characterization
DESCRIPTION
Characterization- Developing and portraying a personality through thought, action, dialogue, costuming, and makeup. Stock Character- An easily recognizable character. A flat, one-dimensional character with predictable actions. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
CHAR
ACTE
RIZA
TI ON Characterization- Developing and portraying a
personality through thought, action, dialogue, costuming, and makeup. Stock Character- An easily recognizable character. A flat, one-dimensional character with predictable actions. Stereotypical Character- A familiar character identified by an oversimplified pattern of behavior that typically labels the character as being part of a group of people. Internal Characteristics- Inner qualities; every aspect of the character’s identity: background and life experiences, personality, intelligence, educational opportunities, personal interests, occupation, physical/ emotional health, place/ role in society, as well as beliefs, attitudes and values, wants and needs. External Characteristics- Outwardly visible qualities; appearance. (Age, gender, height, weight, hair color, skin tone, manner of dress, mannerisms). Character Analysis- Taking the information given by the playwright for a role (internal/ external characteristics, background information, etc), to study carefully or examine critically the traits of a character.
CHAR
ACTE
RIZA
TI ON
CHAR
ACTE
RIZA
TI ON LESSON OBJECTIVES:
The student will:
•Understand the process of characterization.•Begin to create stock and stereotypical characters.• Create original characters.•Develop skill portraying the internal and external attributes of characters.•Use analysis in developing a character.
WARM-UP
•Get in a circle. •Taking turns, each one of you will physically and vocally create an imaginary character whose name begins with a particular letter of the alphabet. •Ex- “My name is Abby, I’m from Atlanta, and I like apples!”
CHARACTERIZATIO
N
- Most of us have participated in this form of characterization called pretending.
•In theatre, however, characterization involves much more than just pretending to be a character in a scene or play.
- It also involves making others believe that you are someone else.•Whether you have created your own original character or are portraying a role written by a playwright, your job as an actor is to make the character real for the audience.
•Pretending to be someone else is a game that most of us have played.
CHARACTERIZATIO
N
- Professional actors know that there are techniques they can use to make the characters they play seem real.•These trained actors know that their inner thoughts and outward actions work together to develop a character that the audience believes in.
•One of the most exciting parts of theatre is to have the opportunity to “try on” and experiment with different characters.
STOCK & STEREOTYPICAL CHARACTERS
Sometimes when you watch a play, movie, or television program, you recognize a character type and automatically know how that character will act.
Many of the popular 30 minute situation comedies (sitcoms) on television have character types that are easy to recognize.
These character types are known as stock characters and stereotypical characters.
STO
CK
CHAR
ACTE
RSA stock character is a familiar
character who is the same type of character in every play.
Stock characters were an important part of the commedia dell’arte style
of theatre.The audiences of the 1500s quickly
identified each character based on what they had seen the character do or say
in previous plays.Characters such as the villain, the hero, the
clever servant, the fool, and the heroine were expected to appear in play after play,
always looking and acting the same way.
COM
MED
IA DELL’ARTE•Troupes of actors toured the Italian countryside,
performing anywhere they could find an audience.
•Commedia dell’arte was a form of improvisational theatre that began during the Renaissance, in the early sixteenth century.
COM
MED
IA DELL’ARTE
•Each troupe had a set of stock characters, familiar characters, who appeared in most plays.
Characters such as Pantalone, an old man Arlecchino/ Harlequin, the clever prankster Pulchinello, the maliscious servant
are examples of exaggerated stock characters.
These comic characters were easy for the viewers to identify dressed in their leather masks, half
masks, or special costumes.
COM
MED
IA DELL’ARTE
• Other characters such as the young hero, the heroine, and the fontesca, a serving maid, were
left unmasked.
COM
MED
IA DELL’ARTE
• The plot for the story was usually based around the lives of the young hero and heroine, who
were very much in love.•Problems occurred when the heroine’s grumpy old
father tried to hamper their romance.• The zanni, male servants, and the Fontesca,
created comedy by helping or hindering the couple’s courtship.
COM
MED
IA DELL’ARTE
•Performers in the commedia dell’arte memorized a basic outline for the action: however, dialogue was improvised, created on the spot without a
script.• Audiences in the 1500s enjoyed this style of
theatre and were always eager to watch a performance.
STER
EOTY
PICA
L CH
ARAC
TERS
Another type of character that we often see played by beginning actors is the
stereotypical character.
A stereotypical character is a familiar type of character whose tag, or label,
identifies a particular group or segment of society.
If the labels “politician,” “cheerleader,” “nerd,” “lawyer,” and “jock” automatically
bring to mind visual images, then those particular character types have probably
become stereotyped for you.
STEREOTYPICAL
CHARACTERSThe stereotypical picture that many of us have of
a grandmother is a gray-haired old lady wearing sturdy shoes and a knitted shawl.
But how many grandmothers do you know who fit this picture?
STEREOTYPICAL
CHARACTERSWhen creating characters, it’s important to avoid
negative ideas concerning occupation, race, gender, age, ethnic heritage, or religion.
