The World of a Play

Oscar Brockett

Theatre is Theatre is repeatable repeatable but not but not reproducible.reproducible.

Joe Dowling artistic director – Guthrie Theater

““Three elements Three elements involved in theatre—involved in theatre—author, actor, audienceauthor, actor, audience—communication is —communication is essential among these essential among these three. The role of the three. The role of the theatre is to tell the theatre is to tell the truth and show flaws truth and show flaws of our society.”of our society.”

The director’s role is to make decisions and choices.

Text Analysis

Research: read Research: read reviews, dramatic reviews, dramatic criticism, compare criticism, compare translations, look up translations, look up words in the words in the dictionarydictionary

Text Analysis

Determine Given Determine Given circumstances: where, circumstances: where, when, & what took when, & what took place prior to the place prior to the beginning of the playbeginning of the play

Text Analysis

Theme: point to be Theme: point to be made determined by made determined by the directorthe director

Imagery: sensory Imagery: sensory details (sights, sounds, details (sights, sounds, color, texture color, texture [visualized pictures])[visualized pictures])

Characters

1. What do they say about themselves?1. What do they say about themselves?

2. What do others say about them?2. What do others say about them?

3. What do they do?3. What do they do?

Plot: action that tells the story

Action: Action: What does each What does each

character want?character want? How does he/she How does he/she

achieve it?achieve it? What is his/her life What is his/her life

search?search?

Conflict: obstacles Conflict: obstacles between characters between characters determining their life determining their life searchsearch

Levels of Characterization

11stst Level: PHYSICAL – simplest level that Level: PHYSICAL – simplest level that deals with external traits/basic facts – sex, deals with external traits/basic facts – sex, age, size, colorage, size, color

22ndnd Level: SOCIAL – factors that place Level: SOCIAL – factors that place character in his/her environment – character in his/her environment – character’s economic status, profession or character’s economic status, profession or trade, religion, family relationshipstrade, religion, family relationships

Levels of Characterization

33rdrd Level: PSYCHOLOGICAL – most Level: PSYCHOLOGICAL – most essential level as it deals with feelings, essential level as it deals with feelings, thoughts, & behaviors; reveals habitual thoughts, & behaviors; reveals habitual responses, attitudes, desires, motivations, responses, attitudes, desires, motivations, likes & dislikeslikes & dislikes

44thth Level: MORAL – a character’s ethical Level: MORAL – a character’s ethical standard can show whether a character is standard can show whether a character is selfish, hypocritical, or has integrityselfish, hypocritical, or has integrity

Actor’s Responsibilities

A. Analyze these levels as to how they A. Analyze these levels as to how they function in a playfunction in a play

B. Every actor must make words his/her B. Every actor must make words his/her own.own.

C. If the character knows then the actor C. If the character knows then the actor should know.should know.

Always ask….

What is the environment of the play in What is the environment of the play in terms of economic, religious, political, & terms of economic, religious, political, & social issues?social issues?

Economic Environment

Characters (rich, poor, middle income)Characters (rich, poor, middle income) Larger society (is the town poor… is there a Larger society (is the town poor… is there a

distinction between the haves and have-distinction between the haves and have-nots?)nots?)

How does economy figure into the play?How does economy figure into the play?

Religious Environment

What role does What role does religion play in the religion play in the lives of the character lives of the character and the community?and the community?

Are the characters Are the characters truthful?truthful?

Political Environment

What are the politics What are the politics of the time?of the time?

What are the politics What are the politics of the various of the various characters?characters?

Social Environment

What are the social What are the social mores of the mores of the community of the community of the play?play?

How do the various How do the various characters fit into characters fit into these mores?these mores?