Friday, June 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Stage Dictionary -- Common Terms of Stage Directions and Other Important Things
STAGE AND ACTING TERMINOLOGY
STAGE DIRECTIONS, AREAS, BODY POSITIONS, and MOVEMENT
Closed The actor is turned away from the audience.
Countercross Adjustment in the opposite direction of the cross.
Cover An actor stands in front of another actor.
Acting Area Two sit-down positions 6' or more apart.
Action Pursuit of a specific goal.
Apron Also known as forestage, that part of the stage which juts out in front of the curtain.
Aside A line spoken to a character which is not supposed to be heard by others on stage.
Beat From the beginning to the end of an intention or objective.
Build Increase volume or tempo to reach a climax.
Concentration Giving complete attention to something. Key to effective acting.
Cue Line or piece of business which tells another actor it is time to speak or act.
Pick up cues - Actors may be given the direction to pick up cues. This means to begin speaking immediately as the cue is finished, and possibly even before.
Dialogue Lines spoken by the characters in a play, scripted by a playwright. Be true to the script.
Ensemble Acting The stress is on the group rather than on an individual performance.
Fourth wall In an interior setting of four wall, the side between the actor and the audience.
Given Circumstances
Unchangeable fact that affects the playing of the scene. Particularly important are time, place, social, educational, and climactic facts.
Ground Plan
Arrangement of the place of the scene. Includes walls, steps, furniture, doors and so forth. Drawn as if directly overhead. NOTE: A high-tension ground plan has 5 or more acting areas.
Motivation Why a character does what he or she does.
Mugging A term for exaggerated facial expressions.
Objective Pursuit of a specific goal. Must be phrased in terms of action - to _____ him/her. Intention.
Obstacle Physical or psychological hindrance or obstruction.
Point (or punch) Giving special emphasis to a word or business. For instance, the last line of a scene, act or play is usually pointed.
Properties "Things" or "objects" which are integral to the performance.
Kinds: 1. Hand props - small things held in the hand (coffee cups, pens, etc.)
2. Personal props - Things which are carried by an actor but are specifically used by him (watches, cigarette holders, glasses, etc.)
3. Costume props - Costume accessories (gloves, etc.).
4. Stage props - Items used to dress the stage (books, lamps, etc.)
Prop table - Table placed offstage where properties are placed when not in use.
Runthrough An uninterrupted rehearsal of the entire scene, act, or play. This is in contrast to a "working" rehearsal where director or technicians may stop the run to work problems, or a "blocking" rehearsal where director gives movement to actors.
Stealing Taking the audience's attention when not supposed to have it. Scene stealers are frowned upon.
Subtext The text beneath the text.
Telescoping Overlapping speeches. Used to build
Top To build a line higher than the preceeding one.
LINES and DIALOGUE, MISCELLANEOUS TERMS,
STAGE AREAS
Rules: 1. It is the responsibility of the downstage actor not to cover the upstage actor.
2. If you are the upstage actor and are covered, make a slight adjustment.
3. Make crosses below actors.
Cross Abbreviated X, it is a move from one place to another on stage.
Give, take When two actors are not equally open, one gives and the other takes the scene
Open An open position is one which faces the audience. An open turn is one which turns towards the audience.
3/4 or 1/4 Half turn towards audience, so they can see your facial expressions.
Rules: 1. Play shared scenes equally open in quarter position.
2. Whenever possible, turn downstage, but make the most logical turn.
3. Kneel on the downstage knee.
4. Use your upstage arm for gestures so as to avoid covering yourself.
Share Two actors share when they are equally open.
Wings Offstage spaces at the sides of the acting areas.
Above Away from the audience (same as upstage of).
Below Toward the audience (same as downstage of).
Blocking The process of working the arrangement of actors on stage with relationship to the furniture. Purposes are to tell the story, develop characterization, set mood, and also to create suspense.
Downstage (D.S) Towards the audience.
In Toward the center of the stage.
Out Away from the center of the stage.
Stage left The actor's left as he faces the audience.
Stage right The actor's right as he faces the audience.
Upstage (U.S.) Away from the audience.
Stage Acting 101 -- Becoming Your Character and Making Sure the Audience Hears Every Word and Sees Every Movement
First, stage acting is EXAGGERATED with visible movements and facial expressions. Stage acting exaggerates natural gestures and movements so the audience can see them.
Stage acting requires the actor to "play to the back of the house." In other words, when performing on stage the actor must make everything s/he says and does BIGGER so that the patrons sitting in the last row of the third balcony can hear and see the lines and action.
