Scene Schedule

Homework for this week:

1. Work on script analysis ... make sure you really understand your lines as well as the "flow" of the scene. Tweak your objectives & subtext ideas as you think it over.

I moved the information in the previous post about finding objectives to a new page on my English site -- it was too cluttery to post on here. If you never read the post before this one, please read the new page. You can still post comments below on what you read ...

2. Have half your lines memorized by Friday. They don't have to be pretty ... but they should be in your head. And I recommend learning the second half of your lines first!

3. Read through your scene with your partner "on your feet" at least 2x before drama class on Thursday.


Due Dates
full information is posted on the drama page at my English site
please read it .... this is just the outline

for your calendar/ homework notebook:

Right now: Memorize! & Script Analysis
Thurs/Fri Nov 9 & 10: Off-book date
Thurs/Fri Dec 1 & 2: Workshops
Thurs/Fri Dec 8 & 9: Performance!

******
Ways to memorize
*Run lines with a partner (ANYBODY who can read will do ... they shouldn't be 'acting' the lines, just reading them)

*Make a recording of the entire scene (all the parts)--find a partner to help you. Listen to the recording A LOT. Do it in mp3 and load it on your iPod .... burn a CD and listen to it on the way to/from school...

*Make a tape with only the other person's lines on it ... with enough space for you to comfortably read your lines in between. Practice w/ the tape.

*Read your lines EVERY day. Even Sundays. ... Have an accountability partner to make sure you actually do it.


**Memorize your lines "flat" -- that is, don't memorize a particular "tone of voice" or "color" the words in any way. Just memorize the WORDS.**

(If you memorize your lines with a particular subtext behind them, you'll have a tough time adjusting the "feel" of the lines later ...)

******
Some people have asked me about costumes and props:

Beg, borrow, steal, salvage, scavenge ... do what you can to find the clothes your character needs. Unlike the monologues, which were primarily costumed with imagination, you need to give thought to stage design, props, furniture, and costumes for these scenes. I'll be talking to you about it soon ...

You might be able to share some clothing (hats, cloaks ...) and props (swords, bags, platters ... ) with other groups, so ask around before hauling a truckload to school or giving up hope.


____________________________________________
We've got 6 weeks to pull these scenes together.
Be encouraged ...Most acting companies have only 6 weeks to bring an entire PLAY from first-read to opening night.

You can do it ... and you will do it well. :)

Homework, 10/27

Objectives & Subtext
Thursday's Homework (due in drama class on Friday, 10/28):

Read through your script from beginning to end and mark two things in the margins:

1. Subtext (emotions) -- be specific. You should find many different emotions emerging from your character as the scene progresses.

2. Objectives--start with your character's objective (motive/desire/want) at the beginning of the scene ... then jot down each new objective that emerges.

Example:

***edit***
I moved all the script example to a page on my Rameyweb site because it was so long to post here...

please head over there & read it, if you haven't yet ...

Characterization, Part II

Reminder: Play reviews are due within a week or two of the time you attended the performance. I'm not interested in what you remember about a play you saw a month ago. :) Instructions for the review can be found on the sheet I handed out the first day of class OR online at my class website.

For Thursday:
Walker Stalker
Character info sheet's due to me on Wed (I'll give it back to you on Thursday)

PICTURES POSTED



Characters: Crawling into their heads
Remember the chicken game from Friday?

That wasn't just a random act of humiliation for my drama students. (hehe... it WAS funny tho')
I had a point: you can't import your view of the world into your portrayal of a character ... or you'll make the character act just like you.

You have got to understand what makes your character "tick":
what are his/her motives? loves? desires? secrets?
... not just what's in the scene, but how your character would react to a new situation.

It's kind of like getting to know someone new. You've got to ask questions, observe the person's reactions in different situations. Live with them for a while.

1. Read your script.
Now read it again.
Now go read the book/chapter/story that your scene comes from.
Do you understand it? Really?
OK, read your script again.

2. Figure out the Motives
NOW ask yourself, "What does my character want? Need? Desire? Love? Hate? ... " according to the script?

Start writing stuff down. Yep, with a real pen on real paper. Start a drama section in your notebook ... and write like a fiend. Rip the scene apart.

