activity, it may be executed alone. It can be exe- cuted with two groups, one watching and the other moving, then reversing roles.

Instructions:

As you walk in space as yourself, with others, consider the following questions:

> \A/hat is your leading center? How does the rest of your body respond/follow? > What is your natural tempo/rhythm? \Mhat patterns do you follow (topog-

raphy)?

> Where do you look? What is your breathing pattern? Now, change your center. How does the rest of your body adjust? Tempo/rhythm?

Topography? Eye contact? Breath? What images come to mind (character types, ab- stract images, scenarios, etc.)? What emotions do you feel?

Next try walking ONLY in straight lines & angles, then ONLY in curves & circles.

Allow every part of your body to inhabit the shapes (angles,/curves). How does your breathing pattern change? How does your tempo/rhythm change? How do you adiust as you encounter others in the space? What emotions do you feel? What im- ages come to mind? How do your adiust or respond when half of the group walks in straight lines and angles, the other half in curves? Physically? Emotionally?

Relax and sit. Take a moment to think of a memory. This should be not only a strong memory but also one that you are ready to think about in detail. It can be happy, sad, serious, etc. but it should be a memory about a person. Wherez{Mhen does this memory take place? Is it in a specific environment or is it a more generalized location (home town, school, etc.) Is it in a speciflc period of your life? A moment, a day, a general time period (when you were little, during middle school, etc.)? Who was the person you remember? \.Mhat did/do they mean to you? If this memory was a color, smell, texture then what would it be? When you have the memory flrmly in your mind, begin moving through the space. Allow that memory to fully take over your body as you walk. What is your leading center now? What is your tempo- rhl.thm? What is your walking pattern? (Imagine your feet are leaving the color of your memory imprinted on the stage as you walk.'k) What happens with your breath?

What did you discover about your own body/mind/breath connection? How did these things change as you moved through leading centers, shapes, and memories? How can this be used in warm-ups before rehearsals? Before a performance?

'!To more fully illustrate, use butcher block paper or cardboard on the floor and washable tempera paints on your feet and trace the topographies.

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of performance, an actor must be able to freely imagine and create a character.

Auditioning and Rehearsing

Auditioning is the primary way that a performer earns a f ob. It may take one time to land a role or it may take hundreds of times in a year to land one role. If a performer is lucky, then one audition will earn them a spot with a company for nine months or at least for a summer. In an audition a performer tries to show a director that he or she has the physical, emotional, and vocal range needed for a particular role(s). A prepared audition is one where the performer memorizes and stages one or two minutes of material that showcases his or her best skills. Often performers will have ten or twelve different pieces drawn from classic, modern, and contemporary texts ready for any type of audition. Some of these will have heightened language, some will be comedy, and some pieces may even be in a foreign language. A performer may also have eight or ten bars of music ready and a few dance steps to go with them. A cold reading audition is just like it sounds in that it is an audition where a performer comes into the process without the oppor- tunity to prepare a piece. Directors frequently use this audition to put performers on the spot to see how flexible they are vocally, physically, and imaginatively. Once hired, rehearsing takes over the life of a per- former. \.{/hether one week or eight weeks long, rehearsals are the time where performers learn lines, when and where to move (blocking), and

Broad Tvpes of Rehearsals Read Ttrrough: A time when the script is read out loud by the cast with the director listening

Blocking: A time when the director creates a trafflc pattern and relationships using balance and composition

Unit: A time when the director works with performers on small portions of the script in order to polish and perfect character relationships, stage pictures, and storytelling

Run Through: A time when the performers put a script "on its feet" so the director can see what it looks and sounds like from beginning to end

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other stage business while building a character. As a daily process, a re- hearsal can provide a repetitive, structured environment for perform- ers to experiment, discover, and choose how they want to present a character. During this time directors often coach performers on timing of line delivery, give them basic blocking ideas, and generally support the investigations of a performer. The performance is the reason why performers are attracted to live theatre and performance. All the work of rehearsals comes to bear when on display before spectators. What cannot be prepared for are the coughs, laughs, tears, cell phone rings, and the like that watchers might "add" to the liver performance expe- rience. Through it all a skilled performer can maintain a sense of being and presence. This is what makes theatre and live performance unique from fllm and television.

