Beckett Response; Holiday Event

During 1st period, please complete your Beckett response on the forum. 2nd period there is a concert.

Ponies.

HOMEWORK: Please read Hedda Gabler and one other Ibsen play over the break.

Workshop, Revision, & Henrik Ibsen

Workshop: Please get into the following groups and workshop your plays.

Group A: Darren, Taina, Tim, Dominic, Julie, Jack, Vanessa
Group B: Hannah, Caleb, Sierra, Samantae, Neriah, Clara, Amelia

Advice about rewriting:

1. Rewriting requires a plan. What are you going to rewrite? Why are you going to rewrite (apart from the fact that I require it of you?)
2. When you know your script isn't ready and you can't figure out what's wrong, you need a new set of eyes to look at the script as if it were for the first time. Time helps here. But in our case, try to envision the play on stage. What might be some of the problems with the script? Can you fix that?
3. Rewriting is repair work. Your idea or a certain character might be great, but is clouded by other characters, misplaced lines, lack of development, and so on. If you can only correct one thing about your play: what would it be? Then correct that first.
4. Keep asking yourself the same question in #3.
5. Can anything be removed or added to the script? You want to cut redundancies and difficult to perform or non-essential action/dialogue. You want to add details, story, characterization, and conflict where appropriate. You also want to think about MESSAGE and theme. What are you trying to communicate? Have you done that? If not, do it.

During the second period please complete the following two assignments:

1. Revise and create a second draft of your absurdist play (This is essentially due (draft two) Wednesday).
2. Research the playwright: Henrik Ibsen.

A major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theater director, and poet, Henrik Ibsen is often referred to as "the godfather" of modern drama and is one of the founders of Modernism in theatre. His works are what we call naturalistic.

Naturalism (1865-1900) attempts to go further from realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment affects human behavior. Plots often revolve around social problems, characters are often drawn from lower classes and the poor, perhaps in an attempt to explain their behavior.

In Hedda Gabler Ibsen explores infidelity and betrayal. His use of the "secret" as a conventional plot device is excellent. Hedda remains one of the most interesting dramatic characters of the 19th (and 20th) centuries--a juicy role for an actress!

HOMEWORK: Please read Hedda Gabler & one other Ibsen play in the collection you pick up. You should have completed your reading of Happy Days and you should remember to post a forum response on Beckett by Friday, Dec. 21. During the break, you will read 2 Ibsen plays (Hedda Gabler) and one other play that is not "A Doll's House". You may finish reading these plays by the end of the week if you do the work now, allowing you to have your break free and clear.

Happy Days & Writing an Absurdist Draft

Today you are going to write a short absurdist play. At the beginning of class, gather your ideas, look back over your metaphor and pre-writing we did in class. Write your theme on an index card and place it where you can see it during the class. Come up with 2-5 characters that represent something relating to your theme. Choose a setting.

After 5 minutes of such preparation, please begin writing. I would like you to try writing without too much stopping or pausing. Don't worry too much about plot, just muddle through it. If you get stuck add a new event. Have the hand of God fall from the sky. Have an unexplained event (if it's too crazy it can happen off-stage and a character who has witnessed it can come on stage and report to the others what has happened), etc. The point is: keep writing. Allow panic and fear of not getting this project done spur you to make absurd choices, if need be.

As you write, keep referring to your theme or metaphor. When stuck with something to discuss in dialogue, go back to your metaphor/theme, then digress if you need to.

Again, here are the elements of absurdist style. Use them.

1. Characters are often threatened by an unknown outside force.
2. The world or diegesis of the play/film is unpredictable or lacks meaning which the characters must contend with.
3. There is often an element of horror or tragedy; characters are often in hopeless situations or trapped. Remember the time lock and "the Trap"
4. Dialogue is often playful, full of nonsense, repetition, or engages in silly wordplay or banter.
5. Plays are often funny, although theme is usually serious and symbolic. Absurdist theatre is often called "tragicomedy", having elements of broad humor and tragedy.
6. There is often a good deal of farce (mistaken identity, physical comedy, slapstick, sudden entrances and interruptions, etc.)
7. Theatre of the absurd often presents characters failing at something without suggesting a solution to the problem. Characters are often "losers" who cannot dig themselves out of the problems they find themselves in.
8. Characters are often unable to communicate with others (particularly about their feelings, desires, or needs).
9. Plot is often cyclical or repetitive.
10. Plots have a dreamlike or surreal quality to them, akin to nightmare. Plot events are often taken at face value; characters are unwilling or uninterested in examining "why?" something happens and instead react to "what" happens. Therefore plot is often lacking the cause. The effect is often stressed as being more important.

At the end of the period (about 10 minutes to go, I'll call your attention to this and you should start wrapping up your play). End by focusing on your metaphor one more time. Plays should be a minimum of 3 pages in script format or you have failed this assignment.

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading of Happy Days. The theme is domestic life. The metaphor is likely to be obvious. Sometimes a person in a relationship feels like they have lost control. Sometimes they might feel trapped or stuck. Sometimes they are powerless to affect change. Sometimes they focus so much on insignificant details and objects, that the bigger picture is lost. How do these statements refer to the play do you think?

• Here is the beginning of Act II.  Read your handout script along with the actor.
• Part Two.
• Part Three.

Please complete your reading of Happy Days (I suggest watching instead. It's more pleasurable, I think.) By next week, you should have posted a forum response on Beckett (due Dec. 21). See forum for question. 

More Samuel Beckett: Come & Go; Play

Today in your journals/notebooks, please write 5 metaphors. While one half of the metaphor may be a grand human idea: freedom, love, justice, revenge, marriage, hope, wealth, etc. the metaphor you create should be fairly concrete: "hope is a thing with feathers", "love is a battlefield", "revenge is a dish best served cold". Come up with 5 metaphors. 

Now let's chat about absurdism.

Although various classical and important plays have toyed with absurd situations, it was the futility of WWII combined with the surreal and existential that birthed such a movement. When any moment we are threatened with total destruction, what else is there to do but sit stunned and blankly in misunderstanding, or weave a web of words that lack meaning?

Traditional theater often attempts to show a realistic portrayal of life. Situations and characters are firmly rooted in reality and the common human actions that result in drama. Most plays trust the word. Words we use carry meaning. But what occurs when, with the threat of nuclear annihilation, we are not able to use our human reason and the symbol of such reason (our words) to alter our own fate? If we remove the trust in language, reason, logic, and traditional conventions of story telling, we are left with something that has no inherent meaning, but in that shape is given meaning by its opposite. Modern life is futile, lacking a sensible God figure, in which the answer to the question "what is the meaning of life?" is a resounding blackness or emptiness. All is meaningless, particularly that which is supposed to bring the comfort of meaning (i.e., words). 

Other playwrights (some of whom we will visit again next year) in this style or mode are: Eugène Ionesco, Jean Genet, and Harold Pinter, although these writers were not always comfortable with the label "absurdist" and preferred to use terms such as "Anti-Theater" or "New Theater", these writers attempted to create metaphors for human life out of the chaos that is called absurd. Other contemporary playwrights associated with this type of theatre include Tom Stoppard, Arthur Kopit, Edward Albee, Peter Weiss, Vaclav Havel, and Jean Tardieu. Neil Simon they are not.

In the hands of playwrights like Samuel Beckett, the portrayal of a such meaningless absurdity becomes a metaphor for our own modern lives--filled as they are with anxiety, fear, hesitation, incompetence, misunderstanding, and the lack of fulfillment.

Today we will watch two short plays by Beckett: Come and Go and Play. "Play" with actor Alan Rickman.

After viewing the two plays, you will have two options. One is to read Samuel Beckett's play Happy Days by yourself in the lab. The other is to complete the following:

1. Choose one of your metaphors and twist it into a premise for a short 10-minute or actually 5-minute play. You will need to know what you want to say about the human condition. If you chose hope, for example, what is your opinion of hope for us humans in this crazy world? Philosophize. Make a point. Have an opinion. Once you have a premise (a one or two sentence concept for a play), move on to the next part of this exercise:

2. Brainstorm possible settings (remember that you want to rely on metaphor/symbol rather than common sense and logic), characters (characters are often allegorical, representing ideas), and infuse your props and costumes (also part of a setting) with meaning as we did last class with our brainstorming exercise.

