It is the director's first task to discover a central mood or idea in the text of the play to be performed that will serve as a unifying determinant for the interpretation of individual scenes and characters. Then he or she must work out the movement of the actors on stage and the pacing of each line and scene. Finally, the director helps plan the lighting, scenery, sound effects, and musical accompaniment for the production. All the director's efforts are aimed at creating a fully unified aesthetic experience.

Stage Directing Theory

archive page: Fundamentals of Directing Use SHOWS directory for the scenes and monologues!

Tragedy: Hamlet

Comedy: Mikado

Drama: 3 Sisters

Final: The Importance of Being Earnest?

Use Scenes page @ METHOD Acting.

Summary

Questions

On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco (1886, 1902)
The Bear (1888) - one act comedy
The Proposal or A Marriage Proposal (c.1888-1889) - one act
Anniversary
A Tragedian in Spite of Himself

Miss Julie Strindberg (new 2007 script online) filmplus.org/plays
GLOSSARY:

Notes

Two categories of stage directions

One is the "actor direction," which aims specifically at one actor and consists of line readings and reactions ("Laughing," "Frowning," "In a flat voice," "Hesitantly," and so forth).

The second category is more broad "production information," which also can be called "stage direction." Here you find descriptions of the environment (furniture, props, lighting, costumes, and the like) as well as character relationships and descriptions (age, clothing, and so forth), scene and act divisions, entrance or exit information, sound effects, and more.

Both communicate playwrights’ visions—how their imagination heard and saw the play and characters.

The production information -- all those supposedly inhibiting stage directions--contains the "given circumstances" that Stanislavki felt must be aborbed by the actor to develop the character. Would he approve of taking a black Sharpie to stage directions? Not bloody likely.

SCENE STUDY:

1) The primary focus will be "scene work" - each scene will have one director and two actors (played by directors). Thus each student will have opportunity to see what it's like to act - what it's like to be directed - to experience the directing process from all sides.

2) You will be given the scenes (each director will act in 2 scenes).

3) I will be giving notes publicly so the work will be more open and instructional than in the acting and writing classes. We will work toward a performance of the scenes at the end of the process - finals.

4) I will provide the scenes unless you have an interest in directing a particular scene.

[ Scene Study (Yale)

First Year: Scene study in the first year concentrates on the realistic works of Chekhov, Ibsen, and others. Through rigorous attention to the text, students learn to identify and personalize a character’s driving need (objective) and to engage themselves (voice, body, mind, and spirit) in its active pursuit, informed by character-specific listening. At the end of the year, actors are introduced to Shakespeare and text work.

Second Year: Second-year work expands the focus on verse drama, with continued emphasis on understanding and performing the works of Shakespeare. Classroom projects include a solo piece based on a character from Shakespeare and a collaboratively created hour-long adaptation of one of his plays.

Third Year: Scene study begins with the study of Brecht and different approaches to action. Students tackle contemporary and twentieth-century material to discover how technique is adapted to the requirements of varying texts. ]

* "In scene study, we analyze a scene for character, emotion, and conflict. To help the actor listen and react honestly, we define a character’s “want”; find real moments, emotions, and transitions; use sensory work, physicality, and the “where” of the scene; and make strong, specific choices. Scene work is intensive and fun. We sometimes take several weeks on a single scene..."

or "This class is designed to be taken a number of times. It's also valuable to take the class with different instructors to get another point of view."

and "Theatre-based scene study is the essential training experience for all actors in film, stage and television work...You must have fundamental actor training and experience on stage or on camera for this class."

Well, you got it -- you will be doing "SS" for the rest of your life. If you are lucky. If you will become professional...

Scenes & Monologue Resources for Actors (classical & modern, drama & comedy, stage play & screenplay) *

Film Directing, Cinematic Motion: A Workshop for Staging Scenes by Steven Katz 0941188140

There are several scenes from the movies @ Film Directing: you should try some in Stage Direction class *

* Director's Notebook and Journal 20% (In preparation for the Final scene the director will prepare a journal/notebook)

It will include:
1. Copy of play/scene
2. All blocking notes
3. Production concept
4. Rehearsal schedule
5. Journal entries

During the final weeks of the term formal class meetings will cease and directors will begin rehearsing "final scenes." This scene will be a five to eight minute scene with minimum of two or three actors. These scenes will be rehearsed a minimum of 15 hours and a rehearsal schedule will be submitted to the instructor. The instructor will attend at least one rehearsal (his discretion) and discuss progress with the director. The Final Scene will be presented during "reading week." Final Scenes will be open to the public.