Second, stage actors must PROJECT THEIR VOICES (not "yell"); use their diaphragm and breath control to put some depth and power behind their dialogue. Film actors do not have to project their voices as much as stage actors. They deliver their lines of dialogue much like we communicate in everyday life. Stage actors must also develop VOICE CONTROL. On the stage, more so than in film, it's not what is said that is most important but rather how something is said that communicates with the audience.
Third, stage acting requires a CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE because it is performed live with no second takes. Acting for film requires a talented performance, but it has the "luxury" of reshooting scenes until they are, in the eye of the director, ideal. Film acting lacks the immediacy of live theatre.
Finally, stage acting demands a FRESH PERFORMANCE, no matter how many times you've performed the show. A patron attending on Day 3 of the show should experience the same level of energy, technique, emotion and talent as the patron attending on Opening Night.
Voice Projection: work that diaphragm so that the older lady, who is hard of hearing, sitting in the last row of the house, can hear every line of dialogue. | ||||||||||||||||||
Exaggerated Gestures and Facial Expressions: practice making physical and emotional dramatics bigger so that the nearsighted man in the last row of the third balcony can clearly see all stage action. | ||||||||||||||||||
Characterization: develop a character by determining who or what it is and how it reacts to sensory information. Explore the 5 Ws of acting and use your 5 Senses.
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Immerse yourself in the role completely. Forget that you are pretending and try to become the character you are playing. Envision how that person reacts to life, how that person dresses, walks, thinks and converses with others. Draw on these visualizations when portraying the character. Always stay in that state of mind when acting. If you try to pretend to be sad, it's an effort; if you are sad, it comes out in your acting well. Do not try to act the character - instead, be the character
Friday, June 3, 2011
Studying Lines 101 -- No Matter How Many Plays You Have Done, You Must First Learn Your Lines!
Dear AOL Cast Members:
Congratulations on being a part of our Drama troupe for the classic play "Arsenic and Old Lace!"!
We had a first reading of Act One this last Wednesday night.. Thanks to all who participated. It was a good start, and we hope to improve every practice.
Everyone needs to get their own copy of the script, if you do not have one. They are available at the bank in Bancroft.
Make your copy of the script a new best friend! Do not put it somewhere and leave it until the next time we meet. Use this time to get ready for your great performance as your character!
Read through the entire play. Then read through in again, paying attention especially your character's lines and cues. Then read through it once more, focusing on stage directions.
Work on learning your lines. Do not put it off. Work on them each day, if possible. Day by day you will get them down. fi you put it off, it makes learning them a more difficult task for each day that you postpone the process.
We know those with more lines will take longer learning them. But that means you must use the time we have now to learn them. By the same token, those with fewer lines should learn their lines more quickly.
Job One is learning your lines -- this sets up everything else we will do. Job Two is learning your cues -- other character lines before and after yours, plus stage directions. Job Three is learning your stage movements, facial expressions, blocking, etc. Job Four is to become comfortable with your character so that you become that character when you are on stage.
As you read your lines, remember that your face and your expressions will help accentuate the lines. Think about appropriate facial expressions. Work on them with other actors or friends. Rehearse them in from on a mirror.
As a part of a performing theater troupe, we are all dependent on each other in the play, and we have responsibilities to each other. The old line "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link" comes to mind. You must learn your lines and deliver them with clarity in order to cue others for their lines. It all works together like making a quilt or a tapestry. Every stitch (every line) counts towards the whole.
We have time to perfect it, but each line must be delivered so the audience can hear it and the other cast members can react to it. We need to convey the meaning of the playwright, with appropriate timing and punch, in order to help people enjoy the play. It is a comedy, and we hope to help them laugh and smile.
If you do not learn your lines, you let the other cast members down, and more importantly, you let the audience down, and lastly, you let yourself down, because you are not being the best you can be,
We are blessed to have the resource of the fine old movie version of the play. Rent it, buy it for a few bucks on Amazon, watch it on Netflix, but use it as a help. You do not have to copy the movie performances, but let yourself be informed and inspired by them. There are some differences, but much of the movie is the same as the play. And if you feel you should copy the performances in the movie, because you enjoy it so much, that is fine, There are excellent performances in the movie version.
So please begin learning your lines! it is the foundation for all that comes after it in your creating the character that you will be in the play.
Our next reading session is next Wednesday, June 8 at 7 PM in Bancroft. We will read Act Two -- if you are not in Act 2, you may rest at home, but please study your lines! The next Tuesday, June 14 we will read Act 3 at 7 PM.
Please come to these rehearsals. If you cannot make it, please email me.
Check out the play blog for other information each week. Google backstagebancroft or click http://backstagebancroft.blogspot.com/
Count the days until the First Performance of Backstage in Bancroft AOL!
Sincerely,
Glenn Wilson
Director, AOL
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