3. After you have a setting, and a character or two, begin writing. Now. This is the trick...write. Don't worry about plot. Don't worry about meaning. Focus on your premise, yes, but don't worry about the lines. Let them flow from you quickly, without your brain getting in the way. Words in the absurdist sense are meaningless, so why worry about words? Yes, they should be real words (those which for humans have a meaning), but when spouted out one after the other like a water hose, they, too, cannot be relied on to convey any kind of truth.

Write for the rest of the period without stopping. Force your way through writer's block. At the end of class write a line that repeats or states your metaphor.

4. Take the script home with you and add details, dialogue, stage directions, and anything else that you can think of within the time limit of having the play draft done by next class. Don't judge your work. Just work with it.

HOMEWORK: For next class, please read ACT ONE of Happy Days. If you spent your time reading today in the lab, go home and complete the writing portion of this assignment. Follow the same steps as above. Stop judging yourself and write. You should have both the draft and ACT ONE of the play ready for next class.

Waiting for Godot: Part II

This morning please warm up with the following activity (you may work with a partner or alone):

1. Make a column in your notebook/journal of common things. Props or objects.
2. Make a second column of ideas or feelings (ideas might be DEMOCRACY, or TRUTH, or TRANSUBSTANTIATION, or HUMANISM, for example; Feelings are, well, feelings.

Make sure both columns are equal in number. Please wait for further instructions for this exercise.

After our journal writing, please gather in the groups you had last class and continue reading the play: Waiting for Godot. As you read, please examine, discuss, and fill out the reading questions given to you in class. Turn these in by the end of class today.

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete the play, please do so over the weekend. You may find the entire play in video here: Waiting For Godot. Please feel free to watch the staging and how the actors interpret the play. Compare your vision of the play with the production.

REMINDER: Please watch Endgame and post your response to the forum for extra credit (links and material can be found in the previous post).

Wrapping up a marking period

Please take the first 5 minutes of class to review for your quiz. See Cherry Orchard Acts III & IV  post below for a complete list of topics possible on the quiz.

When you have completed your quiz, please read about the advice on the post below and Absurdist Style. Take notes on Beckett and view a clip of Endgame. After 1st period, we will begin reading Waiting for Godot. More details about small groups will be forthcoming in class.

Samuel Beckett, Endgame & Act I of Waiting for Godot

Samuel Beckett: (Beckett will separate the true playwrights from those who just pretend to be talented or intelligent)
Perhaps one of the strangest plays you are likely to see (there are several, actually--see below) is Samuel Beckett's End Game.

The story involves Hamm, a blind old invalid unable to stand, and his servant Clov, who cannot sit down. They live by the sea in a tiny house. The dialogue suggests that there is nothing left outside—no sea, no sun, no clouds. The two mutually dependent characters have been fighting for years and continue to do so as the play progresses. Clov always wants to leave but never seems to be able (similar to the characters in Waiting for Godot). Also present on stage are Hamm's legless parents Nagg and Nell, who live in trash cans upstage who also bicker continuously or talk inanely.

"The English title is taken from the last part of a chess game, when there are very few pieces left. Beckett himself was known to be an avid chess player; the struggle of Hamm to accept the end can be compared to the refusal of novice players to admit defeat, whereas experts normally resign after a serious blunder or setback."

Endgame lacks action, in Beckett's typical absurdist style. Critics have compared this play with Shakespeare's Hamlet (the protagonist Hamm, for example, is thought to be a shortened version of the name).

The implication in the play is that the characters live in an unchanging, static state. Each day contains the actions and reactions of the day before, until each event takes on an almost ritualistic quality. It is made clear, through the text, that the characters have a past (most notably through Nagg and Nell who conjure up memories of tandem rides in the Ardennes). However, there is no indication that they may have a future. Even the death of Nell, which occurs towards the end of the play, is greeted with a lack of surprise." The play suggests the futility of life, and the random boredom, argument for argument sake, and the waste of human effort.

This scene occurs just after Clov has his opening soliloquy, then is joined by Hamm, who establishes the master/servant relationship between the two characters. Nell and Nagg will appear half-way through the scene to complete the company.

Here's the continuation of the scene. If you like what you're seeing, feel free to watch the rest of the show. Check the sidebar on Youtube to see the continuing scenes or you can view this complete version with actor Michael Gambon (better known as Dumbledore). This production is about 1:35 minutes and is worth extra credit, if you post about your opinions of it on the forum.

Feel free to watch Endgame on your own. We will continue our work with Samuel Beckett next class.

HOMEWORK: It is likely you have read up to Act II, if you have not for some reason, please complete Act I for homework. Begin brainstorming ideas for your next play. Make a list of character names and types; make a list of conflicts; check out the links to the side of this post (36 dramatic situations, for example) and begin mining ideas. Bring these ideas with you to next class.

Absurdism

Weather got you down? Feeling as if there's no point to life? Check out this style of writing...

Characteristics of Absurdism:

1. Characters are often threatened by an unknown outside force.
2. The world or diegesis of the play/film is unpredictable or lacks meaning which the characters must contend with.
3. There is often an element of horror or tragedy; characters are often in hopeless situations or trapped.
4. Dialogue is often playful, full of nonsense, repetition, or engages in silly wordplay or banter.
5. Plays are often funny, although theme is usually serious and symbolic. Absurdist theatre is often called "tragicomedy", having elements of broad humor and tragedy.
6. There is often a good deal of farce (mistaken identity, physical comedy, slapstick, sudden entrances and interruptions, etc.)
7. Theatre of the absurd often presents characters failing at something without suggesting a solution to the problem. Characters are often "losers" who cannot dig themselves out of the problems they find themselves in.
8. Characters are often unable to communicate with others (particularly about their feelings, desires, or needs).
9. Plot is often cyclical or repetitive.
10. Plots have a dreamlike or surreal quality to them, akin to nightmare. Plot events are often taken at face value; characters are unwilling or uninterested in examining "why?" something happens and instead react to "what" happens. Therefore plot is often lacking the cause. The effect is often stressed as being more important.

 For no point in particular, let's go check out Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

HOMEWORK: None. Please bring your plays back with you to next class.

More & More Advice: Character

Remember that plays are essentially about characters. A character can drive a plot forward based on the needs and motivation of that character. A well written character is constructed to be believable (human) and so there are a few ways we can ensure this:

1. Characters are often aspects of the writer. Shatter your personality into fragments, with each fragment a part of YOU. Remember that there are opposites to your standard behavior and personality. If you are a quiet, shy person, perhaps your shadow-self is a loud-mouthed bully.

2. Make your characters make decisions. Conflict and plot are driven by decisions. You need characters who are willing to risk everything for what they want/need. Or by contrast, characters, like Chekhov's people, who do nothing but are still interesting characters whose inaction pushes the play forward.

3. Characters have a function. Whether archetypical, stereotypical, as a foil, or as a protagonist or antagonist, characters serve a function and purpose in a play. Characters that do not, should be removed.

4. The better the author knows his/her character, the better he/she can develop the character through characterization.

The Cherry Orchard: Acts III & IV

Today in class we will complete our viewing of The Cherry Orchard. Next class we will have a short marking period quiz that will cover the following material:

Anton Chekhov, Constantine Stanislavski, The Moscow Art Theatre, subtext, the building blocks of dialogue, play tips, play length: the ten minute versus the one-act, the one-act versus the full length: two act, three act, four act play, play development (handout), the scenario, Charles Busch, cross-dressing in the theater, commedia dell'arte, theatrical genres: realism, drama, tragedy, sentimental comedy, farce, dark comedy, situational comedy, satire or parody, working with actors and the play reading experience, rewriting, etc.

You should also be familiar with the terms: the premise, the event (9/26), major decision, protagonist, antagonist, major dramatic question (MDQ), inciting incident, conflict, crisis, complication, dark moment, enlightenment, the three unities of time, place, action, verisimilitude, Aristotle and the six parts of a play: plot, character, theme or idea, music, spectacle, language or diction, catharsis, the trap, the time lock, Sarcey's principle of offstage action, the scenes, acts, beats, and so on.

More Advice

Remember:

1. Dramatic action occurs when a character decides to do something either because of circumstances or in spite of consequences. Characters must ACT (since it's part of their name).

2. Remember imagery. Remember to use interesting, specific diction. Use your literary devices that you have learned about. Use them.

3. Effective dramatic action is character initiated that goes beyond simply reacting.

4. A character's motivation is an attempt to turn a negative situation or event into a positive one.

5. Motivations for characters are driven by human needs/desires: revenge, injustice, ambition, haunting memories, sick relatives, economic issues, etc.--these are obvious choices. Make sure your characters are motivated.

6. There is often a catalyst that causes a problem for the characters. The catalyst should be a major event or situation in your play's premise.

7. Characters should have a function in the story and/or for the proper staging of your play.

8. Supporting characters reflect on, contrast, or "support" your main characters.

9. Remember the time lock; the events in your play need to happen in a limited time frame.

10. Conceal exposition through conflict. Turn exposition into "ammunition" (Robert McKee says).

Cherry Orchard: Acts 1 & 2; Lab: Play Draft Due!

After viewing Acts I & II of The Cherry Orchard, we will return to the lab to work on completing our play drafts. Check the rubric below for details about grading. Your One-Act play draft should be longer in general than a 10-minute play (you should already know how to write these), but do not worry too much about length in and of itself. It is better that your writing is well done and that you've written a compelling script with interesting characters, an intriguing plot, and a well crafted play structure. I am looking for your understanding of the principles of script writing that I have been teaching you for the past two years.

With that in mind, your script is due Friday by end of day. I will not see you tomorrow, so if you do not turn in your work during class, please make sure you turn in the draft. Drafts should have a title page with your name on it and the cast list and character descriptions as is usual for the playwriting format. Please proofread your work.

NOTE: Do not delay. Our printer has been acting up lately. Please make sure you can deliver a hard-copy of your script to me by Friday by 3:00. I do not want electronic submissions unless I okay this for you in person. Attachments always seem to get "lost" or files end up being "corrupted"...

HOMEWORK: Draft due. Also: please post on our forum for either Uncle Vanya or The Three Sisters. Forum posts are due by 11:59 Friday. SOTA's production of Peter Pan is occurring this week. If you watch the play and write about it on the forum, you will gain extra credit for this marking period's participation grade. Any missing work must be turned in by next week!

Play Script Due & The Cherry Orchard

We have been working most days in the lab since November 1 on a scenario and script draft for a one-act or even full length play. Your draft work should reflect the amount of time we have spent in the lab. While we have read a few plays (Charles Busch & Anton Chekhov, for example) over seven classes have been spent in the lab working partially or full time on your drafts.

Use the first period today to continue writing your scripts. See homework section and rubric for your draft below.

4 = Exemplary (A/A+): Play is written in correct (standard) playwriting format for actors/directors. Title is intriguing, symbolic, and/or original. Plot structure adheres to and enhances Aristotelian elements; Cause and effect is well done, logical and creative; conflict is intriguing and creative; the playwrights' message is universal and comments thoughtfully on the human condition; play has intriguing, original characters; setting is original and interesting, but also practical for theatrical space; stage directions are specific, producible, enhance the action of the play and do not get in the actor/reader's way; dialogue is original, compelling, appropriate for characters; characters have clear and appropriate motivation; there is a clear progression of conflict/events, leading to a dark moment (crisis), enlightenment, and climax for the protagonist; dialogue sounds natural; play follows the three unities of time, place, action (when appropriate); scenes are well developed, each ending with a climactic moment, constantly moving the plot forward; staging is creative, appropriate and play is clever and producible. Few or very minor grammar errors.

3 = Accomplished (B/B+): Play is written in standard publishing playwriting format, or format for actors/directors has a few mistakes. Title is appropriate, but may not be as clever or creative as 4 above. Plot is appropriate and uses several Aristotelian elements, but not to the same level as 4. Cause and effect is more or less appropriate for the situation; playwright has a message, but may not be as original or creative as 4. Setting is appropriate and practical, but not as clever or interesting as 4. Stage directions are used appropriately; dialogue is appropriate for verisimilitude of characters and setting; dialogue mostly sounds natural; play mostly follows unities, but may rely on one more than another; main characters have appropriate motivation, with some errors or lack of development; scenes are developed, but may not always progress the plot; staging is appropriate and producible, but not as clever as 4. Some grammar errors.

2 = Promising (C/C+): Play attempts standard playwriting format, but may have several errors. Title is present, but does not necessarily support theme, tone, or symbol. Plot borders on cliche or sentimentality; plot may lack some Aristotelian elements. Cause occurs without effect or there are errors in plotting; playwrights' message may be trite or melodramatic or over done; characters may be unoriginal, lacking motivation or development; setting is standard and largely uninteresting; dialogue sounds stilted or melodramatic, unreal; play does not always follow the unities; characters may lack motivation or play includes too many minor characters; scenes are sketchy or undeveloped, conflict is too easily resolved; scenes may not advance the plot; staging is awkward or expensive or cinematic; grammar errors distract the reader/actor.

1 = Beginning (D): Play is not in playwriting format. Title is absent or untitled. Play may be incomplete, plot and characters flat or undeveloped, or as a "2" but may also be late. Dialogue is awkward, unnatural, or non-specific. Work is not up to 11th grade level or standards. Grammar mistakes and writing errors make reading difficult.

During 2nd period we will begin screening The Cherry Orchard. Please complete the handout while viewing.

HOMEWORK: Please select one Chekhov play: either Uncle Vanya or The Three Sisters and read it. Please respond to the play and its question on the forum by Nov. 30. Your play script draft is due next class. Please take steps to complete this assignment by next class. Your play should be at least one-act in length and illustrate your understanding of key playwriting format and concepts.

The Seagull: Acts III & IV

Set design for The Seagull

Act III: We have moved into an interior setting, a dining room.

A quick note about interior and exterior sets:

Interior settings often symbolize personal issues (private affairs, family secrets, etc.) whereas exterior settings often symbolize the community or public issues (society, etc.) Read this way, the first two acts of The Seagull were the events focused in the community, the public face of these characters. In Acts III & IV, we go inside to air their sordid laundry in a more private manner.

Masha announces her decision to marry Medvedenko, the poor school master. Sorin, still in bad health, worries about Constantine, who has tried to kill himself. Sorin’s fainting spells have become common. He pleads with his mother to show generosity and loan Sorin money so that he could move into town. She refuses and changes her son's bandages. For the first time in the play, Constantine speaks kindly to his mother. When the subject of Trigorin enters the conversation, mother and son begin to fight again. At his mother’s urging, he agrees to call off the duel. He leaves as Trigorin enters. The writer is enraptured by Nina, and Irina is aware of this fascination. Trigorin wants Irina to set him free from their stale relationship so that he can pursue Nina. Irina is insulted but begs him not to leave. She is so desperately pathetic that he agrees to maintain their passionless relationship. However, as they prepare to leave the estate, Nina informs Trigorin that she is running away to Moscow to become an actress. Trigorin gives her the name of his hotel. Act Three ends as Trigorin and Nina share a passionate kiss.

We will read Act IV during class. After the play please respond to the questions in our discussion.

With time remaining, please continue to work on your one-act/full-length play projects. This project will be due after break, so please save or send yourself files to work on if you are not far in the project.

HOMEWORK: Please select one Chekhov play: either Uncle Vanya or The Three Sisters (we will be viewing The Cherry Orchard in class) and read it. Please respond to the play and its question on the forum by Nov. 30.

The Seagull: Act Two

After our quiz on Act One, we will read Act Two of the Seagull. Please read Act III and any part of Act II that we do not complete today in class for Wednesday.

During period two, please use the time in the lab to complete homework or continue writing the draft of your play. A completed draft of your script will be due after Thanksgiving break.

HOMEWORK: Please read Acts II & III of The Seagull. Note how Chekhov builds the tension, develops character, and presents us with a human issues and themes dealing with love, life, nature, and/or death.

Chekhov & Subtext

Russian Playwright and short story writer, Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull is the first of what are generally considered to be his four major plays (The Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard are the others). The Seagull was written in 1895 and produced in 1896. It dramatizes the romantic and artistic conflicts between four characters: the fading leading actress Irina Arkadina, her son the experimental playwright Constantine Treplieff, the ingénue Nina, and the author Trigorin.

Similar to Chekhov's other full-length plays, The Seagull relies upon an ensemble cast of fully-developed (and quirky) characters. In contrast to the melodrama of the mainstream theatre of the 19th century, actions (example: Constantin's suicide attempts) are not always shown onstage. Characters tend to speak in ways that skirt around issues rather than addressing them directly, a dramatic practice known as subtext. In fact, it is this failure to communicate that creates much of the conflict in Chekhov’s work.

The play alludes to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Arkadina and Treplieff quote lines from it before the play-within-a-play (and even the play-within-a-play is a device used in Hamlet!) Treplieff seeks to win his mother’s favor back from Trigorin, much as Hamlet tries to win Gertrude back from his uncle Claudius.

The opening night of the first production was a failure. “Vera Komissarzhevskaya, playing Nina, was so intimidated by the hostility of the audience that she lost her voice. Chekhov left the audience and spent the last two acts behind the scenes. When supporters wrote to him that the production later became a success, he assumed they were just trying to be kind.” When Constantin Stanislavski (a famous director and acting teacher) directed the Seagull in 1898 for the Moscow Art Theatre, the play was successful and well regarded. Stanislavski's production of The Seagull became "one of the greatest events in the history of Russian theatre and one of the greatest new developments in the history of world drama."

Here are a few clips:
Uncle Vanya (the entire production)
The Cherry Orchard

The Seagull (the play scene - Ballet)
The Seagull (action figure theatre)

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY CONCEPT:
Subtext: what is not said in a character's line. The subtext are the subtle details or clues used by the actor to develop his/her character.

HOMEWORK: Please complete Act I of the Seagull. 

Writing Advice

Writing (whether scripts, poems, non-fiction, or fiction) is all about making choices. We can run into trouble if we are too unfocused, unwilling to make a definite choice, or are too critical--freezing us in our writing tracks because we are too worried about the outcome (the choice we could make). That is why writing or planning a scenario can be helpful to some writers.

Writing a little at a time without a filter may be the best "choice" a writer who cannot seem to move ahead can make. If you are spinning your creative wheels or have not decided on the WHO, WHAT, and WHERE of your scene, go back to the brainstorming process and decide WHO, WHAT, or WHERE.

Some tips based on your concerns (in no particular order):
Being specific: diction is an important element to good writing. A writer who has not made choices cannot be specific. Abstraction can be harmful to a play's theme, plot, characters, setting, etc. Without specifics characterization and theme cannot occur. Write about specifics by choosing a specific character with a specific problem. Avoid characters that are general or non-specific in this case: the waitress, man #1 or woman #2. Instead of the setting taking place at a house, choose a specific room. During a first draft abstraction can be written in if you don't know what you want yet. During a second or third revision our focus should be clearer. For a first draft, don't worry too much about being non-specific.

Characters: If you planned for a certain character and then realize that you don't need that character, you can change your mind and remove the character. Do not be a slave to your scenario. If you feel the need to change something that doesn't fit or use a character that is not essential to the plot, you may remove them.

Tone & Comedy: When trying to be funny, witty, clever, or what-have-you, try not to force the issue. Some writers are funny and use excellent comic tone, seeing the potential for comedy in the serious or the ordinary. People who are trying to be funny rarely are. Comedy is based on clever wit & word choice, understatement/hyperbole, irony, sequencing, farce, and a host of other subtle elements. There are different types of comedy and you should decide the kind of comedy style you want to use in a play. Sentimental comedy, for example, is not the same as farce or absurdist comedy. Also, an actor can also provide much of the comic timing and skill needed to be funny. As a writer, focus on telling a good and compelling story. This is largely developing your characters so that they are round, dynamic people.

Writing Yourself into a Corner & Getting Stuck: if you are happy with a scene or two, but then continue to write a section that traps you or where you want to go back, there are two things to consider: 1. are you trying to be too controlling, forcing the story into a predetermined box? or 2. can you keep on and allow your story to grow organically? It is important for writers to listen to your instincts. In any case, as a first draft, anything can be changed, cut, or developed in the next draft. If you answered #1, and wish to proceed, go back to the offending decision or moment where you realized you went off track and start again from that point. Careful not to constantly reboot your work or you will get nowhere.

Stage Directions: if you don't like stage directions or find they are getting in the way of the flow of your writing, don't use them. Limit stage directions only to absolutely essential information or action. It is customary to provide a basic description of the set or setting, characters' entrances or exits, and indicate transitions between scenes or acts. Nothing else is needed.

The Building Blocks of Dialogue

Dialogue isn't just talking. Dialogue HAPPENS. It happens when your characters' need to speak. It is also how they listen (or not listen), and the connotation, nuance, color and subtext of what they say, how they say it, and why they say it. Good dialogue is the result of well-defined characters in a well-structured plot. They may be compelled to speak (or not), but they should have a REASON for speaking.

Here are some tips to consider:

1. We usually talk because we want to communicate some need. If we want nothing, we say nothing, usually. We also speak when we want to: threaten, teach, explain, cajole, joke, murmur, pontificate, defend ourselves, apologize, seduce evade, pout, challenge, yell, scold, cry, etc.

2. Dialogue is action. It is an action taken to satisfy a want or desire. What a character wants or desires moves them to speak and act. This is part of characterization--and the best way to build your character.

3. When we don't get what we want (often immediately), humans tend to become shy, aggressive, or hide our agendas in our words. This is often our subtext (the meaning hidden in a line of dialogue; or saying one thing, but meaning another) and is very important to actors. It is often this subtext that a good actor will uncover in a performance.

4. Characters have to hear each other. Characters often do not listen the same way. Characters interpret what is being said, ask questions, ignore speech, get confused, miss a meaning and even read special meaning into something that has no meaning. Listening, therefore, will often help build the conflict and drama in your scene. A response reveals something important about the listener. How a character hears, then, is an important point to consider.

More on subtext next class.

TODAY IN THE LAB: Please continue writing your plays with the dialogue advice in mind.

HOMEWORK: None. Unless you are far behind in your writing and need to catch up.

Play Project: a note about length

Remember that plays come in many sizes and not all plots and characters fit into these spaces easily.

If your play is short consider the following information/advice:

You will need a premise: the organizing theme or idea that defines everything in the play. A good premise will indicate an interesting inciting incident to help you start off your drama with some effective action or conflict, and will carry you through to the end of your play. The things to remember about 10-minute or one act plays is that they are similar to short stories:

• They have a premise
• They have a dramatic situation (setting, characters in action, & a complication)
• They have a beginning, middle, and end
• They have a tight structure (most never change scene or setting)
• They are at most 10 pages long (10-minute plays) or about 15-30 (one-acts).
• There are usually fewer than five characters. Often two or three. But longer one acts can have more.
• The beginning of the play starts at a very early POINT OF ATTACK.
• By the end of the first page or the second the argument or conflict has been presented.
• The play usually has only one conflict and one plot line.
• There is not much exposition. By the first page, exposition has been stated.
• The end of the play falls very close to the climax. Only a few lines are devoted to resolution.
• Most plays deal with the exceptionally brief, but powerful moment in a character's life.

Take ideas from your journal, reading, or handouts, or your own memory & imagination; check the 38 dramatic situations for help (see link page to the side) if you can't think of anything. As you are working from a scenario, use the scenario to plan and plot your play. Remember to include your theme. What's the play about?: love, nature, life, death are the typical themes. There is usually a message about the theme: i.e., what do you want to say about love, nature, life, or death?

Longer plays have more time for character development. They often include more scenes or moments in a character's life. While these are still important scenes (they should be) each scene builds on the previous one to create an effective plot. Usually there is a dark moment just before the end of the first act. Full-length plays are usually about 50 or more pages in length.

Writing the First Draft: Writing Tips

Before you write today, please watch these videos, particularly if you have trouble with these areas when writing. On an index card, indicate ONE tip or useful idea from each video. #6 below is optional and for those of you who still are having trouble with your play script format.

Video #1: Top Tips
Video #2: Status Quo
Video #3: Building a Plot 
Video #4: Tips About Writing Dialogue
Video #5: How to Create Characters
Video #6: Formatting a play script (optional viewing, for those who don't understand the form)

After watching, use the time in lab to write your play draft using your scenario. Please remember to post your response to one of Busch's plays to the forum by tomorrow. At 9:30 some of us are going to Geva. Anyone left behind, please join Ms. Perez in the 3rd floor lab and continue working on your assignment.

HOMEWORK: Forum post. Catch up if you are behind. A list of late homework and assignments is posted below.

Missing Homework

Just a reminder that many of you have been missing homework assignments. Check blog posts regularly (even if you are absent!)

Homework (so far): '
1. Please read the article on Play Development. Identify ONE thing that you think is important for you to learn from this article about workshopping a play. Write this one thing on paper and hand in. Post assigned Oct. 12; due Oct. 19.
2. Please read the chapter handout and answer the questions about scenarios. In your JOURNAL or notebook, begin a "titles" page as illustrated in the chapter. You will be able to use this "titles" page for both Contemporary Writers and Playwriting. (Oct 21 post assigned; due Oct. 23)
3. Please read and watch John Guare's "The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year." Compare the reading to the performance. Would John Guare be pleased with the production? Why or why not?(Oct 23 post assigned; due Oct 25)
4. Use the time in lab today to rewrite your play (or plays). Create a second draft. (Oct 23 post assigned; due Oct. 25/Oct. 26/Nov. 1)
5. Read and write a one-sentence summary of each article and 1 important fact or detail you think is essential or interesting): An article about cross-dressing and theatre,  and pantomime, commedia dell'arte, Charles Busch's Introduction (ix-xix) 
6. Please read any ONE play by Charles Busch in the collection you have. Forum post due Nov. 8.

Coffee House: November 15

November 15, we will be holding a Coffee House reading performance at 7:00 in the Ensemble Theater. Please attend and read. Extra credit available for participants.

Theatrical Genres

Plays are often divided between two major types: comedy and tragedy. Both forms have been recognized for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greek times. Together they represent the scope of human life.

The following, though, are theatrical styles that can be applied to either the comedy or tragic form.

• Realism
• Romanticism
• Expressionism
• Aburdism
• Epic

Comedy as a genre can be divided into:

sentimental comedy: comedy of ordinary people, centering around ordinary problems, fears, and troubles...but all ends happily in the end. You Can't Take it With You and most of Neil Simon's comedies are sentimental.
Farce: characters are caught in a fast-paced, improbable, often satirical situation or circumstance. Farce is by-and-large physical, having a lot of mistaken identity, exits and entrances that cause confusion, and silly prat-falls or schtick. Moliere's comedies were farces, as is the early work of Alan Aykborn. Vampire Lesbians of Sodom might likely fit this category.
Dark Comedy/Black Comedy: Comedies that poke fun at serious issues. Characters are often grotesque or over-the-top, and situations usually end badly for one or more characters in the play. It's gallows humor. Examples include much of Christopher Durang's work.
Situational Comedies: probably best left to television, this is comedy that revolves around a situation or "plot" more so than focusing on character. It's a humorous situation with stock characters placed in funny or odd situations. Its subject matter usually revolves around safe and commonplace themes.
Satire or Parody: These poke fun. In satire, the object is to poke fun at something serious to show its folly. In parody, the object is to poke fun at a form, fashion, expression, or style.

Tragedy can be divided into:

Drama: plays that are concerned with the search for the meaning of life, or designed to help an audience deal with factors in human life that cause suffering and/or conflict. The general drama is not as "tragic" as the typical tragedy, as it is not always life-threatening. 

 Please note and know these forms. Put them in your notes/journal.

Scenario

Try one of these exercises. Create a scenario for one of these options:

1.  Use the charts you and your group created last class: choose a setting, time period, a secret, a name or two. Create a message to send to the world through this play. Then create!

2. Choose a historical figure and one of the types of comedy. Mash the two things together. Perhaps King Tut is going out on his first date with his sister? or Shakespeare finds himself trapped in an absurdist situation. Pick a historical character, choose a genre and think about the possibilities!

3. Create characters based on old Commedia Dell'Arte or pantomime plays (see below, Oct. 26 post), but update them for today's contemporary audience.

4. Play around with the idea of cross-dressing. Consider the types of comedy. Come up with situations and reasons why a girl dresses like a guy or a guy dresses like a girl.

A scenario, might I remind you, has the following information:

1. A working title (check your titles file)
2. Character list (with names and 1-2 sentence description)
3. Divide your play into breaks. Will this be a full length (2-act play)? Or will it be a long one act? Will it have more than one scene?
4. Write a SUMMARY description of each scene or act. Remember to consider premise, major dramatic questions (MDQ), plot structure: exposition, inciting action, rising action, crisis, dark moment, climax, enlightenment, denouement, resolution, etc., theme, and genre (comedy, tragedy, drama, absurdist, etc.)

Turn in your scenario by end of class today.

HOMEWORK: Please read any ONE play by Charles Busch in the collection you have.You will post a response to the forum by Friday.

Scenario & Vampire Lesbians of Sodom

Please turn in your homework. See previous post for details.

During period 1, we will complete our reading of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom.

In the lab: 

Try one of these exercises. Create a scenario for one of these options:

1.  Use the charts you and your group created last class: choose a setting, time period, a secret, a name or two. Create a message to send to the world through this play. Then create!

2. Choose a historical figure and one of the types of comedy. Mash the two things together. Perhaps King Tut is going out on his first date with his sister? or Shakespeare finds himself trapped in an absurdist situation. Pick a historical character, choose a genre and think about the possibilities!

3. Create characters based on old Commedia Dell'Arte or pantomime plays (see below), but update them for today's contemporary audience.

4. Play around with the idea of cross-dressing. Consider the types of comedy. Come up with situations and reasons why a girl dresses like a guy or a guy dresses like a girl.

A scenario, might I remind you, has the following information:

1. A working title (check your titles file)
2. Character list (with names and 1-2 sentence description)
3. Divide your play into breaks. Will this be a full length (2-act play)? Or will it be a long one act? Will it have more than one scene?
4. Write a SUMMARY description of each scene or act. Remember to consider premise, major dramatic questions (MDQ), plot structure: exposition, inciting action, rising action, crisis, dark moment, climax, enlightenment, denouement, resolution, etc., theme, and genre (comedy, tragedy, drama, absurdist, etc.)

Turn in your scenario by end of class today.

HOMEWORK: Please read any ONE play by Charles Busch in the collection you have.

Brainstorming & Charles Busch

Plays often start with a conviction, a belief, or some issue that a playwright wants to expose, examine, or discuss. In the plays we have read, such themes as suicide, HIV, dying, racism, self-deprecation, aging, dating, feminism, etc. have been used.

In order to begin your journey into writing plays, join a group of 2-3 and take a moment to brainstorm some ideas:

Brainstorming; Doodling or Cave Drawing; Listing:

• If you were going to die tomorrow, and this play includes your last words to the human race, what MUST you say before you go? Make a list of things you HAVE to say to the world.
• Make a list of common, ordinary settings. Make a list of uncommon or unusual settings.
• Make a few quick sketches of important moments or scenes.
• Jot down time periods that interest you. Choose time periods other than our contemporary period.
• Make a list of secrets that people you don't know have. Assume a good friend told you these secrets. What are the secrets?
• Make a list of relatively well known stories, poems, books, or films that you hated (or loved) enough to poke fun at. 

Charles Busch:

Please take a look at Charles Busch's blog. He has placed a variety of play video clips here. Take a look at a few of these. His official website is located here.

Please watch a few video clips, read an interview or two with the author, and learn a little about his background. Please take the next 15 minutes to view this material.

HOMEWORK: PLEASE READ (on index card, write a one-sentence summary of each article and 1 important fact or detail you think is essential or interesting):

• An article about cross-dressing and theatre
• Since theatre began, cross-dressing has been a common occurrence on the stage. As far back as ancient Greek theatre, male actors acted both male and female roles on stage. Later in pantomime, commedia dell'arte, and medieval theatre the tradition continued. Of course, Shakespeare and his contemporaries also used cross-dressing in Elizabethan theatre. Many of Shakespeare's funniest comedies use the trope of cross-dressing, for example: Twelfth Night, As You Like It, and even the Merchant of Venice.
• Charles Busch's Introduction (ix-xix) 

Rewriting & Play Length

Please turn in your homework. Keep your "titles" list in your journal.

Revision:

Please spend some time today rewriting. The post-reading revision can be difficult. You saw your play on-stage, you saw what the actors did (or not do) with your play, you saw your baby exposed for all the world to see.

Some key questions to ask yourself:
1. What were you trying to convey or "do" when writing your play? I.E., what was your PREMISE?
2. Was your premise realized or communicated?
3. What was the major dramatic question in the play, and was it answered satisfactorily by the end?
4. Were your techniques working? Was the dialogue interesting, compelling, dramatic, poetic? Were your characters interesting, compelling? Was the plot interesting, compelling, important? Was the action of the play clear, compelling, appropriate?
5. Was your play worth the time and effort to produce and watch? Did it convey a valuable idea, or did it just rehash old, worn out ideas? Did the play help anyone understand life, society, or the world? Was the end result worth it?
6. Were you proud of your work?