Negative stereotypes result when groups of people or individuals are misrepresented in a
discriminatory or prejudicial way.
STEREOTYPICAL CHARACTERS
Beginning actors find stock and stereotypical characters an easy starting point, choosing to portray characters from books, plays, and movies-If you recreate the role of the class clown, the helpful policeman, the spoiled brat, or the teenage bully, you have an idea of what to do and how to act, because you have seen these characters played many times before.
STEREOTYPICAL CHARACTERS
-Think of the way you would use your body and face to physically create a frozen statue of these modern stock and stereotypical characters:
Psychiatrist Handsome movie star Cowboy/ hero Rich socialite Miserly business man Secret agent Clumsy waiter Photographer Attorney Traffic cop
Baby sitter Newspaper reporter Dentist Fashion model School principal Private detective Flight attendant Mad scientist Rock star Librarian
CREA
TIN
GO
RIG
INAL
CH
ARAC
TERS As you continue your study of
characterization, you will move beyond stock and stereotypical characters to ones you create on
your own.
These are known as original characters.
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERSOne of the most important skills you can develop is
the ability to observe real people.Observing real people in real situations will help you
to develop original characters.
OBSERVATION
Your purpose in observing is to “collect” as many different qualities as you can.
As you begin to “people watch,” your memory bank will become a virtual storehouse for all the wonderful
ideas you will collect.
By borrowing bits and pieces from many different characters, you can actually create a whole new
being.Then use your own mind, voice, body, face, and
imagination to give your own interpretation of the character.
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERSWhen you observe people, you will first notice their
outwardly visible qualities, or external characteristics.
Look at your classmates.
EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS
What are the different components of their appearance?
Your answer probably includes age, gender, height, weight, hair color, skin tone, and manner of dress.
Next, notice the posture and stance of students in our class.
Do they stand tall and straight or slouched and slumped?
Do you notice any particularly interesting forms of posture?
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERSTake special note of interesting habits.
When simple behaviors such as nail biting, raising an eyebrow, or twisting a lock of hair are unconsciously
repeated, they are called mannerisms.
EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS
Certain mannerisms may become associated with a particular character.
Whenever we see this character, we expect to see the familiar mannerisms as well.
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERSYour goal as an actor is to look beyond one-
dimensional stock or stereotypical characters and create a character who is complex and three-
dimensional.The dimension, or depth, of a character is based on what’s inside him/ her.
INTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS
In addition to thinking about how your character looks, you also need to think about your character’s
inner qualities—the internal characteristics.These internal qualities include every aspect of the
character’s identity: background and life experiences, personality, intelligence, educational opportunities, personal interests, occupation, physical/ emotional
health, place/ role in society, as well as beliefs, attitudes and values, wants and needs.
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERSDesires, thoughts, feelings, reactions—these are all
internal characteristics that are revealed as you get to know the character.
It’s like becoming friends with a new acquaintance: it takes time and careful study.
INTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS
In 335 B.C., Aristotle, an important Greek philosopher, defined character as the sum total of an
individual’s actions.In theatre, it is the actor’s responsibility to use words
and actions to explain to the audience what the character is doing and why.
When the actor is able to think the inner thoughts of a character and react as the character would in a
given situation, then the audience is able to see and believe.
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERS
Once you have developed your original character, you will want to be sure that the character can come alive
vocally.A character’s voice is easier to discover after you have established the external and internal
characteristics.
VOCALIZATION
Actors need to be able to adapt their own voices to reflect those characteristics.
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERS
You will want to listen to as many voices as possible.
For each voice, notice the quality and tone, the patterns of speech, and the accent or dialect.
VOCALIZATION
The illusion of a character can be totally lost if the character’s voice is not suitable or appropriate.
For example, if you have created a meek, sweet-hearted character, you will want his/her voice to
reflect that.You will need to decide if a soft, soothing voice is
more appropriate than a strong, stern one.
ORIG
INAL CH
ARACTERS
Listen to teachers, friends, television personalities, and public figures to hear the special qualities in each
voice. As you listen to different voices, take notes about the
way that they sound.
VOCALIZATION
Professional actors often work with recordings of dialects and accents to achieve vocal variety, master
a particular vocal quality or tone, and build a collection of voices.
Many actors study for years with vocal coaches or voice teachers to enhance their voices.
ESSE
NTI
AL
QU
ESTI
ON
S •Why is it important to become familiar with both the internal
and external characteristics of a character?
•How can character analysis help you to develop a character and
enhance the believability of your performance?
•How can you use the processes of character analysis in your
other school subjects?
PRO
JECT
CH
OIC
ES
InterviewUse the attached Character Analysis Questionnaire as a guideline to create questions for an interview
of an original character. The performance of the “interview” should give the audience insight into
your character’s internal and external characteristics. (Include at least 10-15 questions).
Visual AidCreate a visual aid defining and illustrating both
stock and stereotypical characters. Include pictures, descriptions, and examples.
Character AnalysisComplete the attached Character Analysis
Questionnaire for one of the characters from the play that we read last week. All questions should be answered in complete sentences with correct
spelling and grammar.