Possible Titles/Scenes (in class, which one?):

-- list ( midterm + finals )

Modern ( your choice )

[ targets -- conflict, genre, characters, prop, set and so on. ]

Directing for the Stage * Terry John Converse (recommended) [ see biblio and/or books ]

scenes -- Shepard, True West (two brothers) [ The Literary West: An Anthology of Western American Literature by Thomas J. Lyon; Oxford University Press, 1999 ]

-- Hamlet (text -- A Treasury of the Theatre Vol. 1 by John Gassner; Simon and Schuster, 1951)

-- Glass Menagerie T. Williams

[ list ]

NOH: SOTOBA KOMACHI By Kwanami Kiyotsugu TRANSLATED FROM THE JAPANESE BY ARTHUR WALEY (A Treasury of the Theatre Vol. 1 by John Gassner)

and -- THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS by Christopher Marlowe

-- PHAEDRA By Jean Racine TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY ROBERT HENDERSON

FAUST Part One By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY C. F. MAC INTYRE

Makers of the Modern Theater by Barry Ulanov; McGraw-Hill, 1961 [questia]

Glengarry Glen Ross by Mamet

comedy scripts Monty Python's Flying Circus

... [ "endings" -- continued from page Stage ]

Miss Julie (scenes with acting2 class)

... finale.

There are two shrill rings on the bell; MISS JULIE jumps to her feet; JEAN changes his coat.

JEAN. His Lordship's home!--What if Kristin-- -- --

Goes to the speaking tube; knocks and listens.

MISS JULIE. Has he been to his desk yet?

JEAN. This is Jean, sir! [Listens. Note that the audience cannot hear what the COUNT says] Yes, sir! [Listens] Yes, sir! At once! [Listens] At once, sir! [Listens]--Yes, sir, in half an hour!

MISS JULIE [extremely anxious]. What did he say? For God's sake, what did he say?

JEAN. He wants his boots and his coffee in half an hour.

MISS JULIE. In half an hour, then!--Oh, I'm so tired; I can't bring myself to do anything, I can't repent, can't run away, can't stay, can't live--can't die! Help me, now! Order me, and I'll obey like a dog! Do me this last service, save my honour, save his name! You know what I ought to do, but can't, just will me to do it. Order me!

JEAN. I don't know why--but now I can't either--I don't understand--it's just as if this coat made me--I can't order you--and now, since his Lordship spoke to me--then--I can't explain it properly--but--oh, it's this damned lackey sitting on my back!-I believe if his lordship came down now and ordered me to cut my throat, I'd do it on the spot.

MISS JULIE. Then let's pretend you're him, and I'm you!--You acted so well just now, when you went down on your knees-then you were the aristocrat--or--have you never been to the theatre and seen a hypnotist? [Jean gestures assent] He says to his subject, 'Take this broom!', and he takes it; he says, 'Sweep!', and it sweeps*-- -- --

JEAN. But then the subject has to be asleep.

MISS JULIE [ecstatically]. I'm already asleep--it's as if the whole room were full of smoke; you look like an iron stove, dressed all in black with a top hat--your eyes glow like coals in a dying fire--and your face is a white spot, like ashes--[The sunlight has now fallen upon the floor, and is shining on JEAN]--it's so nice and warm-[She rubs her hands as though warming them before a fire]--and so light--and so peaceful!

JEAN [takes the razor and places it in her hand]. Here's the broom! Go now, while it's still fight--out to the barn--and. . . [Whispers in her ear

MISS JULIE [awake]. Thank you. Now I'm going to rest. But just tell me one thing--that the first may also receive the gift of grace. Tell me, even if you don't believe it.

JEAN. The first? No, I can't!--But wait--Miss Julie--now I know!--You're no longer among the first--you're among--the last.

MISS JULIE. That's true--I'm among the very last; I am the last. Oh!--But now I can't go--Tell me to go, just one more time!

JEAN. No, I can't now either. I can't!

MISS JULIE. And the first shall be last.

JEAN. Don't think, don't think! You're taking all my strength away too, and making me a coward--What's that? I thought the bell moved!--No! Shall we stop it with paper?-- --To be so afraid of a bell!--Yes, but it's not just a bell--there's somebody behind it-a hand sets it in motion--and something else sets that hand in motion--but if you stop your ears--just stop your ears! Yes, but then he'll go on ringing even louder--and keep on ringing until someone answers--and then it's too late! Then the police will come--and then. . .

Two loud rings on the bell.

JEAN [cringes, then straightens himself up]. It's horrible! But there is no other way!--Go! [MISS JULIE walks resolutely out through the door]

Curtain.

...