Answering "no" to any of these means you need a rewrite.

Additional tips about rewriting a play can be found in the previous post (see below).

Use the time in lab today to rewrite your play (or plays). Create a second draft. 

Play Structure & Length
Plays come in only a few flavors structurally:
1. The Five-Act Play (popular with Shakespeare and the Elizabethan stage)
2. The Four-Act Play (popular with Chekhov and Russian Modern theater)
3. The Three-Act Play (popular in the early part of the 20th century)
4. The Two-Act Play (popular now; and the preferred length of a full-length play)
5. Full length One Act Play (ex. Freud's Last Session; Night Mother, etc.) There is no intermission, the play is about the length of a film.
6. Short One Act. (Usually 15 minutes to an hour)
7. 10-minute Play (short, short plays anywhere from 3 minutes to 15). You should be familiar with these by now.

HOMEWORK: Please read and watch John Guare's "The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year." Compare the reading to the performance. Would John Guare be pleased with the production? Why or why not?

The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year (part 1)
The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year (part 2)

Last Public Readings & Rewriting

Today, we will conduct our final public readings with the actors. When we are done (either today or next class, Wednesday) we will revise some of our work while the play is still fresh in our minds. To help you out, please read the following advice:

Some advice:

1. You are the writer. Therefore you have complete control over your written script. If you disagree with an actor's ideas or complaints about your script, that's fine. Focus on the material you need or want to change rather than the bickering of non-professionals. Everybody's a critic when it comes to movies and stage plays.

2. Your actor/other writers are your fresh eyes. They may have some good advice about what is not working in the script. You need to be open-minded and trust the revision process. Change those things in your script that you feel will STRENGTHEN your play.

3. Just because something isn't working right now in the script may not be reason enough to change it. A skilled director or actor can find and pull out wonderful things in your script. On the other hand, if the talent isn't there--the talent isn't there. If it didn't work with this cast or director, consider its importance to the scene and consider getting rid of it.

4. Revise grammar and syntax to make lines comfortable and easy for the actor. Not sure what's wrong? Check with a partner, ask a teacher, or do it yourself (you'll ultimately be responsible for your own writing ability after graduating from high school). Here's a website that may help with grammar problems. You can find thousands of these helpful sites on the web, there are grammar books in the library, you have been taught enough grammar in ELA classes over the years. If you don't know something by now, look it up and learn it! You have the power!

5. Plays utilize realistic speech, but lines of dialogue are NOT real speech. Improve the beauty of your lines by being specific, adding imagery (metaphor, simile, personification, sound imagery with alliteration, assonance, consonance, figurative language), and strong active verbs. Review your diction before making people perform your play again. Language is YOUR art, not the actors--they interpret and present the words through body, voice, and movement.

6. Trust your instincts. If you're bored watching your play, rest assured others will be too.

7. Rearrange and combine or cut plot, scenes, characters, lines. Don't be afraid to revise. Save your work (BEFORE) you revise so that if you want to add that scene or character back in the play later, you can. Word processing programs are cool like that.

Use your time in the lab to complete your rewrites.

HOMEWORK: Please read the chapter handout and answer the questions about scenarios. In your JOURNAL or notebook, begin a "titles" page as illustrated in the chapter. You will be able to use this "titles" page for both Contemporary Writers and Playwriting. Questions are due next class.

Working with Actors; Staged Readings

No two productions of a play are the same. No two actors will play the character you wrote the same way. Each actor brings his/her skills to a role. The more skilled the actor, the better the portrayal. While this can remove slight problems with the script, a strong script (the writing) is absolutely essential to the success of a play.

This is not easy.

To help actors, here's a few tips:

1. Be consistent.
2. Always go through the director if you have a comment or problem with the way your play is being acted.
3. If you DO speak to the actors (like we've been doing), keep your comments and suggestions at their level: i.e., speak to an actor about motivation, character, and action. Do not give them line readings, or gush about the play's theme or philosophical underpinnings. An actor's job is to explore. Let them.
4. Always be polite. No one wants to work with a jerk.

During the staged reading or a rehearsal:

1. Listen to where an actor stumbles or struggles with a line. This is your cue to fix awkward phrasing and/or action.
2. Pay attention to when an actor does not say your line correctly or paraphrases your lines. This also needs cutting, correction, or editing.
3. Come to a reading/rehearsal with a pen and your script. Follow along as the play is performed or acted through and listen for changes, mark your script, take notes, etc.
4. Always be polite. No one wants to work with a jerk.

Today, please have a copy of your script with you and a pen/pencil. During the performance, take notes. Save these for your rewrite. Collect scripts and materials from actors if they have them for you.

HOMEWORK: None.

Blocking & Staging

Please turn in your homework today. In addition, if the play you are working with is NOT the play you wrote originally, please turn in a copy of your original 10-minute play/scene. These plays will be part of your semester portfolio.

By the end of class today, make sure your play is BLOCKED and staged. Insist that the actors run over your scene/play a few times, but take turns to allow all actors/writers to have a chance to rehearse from your group. We will open the main stage theater as well for rehearsal purposes.

HOMEWORK: None.

Play Development

Today with the acting majors, please complete the following:

1. Complete your reading and discussion/workshop of your play.
2. As co-director, you and an acting major (another co-director) will stage and block your play today.
3. Your group should block each play in your group. Help out where you can. While not blocking (if it's not your play and you are not an understudy) go over your play and plan rewrites or revisions.

HOMEWORK: (or complete during down time in the theater) please read the article on Play Development. Identify ONE thing that you think is important for you to learn from this article about workshopping a play. Write this one thing on paper and hand in next class.

Workshopping a Play

Most college and professional programs that people interested in stage writing take as part of their education involve a chance to workshop an original script. While this is ultimately an impossible task for every work you have written, a staged reading or performance is a necessary step in preparing your script for public viewing.

Please print a copy of your play. I have made copies for your actors.  Today we will be dividing you into groups to work with our actors.

More instructions will be forthcoming during class. Please pay attention to get the most out of this exercise.

Play Script: Draft 2 due!

Your play scripts (2nd draft or 1st draft of a second 10-minute play) are due by the end of class today.

Next week we will begin workshopping our plays with the 11th grade drama majors. More details to follow.

If you finish early today, please work on your reading and writing for Ms. Gamzon. Any missing work needs to be completed and turned in asap.

The Book of Liz (conclusion) & Plot Structure

Today we will complete the play The Book of Liz in class. Then move to the lab to continue working on our play drafts.

Play drafts (draft one of a new 10-minute play) (or) (draft two of your original 10-minute play, now a one-act play) should be completed by Friday in the lab.

Consider adding one or more of the following plotting techniques:

Conflict: You know this one: person v. person; person v. self; person v. society/God; person v. nature. Drama means conflict. You've got to have this in each scene or you haven't written a play, but a tableau.
Structural Unity: all parts of the plot (exposition, rising action, turning point, climax, resolution, etc.) should work and fit together. 
Inciting Incident: the point of attack, the inciting incident forces the protagonist into the action of the play's plot. 
Major Dramatic Question (MDQ): the hook that keeps an audience interested in a play; a dramatic question that a reader/viewer wants answered. 
Major decision: A decision a character makes in the plot that creates the turning point for their character. 
The three C's: Conflict, crisis, complication: obstacles characters must face for an interesting and dramatic plot. 
Rising action: your 3 c's create this. Increase tension in a play or scene by increasing the stakes.
The dark moment/crisis: the lowest moment of a character's struggle--when all the world seems lost, the fight unbeatable, the "darkest hour before dawn" -- a stunning reversal of fortune and sense of failure. 
Deus ex machina: a contrived ending. Often one in which the characters did not have a hand in solving. (It is more interesting to see a character deal with their own problems rather than an outside force solving it for them.) literally, a "god from a machine" -- Avoid using this at all costs!
Enlightenment: When the protagonist understands how to defeat the antagonist. A revelation that begins the movement toward a climax)
Climax: the point of highest tension in a play. After the climax, the fates of our characters are determined.
Catharsis
The Event: a uniquely significant moment in the character's life.
The Trap: keeping the characters in the setting. Weather works well for this, as does situation. But a dramatic trap doesn't have to be physical. It can be psychological: for example: guilt traps us a lot, as does addiction, alcoholism, the love of another character, etc.
Time lock: setting up a time limit or specific deadline characters have to meet in order to spur them into action (for example having a script project due...)
Sarcey's Principle of Offstage Action: We are less likely to consider the plausibility of an event if it occurs offstage or before the play begins (part of our exposition). Stage what is believable, talk about everything else.

