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THEA 4500.001: Rehearsal and Production of Lorca in a Green Dress
Fall 2011 – Dr. Teresa Marrero
Cell (prefer text): 469-449-3845 Office: LANG 403 J Email:
Office Hours: Mondays: 3:30- 4:50. To schedule an appointment, text me or see me after rehearsal.
TEXT
Lorca in a Green Dressby by Nilo Cruz. (Official Oregon Shakespeare Scripts are available in the Theatre Office).
§ Collateral Reading: To be provided by Dr. Marrero and posted on BlackBoard. Pls check BlackBoard daily for postings.
§ Required Individual research: Investigation of the life and times of Federico García Lorca, particularly his play The House of Bernarda Alba and his poetry, his relationship with Southern Spain and the gypsy culture, his relationship with the artist Salvador Dalí, Surrealism, and Fascist Spain and investigation of the work by Nilo Cruz, the first Hispanic Pulitzer Prize winner (for Anna in the Tropics), his background and influences as playwright.
§ Suggested film to be viewed as background on Fascist Spain : “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006, Mexico, Guillermo del Toro, director)
Introduction to the Course
The purpose of this course is to examine the relationship between: textual analysis, scene/ body work
and theatrical techniques which lead to performance. We will explore possibilities of a surrealistic representation of an historical figure (Federico García Lorca), a historical period (Fascist Spain and pre-World War II) and an artistic period (1920s-1930s) and the development of Surrealism as seen in Spain through the visual works of artists Salvador Dalí.
This is a collaboration effort between performers, director, and technical staff. As such, participants are encouraged to experience the group dynamic of the theatre from the first day of rehearsal to the last night of the show’s run.
Warning of potentially offensive material: In this course, a significant component will be gestural and movement work. Actors will be required to interact with each other physically and also with a set that may have moving parts and high spaces. This play also deals with sensitive material, since the poet was gay. Actors will be asked to play the scenes as the playwright wrote them and as the director interprets them. There will be physical contact among several of the performers, as explained in the casting letter written by the director.
Student Obligations
· As a member of the cast of Lorca in a Green Dress, you are required to attend rehearsals, meetings, productions calls and performances on the schedule distributed to cast/staff or placed on the theatre callboard located in the RTVF building.
· The Stage Manager and Director will provide performers with a rehearsal, technical, and performance schedule.
· Any changes made to the schedule will be posted on the callboard with at least a 24 hour notice. It is your responsibility to check the callboard daily for any changes made to the schedule; you will be held accountable should you not comply with an updated schedule. When necessary, your initials will be required to indicate you have read the information.
· Dr. Marrero will also post information on BlackBoard. Please check this site on a daily basis.
Schedule
- Begin full rehearsals Monday, Oct. 3. Please have lines memorized by then.
- Mondays, 8:30-10:30 pm, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 6- 10 pm, Saturdays 1-6 pm. Off Thursdays and Sundays.
We will have one preliminary meeting before starting full rehearsals:
Monday, Sept. 12, 8:15-10:15 pm . LANGUAGE BLDG. 107. Table Work. Cast members bring question/observations regarding text. Bring text. Set the tone for memory work and the Spanish-language segments.
Other Important Dates (that may change):
Proposed Advertising Photo Shoot: Saturday, October 22, 4-6 pm
Saturday, Oct. 29: Rehearsal space TBA (UT not available)
Tech Week and Production: Prepare to be available for the entire week (as of the beginning of the semester, Tech is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday 6; Dress is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7 and Tuesday, Nov. 8).
Opening: Wednesday, November 9th - Final Performance, Sunday, November 13h.
All Students Must Participate in Strike and Clean Up. Strike is set for Sunday, November 13 immediately following the show. Failure to attend is sufficient reason for failure of the course.
Post production discussion and written self-evaluation: Monday, November 14, 8 p.m. LANG 107.
Standard grading: F = Failure, D= sub-average, C= average, B= above average, A = excellent work
Grading criteria: Attendance/Participation: 30%, Preparation, Willingness to Explore: 30%, Performance Quality 60%
Attendance/Participation: 30 %
Each student shall:
· Attend each class meeting.
· Participate in all rehearsals/technical calls and public performances of Lorca in a Green Dress.
· Be on time and prepared for all rehearsals, crew calls, and performances.
· Silence all electronic devices.
· There are no unexcused absences in this course and all absences must be submitted and approved by the faulty supervisor or instructor for the course. Pls. see UNT undergraduate Catalogue for a description of UNT excused absences.
· A student who does not comply with the attendance policies made be subject to removal from the cast or crew assignment and will receive a zero for the course.
