Persuasive speech:Dramatization Part 2

Persuasive speech:Dramatization Part 1

Persuasive speech:Dramatization Part 3

First Reading

The director will assemble the cast he has selected, and they should sit down to read the scene together. Some comment will be made, now, concerning the types of persons Caesar, Antony, Cassius and Brutus were. The director, of course, shall have read the whole play so that he can give the group the story of the other scenes. In this first reading, the interpretation of the scene is decided.

A second reading is worthwhile. This will depend upon how much of the flavor of the scene the director feels the group understands.

"Blocking" Rehearsals

The term "blocking" means arranging the positions of the actors on stage during a scene as one would arrange blocks to make a picture. The director must start his people through the play, getting them to walk to the positions they will take.

Some actors can establish positions without the director having to tell them just where to go. Some actors sense where they should be.

A person who is upstage of another person is in the "emphatic" position, to draw audience attention. This is partially because other persons must turn away from the audience to talk to a person who is upstage.

Avoid talking with your back to the audience. Beware of standing in a straight line. This is not normal for people. Do not have too much action on one side of the stage. Keep some balance to the action.

It may be wise, at the end of the first several blocking rehearsals, to simply walk through your positions without saying lines. This will help you to remember the positions.

Putting in the Business

After the first reading has taken place and when the actors have established their relative positions and paths in each scene, the director will encourage proper stage business. Let us return to Act III of Julius Caesar as an example.

Artemidorus has a petition in his hand. How shall be hold it? Shall he have it unrolled and show it to Caesar, or shall it be rolled up and thrust at him? The most difficult business, however, is Caesar's death. Violence is always difficult. How obvious will it be that Caesar is being stabbed? If Caesar were on a raised portion of the stage, as he might be as the leader in the Senate, the conspirators could surge closer to Caesar; Casca's knife could be seen as it appeared above the crowd, the other conspirators, including Brutus, could then surge forward making stabbing motions. As they withdraw, Brutus could remain closer to Caesar than the others. Then Caesar might fall as he says, "Et tu, Brute?"

8. Stage Crafts

A costume is used to enhance the actor and atmosphere and should never be allowed to interfere with a performance, or be of such a nature that it will annoy an actor. Generally, it is considered wise to keep all costumes to a minimum and fairly simple. It is extremely necessary that performers become accustomed to the costumes they are to wear, so that they will be able to move freely and comfortably about the stage, as the characters would in such clothing.

In the case of Julius Caesar, it is not essential that togas be worn. Many professional productions of Shakespeare have been done in modern clothing and the effects are the same. Often the expense of making costumes prohibits them, and a few pieces of extra costuming effects can suggest as much as an entire costume may represent. Seek the effect, not the exact duplication.

But in lighting, scenery, and costuming, be familiar with the effects of color, and do not use colors that are too bright or too dark for a particular character, time of year, or situation. Generally, older persons do not wear bright colors; darker clothing will enhance serious scenes and brightly colored clothing will enhance comedy or lighter scenes. The funeral scene in Our Town takes place in the rain, with the characters all wearing black rain coats and carrying black umbrellas. This is a perfect example of the use of color to enhance the mood and add suggested meaning to a scene. Black is symbolic of mourning, in this instance.

The same general rules apply to stage setting and properties. Be sure the objects are suitable to the scene, the situation, and the character. Do not let any of the stage dressings detract from the play or the players.

Scenery

Unless your resources are unusually good, it is best to suggest detailed scenery, rather than to try to literally reconstruct it. The audience can imagine a more romantic castle than you ever could build on a stage; it can visualize a much denser forest than three weeks of work could construct; and it can envision a luxurious living room on Park Avenue in New York from a few pieces of furniture.

It is wise to have available the following stock pieces: several platforms of different sizes, usually each a foot high; one or more sets of simple stairs; several simple chairs and tables; and two or more screens, each usually composed of three or four panels six and a half feet tall.