HOMEWORK: None. If you are far behind in your play script (and would not possibly finish in 2 periods next class, please work on your play(s) for homework. Otherwise, none.

Play Work & The Book of Liz (part one)

Today for the first period, please continue to write your scenes/plays. Now that you have designed your plot, consider using the techniques covered in class in your script (check your reading or the blog posts below if you don't know what these terms mean):

1. The Premise
2. The Major Dramatic Question (MDQ)
3. The inciting incident
4. The major decision
5. Conflict, crisis, complication
6. the rising action
7. The dark moment
8. The enlightenment
9. The climax
10. The catharsis

These 10 items constitute the standard formula for playwriting.

During the 2nd half of our class, we will go next door to read Amy and David Sedaris' The Book of Liz as you are reading please identify these 10 standards of playwriting. See handout.

HOMEWORK: If you are far behind us, please work on your play. Additionally, please read the handout which will conclude our analysis of plot and story structure. It is important for you to learn these key terms and concepts, look for them in others writing, so you can see them in your own writing. We will cover these concepts next class.

Plot Structure: Key Terms

Most plays begin with an EVENT: a unique and significant moment in a character's life (or characters lives). In plays all scenes should be thought of as "events".

Events can be almost anything: an unusual incident, a special occasion, a sudden visit, or any kind of crisis.

An event that starts off the play is called the inciting incident: the point of attack, the turning point in the life of one or more of your characters. Some playwrights call this moment the "disturbance". Whatever term you choose, you want to start off your story with a strong reason for the events in the play to occur. As the play continues (particularly in plays with more than one scene) more events may occur in a story. The inciting incident is the first one.

A protagonist usually confronts the inciting incident from a position of weaker power or disadvantage. Starting with a protagonist who has all his stuff together, who can easily defeat or solve a problem, makes for a boring play.

The beginning of a play ends when the protagonist(s) make(s) a major decision. This major decision should set him or her or them on a collision course with forces that will oppose and perhaps destroy him/her (aka: antagonist). This should be a decision. A decision to act, a decision that causes the antagonist to confront the protagonist, etc. A major decision makes a protagonist active in the plot.

The inciting incident and the major decision help to create the MAJOR DRAMATIC QUESTION: MDQ. The MDQ is, as stated earlier, the question that keeps an audience interested in the plot of your play. The MDQ is also attached to your overall theme. For example: MDQ: will action (and therefore revenge) be possible for Hamlet? Will Brick disclose his true feelings for Skipper & will Maggie find a man to truly love her? Will Willy Loman go mad or succeed in committing suicide? Will Blanche DuBois depend on the kindness of strangers? Will Romeo & Juliet be able to be together despite their families' feuding?

The middle of a play is fraught with a series of obstacles (rising action). During the middle, you need to pay attention to the 3 C's: conflict, crisis, and complication. These 3 C's will lead to the dark moment of your play (more on that later).

Conflict can be person vs. person (often true in plays), person vs. self (also common), person vs. society (common as well if done correctly), and person vs. nature (God, etc.) (not as great, but some plays do this one perfectly.) The more interesting the conflict the more interesting the play. Crises and complications cause the conflict to be more interesting. The crisis is a critical moment--a place in time for the protagonist to act, make a decision--that usually has consequences. Complications are problems (usually unforeseen) that arise to thwart or challenge the protagonist.

Writing: Today in the lab, please work on your plotting. Add scenes to your original draft, try to include an inciting incident, various events, a major decision for your protagonist, and consider your major dramatic question. Introduce conflict, crisis, and, of course, complications. No one likes to guess the ending at the beginning of a story.

If you rebooted your scene or 10-minute play (you are working on a new idea) keep writing, but also keep the same concepts in mind as you build your play. Please turn in your plot chart(s) or graphic organizer(s) as participation credit.

HOMEWORK: None.

Play Scene/Project #2

Take a few minutes today to respond to The Nerd on the forum. Please answer the question there. Some of you have not yet completed your analysis of Talking With or Death of a Salesman. These assignments are past due and should be done asap for minimal credit. Don't forget to complete your forum homework! It's important that you analyze and work with concepts we cover in class.

While you are completing your write-up on The Nerd, I will be passing back your first scripts. These are not written up and workshopped yet. As we talk about the construction of a play, we need to consider the major elements of effective drama. They are:

Plot and Character.

While we have begun a variety of character exercises, we haven't really talked much about plot during this course. So: today let's talk a little about plot.

What to do?
1. Using your previous scripts, consider whether your story is completely told, or whether you can flesh out the story by adding scenes before or after the action you originally wrote.
2. Consider the placement of potential scenes.
3. Use one (or more) of the graphic organizers to plan a larger story than the one you originally wrote in draft one. Complete the graphic organizer with your play's plot in mind.
4. You may use additional character graphic organizers, if you wish for other characters.
5. Use your graphic organizers to continue your scene. If you decide to start from scratch again (you have a better idea or want to work on a different story), complete steps 2-5.

Use the remaining time in class to write. If you are continuing your story, change the draft # to draft #2, but keep a separate file for your draft one. If it's a new play, then it's draft one.

HOMEWORK: Please read the article and take notes on key concepts. You should note and identify: the event, the inciting incident, plot elements, the major decision, the major dramatic question, the point of attack, and the 3 C's: conflict, crisis, and complication.

Larry Shue: Part Two!

Today we will read quite a bit (if not all) of Shue's play: The Nerd. As you read, please consider Aristotle's basic elements of a play. Let's critique poor Larry Shue's play with ancient Aristotelian criticism! (Getting you ready for AP Lit).

Does Shue's play have:

1. An effective plot?
2. Interesting or compelling characters who are risking something?
3. A message or theme about the human condition (love, life, nature, death, etc.)?
4. Diction (dialogue) or effective language use?
5. Spectacle?
6. Music or melody?

Does it also adhere to the unity of:
Time?
Place?
Action?

Let's read and find out!

HOMEWORK: If we do not finish the play today in class, please complete reading for homework.

Play Structure

Ever wonder about the spelling of playwright? Why not playwrite? Well, it's because a "wright" is someone who builds. The idea is that a playWRIGHT carefully constructs and builds a play. We craft plays, not just write them.

Way back in antiquity, Aristotle (that famous Greek philosopher) wrote a book called The Poetics about how to write a play. He said that every play needs the following elements:

1. Plot
2. Character
3. Thought (by which he meant theme)
4. Spectacle (special effects, props, costumes, scenery, etc.)
5. Diction (effective dialogue)
6. Song (music)

Apart from #6, all plays usually include these things. Musicals, film, and opera incorporate all of the elements rather effectively. Most contemporary plays include non diegetic sound between scenes or before an act to set a tone. Dialogue can be beautifully written (and with enough imagery and detail) can come close to song.

Not that Aristotle said this directly, but somewhere along the line, particularly in the Renaissance and Neoclassical periods, critics began to update Aristotle. They came up with the concept of the 3 Unities: 1). The Unity of Time, 2). The Unity of Place, and 3). The Unity of Action.

Unities:
TIME: plays should only cover a small amount of time (usually within 24 hours)
PLACE: plays should be set in locations that could easily be reached within a short amount of time (no traveling halfway around the world!); usually one setting was preferred
ACTION: Thou shalt not mingle comedy with tragedy. Also, only one plot line. KISS (keep it simple, stupid!)

Add to this the concept of verisimilitude (the semblance or appearance of truth), and characters should act according to their economic station, i.e., a prince should act like a prince, not like a pauper.

Without structural unity, a play falls apart when performed for an audience.

We know that a play needs conflict because all plays involve human struggle. That's what they are written to examine. A playwright is like a philosopher in that all effective plays (even the funny ones) deal with human struggle and use human themes to communicate the human condition. Plays are an attempt to understand some truth about humans and our world. Make sure your play speaks to this tradition.

Today, make a mind-map or web of human struggles or themes.