The Director and Directing

Directing is not new to the history of Western theatre. Ancient Greek playwrights and later Elizabethan-era writers like William Shakespeare, directed their own plays. What is relatively new is the notion of a single person, who is not the writer, known as the director-a person dedicated to the overall organization and orchestration of production elements, from script selection to design choices, from assisting performers in building a character to movement about the space. In the late nineteenth century Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, supervised all aspects of production including rehearsals and design, striving for unity of production. Stanislavski continued to strive for unity and historical accuracy in his directing. Since then, the director has become a dominant force in live theatre.

The emergence of the director (and the trend toward Theatrical Re- alism in live theatre) coincided with both nineteenth-century social and political movements, like Marxism, and technological advances, like photography. Significant personalities including Karl Marx, Sig- mund Freud, Charles Darwin, and Auguste Comte also had influence. Marx's writings about workers, the worker's state, and class struggle introduced the critique of Capitalism. Freud introduced the idea of inner psychology through his notions of the unconscious mind and repression. Darwin's The Origin of the Species precipitated the idea of evolution as scientific fact. French philosopher Comte created the discipline of sociology. These movements led to the expectation of Theatrical Realism-realistic settings, costumes, and psychologically motivated characters-on the part of watchers. Directors responded. Likewise, contemporary twentieth and twenty-first century direc- tors have responded to rapid technological advances and scientific

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discoveries such as computers, the internet, and new media, pushing the role of the director beyond that of "custodian" of the playwright's printed work and into the realm of "author" of the production on stage.

Fu n cti o ns o n d Respo n si bi liti es

At its core directing is about both establishing a road map for a pro- duction team to follow and inspiring all the creative artists involved to walk the same path. This guiding vision, controlling idea, or overall point of view about how the written text should appear in live perfor- mance is what a director often uses to manage idea generation and joint thinking. Since each director and directing process is unique, we speak broadly about each and encourage you to further explore by re- searching speciflc directors and processes. In order to talk about the vast array of responsibilities of the contemporary director, we use three broad functions: artist, manager, and advocate.

Without knowing how the script works on paper, a director "as artist" will have a hard time devising a unified approach for a production on stage. In fact, it is from both analysis and interpretation that a director not only flnds inspiration for his or her directorial vision-the idea or message to communicate to watchers-but also the way that s/he then corresponds with designers as they all begin their work together. This artistic work extends from the research/script interpretation phase into the rehearsal period in which sAe assists actors with their interpretation of their roles, "coaching" them and problem solving in

Fig. 4-5-A comparison of blocking for the same scene in Rent. The image on the teft is from the SIU Carbondale production and the image above is from a Youngstown State production.

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rehearsal and composing dynamic stage pictures that give spectators clues to relationships, focus, and mood/tone.

\Mhen thinking about dynamic stage pictures, directors use both triangles and levels to create focus (see Fig. -5). Try this in a scene be- tween three people, two of them are close together in the upstage right area while the third is downstage left kneeling. The upstage perform- ers are looking at the one downstage. Take a moment and draw this description, connecting the positions with lines so that a clear triangle can be seen. Now find three people and put this image "on its feet." What do you notice? Who is the most important? What is the relation- ship between the two upstage? How do you know these things even though no lines have been spoken? Moving persons about the stage and having them make a stage picture like those we just described is often referred to as blocking.

At the same time, the director "as manager" must cope with scheduling and calendar issues in addition to the overall logistics of bringing a piece from page to stage. Some of this managing can and does encompass leading discussions in production meetings to deciding which scenes need work and how many scenes to rehearse each day. It is also during this time that director-as-artist works also as director-as-manager to make sure that all design elements are communicating similar ideas.

It is vital to remember that live theatre productions are not simply reproductions of past performances or replicas of the stage directions printed on the page. It is in determining a vision and/or concept where

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Exercise #42 Directorial Vision & Concept

Adapted from exercises created by Thomas Michael Campbell

Think of vision as the "what"-the most important or compelling idea/theme left in the director's mind after reading the play-what the director feels the play is about, the idea s/he wants to express-what the production will do. Think of concept as the "how"*the plan or the strongest way(s) to communicate the director's vision and set a mood for the production-how the vision will be realized. So, vision is the idea that drives a produc- tion and the message you want your audience to walk away with, while the concept is the way(s) the idea is expressed in the production.

Working individually or in small groups, conduct the following exercise and then share an- swers in large group discussion. You will determine visions and concepts for the following play.

TIIE PLAY: This story is about a young girl (Little Red) on her way to take care of her sickly grand-

mother. While traveling she is confronted by a dark and manipulative character, and he tricks the young girl into revealing her destination. Upon arriving at her grandmother's home, she discovers the evil man has "replaced" her grandmother. Now she must take action to save her own life and uncover the fate ofher beloved grandmother.

