T R 9:30-10:50 a.m.
To identify and begin to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for successful directing. [Related learning outcome: theoretical/conceptual knowledge and application]
To investigate and experience the role of the director in the theatrical process. [Related learning outcome: professionalism]
To identify the dimensions of theatrical style and to consider how they translate into directorial choices. [Related learning outcome: theoretical/conceptual knowledge and application]
To consider the artistic, economic, social, and ethical issues involved in choosing and interpreting a play for production. [Related learning outcome: professionalism]
To define a variety of methods of play analysis and to consider how each contributes to the question "What is this play really about?" [Related learning outcome: theoretical/conceptual knowledge and application]
To sense, analyze, and help actors communicate a play's dynamics implicit in the playwright's intention and the characters' superintentions, intentions/relacoms, obstacles, tactics, and expectations. [Related learning outcome: theoretical/conceptual knowledge and application]
To sense and help actors communicate a play's rhythms, its high's and low's, its loud's and soft's, its "moments," and its tonalities. [Related learning outcome: theoretical/conceptual knowledge and application]
To develop a working comprehension of the basic tools for directing actors: blocking, pacing, physicalization, movement, business, vocal delivery, organic composition, and picturization. [Related learning outcome: theoretical/conceptual knowledge and application]
To define "concept" and to begin to explore what is involved in establishing a conceptual throughline for a play. [Related learning outcomes: (1) theoretical/conceptual knowledge and application and (2) professionalism]
To adopt a professional, collaborative working style in carrying out directing exercises. [Related learning outcomes: (1) professionalism and (2) employability]
To begin to develop an effective, individual directing style. [Related learning outcomes: (1) professionalism and (2) employability]
Required Text(s)
Stuart Vaughan, Directing Plays: A Working Professional's Method (New York: Longman Publishing Group, 1993)
Frank Hauser and Russell Reich, Notes on Directing: 130 Lessons in Leadership from the Director's Chair (New York: Walker and Company, 2003)
A selected playscript from which scenes will be produced
Other Requirements:
Thorough reading, re-reading, and analysis of scripts from which scenes to be directed are drawn.
Research on a noteworthy actor, director, designer, or theatre company leading to a PowerPoint presentation. The presentations should emphasize the artists' or companies' approaches to theatrical process, the artistic theories and/or missions that motivate them, and their contributions to the theatre as an art form. The presentations should NOT dwell on the artists' popularity, idiosyncracies, awards, and personal lives; these factors have SOME relevance, but keep the focus on philosophy, theories, and working methods.
Students are required to attend, or participate in, the MSU Theatre's fall productions:
Students are also encouraged to attend the Dallas Theatre Center's productions of The Tempest (September 9 through October 9) and To Kill a Mockingbird (October 21 through November 21) at the Wyly Theatre.
Graded Assignments
There will be several short written assignments and occasional quizzes.
Two tests covering class discussions and experiences, as well as textbook assignments, will be administered.
Each student will deliver a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation on a noteworthy actor, designer, director, or theatre company. The person or company chosen should be one who has had a substantial impact on regional, national, or world theatre.
A paper will be required reacting to the MSU Theatre's production of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.
Each student will direct two scenes—the first drawn from a play studied in class, the second chosen by the student director with the approval of the instructor. Neither scene should require more than two or three actors. The individual directors will be responsible for casting their scenes. If actors are drawn from the class, no class member should be required to perform in more than one scene per round. Because of time constraints, auditions for the scenes will not be held unless a student director elects to arrange private readings. Each scene should be done with workable props and costume items necessary for character development. The props and costumes used need not be authentic, and sound and lighting effects need not be used. The goal is to keep the emphasis on directing and performance and to avoid getting carried away with technical concerns. Makeup will not be used for the scenes. Both scenes should be staged for a proscenium stage environment. For each scene, the director should prepare, both as a tool for rehearsal and as an assignment to be evaluated, an analysis and promptscript including the following:
I. FIRST SECTION OF PROMPTBOOK: The playwright and the play
A. Notes on the playwright
1. Dates
2. Background
3. Extent and nature of writing
4. Playwright's thematic concerns in general and themes explored in the play
5. Playwright's intention in writing the play (spine of the play)
6. Dramatic style (realism, expressionism, symbolism, surrealism, absurdism, eclecticism)
NOTE: Information taken from the Internet is acceptable, but the
student director should mark it to indicate points that "speak" to the work
being rehearsed and make notes that show that the information has been
imbibed and processed. SIMPLY COPYING INFORMATION AND
INSERTING IT INTO THE PROMPTBOOK IS NOTACCEPTABLE.
