MY THEATER BACKGROUND:
in chronological order
Played Ron Paul in Ron Paul the Musical, a Cameron Ford Production at Gorilla Tango Theater.
Shift-Faced at Gorilla Tango Theater, Wrote, Produced, Starred in.
Bloody Haymarket at Chicago's Irish-American Heritage Center. Wrote, Co-Directed, played multiple roles. for projection view from 59 minutes.
Played Tim Allgood in Palm Springs Canyon Theater's Production of Noises Off.
The Show with Jeremiah Fishberg and Mort Finklestein at Suzie's Bar and Grill, Wrote Starred in.
Director of Upstairs the Musical, performed at Pride Arts Center Chicago.
The Character Assassination of Donald Trump, co-wrote, co-produced, starred in. Put on at Collaberation Theater Chicago.
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Warm up exercise:
NOW ON TO THEATER BASICS...
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Warm up exercise:
NOW ON TO THEATER BASICS...
Also, the sides of the stage are called the wings.
Blocking is movement around the stage, similar to choreography which involves dance. Blocking is the planned physical motions of actors that aid the storyline, convey the subtext of the dialogue, and help focus the audience's attention. It's a collaborative process between the director and the actors, that emphasizes what the characters might naturally do in any given situation. In major theatrical productions, every movement, or lack of movement, on stage originates with this planning process, including the proximity of the actors to other actors.
Movement and Power
Moving to or from different parts of a stage results in more powerful or less powerful movements. A movement that approaches the audience expresses power, while a movement away from the audience expresses weakness. Similarly, a horizontal motion towards the center of the stage expresses more power. Conversely, a horizontal motion away from the center expresses less power. Performers use their understanding of movements and power to add emphasis to strong statements or important plot actions. They can also express weakness or a low point in a character's experience. Given the strong or weak aspects of body language, it becomes clear how actors, even without dialogue, can tell an entire story through motion.
Take this short scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo for instance, how would you block it. Work with a partner.
INT. GAVIN ELSTER'S OFFICE - (DAY)
A well-appointed office with a large window looking out upon
a busy shipyard. There are a couple of models of modern
freighters in glass cases, but more important, on the walls
are many framed prints and posters and maps relating to early
California history; some from the Mexican days, many from
the Gold Rush days, many of San Francisco in the Seventies
and Eighties. Behind the desk sits Gavin Elster, a man about
Scottie's age, huskily built, slightly balding, with cool,
watchful eyes. He is beautifully tailored, and gives the
sense of a man who relishes money and knows how to use it.
He sits quietly watching Scottie, who stands staring out the
window at the activity of the shipyard. After a long moment:
SCOTTIE
How'd you get into the shipbuilding
business, Gavin?
ELSTER
I married into it.
Scottie shoots him a small surprised smile of approval at
his frankness, then looks out the window again.
SCOTTIE
Interesting business.
ELSTER
No, to be honest, I find it dull.
SCOTTIE
You don't have to do it for a living.
ELSTER
No. But one assumes obligations. My
wife's family is all gone; someone
has to look after her interest. Her
father's partner runs the company
yard in the East -- Baltimore -- so
I decided as long as I had to work
at it, I'd come back here. I've always
liked it here.
SCOTTIE
How long have you been back?
ELSTER
Almost a year.
SCOTTIE
And you like it.
ELSTER
San Francisco's changed. The things
a that spell San Francisco to me are
disappearing fast.
Scottie smiles at the old prints on the wall.
SCOTTIE
Like all this.
ELSTER
(Nodding)
I'd like to have lived here then.
The color and excitement... the
power... the freedom.
Though he does not stress the word, the way be lingers softly
on the word "Freedom" makes Scottie look over at him again.
Elster looks up and smiles companionably.
ELSTER
Shouldn't you be sitting down?
SCOTTIE
No, I'm all right.
ELSTER
I was sorry to read about that thing
in the papers.
(No answer)
And you've quit the force.
(Scottie nods)
A permanent physical disability?
SCOTTIE
No, Acrophobia isn't a crippling
thing. It just means I can't climb
steep stairs or go to high places,
like the bar at the Top-of-the-Mark.
But --
(Shrugs and smiles)
-- there are plenty of street-level
bars In this town.
Elster considers the top of his desk for a moment, then looks
up.
ELSTER
Would you like a drink now?
SCOTTIE
No... no, thanks. A bit early in the
day for spirits.
(Pause)
Well, I guess that about covers
everything, doesn't it? I never
married; I don't see much of the
"old college gang"; I'm a retired
detective -- and you're in the
shipbuilding business.
(Pause)
What's on your mind, Gavin?
A moment, then Elster rises from the desk casually, wanders
across the room, looks out the window, gets out a handkerchief
and blows his nose prosaically, finally turns and regards
Scottie coolly and directly for a long moment.