What about this story appeals to you?

> \.{hat is the central conflict? > How does this (or might this) relate to current cultura/social issues? > What message do you want to tell the audiences who come to see this production? > If this story were a color, then what would it be? If it were a sound? A flavor? > lMhat mood or tone does this story establish? > When and where do you see this story taking place?

These leading questions point you toward creating a vision for a production. Now, you can begin to flesh out your concept:

What does the "Big-Bad Wolf" look like in your mind (what is the first image that "pops" into your head)?

> Describe her/his style ofdress (i.e. "shabby," "shaggy," "dirty," etc.). > \A/hat does herlhis voice sound like (i.e. "scratchy," "silky," "loud," etc.)? > What celebrity do you see playing herfiim?

What does Little Red looklike?

> Describe her,&is style of dress. > What does her/his voice sound like? > What celebrity do you see playing her/him?

Describe Grandma's house from Little Red's perspective as she approaches.

By focusing on description, you have taken the vision you created above and "put it on its feet". You have addressed HOW the production might look-its concept.

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the director "as advocate" can make a mark. Scripts do not have to be staged in their original forms or genres. A director, working with a pro- duction team, can offer unique script interpretations that retain the integrity of the text and yet are relevant for today's watchers. In this way the director is advocating both for the text and for the watcher coming to see the live performance.

This section has offered just a small sample of the types of both artistic and practical considerations directors make as they go about moving a script from page to stage. Directing is one of those crafts that cannot necessarily be taught, but must be learned. By this we mean

Exercise #43 Creating Stage Pictures

Small Group Activity with a Full Class Discusston

Materials needed: Copies of famous paintings showing at least three and no more than seven people; photographs of groups of people may be used.

In groups of four, no more than six, participants "stage" artwork, such as the famous painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware below. The groups' task is to stage their painting as accurately as possible-to reproduce it using live bodies.

Discussion: If possible, then project each group's painting or photograph for the en- tire class to see. Discuss where our eyes are drawn as we look at the picture and at the recreation with live bodies. Like fine visual art, in finely staged productions our eyes move to where the director wants us to focus.

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Exercise #44 "The Focus is on

Direct Focus: We look directly at someone because 1) they are elevated above everyone else; 2) they are moving; 3) they are isolated from everyone else-i.e., lying on the ground.

Indirect Focus: We look from one obiect or person to another until we reach the primary object of our attention. For example, one person looks at another person, who looks at the next person, etc. until we reach the last person, on whom we focus our attention.

Larger Group Activity-Two groups, participants, and observers

Materials: a few rehearsal cubes or plain chairs

Participants take their place in a performance area (may be on stay). They move around randomly, until the instructor or leader calls out, "The foctts is on Mary." Mary then "takes focus" by rising above the others or lying down, and the group "gives" Mary the focus, using the principles stated above- Focus shifts from one participant to another. Discuss how focus was created. Stop and "freeze" stage pictures and take suggestions from observers to [re]focus. Groups then switch places.

"The Focus is on _" enables participants to feel focus, to sense shifting focus in their bodies. Observers can witness first-hand how the director works with bal- ance and composition to stage pictures.

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that each directing proiect is so idiosyncratic that there really is no one way to be a director. Yet, someone must learn how to do it in order for what we have discussed to happen.

The Production Dramaturg

Still a relatively new position within US theatre, the dramaturg has been a defined role in theatre since at least the eighteenth century. lVhile it is true that if you get ten dramaturgs in a room you will get twelve different deflnitions of what they do, for our purposes here we think of the production dramaturg as a story manager who works towards continuity by integrating research with doing, rehearsal work with outreach efforts, and solitary pursuits in the archive with the group pursuits of generating a unified production. Production dra- maturgy, then, is the process of seeking continuity through this work. Historians tells us that "the dramaturg" seems to have taken prom- inence during the German Enlightenment when Gotthold Ephraim

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Lessingbegan publishing essays on avariety of topics related to theatre and live performance. These 104 essays, published in 77 69 as Hamburg Dramaturgy, promote Aristotelian elements of drama. Lessing's critical writings earn him the distinction of being called the "Father of Drama- turgy." From this point forward across Europe the dramaturg became an established role. As with the director, while the position was not always named, someone always performed the role of the dramaturg. \Mhat exactly is that role?