3. Invent a character background
Once you've got a handle on what the text says, you're ready to let your imagination soar. There are lots of questions you could ask that can't be answered by your script. Guess what! You get to invent the answers! Woot! (This is the fun part of acting ...)

"What did I eat for breakfast today?"
"What kind of childhood did I have?"
"Do I like chocolate cake?"

OK, so maybe you should focus on more important questions. :)
But the point is, there's a lot about your character that only YOU will know. You'll never mention it in a scene .... probably. But if you don't give yourself a background - a history, memories, dreams, desires -- you'll find your acting to be very "flat."

4. Write a subtext
Without a subtext, your acting is hollow. Your character is nothing but a shell.

Subtext.
Subtext
SUBTEXT!

You gotta have a subtext for every line.... you might not write it all out, because your subtext will change as you work on the scene with your partner.

But DO write the basics in your margins. Or get another sheet of paper and rewrite the scene as the subtext, not the actual lines.

And when I walk in the room during your rehearsal and ask you, "Hey, what's the subtext behind that line?" .... you want to be able to give me an answer.


5. Try creative writing.
A few ideas to try -- I'll ask you to give at least one of these a shot during the next 2 weeks as you build your character's history (and work on memorizing your lines)

• Character Journal: Start a "diary" for your character. It's up to you whether you make entries from "your" childhood ... or yesterday ... or today ... or right before you walk onstage ... or after the scene ends. But this is a great way to invent character background.
  
• Dream Diary: Something to try once or twice ... invent a dream for your character. You know how dreams are weird combinations of odd thoughts, fears, people, ideas -- what might "you" dream about? For some characters, it's a nightmare . . .
  
• Freewrite: Think about what your character was doing just before he/she entered the scene. Write that activity at the top of your paper. Now freewrite what the character is thinking during that activity until s/he walks onto the scene.
  

Got enough to do? :)

Hey, it's work. I know
but it's FUN work

and your answers on that post down there (about what's going to be hardest for you to do) are great ... keep them coming!

Cast List for Scenes

**Corrected Scene List**

Turkish Delight

Jessie & Ryan

Jill & Aslan

Sara & Abigail

Captive of the Silver Chair

Nate, Claire, & Rebekah

Eve & Ransom

Mr. R & Bethany

Antigone Retold

Taylor & Bettina

Marley Visits Scrooge

Casey & Aaron

Hamlet Confronts Ophelia

Sam & Alicia



I hope the cast list agrees with everyone ... I did the best I could to work within and around and through people's preferences. :) "And thus is a play fitted" (MND I.ii) And I'm really looking forward to seeing these scenes come together!


Make sure you read the post below this one. I'll post more thoughts on character analysis early next week.

enjoy your weekend.
get to know your character =)


Question to Ponder: At first glance, what aspect of your character do you think will require the most work?

Bit of This, Bit of That

Some more thoughts on characterization . . .

Consider everything that goes into making you YOU ... just a few:

• your walk
• your hand gestures (how many/ what kind/ how big)
  
• your little habits that you don't even see until I make you watch yourself on video :)
  
• your voice -- consider how quickly people can recognize your voice over the phone
  
• your vocabulary
  
• your age (for it affects how you move)
• your "natural" facial expression (which you don't even know unless someone surprises you with a picture)
  

Think of how your background affects you. Most of you grew up in the South -- so you have at least a trace of an accent; you use certain words more than others; you have expectations about how people will treat you in certain situations. (For example, you probably don't flinch when a store clerk calls you "honey." As a Northerner, that still strikes me as odd.)

Building a character from a script takes a combination of imagination, research, and experimentation.

Imagination: Use bits & pieces of people you know ... like if you're playing an older person, you might model some the movements or speech patterns of a person you know from that age range. You don't want to recreate the person you know, just "borrow" from him/her to help yourself create the character.

Research: The script is the foundation. Whatever you do has to be faithful to what the playwright wrote. That means you've got to dig into the words of the script and REALLY understand them ... and that takes work. Plain, old-fashioined, brain-breaking work.

Another part of research is people-watching. For example ... young actors usually play a middle-aged person (40s/50s) like a truly old person (70s). But if you take time to observe 40-somethings (like most of your parents!), you'll immediately see the differences between your parents' mannerisms and body movements and those of retired folks you know.

So ... be observant! Much of acting is simply knowing what human beings are like, and then imitating them.