ELSTER
I asked you to come up here, Scottie,
knowing that you had quit detective
works, but I wondered whether you
would go back on the job -- as a
special favor to me.
Scottie looks at him questioningly.
ELSTER
I want you to follow my wife.
Scottie does not change expression, and yet one can sense
the feeling of anti-climax within him, and the almost
imperceptible small cynical smile deep behind his eyes.
ELSTER
Not what you think. We're very happily
married.
SCOTTIE
Then?
ELSTER
I'm afraid some harm may come to
her.
SCOTTIE
From whom?
ELSTER
Someone dead.
Scottie waits.
ELSTER
Scottie, do you believe that someone
out of the past, someone dead, can
enter and take possession of a living
being?
SCOTTIE
No.
ELSTER
If I told you I believe that his
happened to my wife, what would you
say?
SCOTTIE
I'd say you'd better take her to the
nearest psychiatrist, psychologist,
neurologist, psychoanalyst, or plain
family doctor. And have him check
you both.
ELSTER
(Defeated)
Then you're of no use to me. I'm
sorry I wasted your time. Thank you
for coming in, Scottie.
Scottie rises to go, awkwardly, puzzled, a bit apologetic.
SCOTTIE
I didn't mean to be that rough.
ELSTER
No, it sounds idiotic, I know. And
you're still the hard-headed Scot,
aren't you? Always were. Do you think
I'm making it up?
SCOTTIE
No.
ELSTER
I'm not making it up. I wouldn't
know how. She'll be talking to me
about something, nothing at all, and
suddenly the words fade into silence
and a cloud comes into her eyes and
they go blank... and she is somewhere
else, away from me... someone I don't
know. I call to her and she doesn't
hear. And then with a long sigh she
is back, and looks at me brightly,
and doesn't know she's been away...
can't tell me where... or why...
SCOTTIE
How often does this happen?
ELSTER
More and more in the past few weeks.
And she wanders. God knows where she
wanders. I followed her one day.
SCOTTIE
Where'd she go?
Elster almost ignores the question as he looks back to the
day.
ELSTER
Watched her come out of the apartment,
someone I didn't know... walking in
a different way... holding her head
in a way I didn't know; and get into
her car, and drive out to...
(He smiles grimly)
Golden Gate Park. Five miles. She
sat on a bench at the edge of the
lake and stared across the water to
the old pillars that stand an the
far shore, the Portals of the Past.
Sat there a long time, not moving...
and I had to leave, to got to the
office. That evening, when I came
home, I asked what she'd done all
day. She said she'd driven to Golden
Gate Park and sat by the lake. That's
all.
SCOTTIE
Well?
ELSTER
The speedometer of her car showed
she had driven 94 miles that day.
Where did she go?
(Pause)
I have to know, Scottie. Where she
goes and what she does, before I got
involved with doctors.
SCOTTIE
Have you talked to the doctors at
all?
ELSTER
Yes, but carefully. I'd want to know
more before committing her to that
kind of care.
(Anxiously)
Scottie --
SCOTTIE
(Quickly)
I can get you a firm of private eyes
to follow her for you. They're
dependable, good boys --
ELSTER
(Breaking in)
I want you.
SCOTTIE
It's not my line.
ELSTER
Scottie, I need a friend! Someone I
can trust! I'm in a panic about this!
Long pause.
SCOTTIE
How can I see her, to know her?
ELSTER
We're going to an opening at the
opera tonight. We'll dine at Ernie's
first. Which is easier?
SCOTTIE
Ernie's.
ELSTER
All right.
(Pause)
You won't know what to look for at
first, Scottie. Even I, who know her
so well, cannot tell, sometimes,
when the change has begun. She looks
so lovely and normal...
Here's how it was done...
Additionally, it's important to plant your foot on stage so there is no temptation to turn and hide from the audience unless it's for dramatic effect.
When speaking about film, blocking is important as well as camera placement and framing the subjects.
Assignment: create a short video using one of these prompts or your own ideas...
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Often a problem for actors is projection, or using their voice so the audience can hear them. The key is speaking from your diaphragm (just above your stomach).
PROJECTION:
Breath Control and Projection are critical skills for an actor, but they’re just as critical for drama teachers. The trick is to speak loudly and project without yelling. We often tell our students to project, but what about us? Think about how many times you have to raise your voice in a day. Do you project or do you yell?
Why do we need to project instead of yell?
Yelling uses vocal cords, which can get damaged if overused. Projection uses breath from the diaphragm and uses air to create the volume you want.
How do I know if I’m yelling or projecting?