Bosic Duties of the Dramaturo

Dramaturgs creatively collaborate on moving a script from page to stage. The tasks handled by dramaturgs are so varied and so idiosyn- cratic that we cannot provide a def,nitive list here, but we can point to common processes and procedures in use both in academic and pro- fessional theatre. Dramaturgs research background information on the scripts being produced to help directors and designers establish a vision and execute a concept. This information can include historical sources for the suipt (like a poem or war battle), a production history artwork, diaries,literary criticism, films, magazine and newspaper sto- ries, or any other artifact that might have bearing on creative decision- making on the way to continuity. Inherent to the story management is the production dramaturg as advisor. In this capacity the production dramaturg not only suggests ideas for continuity but also offers ideas about translations, adaptations, and other script preparation needs. For example, a family and children's theatre is interested in producing a popular Christmas play but does not want it to be the same version they produced two years ago. The production dramaturg seeks out the original story, filmic versions of the piece, as well as other adaptations to prepare a script that has elements these existing versions do not. The production dramaturg frequently plays the role of educator in that they use the background information gathered and rehearsal ideas to generate all kinds of written material (broadly defined) that will as- sist watchers in appreciating the live performance. In the end, the pro- duction dramaturg often serves as historian, script reader/evaluator, translator or adaptor, director's assistant, in house critic, and sounding board all at once.

To fully execute these duties, the production dramaturg uses many of the same research tools that the directors and designers do, but they do so (when they can) much earlier in the process. The production dra- maturg also negotiates early on how long they will remain attached to a certain production process, looking up terms and concepts, research- ing social customs, and providing performers, designers, and the di- rector with requested information and images. For example, a produc- tion dramaturg freelances for a summer Shakespeare company in the

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Midwest that produces two shows in repertory. It is decided that he will attend the flrst two weeks of rehearsals for each play, be away for a week, and then return for technical-dress rehearsals while remaining available by email for questions in between. It is also agreed that the production dramaturg will host a pre-show talk for a senior citizens Broup, write synopsis material for the website and program, and pro- duce a program note that somehow links the two productions themat- ically so spectators can better appreciate why these two scripts were chosen to be produced side-by-side during the summer season.

"The Book"

One of the foremost ways that a production dramaturg collects, col- lates, and creates information is through the use of "The Book." This is the place to collect all of the material generated over the course of a production process. This notebook will change and evolve as the pro- duction process moves from pre-production work alone and then with the director, to rehearsal, and then into the production run. Material will be added, some may be deleted. In the end, this is often distilled into a production pack for use by creative-collaborators. As technology has advanced, the dramaturg has become able to accomplish many of her/his tasks electronically. Entire production books, resource packs, etc. are stored and disseminated to casts and production teams via the web. Daily communications transpire over email, social media, and e-gathering places like Google Hangout.

The pre-director phase of preparation is when a production dra- maturg reads the script, generates ideas about the plot, and researches as we mentioned earlier in this section. S/he does this to get a sense of what other productions have done well and have done poorly, to get a handle on the socioeconomic context (given circumstances) from which the script first emerged, and to get a sense of the writer and his or her background. In doing so, the dramaturg prepares to offer ideas for innovation. One of the foremost responsibilities of this phase is to generate a glossary of terms and concepts. The purpose in doing so is twofold. First, it allows the production dramaturg to get intimately fa- miliar with the script and its meanings so that responding to questions in the moment becomes easier. Second, it is meant to save time in re- hearsals for the director, actors, and designers. Of course there will be terms and concepts that will still need to be looked up and researched, but having this "jump start" certainly streamlines the process. The script dictates both the length and depth of "The Gloss." That is, if the production dramaturg is working on a contemporary piece, then the terms and concepts to be researched will probably be drastically less than the list of terms and concepts to be researched for a Shakespeare script. Once contact with the director is made and basic ideas about

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Table of Contents

From the Director

Given Circumstances and Contextual Cues History of Verona, Abridged History of Mantua, Abridged History of Venice, Abridged How fast is your horse? lVhat constitutes a household? Feuds Violence and Vendettas

Literary Points of Inspiration Summary 7 Xenophon and the Ephesian Tale of Anthia and Habrocomes 7-8 Masuccio Salernitano and "Mariotto andGanozza" B Luigi da Porto and the story of Montecchi and Cappelletti 8 Bandello's Novelle (1554) and Boaistuau's Hisrories Tragiques (1559) 9 Arthur Brooke and "The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and |uliet" (1562) 9- 10 Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book IV: 55-166 Pyramus andThisbe 11

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the script are shared, the production dramaturg seeks out information and images that assist in refining concept. This information is added to the book and often referenced during rehearsals and production meet- ings. During rehearsals, the book also becomes a repository for conti- nuity noted, production meeting minutes, and performer queries. By the time the production opens, the material from the book has been transformed into educational materials, a lobby display (if applicable), a program note and other written material, and perhaps pre-show and post-show discussions. Ideally, once the production is running, the production dramaturgy book becomes an archive of the live theatre event and its production process.

