Genre- type of play Tragedy- 5th c. BC hero larger than life,
gains moral victory but suffers physical defeat; he has tragic flaw that participates in his own downfall
Comedy: deals with light and amusing themes, a farce has wildly active, trivial theme, a satire uses ridicule and irony
Genre- type of play Tragicomedy- mixed form with no happy
ending, but at least catastrophe is avoided
Melodrama- characterized by stereotyped characters, implausible plots, and an emphasis on spectacle- the forces of good and evil battling in exaggerated circumstances
The Play Plot- structure of the play, the
framework on which all the other elements hang, how the play moves through time from one event to the next
Point of attack- where the playwright takes up the story, if set in chronological order, little exposition is needed
How It’s Put Together Exposition- necessary background
information through which the playwright introduces the characters; can be delivered in the form of dialogue, narration, setting, lighting, or costume; often at the beginning
How It’s Put Together
Complication- frustrates the expected course of events, keeps audience interested
Inciting incident- in the complication, an action or decision that upsets the current state of affairs
How It’s Put Together Foreshadowing- prepares the
audience for subsequent action, gives credibility for future action, and moves the play forward by pointing to events that will occur later
Discovery- revelation of information about characters, relationships, and feelings
Reversal
Reversal –a sudden turn of fortune
Reversal
In comedy it often changes the roles of the social classes
How It Ends
Climax- the ultimate crisis, the dynamics of the play rise in intensity until this moment
Denouement- the final resolution, material following the crisis, the intensity lessons to the end of the action
The Actors Script- dialogue of actors, language & tone Character- the psychological motivation of
the persons in play; shows how persons with specific character motivations react to the circumstances in which they find themselves
Protagonist- central personage, which is not always clear, it depends upon whom the director chooses to focus. We journey through the workings of the play by the actions and decisions of the protagonist.
Actor’s portrayal of the role The Actor: the main channel of
communication between the playwright and the audience. The actor’s portrayal of a role that enhance our response and understanding are two-fold:
(1) speech, words written by playwright, manner in which the lines are delivered
(2) physical reinforcement of the character’s motivation
The consistency of the motivations drives the decisions and actions of the actor
Theme Theme-the ideas that comprise the
intellectual content of the play; not necessarily the plot, which is what the play is about, but the thought behind the play which is for us to discover and develop
There are three aspects of thisa) The playwright’s idea,b) The interpretation of the director & his decisionsc) The audience’s perception
Visual Elements: Types of Theatres The theatre provides aesthetic
distance, our response is shaped by the design of the space in which the play is produced
Arena : audience on all sides Thrust: audience on three sides Proscenium : audience views play
through a frame
Visual Elements- Scene Design Scene design (stage setting)- creates an
environment conducive to the production’s ends
Tools of composition are used- line, form, mass, color, repetition, and unity- but scene design sculpts in 3-D space
Scene designer limited by the stage space, concepts of the director, & the abilities of the staff available to execute the design
Visual Elements- Lighting Design Lighting design- reinforces the dramatic
structure and dynamics of the play by working with light and shade; without shadows and highlights the human face and body become imperceptible
The lighting designer works to sculpt with light and shadows; they must enhance the color of a costume, accent the physique of an actor and reinforce the plasticity of a setting
Visual Elements-Costume DesignStage Costuming- costume designers work with
the entire body of the actor including hair styles and makeup to suit a specific purpose
-stage costuming has three functions: accents which actors are the most
important & their relationships reflects particular era, time of day,
climate, season, or location reveals the style of the performance, the
characters of the personages, the personages’ social position, profession, cleanliness, age, physique, and health
Properties-Set Props
Set props- these are part of the scene design, such as furniture, pictures, rugs, fireplace accessories, etc.
They identify the mood of the play and the character of those who inhabit the set
Properties can be significant to our understanding of a play- if all is neat and in order as the curtain opens, but as the play develops the actors disrupt the properties, that transition can help illustrate what may have happened
Properties-Hand props Hand props- used by the actors to help
portray characters, such as cigarettes, papers, glasses
Whatever an actor carries on and off stage
If the actor carries it, it’s a prop, if the actor wears it, it’s a costume
Aural Elements Background music Actor’s voices Sound effects
Dynamics Structural pattern of a play The director establishes audience
interest This must peak and then relax to
keep audience engaged Director controls the actors’ volume
& intensity, both bodily and vocal