Experimentation: You won't nail down your scene's character in the first week. In fact, you'll be tweaking aspects of your characterization all the way up to the final rehearsal. And if you're really acting (and not just running through a rote sequence of actions on stage), you may discover more about your character during the actual performance!

Be willing to change things around as you rehearse. Try new ideas. Change the subtext for a particular line. Maybe the character isn't angry ... maybe he/she is frustrated ... or confused ... or irritated ... or jealous. You never know what magic you might unlock.


Be ready to dig into your scene text as soon as the roles are cast.

And enjoy leting all those wild & crazy characters escape during drama games!! :)

Fair Warning

**Be sure to read the post below this one**
SCENE LIST HAS BEEN POSTED

Yes, I know....

the drama games suddenly got HARDER. :)
how evil of me to make you **work** in drama class! *gasp!*

but you might not realize how much you're improving!


OK, seriously... 3 things:

1. I know the games are harder. Don't be discouraged. You'll get better at characterization, just like you all got better at subtexting and showing emotion. And don't worry, the "old" games aren't gone for good. I'll use them for warmups now.

I'm hoping to sharpen some particular skills in characterization -- and that means challenging you to do more quick thinking with speedy creativity. [Quick! Here's a shirt! What kind of person would wear it? OK -- act like that person!]

We're all in this together -- throw yourself into the moment and enjoy it.


2. Participation Grades:
You guys are all participating well. It's time to crank that up a bit:
Beginning this week, I'll give just 4 points (out of 5) for "good, solid, show up to class on time and join us in all the games" participation. Give me 110% and you'll get the 5/5.


3. DVD Assignment
You'll get your DVD of the monologue performance ASAP as well as a partner to share it with. Work out who'll use the DVD first ... and make sure you leave your partner enough time to do his/her homework!

By Friday you need to watch your own monologue performance and fill out the analysis sheet.
Turn in the sheet whenever you finish it (no later than Friday afternoon).

Partners can fight over who gets to keep the DVD. =) If neither of you wants it, please give it back to me.


*******
Smile.
I've got some fun stuff up my sleeve too . . .

expect nothing less.
=)

Scenes Are Here!

Your project for 2nd quarter will be to study, rehearse, and perform 2-person scenes

What: duet or trio acting
(there are a couple 3-person scenes)

Why: to practice analyzing a script,
pushing character objectives,
and creating distinct yet believable characters

When: 2 workshops in November
performances in December (8th/9th)

Who: I'd like you to perform the Narnia scenes for the 3/4th graders;
the middle school (6th-8th) will watch all the scenes


Choosing Scenes & Partners
I'll pass out a form at school on Monday where you'll tell me what scenes & characters you like best and whom you want to work with.

I'll take a look at ALL of the forms and try to fit everyone into roles you will enjoy (hopefully something high on your list).

Every group will do a different scene. So if you hear 5 other people talking about doing a particular scene, think about choosing something else.

I need at least 2 or 3 all-female scenes (because there are almost twice as many girls in the class as guys).

Mr. Ramey and I are willing to act in scenes if we are needed (for example, he can provide one more guy for a male/female scene).

I want to post the scene assignments by Friday so you can start anaylzing the scripts. That means you need to look at the scene list ASAP (below)...


Rehearsal
Your homework this quarter is to work on analyzing and rehearsing your scene with your partner. 95% of your rehearsal time will occur outside of class. And you need to rehearse regularly -- not just once a week.

Think carefully about your lifestyle -- if you can't stay after school to work on a scene, will you rehearse during recess?

Should you partner with someone who lives near you so it's easier to practice?

. . . something to think about . . .


Grading
I will grade the workshops for memorization and progress.
Your final performance will be graded for characterization.


Scene List
On the Drama Page at my English website are scripts for the scenes

What's available . . .
Dissatisfied with all the junk available in the books of drama scenes for students, Mr. Ramey and I put our heads together and created a list of awesome scenes from literature that you're probably familiar with.

You'll find a heavy dose of C S Lewis . . . because the Narnia books offer a number of outstanding scenes between richly developed characters. Most of you are familiar with the stories, so you won't have to struggle with character research.