If your diaphragm is not doing the work of creating volume, your vocal cords are – something has to do the work. If you keep yelling, your throat will start to feel sore. Projection has a depth to the sound. It tends to have a slightly deeper pitch and a rounder, more complex sound. Yelling sounds flat with a higher pitch.
How do I learn to project my voice?
Breathing from the diaphragm is key to learning how to project. The ‘ha’ exercise is one that works very well to practice. You take a big breath in – expanding your lungs down and your abdomen out – and then you force all that air out on a “ha.” This exercise is built for projection. You are using all your air at once on one sound so you can force that sound out and be really loud with it. Using that much air sends your sound out far and that’s what you’re trying to do.
Exercise: Visualization Technique
We can also use visualization to improve our projection. Since we are trying to get our sound to travel away from us, it can help to pick a spot on the wall opposite us and visualize your sound hitting that spot on the wall. It will let you focus on how far you want your sound to go.
1. Find several different-sized spaces. It might be a large room in which you can stand close, and then further away from a wall.
2. Find something to say. It might be a random sentence.
3. Stand close to the wall (or in a small space) and speak. Ask yourself:
a) Does the sound echo back? You should hear some echo, but not too much – enough to ensure you are being heard but not overly loud.
a) Does the sound echo back? You should hear some echo, but not too much – enough to ensure you are being heard but not overly loud.
4. Once you have determined how loud you need to be in the space you’re in, look at how much air you use to speak at that volume. Keep track of how big of a breath you take in and how much air you let out.
5. Practice saying your phrase over and over until you’re sure you know how much air you need to be heard in the size space that you’re in.
6. Then, you move to a bigger space and repeat the exercise.
Soon yelling will be a thing of the past!
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MEMORIZATION OF LINES:
You don't want to end up like Christopher Walken in Peter Pan Live ...
Here's a good article from Chicago Stage Actors
Tricks for remembering your lines from the New York Film Academy:
1. Write your lines out.
Try writing your lines out by hand — do not type them. This method works well for long scenes with speeches. Writing your lines out by hand forces your mind to connect to the action of writing the lines down and seeing the lines. Make sure you focus on writing your lines out and your lines only. It will let you focus on you without having the distraction of other actors’ lines.
2. Run lines with someone.
Running lines with a partner is one of the most well-known methods for memorizing lines. The key is to run lines with another actor — not your friend from down the street. Running lines with another actor holds you accountable. Allow the person to coach you and read stage direction to you. During the first run, you’ll want to listen to the words and absorb the script.
If you can’t find someone to help you run lines, try using the app Rehearsal 2. While the app is $19.99, it allows you to highlight lines in the app, record other characters’ lines, and use it as a teleprompter.
3. Quiz yourself.
Use a scrap piece of paper to cover up everything but the one line you are trying to memorize. Continue to read the same line over and over again. Once you feel comfortable, try reciting the line without looking at it. If you can, move on to the next line and start the process over again.
4. Go for a walk or take a nap.
In an article published by “Chicago Tribune,” Cindy Gold of Northwestern University suggests that after looking at lines, it is helpful to either go for a walk or take a nap. While you rest, the information your brain just processed moves from short-term memory to long-term recall, where you will be able to recall things easier. Also, when you walk, you are exercising muscles and that helps with memorization.
5. Use a mnemonic device.
You can use a mnemonic device to help you remember your lines. Try writing down the first letter of every word in your lines. When you look at those letters, it will help jog your memory and you’ll remember your line a bit easier. Think of the mnemonic device as a short cut.
6. Learn the cue lines.
Not only should you learn your lines, but you should learn your cue lines as well — these are the lines that lead into yours. By knowing the cue lines, you will be more prompt and you’ll be able to deliver your lines in a timely fashion.
NOW CHOOSE A MONOLOGUE FROM THIS WEBSITE ( https://www.filmsite.org/bestspeeches.html ) AND TRY A MEMORIZE A PORTION OF IT
Or here's another good site:
http://www.bhplayhouse.com/2-2-Men-Acting-Scenes/
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Finally into the nuts and bolts of what we will be doing in this class...
The Play That Goes Wrong is a play within a play and one of the hottest plays running right now.
SYNOPSIS
The Play That Goes Wrong begins before the curtain has even been raised, as the audience are present while the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society prepare to stage their new production – the 1920s murder mystery 'Murder at Haversham Manor'. However the set is not yet complete and there is no time to finish it off…..the show must go on!
With a murder (and a moving corpse) established from the beginning, the murder mystery gets into full flow. However, the props start to disappear, actors go missing and the set begins to collapse around, and often on, the cast. Mayhem ensues, the acting gets worse, and the set becomes increasingly dangerous, but the company struggle on regardless. The question is whether any of the cast and crew will remain standing, or conscious, by the final curtain?!