· Please be respectful of entering and exiting the workspace while others are working and you are not. It is considered discourteous and distracting to leave the room while others have the space, and you may not leave the space without notifying the Stage Manager.
· When cast/crew is scheduled to be “off book”, you must be off book.
· Behave in a professional manner and be courteous and respectful to all cast/crew members at rehearsals, meetings and performances.
· Treatment of theatrical equipment and space is to be used professionally, safely and with care. You must obey the policies and procedures outlined in the rules and regulations of their use.
· You will not use any intoxicants immediately before or during a rehearsal, call, or performance.
· Strike of the set is mandatory for all cast members; come prepared with appropriate clothing and shoes required for the scene shop.
Preparation, Willingness to Explore/Written Evaluation: 30%
It is not enough to simply be physically present at rehearsals or meetings. You are collaborating with a group as a whole and your undivided attention is essential. Your support for your cast-mates, your input is beneficial not only to yourself, but to the entire group; input should always be respectful, appropriate and professional.
· Come prepared with the work (research, written analysis, physical or scene work) assigned by the Director.
· You are required to arrive to each rehearsal prepared to do the work, which will include proper shoes and loose-fitting clothing.
· Your willingness to explore includes non-traditional ways of relating to the space, to other actors, and to the material.
Written Evaluation:
Take brief observation notes regarding your process after each rehearsal and performance. Use highlights from your notes to write a 2-3 page final reflection paper on the entire process from the first day of rehearsal to the final performance. By opening, your paper should already be basically written, all you will need to add are a few sentences commenting on the performances. This paper is due at the post-mortem discussion on Monday, November 14, 8 pm, LANG 107. Attendance required.
· Be sure to include personal annotations of your experience working on this production.
· Ask yourself how it has developed your theatrical skills and thought process as a performer.
· Evaluate yourself and the performance as a whole; what were the strengths and weaknesses of the production? What will you take from the experience?
Quality of Performance: 60%
Quality is an intangible measured through the Director’s observation of the performance, taking into consideration the following:
- Actor’s commitment to the part (includes memory work and ability to speak the lines as written)
- Presence, being in the moment with self and with the other actors
- Timeliness, arriving on time for calls and being prepared
- Voice, ability to project voice to a large audience
- Stage presence, ability to project physically to a large audience
- Timing, ability to make the proper entrances and exits
- Ability to handle props and any moving parts of the stage adequately
- Ability to move an audience
COURSE-RELATED ACADEMIC ADJUSTMENTS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
The UNT Department of Dance and Theatre Arts does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the recruitment and admission of students. The student has the responsibility of informing the instructor of any disabling condition that will affect his or her completion of the course assignments. It is the policy of the Department of Dance and Theatre Arts to make reasonable accommodations to help such a student perform well in the department’s courses.
Responsibilities for Time Management
Dance and Theatre students are expected to budget and organize their time and efforts in order to meet both their academic and production commitments satisfactorily and on time. The faculty and staff recognize that the academic and production assignments within the department as well as outside employment and other obligations sometimes impose conflicting pressures on dance and theatre students. One of the principle responsibilities of each student is to carefully identify and monitor the commitments that comprise his/her departmental assignments and obligations. It is important to keep in mind that production work and outside obligations do not constitute an excused absence from dance or theatre classes from the completion of any required class assignments.
Professional Behavior
You are expected to follow a professional work ethic. Performing artists must be disciplined and take their work seriously. Therefore you are expected to:
1. Attend class consistently.
2. Be on time.
3. Be mentally and physically prepared for class and/or rehearsal.
4. Dress properly.
5. Display an eagerness and willingness to commit to assignments and exercises.
6. Respect your fellow actors, your professor, the space, and any furniture or props.
7. View and critique others’ work in a respectful, professional manner.
8. Cell phones and music players must be off during class.
Memorization
When you are expected to be off-book, please BE OFF-BOOK! This means you have memorized the EXACT words of the playwright. We will not allow you to stumble through a scene you have not memorized – this is a waste of my time and your classmates’ time. Of course, occasionally, we all forget a line or two. If this happens, please do not stop. Do your best to paraphrase the line – you should know the scene well enough to do this.
Proper Attire
So that you may fully participate in warm-ups and acting exercises, you are asked to dress comfortably in loose-fitting clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. (i.e. sweatpants, t-shirts, etc.) Footwear can include sneakers or jazz shoes – no boots, flip-flops, or high-heeled shoes. Please also wear appropriate undergarments for support and to allow uninhibited movement.
Do NOT wear hats of any kind. Please remove any jewelry that could present a danger to yourself or others or that will inhibit your work.
Student Behavior in the Classroom:
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr