Ideas of theatre
P Snow
8 points
* 3 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton
Objectives The subject this year will focus on theatre directing. Upon successful completion of this course students should have a critical knowledge of the practices of selected historical directors, and of the relationships between directors, other performance practitioners and spectators. They should also have had some experience of selected directorial practices, such as preparing a text and working with actors, and have an understanding of some key conceptual issues concerning directing, such as rehearsal strategies, actions and mise-en-scène.
Synopsis Theatre directing will run according to the following parameters: who are directors, what do they do and how can we describe and theorise their processes? We will look at the rise (and continued rise) of directors in the twentieth century and take several key figures, such as Stanislavsky and Grotowski, for particular investigation. Through a program of seminar/workshops we will explore aspects of directorial practice such as casting, scheduling, preparing a text, working with actors, writing a mise-en-scène, and performance aesthetic.
Assessment Seminar/workshop participation and presentation (1500 words):
30%
* Short exercise (1500-2000): 30%
* Long essay (2500-3000
words):40%
Prescribed texts
Bruan E The director and the stage Methuen
Grotowski J Towards a poor theatre Methuen
Mitter S Systems of rehearsal Routledge
Recommended reading
Bradby D and Williams D Directors theatre Macmillan
Clurman H On directing Macmillan
Cole T and Chinoy HK Directors on directing Peter Owen
Hunt A and Reeves G Peter Brook Cambridge
Richards T At work with Grotowski on physical actions Routledge
Stanislavski C Stanislavski on the art of the stage Faber and Faber
Williams D (ed.) Peter Brook and the Mahabharata Routledge
Suzuki T The way of acting Theatre Communications Group
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