Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, they say. When writing a play (or story) you might find it useful to see what the action of your scene might look like. For those of you who need a more visual representation of the action, plot, setting, character arc, or character emotional journey in a scene or act of your play, try storyboarding.
Monday, December 21, 2020
What's the Problem? (Motivating Yourself; Using Aristotle's 6 Parts to Focus Our Writing)
Work on writing your play draft, using your story outline as a guide. [If you don't have an outline yet, please catch up with us or you will be in danger of not completing or having the time to complete your play draft project. Get going with that creative process, please!]
The Roots of Action (Getting Your Story Moving!)
Starting with your play's outline (if you haven't completed this step, please do so before attempting this exercise...!), consider at what point you want to start your story. When should the lights come up on the action of your play?
Where a scene starts reflects what has gone on BEFORE the lights come up. What exists HERE and NOW as a result of past action and past circumstances of your characters? Think about the recent backstory of your characters just before the lights come up on stage. 1. What have your characters been doing? 2. What do they know of believe now at this moment as a result of what events or actions happened in the recent past? 3. How do your characters feel NOW? 4. What are your characters relationships with one another? How will that be explained or expressed on stage? Our actions are often revealed by our CIRCUMSTANCES at any given moment. These circumstances are the roots of action for a scene. Circumstances can be physical, psychological, social, economic, or political. In Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, for example, George & Martha have just arrived home from a party that Martha's father threw in honor of a new faculty member at the college. We learn quickly that Martha has invited them over for more drinks and that it is very late, and both George & Martha are drunk (Martha) and/or tired (George). These are physical circumstances that begin the play. But there are also psychological circumstances, that are also social and political. Martha is upset that George doesn't "mix" at parties and has not risen to the position of heading his department at the college. George has a dislike for his father-in-law (reasons for which become clear later in the play). As the play begins, the audience witnesses the tension in the relationship between George & Martha. The arrival of Honey and Nick only exasperate the situation. For each of your characters, consider what their circumstances are just before they arrive on stage. What pressures, problems, concerns, or feelings do they have about what they have just encountered? This is often a good time to bring them on stage and get your scene moving along with tension and conflict ready to explode. To begin your play, know the circumstances that contribute to your character's pasts. Knowing your character's circumstances can fuel the dramatic energy of your scene. Today, work on starting your play.Twelfth Night - Acts 3 - 5
Please complete your reading and/or viewing of Twelfth Night. Notice how the attached performances stage the play. It's important to remember that what you THINK your play is going to look like, might not look ANYTHING LIKE the play you imagine. This is due to the fact that a director and actors will bring different talents and artistic perspective to a play. What you're writing when writing a play is creating the outline of a live experience.
Twelfth Night - Acts 1 & 2
Before we begin our cross-dressing, x-mas/New Year celebration...let's read Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry.
As we read Driving Miss Daisy, everyone sign up for one of the 3 roles in the play. I'll be switching up readers as we go.
As we read, pay close attention to the role of the dynamic triangle: 3 characters in conflict.
New Vocabulary:
There are two types of sets a playwright can prepare a script for:
A suggested set (like the set used in Driving Miss Daisy) allows actors to create the setting through actions (like pretending to drive a car--which would be impractical in a theater) or through dialogue. Setting is described, not built. We use our imagination. Ah, the power of words...
As we read Driving Miss Daisy, everyone sign up for one of the 3 roles in the play. I'll be switching up readers as we go.
As we read, pay close attention to the role of the dynamic triangle: 3 characters in conflict.
New Vocabulary:
There are two types of sets a playwright can prepare a script for:
A. a realistic setA realistic set (like the set used in 'Night Mother) is a standard, realistic set that looks and feels like the actual setting of the play. It is more detailed and infinitely more expensive. Characters interact with props, costumes, and set pieces. It is not practical to change the setting or location in a realistic set.
B. a suggested set
A suggested set (like the set used in Driving Miss Daisy) allows actors to create the setting through actions (like pretending to drive a car--which would be impractical in a theater) or through dialogue. Setting is described, not built. We use our imagination. Ah, the power of words...
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The Murky Middle (Even More Advice)
Aristotle wrote that stories should have a beginning, middle, and end. Middles can be difficult. You might have a smashing opening to a stor...