IN THIS SCENE FROM THE MOVIE VERSION OF JULIUS CAESAR, THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE ACTORS WHO ARE ABOUT TO STAB CAESAR, SO THAT THE SETTING IS KEPT SIMPLE

Scenery for Shakespearean Play

Our scenery for Act III of Julius Caesar could be very simple. The initial crowd scene could take place in front of the main curtain, with no scenery in sight. When the curtains open, the audience might see only platforms and perhaps two pillars to suggest a Roman forum. The platforms could be arranged so that upstage would be two or more levels higher than the natural .stage floor. (Platforms may be borrowed from the gym or band for this occasion.) The two pillars could be down-stage, toward the footlights but behind the main curtain, so that the senators could pass through them going into the forum. Such pillars could be made from cardboard packing boxes mounted on a stand made or two by fours. There need be no attempt to "round" the actual cardboard. Proper lines painted on the cardboard will make them seem round. The back of the stage could be draped in a plain, dark curtain.

Properties

Almost any play calls for a number of small items which the actors must use in their parts. These are called "properties" or "props." There are two kinds of props: hand (or personal) props and stage props. Hand props are those items which are carried on and off stage by the actors. They may be articles used in connection with character business: a coffee cup, a pipe, a book, a sewing basket, and so forth. Stage props are items which are to be in place on stage for the actor to use and must be carefully placed there by the property master. Such items might be a tobacco jar, a coffee pot, a vase of flowers, a couch pillow, and so on. Again, it is not necessary to secure the exact items called for. A representation of the article may be more effective for theatre than the real article itself.

For example, there are the scrolls which are presented to Caesar on his way to the forum. These may be made of long pieces of wrapping paper rolled onto sticks of wood. It is important that they be big enough for the audience to sec easily.

In some towns, local stores will be willing to lend merchandise when given the simple courtesy of having their names mentioned in the program.

STAGE SETTINGS CAN BE INEXPENSIVE AND EASY TO OBTAIN

GOOD LIGHTING HELPS FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE IMPORTANT ACTION OF THE PLAY AS SHOWN ABOVE

Lighting

Since the scenery for high school plays may have to be much more suggestive than realistic, good lighting is important. Good lighting will make the play more effective.?

There are two main principles in lighting that must be emphasized:

1. The lighting must play up those parts of the stage where the attention of the audience is to be centered and play down those parts which will distract the audience.
2. Lighting effects should not be obvious. Lighting changes should be made slowly and blend so well into the mood of the play that the audience is unaware that the changes are being made. Lighting is usually classified into two categories: general lighting and specific lighting.

? Stanley McCandless wrote an excellent article entitled "Lighting the Small School Stage" for the May, 1955, issue of Architectural Record. Reprints of the article may be obtained from Century Theatrical Lighting, Inc., 521 West 43rd Street, New York 36, N. Y. Read this pamphlet or similar materials before you begin to design lighting.

General lighting fills the entire stage and provides effects such as bright sunlight, moonlight, or special color toning of the scenery. General lighting is achieved through the use of footlights, borderlights, floodlights, and strip lights.

Specific lighting is used to emphasize the main acting areas of the stage. You might have a specific lighting of a chair area, a doorway area, a fireplace area, a stairway area, etc. Spotlights, grouped in pairs, are used almost exclusively for specific lighting of the acting areas. Back lighting is the term used to designate the specific lighting of backings behind doors and windows, and other areas leading off stage, such as hallways or alleyways.

The most common lighting instruments are:

Fresnel: a small, all-purpose spotlight. It provides a beam of light with a soft edge that blends easily into the other lighting. Fresnels are used up high, behind the proscenium arch.

Leko: a more powerful spotlight which provides a sharp-edged, narrow beam of light. Lekos are usually mounted out in the auditorium in front of the balcony and used for the front lighting.

Beam Projector: a narrow-beam light suitable for sun. and moonlight effects through windows and arches, or for lighting the rear of stage or backgrounds.

Borderlight: a long strip of lights mounted overhead behind the proscenium arch for producing a general lighting effect. There are usually two or three colors in each strip which are controlled separately.

Scoop: a small floodlight which gives a wide-angled, soft light. They are often used to supplement the borderlights for toning effects.

Lighting equipment for the stage need not be expensive. A small amount of equipment can help a great deal. Advertisements in theatre magazines should be consulted. Contact the following for price lists and information booklets:

Century Lighting, Inc.. 521 West 43rd St., New York 36, N.Y. Kliegl Bros., 321 West 50th St., New York 19, N. Y. Olympic Lighting Company, 8036 45th Ave., S.W., Seattle, Washington

A complete directory of theatrical materials, including lighting, scenery, sound effects, make-up, and so forth, may he purchased for $2.50, from Bernard Simon, 1674 Broadway, N.Y. Ask for Simons Directory.

In the diagram above, note that the leko lights with their strong narrow beams are mounted out in the auditorium. The fresnel lights which have softer beams, and throw light a. shorter distance than the lekos, are mounted behind the proscenium arch, closer to the actors. The scoops, which give, wide-angled beams of light, supplement the lighting from the border lights to prevent shadows. They can be mounted on stands or mounted overhead.

9. Make-up

It is important that the actor, after carefully preparing for the role, prepare just as carefully to look like the character lie is to portray. It is through the use of make-up that the actor paints his character's face over his own. An effective make-up is determined by the requirements of the characterization and the manner in which it is applied.

There are two minor problems to dispose of first. Girls may think that they already know how to apply make-up. Roys may think that they do not want "that stuff" on their faces. The girls must realize that stage make-up follows an entirely different technique of application and method of accentuation than does street make-up. Boys must not associate stage make-up with the make-up normally used by girls, and must realize that they need make-up to help them to appear as the characters they are por-traving. Make-up is nearly as important as knowing the dialogue to be spoken. Remember, every person you see on television, on stage, or in the movies, is wearing make-up. No actor who really wishes to make a good appearance will ever think of appearing without make-up. Good make-up enhances, it does not detract.

When you begin to see the hundreds of different faces you can have through proper uses of make-up, this part of dramatics can become one of the most exciting and anticipated activities.

The basic steps for application of make-up are as follows:

Protect the Skin

It is usually wise to protect the skin with a light coating of cold cream. Young people often have sensitive complexions, and a protective coating will both guard the skin and make make-up removal easier as well. This is not necessary with some make-up, but is recommended, regardless.

Apply a thin coating of cold cream over all areas of the body that are to receive make-up. Wipe off all excess with tissue, as too much will only interfere with later make-up application.

Apply a Base

The over-all skin tone make-up is called a "base." The base colors come in a variety of formspancake, liquid, paste, or stick and all of these come in a variety of colors.

The proper base color to use is determined by the age, the health, and the general coloring of the character to be portrayed. Old people generally have sallow coloring, while children have pink complexions. Select the skin tone which best represents your character. Base is needed to make the skin "look alive" under the lights. Remember, the many, bright, colored lights will totally fade your own coloring, and, thus, base tones are added to enrich your natural coloring.

Apply the base evenly and rub it well into the skin. Wipe off any excess base. Remember, this is a toning color, and you should not look as if you are wearing a mask. You may think that you look like an Indian, but study your make-up under the full stage lights and see the difference.

To apply stick or paste make-up, cover the face with small dots of make-up and blend them together. To apply pancake or liquid base make-up, use a sponge or cloth. Be careful not to leave any streaks, and BE SURE to cover such areas as those behind the ears, on the back of the neck, and on the backs of the hands. Blend your make-up well into the hairline. Now that the basic coloration of the character is established, it is necessary to put in the details of the face, as in portrait painting.

Shadows

It is necessary to determine what features of the face must be accentuated to fit the character. Often an actor will want his face to appear to have a different structure. This effect is achieved by a technique of highlight and low-light shadowing. Any area that is shadowed will appear to the audience to have a sunken appearance, and any area which is highlighted will appear to stand out. If an actor wants to appear to have sharp cheek bones and sunken cheeks, the effect is achieved by shadowing the flat-cheek area with a dark color (brown, gray, maroon, green, lavender) and bringing out the cheekbones with a lighter color (white, pink, yellow). A shadow is not just a smudge. It must be carefully placed in the proper indentation, have a dark center, and blend into the highlight area. Such effects can be used to make a narrow nose, a sharp chin, a broad forehead, and so forth.

In old age make-up, these shadows are much more prominent and are applied with much more contrast. The older we get, the sharper the features of the face become. Notice the high lights and low lights of the people about you: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, your teachers, your friends. Notice that there is a direct relation between age and the low lights of the face.