Acting/ Honors Acting
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The Honors Acting course is designed to get the actor more comfortable using their inner reserves to create different styles of theatrical performance. From political theatre and Realism, to performance art and storytelling, this course will culminate in the actors creating a never-before-seen performance, authored by themselves.
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Syllabus
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Weekly Schedule for May 11
| Script for Week of May 11 |
Throughout the semester, we have explored different performance-based activities, and you have had numerous opportunities to perform. As we bring the semester to a close, I want to ground our work in analysis and provide a framework to hold our acting process together. We have scratched the surface of Michael Chekhov’s techniques, so we will dig into his, as well as other helpful tools of script analysis, now. Here are your assignments for the week.
Monday: You will read this short play, Backstage, and write a paragraph answering the following questions: What is the plot of the play? What message/messages does the playwright want the audience to take from the play? Email this by 4pm today. Enjoy.
Wednesday: You will send me an email answering the following questions about the play, Backstage:
Monday: You will read this short play, Backstage, and write a paragraph answering the following questions: What is the plot of the play? What message/messages does the playwright want the audience to take from the play? Email this by 4pm today. Enjoy.
Wednesday: You will send me an email answering the following questions about the play, Backstage:
- What are five images that you come to mind as you read and reread this play. For example: an image that comes to mind for me is a praying mantis. We do not have any idea what the alien’s real form is, but if I imagine a praying mantis, I have an idea of many subtle physical choices I can make as an actor. Now it is your turn. Write down five images that come to mind in reading this play.
- In what ways are Tony and Andy different from each other?
- What drives Andy in this scene?
- What drives Tony in this scene?
- If you were to play one of these characters, which would you play, and why?
- If you were to describe the overall atmosphere of the scene, what words would you say are lingering in the air between and within these characters? Create a list of at least five words, and then from that list, decide on which is most important to create the atmosphere?
- Describe in rhythmic terms, each of the character’s movement and speech patterns. Use words like fast/slow, long/short, flowing/tight, flowery/flat, still/frenetic…come up with some words to describe the rhythm of Tony, Andy, and the Commander.
- Finally, for each character, cast a famous person that you think would best fit the role. Explain in a sentence why you chose each of the actors for that role.