B. Notes on the play as related to the scene
1. Synopsis putting the scene in perspective and illuminating its importance and function in the play as a whole
2. Images (scripted and/or directorial)
3. Description and analysis of characters in the scene
a. Physical characteristics (dress, appearance, grooming, carriage, movement, gesture, mannerisms)
b. Psychological characteristics (introvert/extrovert, intelligence, philosophy of life, likes, dislikes, aspirations, fears, phobias)
c. Social characteristics (feelings toward, and interactions with, other characters; relacoms)
e. Intentions (for the scene being directed)
f. Obstacles faced by the characters
g. Tactics employed by the characters in the scene (tactics should also be noted at appropriate points in the script, i.e. the beats
C. Special performance problems within the scene and ideas for solving
them
II. SECOND SECTION OF PROMPTBOOK: Technical aspects
A. Props list denoting careful and accurate placement for performance
B. Sound effects notes, if necessary (generally, none need be used)
C. Costume notes for each character (sketches are also helpful)
D. Scaled ground plan of set on ¼" graph paper with explanatory notes (the
ground plan for the first scene will be provided)
E. Special technical problems within the scene and ideas for surmounting
III. THIRD SECTION OF PROMPTBOOK: Rehearsal notes
A. Rehearsal schedule
B. Division of scene into beats with notes indicating tactics, obstacles,
subtexts, cutbacks, telescoping, hooks, argument enders, trail-offs,
builds, climaxes, transitions, discoveries, and moments
C. Blocking symbols and notes
D. Special interpretations
IV. FOURTH SECTION OF PROMPTBOOK: Diary
The student director should maintain a rehearsal diary. At the end of each rehearsal, he/she should record the date of the rehearsal. He/she should then record a few statements concerning problems he/she encountered, breakthroughs that were achieved, problems that remained unsolved, and things he/she learned about the process, the actors, or himself/herself. These observations can serve as springboards for class discussion or for an exchange of ideas when the instructor visits rehearsals.
Evaluation
Attendance/participation .............................................................................................. 100
0 misses = 100 points
1 miss = 95 points
2 misses = 85 points
3 misses = 75 points
4 misses = 60 points
5 misses = 40 points
More than 5 misses = 0 points
Quizzes and/or short written assignments....................................................................... 50
Test 1............................................................................................................................. 125
Test 2............................................................................................................................ 125
Rehearsal schedule for Scene 1....................................................................................... 25
Ground plan for second scene......................................................................................... 75
Scene 1 (50 for analysis/promptscript, 100 for performance)....................................... 150
Scene 2 (75 for analysis/promptscript, 100 for performance)....................................... 175
Paper on MSU Theatre’s production of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later........... 75
Power Point Presentation (including handout)............................................................. 100
*Total 1000
Final grade: 895-1000 = A, 795-894 = B, 695-794 = C, 595-694 = D, 0-594 = F
Scale for grading daily work (grades assigned to nearest percentage point):
A (96-100%) B+ (87-89%) C+ (77-79%) D+ (67-69%)
A- (90-95%) B (83-86%) C (73-76%) D (63-66%)
B- (80-82%) C- (70-72%) D- (60-62%)
F (below 60%)
*Note: The instructor reserves the right to adjust or cancel assignments as the course progresses. If, for some reason, assignments administered total somewhat more or fewer than 1,000 points, the method of obtaining the final grade will remain essentially the same: the total points achieved will be divided by the total points possible to obtain a percentage, and a grade will be assigned according to the scale outlined above.
See Attendance Policy
(1) Students should follow the syllabus to keep track of assignments and should
take notes during lectures and discussions. Keeping up with reading and
notes is imperative to doing well on quizzes, tests, and directing
assignments.
(2) Attendance at class sessions is expected. Upon his/her fifth absence,
excused or not, the student may be dropped from the class by the instructor.
(3) The instructor will not be held responsible for recording attendance for a
tardy student. The instructor reserves the right to disallow counting a
student present who is extremely tardy.
(4) Make-up work may be given if—and only if:
(a) The student notifies the instructor before the missed class or presents a
doctor's excuse upon returning, and
(b) The student takes responsibility for scheduling a make-up test (or other
missed graded assignment) with the instructor on the first day of return.
(5) All graded assignments should be submitted on or before the deadline. The
instructor reserves the right to reject late assignments. Grade deductions
will be applied to late assignments that are accepted.
Dr. Ron Fischli, Fain Fine Arts Center, B128
Office phone: 397-4274 or 397-4243. Blackberry: 867-3315.
E-mail address: ron.fischli@mwsu.edu
Office hours: Except for class and lunch hours, I am usually available to see students in my office on all weekdays. Furthermore, I maintain an open door policy. However, because my schedule of administrative obligations is unpredictable, it is best to make an appointment to see me.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
PRIVACY:
Federal law prohibits the instructor from releasing information about students to parties outside of the university without the signed consent of the student. Thus, in almost all cases the instructor will not discuss a student's academic progress or other matters with his/her parents.
ADAPTATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS:
If a student (1) needs course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability,
(2) has emergency medical information that needs sharing, or (3) requires special
accommodations in case the building must be evacuated, he/she should make an
appointment with the professor as soon as possible.
CONDUCT:
Classroom behavior that interferes with either the instructor's ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to profit from the instruction will result in the instructor's removing the disruptive student(s) from the class.
PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is (1) the use of source material of other persons (either published or unpublished, including the Internet) without following the accepted techniques of giving credit or (2) the submission for credit of work not the individual's to whom credit is given. If a student in the class is caught plagiarizing, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. The Student Creed developed and adopted by the MSU Student Government reinforces the discouragement of plagiarism and other unethical behaviors. The first statement of the creed reads, "As an MSU student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else to do Plagiarism is lying, cheating, and stealing.