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FALL2016-TH105TheatreAppreciation
RobertCohen,THEATRE:BriefVersion(11thedition)
ReviewoverChapters1,2,3,4and6
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0767430077/student_view0/index.html
Chapter1-WHATISTHETHEATRE?
Theoriginsoftheatreareancient.TheEnglishwordsfortheatreanddramahavetheirrootsinAncientGreece.Today,we
usetheword“theatre”inavarietyofways,asaplacefordramaticperformance,acompanyofplayerswithavisionthat
animatesthem,andanoccupation.Atheatremaybeanelaboratestructureinsize,decoration,andfunctionality.The
onlyrequirementofatheatreis,however,anemptyspacewithaplacetoactandaplacetowatch.Theatremayalso
suggestitsnatureasacollaborativeartbyindicatingthecompanyortroupeintowhichitspractitionershaveformed.
Additionally,theatremayrefertoalargergroupofartists,plays,buildings,andpracticesthatconstitute,forinstance,the
AmericantheatreortheElizabethantheatre.Finally,theatreisanoccupationandanavocation.Assuchitinvolvesthe
workofmanypeopleinmultiplefunctions.Theatrealsoholdsrelationshipstoplay,games,andsportsthatsuggestits
impulsesoriginateinhumannature.Theatreisalsoartisticworkthatinvolvesaqualityuniqueinthearts,thatof
impersonatingcharacters.Asanart,itutilizesdifferingmodesofperformance,representationalandpresentational.
Theatreisaliveeventputtingperformersandaudiencesinanimmediateandmutuallyaffectingrelationship.
Theatron
Dran
Audience
Producer
Director
Actor
Designers
Crewing
Stagemanager
Housemanager
Playwriting
Playwright
Play
Drama
Performance
Representational
Presentational
Suspensionofdisbelief
Building
Company
Chapter2–WHATISAPLAY?
Asthebasicunitoftheatre,aplayisnotathingsomuchasanevent,anactionsurroundingaconflict.Itcanalsobeseen
asapieceofliterature,andits2500yearsofwrittenpracticehasgivenrisetotwowaystounderstandthenatureand
potentialofdramaticform.Onemethodofunderstandingplaysistoclassifythem.Durationisonemethodofgrouping
plays,butthemoreuseful,althoughsubjectiveapproachisthroughgenre.Tragedy,comedy,tragicomedy,darkcomedy,
farce,melodrama,documentary,andmusicalsaresomeoftheclassificationsthathavebeengiventotypesofdrama,but
genericclassificationissubjectivetoahighdegree,andplaysoftenescapeeasydesignation.Historically,scholarsand
theatrepractitionershavereliedupontwoprimarywaysofanalyzingthestructureofparticularplays.Aristotleinitiated
analysisofaplayaccordingtoitscomponents2500yearsago,andyethislistofadrama’ssixparts,withthemodern
additionofaseventh,convention,isstillusefultounderstandinghowaplayfunctions.Anotherwaytoevaluateaplay’s
structureistobreakdownitstemporalorder.Withanappreciationthatplaysexistintimeandthereforewithina
theatricalexperience,Aristotle’sobservationthatdramahasabeginning,middle,andendcanbeexpandedtoincludethe
groupingsofthepreplay,theplayproper,andthepostplay.
