Musical Theatre Day 2 THEATRE BASICS AND ACTING

Musical Theatre Day 2 THEATRE BASICS AND ACTING INTENSIVE WORKSHOP

Where Would you Travel…? • Attendance – where would you travel if money was no object?

The Stage • Types of Theatres: • Proscenium • Theatre-in-the-round • Thrust

Stage Directions These symbols help explain how an actor is moving around the stage: X: Cross ↓: Sit ↑: Stand En: Enter Ex: Exit When writing a character’s name, use the first initial of the character’s name, surrounded by a circle. ©: for a character named Claudia Find your own shorthand symbol to use! Don’t forget to include a legend on the first page of your script.

Remember to write in pencil – changes will always be made! This slide shows two different ways to track blocking. Use whichever method works best for you.

Key terminology • Ad lib: make up words or actions, usually to cover a mistake in a performance • Anticipating: reacting to something before your character has any reason to. • At rise: the moment when the curtain rises, or the stage lights go on or whatever happens to signal the start of the play, act or scene • Black-out: The end of the act or play, when the lights go out! • Blocking: The movement of the characters (actors) on stage. May also refer to actors standing in front of one another. • Cue: The line spoken just before your line, or the signal for you to perform • Gesture: generally any action performed with the hands, arms or head

Key terminology • Intention or Objective: what your character wants in a scene. • Motivation: The character’s reason for doing or saying something. • Projecting: Making sure your performance is audible and visible from every seat in the house. • Picking up cues: reducing the amount of time between speeches • Stage Business: activities performed on stage as part of your characterization. • Upstaging: Causing another actor to have to turn into a closed position so that the audience can’t see his face. Or… stealing focus when another actor should have it. • Cheat Out or Open Up: When an actor has to face more towards the audience.

Tableau • Frozen picture that focuses on an action, idea, emotion and/or situation • The positions must suggest movement – “Stopped in Action” • Focal Point • Energy • Emotion • Levels • Clear Body Language and Facial Expressions • In groups, create a series of 3 -5 tableaux showing a classic fairy tale

Voice • Breathing & Projection • Diction & Enunciation • Pitch and Tone • Know the good habits and bad habits • Try some tongue twisters! • Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? • Stupid superstition! • Flash message! • Irish wristwatch • I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where shines she sits.

Play Study and character development • Enthusiasm & confidence • Pace • Preparation • Well-developed character • Energy • First and last impressions • Projection & diction • Memorization • Move with Purpose

Stanislavski & Laban: Emotions and Movement

Scene Creation and Performing • • • Use the information that you’ve learned so far and apply it to working on your scenes. Step 1: Get your group (assigned) Step 2: Skim each story & choose one you like. Tell Ms. Tye. Step 3: Read the story through together and make a rough plan for a 1 -2 minute version of this fairy tale! Be sure each member of your group has an acting role with more than 3 lines. Step 4: Write your script with your group members. This should be no more than 3 pages handwritten or a page and a half typed. Step 5: Read the script through twice out loud & assign roles Step 4: Roughly block your scene – use blocking notation in your script to record it Step 6: Mini-Lesson on character building & applying this to your character Step 7: Rehearse, applying all of the skills we’ve worked on/talked about Step 8: Present for another group, giving and taking feedback Step 9: Polish as much as you have time for Step 10: Present to the class

Character Development • Key thing is to ask the right questions to learn about your character and apply what you learn to your performance. For everything, start with the script and what it says about your character (either in lines your character speaks, things other characters say about yours and what’s in the stage directions). Then, research the time period and place and apply that to your character. From there, use your imagination to fill in any gaps. • 1. Who am I? – Know about your background, family, important memories. • 2. Where am I? – The physical location (how do you feel about this place? ) city, country, climate etc. • 3. When is it? – Time period, time of day, time of year. How does this affect you? • 4. Where have I just come from? – You didn’t just materialize on stage. Where have you been and what happened there? • 5. What do I want? – Can be big or little things and can have multiple desires. • 6. Why do I want it? – What will you lose if you don’t get this? How will it impact you if you do get it? • 7. Why do I want it now? – Have a sense of Urgency. It raises the stakes. Make it matter to know. • 8. How will I get what I want by doing what? – What strategies are you going to use to get what you want? • 9. What must I overcome? – What obstacles/conflicts are in your way?

Before you go… • Journal #1 – either complete it or do it as homework to hand in tomorrow • Make sure you’ve handed in your Drama Info Sheet, and that you have a complete Theatre Basics note and your course outlines in your binder • Make sure you’ve handed in your Little Mermaid Roles handout, letting us know which roles you’re most interested in. • Get those permission forms back ASAP – first come first served. 70 spots and 130 forms will be given out today/tomorrow. • Get your Course Outline Contract back to me and your chocolate Cheque/Contract back to Mr. A • Tomorrow Period 4: Presentations and Audition Lesson • Tuesday Period 3: Production Panel. Tuesday Period 4: Dance Boot