Before leaving this section we should note that almost everyone on the production team does some sort of dramaturgical research as they prepare themselves for rehearsals and then opening night. What makes the production dramaturg so unique is the fact they are asked to be the connection linking all creative areas to help ensure, as best they can, a sense of continuity.

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Exercise #45 On Dramaturgy

Created by Thomas Michael Campbell

Individual or Small Group Exercise

The Dramaturg may join the production team and workwith the Director as s/he comes to vision and concept, or the Dramaturg may join in a little later. In any case, the Dra- mqturg "gets behind" and supports the Director's vision and concept.

Consider revisiting/creating your vision and concept for "Little Red Riding Hood" (LRRH) in Exercise 42. Using the vision and concept you developed for the play adap- tation ofthe story or the vision and concept presented here, list sources where you could find visual or printed information that might help the director and designers realize the production on stage. \,1/hen you consider places you might look, for exam- ple the internet or books, include the key words you would use in your search-i.e. "male domination."

In both your own visions and concepts, and in those below, notice key words that might push you to research specific concepts or images on the internet, in books, etc.

LRRH Vision The approach for this production looks at the world of LRRH as male dominated.

Little Red is a character that overcomes this dominance and a predator (the Wolf) who, at first, has power and is in control. Our approach to LRRH is one of personal realization, strength, and courage as Little Red comes to understand the necessity of critically examining the subjectivity of "truth" set forth by a male-dominated so- ciety. lVhat is presented to us is not always what we believe it be, and this is a story of a woman who flghts back against the dangers of blindly and naively accepting the world as is.

LRRH CONCEPT This play is draped in flowing fabrics of dark, blood-reds, royal purples, and shim-

mering blacks. Light breaks through the canopy of the forest at intermittent points, casting odd, long, large shadows. In the light, items shine and sparkle, as if in a dream. Yet in the shadows, the sparkles become muted, like when a thunderstorm blots out the sun, because, in actuality, the dream is a nightmare. LRRH exists as a distorted fairy-tale where nothing is as it seems: the nice and kind appear broken, the vile appear strong and noble, the brave appear small, and it is these fallacies that we break down as the story progresses.

You may continue with this project and follow through by finding sources and images to discuss.

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I Use a short play text like "Trifles" or "The Sandbox" for this exercise, or any other I you have read for class. I

i 1. Afterreadingtheplay,choosethreevisualstohuntdown(i.e.,apictureof a 1900s I farmkitchen). i Z. uring sources such as A History of Pivate Ltfe (5 vol., ed. Phillippe Arles and I Georges Duby, BelknapftIarvard UP, 1992) or The U.S.A: Chronicle in Pictures (Neil ! Wenborn, NY: Smithmark Publishing, 1991), flnd at least two images you might I show a set designer. I

i 5. Keen trackof eachstep ofyourresearchprocess.

Lir flt"Yltlryi:ltl- Closing Thoughts

In this exploration we offer perspectives on how generative ideas emerge from the creative triangle of the actor, directoq and production dramaturg. lVhat we have described is, admittedly, only a small facet of the work done by each of these creative-collaborators. This said, the material offered gives you enough background to better appreciate, if not understand, the many ways that shared conversations amongst these three practitioners can lead to a polished, unifled production. We next turn to consider the watching process and how to write about what is seen.

For Further Exploration

Steven Breese. On Acting: A Hondbook for Today's Unique Americon

,Actor (Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing, 2013). Print.

Lenora lnez Brown. The Art of Dromoturgy: Tronsforming Criticol

Thoughtinto DromaticAction (Newburyport, MA: Focus Pub-

lishing, 2011). Print.

Michae[ Chemers. Ghost Light: An lntroductory Hondbook for Dra-

moturgy (Carbondale lL: Southern lItinois University Press,

2010). Print.

Jutie Fetise Dubiner, Anne Fletcher, Scott R. lrelan. The Process of Dromoturgy (Newburyport, MA: Focus Publishing, 2010). Print.

M ichaeI Wa instei n. Sto g e Di recti ng : A D i recto r's lti ne ro ry (N ewbu ry-

port, MA: Focus Pubtishing,2012). Print.

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