. . . Several opportunities for ladies to play the deliciously evil White Witch of Narnia
. . . An intense 3-person scene where the captive of the Silver Chair begs to be released from the grip of a horrible enchantment
. . . The famous dialogue between Scrooge & the ghost of Marley in Scrooge's sitting room
. . . The chilling encounter between General Zaroff and Rainsford from "The Most Dangerous Game" where Rainsford realizes that Zaroff doesn't hunt big game, he hunts men
. . . A modern version of an old Greek play
. . . And for you who cannot live without the Bard, a sampling of Shakespeare scenes to peruse


I was able to post the text of most of the scenes (except Shakespeare) online so you can read through them before making up your mind.



I'm really excited about this next unit.
I think you'll enjoy the challenge of bringing to life fascinating characters from great literature.
And I know I'm going to enjoy helping you do that!

Woot!

yesssssssssssss

*rubs hands together with glee*

Putting together the scene list for our next drama project.
oh yes, they are gonna be awesome.


*goes off to work on more scenes*

The list will go up soon . . . You'll see it here first!
=)

Finding Balance

I enjoyed reading your discussion on the last post about method acting vs physicalization. You guys brought up several interesting questions.

To point out a few:

Re: Method Acting

• Could an actor become so overwhelmed with the role he/she's playing that psychological damage takes place?
• If you're playing a serial killer, do you really want to live with that character's thoughts inside your head if you're a Method actor?

Re: Physicalization

• If you aren't trying to really become a character, can you actually be convincing to an audience? How do you make the character different enough from your "normal" self?
  
• Don't you have to feel an emotion to portray it honestly? If you don't feel angry, is it possible to convince an audience that you're angry?

Those are all great questions.

Method acting can produce amazing results. But so can physicalization: I've always been impressed by British actors, who often blow away their American counterparts with their acting skill. The Method isn't quite as popular over there.



And the envelope please . . .
Kudos to those of you who figure I'll teach a combination of both.

The two acting methods are different at their core, but you don't have to be an all-out Method Actor to borrow good stuff from it. And Method Actors work hard to physicalize what they're thinking and feeling ...

More on that in another post soon . . .

Transformations?

"Become" a character!

...we hear that all the time in drama settings ... we expect the actors we see on screen or on stage to convince us they are a different person for those two hours. And we believe them.

My previous question (about whether you expect to feel like a character you play) was designed to get you thinking about what actually happens on stage in the process of acting.

Since I don't lecture during class, bear with me and read this all the way through. It's important stuff. :)

There are two "schools" of acting:
1. Physicalization:
Acting "in character" is carefully connecting your own life experiences with the experiences of a character, and then working to communicate the similar underlying emotions in a physical way. So actors who work on the principle of physicalization don't necessarily expect to "feel" the same way their character would feel onstage. But they work hard to use their bodies in a way that makes the audience believe that they are.

To do that, the actor has to understand (from the text) why a character is doing or saying what's in the scene. That's the basis for the subtext and the acting that flows from it. But the actor is fully in control of himself/herself at all times. If the script calls for a display of great anger, the actor doesn't actually lose his temper. He makes it LOOK LIKE he does.


2. The "Method"
Acting is truly becoming the character--convincing yourself that you ARE someone else. Method actors work extremely hard to explore every facet of a character's life, to imagine their fantasies, to dream their dreams, to live their lives. A method actor playing a fugitive might take a couple days to live in the woods without showering just to "understand" what fugitive criminals feel like.

Actors spend a lot of time jotting down detailed subtext and motivations for their lines, and developing their "emotional memories" to use onstage. Actors try to THINK their character's thoughts onstage (instead of "Oh my goodness! What's my next cue?!" :)

The majority of American theater schools teach Method Acting.




So ... whaddya think?
Which "method" appeals to you?

Which do you think I'm going to focus on?
:)

Pictures Posted

by popular demand:

Monologue Photos

Those Odd Folks We Call Characters . . .

Our next unit is on characterization ... creating a character, pushing objectives, choosing tactics, "beats" in the scene ... all that good stuff.


So ....
what exactly makes a character a ... character?


Do you expect to feel something different when you're "in character"?
Do you want to think (invent) your character's thoughts while on stage?
Or is the character more detached, more separate from the actor?

Newest Fans

Mrs. Smith told me on Friday that her 2 girls watched your monologues with amazing interest (especially since the girls are so little!). Abbie & Maddy loved them!

good job!


you know you're communicating your lines well if you can hold the interest of a 6 year old. =)