Action
Conflict
Genre
Tragedy
Comedy
Interlude
Cycleplays
Historyplays
Tragicomedy
Darkcomedy
Melodrama
Farce
Documentary
Plot
Characters
Theme
Diction
Music
Spectacle
Convention
Procession
Transition
Exposition
Climax
Denouement
Curtaincall
Critics
Chapter3–THEACTOR
Beingthemostpublic,theactorisitsbest-knowntheatreartisttoaudiences,andactingistheartofthetheatrethatmost
peoplebelievetheyknowmostabout.SincethetimeoftheAncientGreeks(ourtermThespiancomesfromThespis,the
“first”actor)theatreartistshaverecognizedtwodifferentandseeminglycontradictorynotionsofacting.Inone,theactor
"presents"aroletotheaudiencethroughphysicalandvocalskill,abilitiestoimitatecharacters,andrelatedtalents,suchas
dancing,singing,fencing,improvisation,etc.Sucha"presentational"approachisdevelopedthroughaprogramoftraining
thatoriginatesfromanexternalinstructionalprocess.ThisisthetraditionalEXTERNALmethodseenintheworkofgreat
BritishactorslikeLaurenceOlivier,JohnGielgudandKennethBranagh.Thesecondnotionmaintainsthatactingoriginates
frominsidetheactor.Theactorattemptstoenter,throughtheimagination,theworldoftheplayandlivethelifeofthe
character.Becausesuchanapproachseekstorepresent,notjustpresent,allaspectsofthecharacterportrayed,itisknown
asrepresentational.ThisisanotherwaytodescribetheINTERNALapproachor“TheMethod”originatedbyStanislavski
andtaughtwidelyintheU.S.
Thedebateovertherespectivevalueofthesetwonotionshasbeendebatedforcenturiesbut,somewhatparadoxically,
fineactingcontainselementsofeach.Thedevelopmentofvocal,physical,andmentalskillshasbeenatraditional
attractionofactorsthroughouthistory,andwhiletheriseofrealismcreatedatemporaryeclipseofsuchvirtuosityinthe
middleofthetwentiethcentury,traditionalskillsofthetheatrehavemadeacomebackinrecentdecades.Unlikemost
artists,theactor'sinstrumentistheself.Trainingtheactor'sinstrument,therefore,requiresdevelopmentofthe
physiologicalandpsychologicalinstruments.Trainingofthevoiceincludesimprovingbasicssuchasbreathing,phonation,
andresonance,aswellaselementsofspeech,suchasarticulation,pronunciation,andphrasing,tocreateclearprojection.
Movementistrainedthroughdance,mime,fencing,acrobatics,andotherdisciplinestodeveloprelaxation,muscular
control,andeconomyofaction.Psychologicallytheactordevelopsdisciplineandthreeareasofimagination.Increatinga
role,threeelementsofanintegratedactingtechniquearesharedbynearlyallapproaches.Thefirstispursuingthesolution
tothe“character'sproblem.”Someteacherscallthisobjective,intention,task,victory,wantorgoal.Secondisidentifying
thetacticsnecessarytoreachthegoal,andlastisresearchingthestyleoftheplayandmodeofperformancethatwill
governtheproduction.
Theactor'sprofessionalroutinecontainsthreestages,whichcovertheattainment(usuallythroughanaudition),
preparation,andperformanceofarole.Fornearlyallactors,auditioningforrolesisnecessary,andisdonethrough"cold
readings"fromthescriptoftheplannedproductionorpreparedauditionpieces,whichareusuallyone-ortwo-minute
monologuesfromplaysorotherworksofliterature.Duringtherehearsalperiodofaplay—usuallyafewweeks—theactor
learnstherole,investigatesthecharacter'sbiography,subtext,thoughts,goals,andtheworldoftheplayitself.Inaddition,
linesandmovementsarememorizedandtheactorexperimentsanddiscoversthepossibilitiesoftherole.Performance
bringswithitafundamentalshiftintheactor'sawareness,sincetheadditionoftheaudiencerequiresadjustmentsinthe
generalsenseandspecifics,suchastiming,ofperformance.Performancealsocarriespotentialproblems,suchasstage
frightandkeepingtheperformancefreshaftermultipleperformances.Theexcitementofactingluresmanypeoplewho
wishtobecomeactors,but,statistically,thechancesofdevelopingalongstandingactingcareerareslim.Todosorequires
greattalent,skill,perseverance,andpersonalfortitude.
