This morning, please work on your play projects. Use the time in the lab to work toward your climax and ending of your draft. You may find you need to complete this draft in your advisement periods or as homework if you are behind.
Aim to finish writing the play and turn it in Monday, Nov. 3.
One of the reasons people attend theater, as opposed to staying home watching TV or going to a movie is that through theatrical convention, we are often treated to a live-event that is intimate and "magical" in that what we witness on stage is a heightened exaggeration of life. Theater tends to be REPRESENTATIONAL and symbolic, rather than presentational. That is, the characters, plots, settings, props, etc. of a play REPRESENT reality, they are not reality. The viewer is likely to accept certain "unreal" actions, dialogue, characters, etc. while watching a stage play that he/she would not accept in film or in a novel.
Our case study will be the play The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam. Ludlam created the Ridiculous Theater Company in NY in 1967. Ludlam died of complications from AIDS in the 1980's.
Ludlam is best known for the theatrical movement: The Theatre of the Ridiculous.
""The Theatre of the Ridiculous" made a break with the dominant trends in theatre of naturalistic acting and realistic settings. It employed a very broad acting style, often with surrealistic stage settings and props, frequently making a conscious effort at being shocking or disturbing. "Ridiculous" theatre brought some elements of queer performance to avant-garde theater. Cross-gender casting was common, with players often recruited from non-professional sources, such as drag queens or other "street stars." [We can see this trend continue with the works of Charles Busch].
Plots in these "ridiculous" plays are often parodies or re-workings of pop-culture fiction, including humor and satire to comment on social issues. Improvisation plays a large role in the plays, with the script acting as a blueprint for the action.
HOMEWORK: Complete your Charles Busch play review. Complete the handout to turn in next class!
Aim to finish writing the play and turn it in Monday, Nov. 3.
- Give your characters a defining trait. What aspect of their personality shows up the most? How might props and actions help define these characters?
- Deepening your characterization (your characters' actions, thoughts, and speech) should be driven by strong emotions and the events, people, or situations that cause these strong emotions. If your characters have nothing to fear, get angry about, or get motivated about, consider how you might introduce a strong emotion into the scene. Consider your time lock and trap as stage conventions.
- Give your characters a backstory. What has your character experienced in the past that sheds new light on his/her behavior now? Go back into your earlier scenes and dig this backstory out!
One of the reasons people attend theater, as opposed to staying home watching TV or going to a movie is that through theatrical convention, we are often treated to a live-event that is intimate and "magical" in that what we witness on stage is a heightened exaggeration of life. Theater tends to be REPRESENTATIONAL and symbolic, rather than presentational. That is, the characters, plots, settings, props, etc. of a play REPRESENT reality, they are not reality. The viewer is likely to accept certain "unreal" actions, dialogue, characters, etc. while watching a stage play that he/she would not accept in film or in a novel.
Our case study will be the play The Mystery of Irma Vep by Charles Ludlam. Ludlam created the Ridiculous Theater Company in NY in 1967. Ludlam died of complications from AIDS in the 1980's.
Ludlam is best known for the theatrical movement: The Theatre of the Ridiculous.
""The Theatre of the Ridiculous" made a break with the dominant trends in theatre of naturalistic acting and realistic settings. It employed a very broad acting style, often with surrealistic stage settings and props, frequently making a conscious effort at being shocking or disturbing. "Ridiculous" theatre brought some elements of queer performance to avant-garde theater. Cross-gender casting was common, with players often recruited from non-professional sources, such as drag queens or other "street stars." [We can see this trend continue with the works of Charles Busch].
Plots in these "ridiculous" plays are often parodies or re-workings of pop-culture fiction, including humor and satire to comment on social issues. Improvisation plays a large role in the plays, with the script acting as a blueprint for the action.
HOMEWORK: Complete your Charles Busch play review. Complete the handout to turn in next class!
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