Criticism, In a Nutshell

6 Elements of Theatre to be Evaluated:

1. Audience


2. Actors


3. Directing


4. Stage Space


5. Text/Script


6. Design Elements

3 Questions to Consider When Evaluating a Play:

1. What are the artists trying to do?


2. How did they do it? How WELL did they do it?


3. Was it worth doing?

Elements of Theatre: DESIGN

Set Design, Costume Design, Light and Sound Design

• Must consider the theme/concept of the show--realistic vs nonrealism


• Must consider the mood and style of the show


• Good design sets the time period of the show


• High quality in construction and materials


• Must consider the budget, size of the theatre, other logistics


• Color, line, shape, texture, movement, rhythm


• Text considerations (what do the actors say about the design)


• Coordination with the other design elements

OBJECTIVES of Designers:

• Convey the style of the production


• Convey the central image/visual metaphor


• Indicate the local and historical period of the play


• Indicates the social status, personality, etc. of the world of the play


• Enhance the show with special effects


• Relationships amongst the characters


• Provide Visibility, revealing shapes and forms, etc.

Elements of Theatre: SCRIPT/TEXT

• Characters--do they change as the play progresses?


• Plot vs. Story


• Conflicts in the plot


• Resolutions to the conflicts


• Beginning, Middle, and End


• Dialogue


• Does the playwright allow the audience to be a part of the creation of the play through the use of imagination?

Element of Theatre: ACTING

Historically speaking . . . acting was done through:

• Big mask, elaborate make-up, fancy costumes


• Dancing


• Singing


• Pantomime

In Shakespeare's time . . . the acting style was:

• Big, declamatory voice (passionate ranting)


• Posing, posturing, grand movements (sawing the air with hands)


• Actions didn't always suit the words spoken


• only done by men . . . boys played women's roles


• interacting with the audience


• in verse (tripped up the actors often)

In the late 1800's/early 1900's, Stanislavsky developed a system of training for actors which included:

• Relaxation


• Concentration and Observation


• Importance of Specifics


• Inner Truth


• Action Onstage


• What/Why/How


• Through-line of a Role


• Ensemble playing


• Psychophysical Action


• Emotional Recall

Today, Actor Training involves:

• Body (kinesthetic awareness)


• Voice


• Intellect


• Ensemble/Group training

Elements of Theatre: DIRECTING

The director's work:

• Choose the Script


• Work with the Playwright if it's a new script


• Do Pre-production Work (text analysis, style, concept, etc.)


• Work with Designers


• Cast Actors


• Rehearse Actors


• Continue to meet with Designers


• Lead the team through Tech and Dress Rehearsals


• Respond to cast/crew at Previews


• and finally, receive praise at Opening Night (hopefully!)

Theatrical Element: STAGE SPACES

If you are analyzing the stage places for a theatrical play, here are some good questions to start with. Ask yourself:

1. 
   
   Is the space formal or informal?
   


2. 
   
   Is the stage large or small?
   


3. 
   
   What is the seating like for the audience?
   


4. 
   
   How about the stage? Is it a picture frame stage? OR, An arena stage? OR, A thrust (3-sided) stage?

Let's take a look at the various types of stages. What are the advantages of each type?

Proscenium Arch Stage (Also known as the Picture Frame Stage) Advantages:

• 
  
  Easily accommodates elaborate scenery
  


• 
  
  Provides nice aesthetic distance for the audience
  


• 
  
  Audiences love the spectacle of a proscenium arch show

(The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, A Proscenium Arch Stage in Portland)

Arena Stage (Also known as Theatre-in-the-Round) Advantages:

• Offers more intimacy between actors and audience
  


• Circle shape lends itself to an unconscious communion of sorts for all present
  


• Economical (any space will do!)

Thrust Stage (Also known as a 3/4 Stage) Advantages:

• Close audience-actor relationship



• The greatest work of theatre have been written for a thrust stage (Shakespeare!)

(Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, England)

Found Spaces (Also known as Created Spaces) Advantages:

• Allows audience to experience the story in a more authentic way



• Brings theatre to people who may not otherwise see it



• Unusual settings challenge audiences to re-think what theatre is all about

Black Box Space Advantages:

• Very flexible



• Allows directors and designers to make the space work for the play



• Small, so audience and actors are physically close together