KonstantinStanislavsky DenisDiderot
TheMoscowArtTheatre TheActor’sParadox
LeeStrasberg
PatrickStewart
TheActorsStudio
MerylStreep
Chapter4–THEPLAYWRIGHT
Theplaywrightisboththemostcentralfigureofthetheatre(fromwhoseworktheenterpriseoriginates)butthemost
peripheralartisttothecreationoftheevent.Inaplaywright’scareer,writingtheplayisthefirststep,buttheworkisnot
complete,ultimately,untilonastage.Thereareanumberofwaysbywhichplaysreach“theboards.”Openrehearsals,
developmentalworkshops,stagedreadings,solicitationbytheatres,newplayfestivals,developmentaltheatrecompanies,
contests,agents,andfellowshipsallprovidemeansofgettingnewworkproduced.Thewrittenscriptis,inasense,a
blueprintfortheplay.Alsoincontrasttootherliteraryforms,itscoreisnotdescriptionsorobservationsbutanordering
ofobservable,actableevents.Itscoreisaction.
Qualitiessuchascredibilityandintrigue,richness,depthofcharacterization,gravityandpertinenceimparttheweight,
depth,dimension,andsenseofimportancetolifethatgreatplayscontain.Speakability,stageability,flow,compression,
economy,andintensityconstituteitsmoreeasilydiscernablecraftandgiveaspecificandeffectiveformtoaplay.Inthe
end,allfineplays,concernedastheyarewithanartboundupsointimatelywithlife,areacelebrationoflife.Someofthe
mostexcitingplaywritingofthetwentiethcenturywasdoneinAmerica.EugeneO’Neillwasnotedinternationallybothfor
hisrealisticandantirealisticworks.Americanplaywrightsafterhimhaveoften,likeTennesseeWilliamsandArthurMiller,
blendedelementssuchasrealism,poetry,socialcommentary,andantirealismintoasingleplay.Today,however,women,
personsofcolor,andpersonswhowriteopenlyfromtheviewpointoftheirsexualorientationshaveenteredtheranksof
thecountry’smostproducedandadmiredplaywrights.Examiningtheworkofagroupofplaywrightswhohavegainedan
internationalaudiencesuggeststhevitalityanddiversityofperspectivesandformsinAmericanplaywritingtoday.
WilliamShakespeare
SamuelBeckett
AntonChekhov
ArthurMiller
TennesseeWilliams
EdwardAlbee
TomStoppard
HaroldPinter
AugustWilson
DavidMamet
TonyKushner
DavidHenryHwang
NeilLaBute
Suzan-LoriParks
LynnNottage
Chapter6–THEDIRECTOR
Becausetheproductofthedirector'sartisnotdirectlyvisible,audible,orsensed,itisperhapsthemostambiguousand
mysteriousinthetheatre.Althoughthedevelopmentofthedirectorasanindependenttheatreartisthasoccurredinthe
pastcentury,directinghasbeengoingonsincetheatrebegan.Thisevolutionofthemoderndirectorcanbedividedinto
threephases:Teacher-directors,RealisticdirectorsandStylizingdirectors.
Thedirectortodayservesanumberofdifferentfunctions:Whenanindependentproducerisnotinvolved,thedirector
acceptsresponsibilityforthefinancialsupportoftheproduction.Fundamentally,thedirectorenvisionstheprimarylinesof
theproductionsandprovidestheleadershiptorealizethatvision.
Thestepsnecessarytodosodivideintotwophases.Inthepreparatoryphase,beforerehearsalsbegin,thedirectorselects
theplay(iftheproducerhasnotdoneso),formulatestheguidingconceptfortheproduction,selectsdesigners,guidesand
collaboratesinaprocessofdesigningthelookandsoundoftheshow,andcaststheactors.
Duringtheimplementationphase,muchofthedirector'sfocusturnstotheactors,asheorshestagesthemovementand
positioningofactorsandobjects,coachestheactorstowardeffectiveperformances,conductsthepacingofeachsectionof
theplay,coordinatesthedesignswiththeactingandgeneralstaginginthefinalrehearsals,andgivestheperformanceover
tothosethatwillpresentit.
GeorgIItheDukeofSaxe-Meiningen
DavidMamet
KonstantinStanislavski
JulieTaymor
AndreAntoine
SusanStroman
MikeNichols
Yournotes