Larry Shue's The Nerd

Please turn in your homework notes: Structure: Part One: Story & Plot 

This morning, let's start with a little character design exercise.

Afterward, please read a little about the playwright Larry Shue. We will be going down to the library to pick up the play The Nerd.

Here is the first few pages of the Nerd in a high school performance. Note the staging and acting in the play as you read along with your scripts. What changes or what details does the producer/director/actors keep true to the script. What details do they change? Why do you think there is a change?

After viewing and discussing we will gather in small groups to continue reading the play.

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading of The Nerd.

BOA Editions: Poetry Reading Opportunity!

We have been given 10-15 tickets to attend BOA's annual fundraiser Dine & Rhyme. Featured poets are Dorianne Laux and Nin Andrews. They will also be reading from The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton, a recent BOA publication.

The event takes place this Sunday (September 23) at 3:00 at the auditorium of the Memorial Art Gallery (right next door to us).

If you are interested in joining us, please let me or Ms. Gamzon know ASAP so we can reserve you a ticket. If you go, you will get extra credit.

Structure: Story & Plot (part one) & Aristotle

Please read the article handed out to you in class today: Structure: Part One: Story & Plot (part one) and answer the notes from your reading. Please read the article, don't just hunt and search for answers. You will need to know WHY these things are true and if you skip about, you will miss much of the reasoning (and thus will not learn what I need you to learn). There is no short cut for excellence!

But first: Let's get to know an old friend and his advice about playwriting.

Aristotle’s Poetics (circa 330 B.C.E.)

Aristotle Introduction

Here's a 20 point summary of the first established literary critic's masterpiece "The Poetics" by Aristotle.

1. People like to imitate and learn.
2. Arts (Epic poetry, tragedy, comedy, dithyrambic poetry, flute-playing, lyre playing) are all modes of imitation. Just as color and form are used by artists, the voice, language, and harmony are used singularly or in combination. IE. Theatrical arts are REPRESENTATIVE of reality, not reality in and of themselves.
3. Objects of imitation should be above our common ilk; characters in a play/subject matter should be of high quality (and scope).
4. Poetry soon broke into two parts: tragedy/comedy. Serious poets would write about serious subjects; Humorous poets would write about frivolous and happy subjects.
5. Tragedy originated out of the dithyramb (choral ode); Comedy out of phallic songs.
6. Aeschylus limited his chorus, introduced the “second” actor, and made the dialogue take the leading part of the play.
7. Sophocles introduced the third actor.
8. As tragedy deals with noble subjects, comedy imitates men worse than average.
9. Tragedy is different from epic (although both are serious) in length, in one kind of verse (narrative form); epic includes tragedy, but tragedy does not necessarily include epic.
10. Aristotle’s six parts of a play:

a. Plot
b. Character
c. Theme (Idea)
d. Spectacle
e. Melody
f. Language (diction)

11. Plays should have a beginning, middle, end
12. Plays should not include so much as to bore, or too little
13. It is better in a tragedy for a good person to come to ruin, rather than a bad person
14. It is better to create catharsis from language and plot, rather than spectacle
15. Characters should have a discovery (peripety) (plural peripeties)
16. The chorus should act together as a “character” and integral to the whole
17. Characters should act according to verisimilitude (semblance of reality).
18. Diction should be clear, correct, poetic, but not inessential.
19. Plot should be made up of probable events
20. The poet, being an imitator (like a painter) must represent things either as they are, or as they are said to be, or as they ought to be – which is accomplished by skillful use of language to create a catharsis in the viewer of a play.

HOMEWORK: Please read the article and answer the questions for next class. You will turn in your notes sheet for participation credit.

Play Assignment; The Premise, Draft One

In the lab today, please continue to develop and write the scene you started the last few classes. This is our first official play assignment for the course. Use your monologue exercise if possible somewhere in the script, if you can. Edit and revise your ideas to make any of the components you have started in your notebook or from exercises into your scene.

As stated last class, create a 10-minute play or scene (somewhere between 3-10 pages). Try to give your play a clear PREMISE. Work on your play in the lab. It is due at the end of class today. When complete, please print out and turn in as DRAFT ONE.

If you have Death of Salesman done (some of you did not post your homework, so tack that assignment on as late this morning, but finish your play draft first, as it is more important) I can return your books to the library for you.

HOMEWORK: Please read the post above this one concerning structure. For homework (or if you finish your play draft early) please read this article and answer the questions posed to you for next class.

Death of a Salesman: Part Two & the Premise

Writers usually start out with an idea: often from their own experience or knowledge. We can experience life either directly or indirectly. Directly from our own experiences. Indirectly from viewing life from someone else's eyes. We get ideas for plays from our own life, from reading or watching other plays, watching people in conflictual situations, talking to people about problems, listening to or reading the daily news, learning about conflict and issues that cause conflict in school, from books or articles we read, or conversations we have or overhear. In other words, writers get ideas from everywhere. It is helpful to pay attention to the world in order to get an idea for a scene or play.

An idea is not enough on its own though. It must serve a theme or a writer's deeply held belief. The starting point and core of DRAMA is what is called THE PREMISE: an organizing principle that defines everything in a play. It is the central idea of your story. The moral or punchline to its joke.

Some questions to ask to help you form a premise as you are writing:

• What's the point of my play?
• What am I trying to say about the human condition?
• What am I trying to make the audience see or feel?

A premise should be a clear sentence or statement reflecting your belief(s) about life or the subject. It is effectively the WHAT of a story. Why are you telling this story? What are you trying to communicate?

LAB WORK: In the lab today, please continue to develop and write the scene you started last class as an exercise. If you can, or wish to, you may also find a place to insert your monologue. Edit and revise your idea to make any of the components you have started in your notebook or from exercises into your scene.

Write to create a 10-minute play or scene (somewhere between 3-10 pages). Try to give your play a clear PREMISE. Work on your play in the lab. It will likely be due next class unless the class is not working to complete the assignment or everyone has finished. When complete, please print out and turn in as DRAFT ONE.

Forum Post: Please post a response to the forum by Monday, September 17.

Death of a Salesman is often seen as an American Tragedy. Some of the characteristics of a tragedy include: a). a bad end for our protagonist, often brought upon by fate or a bad decision, b). the arousing of pity and fear (catharsis) in an audience, c). a protagonist who is virtuous or relatively good or well meaning, and d). a conflict that overwhelms the protagonist or tragic figure.

Please respond to the play. Choose a character in Death of a Salesman and explain how this character is involved in this tragedy (what the character's role or purpose is in causing the tragedy) or shows him/herself to be a tragic figure. Try to think critically. Willy Loman, for example, is usually considered the tragic hero in this play, but what of Linda or Biff or Happy? These characters suffer through the end of the play, whereas Willy is gone and dead. Make an argument using relevant textual support. Try to avoid repeating the same ideas of your classmates. I am looking for original and critical thought.

HOMEWORK: Please complete your reading (Death of a Salesman/Talking With), and respond to Death of a Salesman on our forum by next class.

Scene Exercise: Using Who, What, Where & Death of a Salesman

This morning, let's take a few minutes to complete a writing exercise. After the exercise, we will take a look at Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Read about Arthur Miller here. Along with playwrights like Tennessee Williams, Miller is an American treasure, well regarded for his creative voice. His influence is seen in many contemporary theatrical productions.

Take a moment to read the stage directions description, then look at these production stills of the set for Death of a Salesman.

Some guy's review of a recent production of Death of a Salesman by director Mike Nichols.

After viewing these things, we'll go next door and begin screening Death of a Saleman. While this was made for CBS in 1985, starring Dustin Hoffman, John Malkovich, Kate Reid, and Charles Durning, winning a Drama Desk Award for excellence, note how action seems a little more cramped than a film setting would be. Remember the stage set pictures you viewed earlier. It is safe to say that theater productions are a little more intimate than films or t.v. movies. There is something lost between the audience and actor when watching a film or movie. In a theater there is almost an imperceptible electricity between actor and audience.

As you watch ACT ONE of Death of a Salesman, take note of the characters you meet and the major issues or problems they are having (the WHO & the WHAT). Make a list of characters' names and goals in your notes as you watch.

HOMEWORK: Please READ Act Two for Thursday. It is important that you see the words on the page in the script. We will see a little more of this film production, but not all of Act Two. You will be required to write about this play on our forum, but not just yet.