Developing A Character Fundamentals of Theatre I Mr

Developing A Character Fundamentals of Theatre I Mr. Morris

The Monologue • When the actor bears the responsibility of revealing the soul of a human being caught at a crucial moment and presenting it sympathetically to an audience.

The Monologue • When the actor bears the responsibility of revealing the soul of a human being caught at a crucial moment and presenting it sympathetically to an audience.

What are the steps in preparing your monologue?

STEPS IN PREPARING YOUR MONOLOGUE 1. STUDY YOUR SELECTION 2. DEFINE UNKNOWN WORDS 3. IDENTIFY THE SUBTEXT OF EACH LINE 4. DIVIDE THE SELECTION INTO UNITS (P. O. C) 5. MARK THE SCRIPT FOR VOCAL STRATEGIES

THE THREE PRESENTATION STYLES 1. To Audience 2. Thinking Aloud 3. To Another Character

STEPS IN PREPARING YOUR MONOLOGUE 6. PLAN THE MOVEMENT PRESENTATION STYLE 7. BELIEVE WHO YOU ARE AND PRACTICE

The Monologue Introduction Procedure

Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. Set your stage pieces. Stand downstage and wait for audience attention. Perform monologue introduction. Move to your first position for the monologue performance. 5. Pause (1 -2 -3) 6. Begin monologue in CHARACTER. 7. After the last word of your monologue, pause a beat & lower your head. DON’T CALL SCENE!!!

THE INTRODUCTION • Hello. My name is _____, and I will be performing a monologue from the play _____. I will be playing the part of _____. • A one sentence set up is optional.

MOVING IN YOUR MONOLOGUE • • KEEP SET SIMPLE ANGLE SET PIECES WORK YOUR SPACE USE A VARIETY OF MOTIVATED MOVEMENT! • DON’T ACT OUT YOUR MONOLOGUE!

Developing a Character Acting Techniques

Acting Techniques 1. The Emotional approach: A. Called – The Method B. Created by Stanislavski C. He established the Moscow Art Theater

Method Acting • The key is the Magic If: The actor is to imagine that he or she is that character…live the part on and off stage… and always focus on what he or she would do or say as the character in the situation.

Method Acting Emotion Memory • A technique used by Stanislavski allows actors to give their character feelings and emotions through a recollection of their own life experiences.

Method Acting Emotion Memory • Emotional Memory requires that an actor recreate an event from the distant past in order to regenerate the ‘feelings’ experienced at that time. • These feelings thus regenerated are then used in the current acting situation in order to fill out the role with ‘human depth and personal involvement’.

Books By Stanislavski 1. My Life in Art (autobiography ) 2. An Actor Prepares

The Technical Approach • Sir Tyrone Guthrie developed this. • He emphasized technique rather than emotional involvement. • He believed the actor should Observe and Imitate, not analyze the character.

4 STEPS TO PREPARING FOR A PERFORMANCE

Step 1 Study the Play • • What is theme? What is the conflict? What is the style Why do the characters react the way they do? • What is your characters function? • What is your characters relationship to others?

Step 2 Analyze the Character Consider: • Social • Class Status • Occupation • Education • Home life/situation • Religion • Community • Personal • Hobbies • Moral Attitudes • Ambitions • Attitude toward life • Mental Health • Personality • Dress • Talents

Character Sketch • The Character Sketch is used to Analyze the Character.

Finding your character • 5 keys to finding your character. 1. Playwrights description () 2. Characters words 3. What others say about you 4. Suggested stage business 5. Changes in character’s attitudes

Ask yourself the W Checklist • WHO AM I ? • WHERE AM I ? • WHAT DO I WANT ? • WHY DO I WANT IT ? • WHAT IS PREVENTING ME FROM GETTING IT ? • WHAT AM I WILLING TO DO TO GET WHAT I WANT ? • WHO DO I WANT IT FROM ? • WHEN DO I NEED IT ?

Step 3 Build the Character • *First, Memorize your lines !!! • Suggestions 1. Get off script early 2. Use your movement 3. Use flash cards 4. Practice out loud 5. Tape lines on a recorder 6. Know the meaning of the line

THE WHOLE METHOD OF MEMORIZATION • The actor memorizes 1. BY ENTIRE PART by reading the script over and over until he 2. BY SPECIFIC LINE KNOWS & UNDERSTANDS what 3. BY SPECIFIC he is saying. Then he WORD tackles the problem lines.

Stage Movement • NEXT, DEVELOP STAGE MOVEMENT: THE PLANNED STAGE MOVEMENT OF AN ACTOR. • USE BLOCKING SYMBOLS

BLOCKING SYMBOLS MOVEMENT FURNITURE/ SET PIECES PAUSE CROSS TO CHARACTERS NAME (FIRST INITIAL)

Master Gesture • Create a Master Gesture • A gesture that is created by the actor and used as part of his character. • Create a character voice • And mark your script with vocal strategies

Develop Stage Business • Any action other than stage movement that accompanies a line or works in a situation. • Examples 1. Reading a Newspaper 2. Pouring a cup of tea

Step 4 Rehearse • Work & Practice toward Believability!!!! • Get off script EARLY • Create a character sketch for your character • Be creative in your presentation • Know the character inside and out

Step 4 Rehearse • Work & Practice toward Believability!!!! • Use vocal strategies • Know why you are saying what you are saying • Find the subtext in every line you present…. Vocal and physical.

Character Development Terminology

Character Development Terminology 1. Principal : A Lead in a Play 2. Ingénue : A young female lead (16 – 30) 3. Juvenile : A young male lead 4. Straight Part : A normal character 5. Character Part : A character that would require extra work from the actor. An unusual part.

Character Development Terminology 6. Typecasting : When an actor is cast over and over for the same role. 7. Bit Part : Actor with few lines 8. Walk-on : Actor without lines 9. Internal Qualities : characters background / attitude / mental ability 10. External Qualities : posture / movement / voice / appearance / costume

The Character Sketch • A Form reflecting an intense study of the character by the actor. (the actor must create a history for the character)

Character Development Evaluations • THE CHARACTER SKETCH • Detailed information about the character ? Creation of information unknown ? Every aspect of the character analyzed ? TOTAL : 100 Points THE SUBTEXT IDENTIFICATION Detailed marking of your subtext for EVERY line of your monologue TOTAL : 100 Points THE VOCAL STRATEGIES MARKINGS Detailed vocal strategy markings of EVERY line in your monologue TOTAL : 100 Points

Character Development Evaluations • THE MONOLOGUE INTRODUCTION Poise / Voice Organization of Introduction. Set up before monologue performance. Monologue performance (2 -3 lines) Overall effectiveness TOTAL : 30 Points THE MONOLOGUE PERFORMANCE Vocal Expression 30 Points Blocking of Movement 30 Points Believability of Character 25 Points Monologue Introduction 15 Points TOTAL : 100 Points

YOU MADE IT !!!!! • GOOD LUCK ON YOUR MONOLOGUES !!!!