THA 21b ACTING: Language in Action Spring 2016
Crawford Studio, Spingold 218 Monday & Wednesday 2 – 3:20
Instructor: Marya Lowry
Office: Spingold 14, ground floor Office Hours: Monday/Wed. 12:30-1:30
Email: and by appointment
This course is an introduction to the basic building blocks of creating a solid stage performance. Through a variety of exercises, improvisations and scene work, student actors will develop a personal understanding of playing an action, pursuing an objective, working against obstacles, being in the moment, engaging imaginatively with images and language, collaborating with a partner, analyzing a text and engaging in the discipline required to be an actor.
Active learning in this course happens primarily through focused engagement and classroom participation, observation, feedback, readings, individual preparation, reflection, experimentation, regular practice of techniques explored in class, LABS and rehearsals.
COURSE OBJECTIVES / LEARNING GOALS
• Develop an understanding of the fundamentals of acting:
Ease, Concentration and moment-to-moment presence
Giving and receiving
Playing an action towards an objective and overcoming obstacles
Physicalizing choices
Engaging the imagination
• Develop text analysis skills:
Identification of Dramatic Conflict and Stakes (problem, importance), Identification of Given Circumstances (who, where, when, what)
Identification of Motivation and Tactics (how, why)
Recognition of the story arc and its specific details
Scoring a scene
• Develop skills that support the creative ensemble:
Outward focus
Mutual trust
Listening and responding
Offering constructive feedback
Creative collaboration
Work ethic and discipline
REQUIRED READING and VIEWING:
• You will receive reading materials culled from a variety of sources delivered electronically
• The entire play from which your assigned scene is taken
• The entire play from which your monologue is taken
• See Intimate Apparel, Brandeis Theater Production, March 3-6
SUGGESTED READING:
Konstantine Stanislavsky, My Life In Art
GRADING:
30%– class commitment and participation* (see below for details)
30%– written assignments and rehearsal logs
40%– evidence of preparation and growth in the performance of exercises, improvisations, scenes and monologues
See definition as prescribed by the Brandeis University Bulletin
*Participation and commitment means:
Courage , Curiosity, Doing it even though you are terrified
Never pretending that you know something you don't know
Listening deeply, Responding to your classmates' work
Being an active, energetic participant in all class activities
Learning lines on time, showing up on time for LABs, willingness to experiment and go outside your comfort zone, supporting your cohort and partners, and…preparation, preparation, preparation.
ASSIGNMENTS
• A variety of short performance pieces, prepared in your LAB time for Studio presentation, as assigned (TBA)
• Question and Goals paper (see handout for details)
• Scene Analysis Paper (see handout for details)
• 4 Rehearsal Logs (see below and see handout for format details)
• Final Reflection Paper 3-5 pages
• 1 Open Scene, 1 Partner Scene and 1 Monologue
No papers, including REHEARSAL LOGS, will be accepted late.
REHEARSAL LOGS:
As an actor, you are the instrument. Self-Reflection and discipline are critical. You must learn to work alone and with others and reflect on your work, the work of others and the world around you. You must observe and consider, refine and explore. To this end, you will keep a rehearsal log of your activities related to class readings, exercises, what you worked on in class – alone and with others –(in your LABs), your explorations, discoveries you made, successes and failures you encountered (yes, they are both valuable to you), and your questions. Due dates are on the class schedule, attached. You will receive a handout detailing the format and specific kinds of responses required.
LAB – WORK OUTSIDE OF CLASS TIME:
Student Actors will need to do extensive outside preparation for exercises, scenes, and monologue work. This is your LAB time. Much of the actor’s work is accomplished outside of class and rehearsal. You must be available to set up and attend rehearsals outside of class time. You must be willing to rehearse regularly with your assigned partner(s}, and to establish positive working relationships with each other. You must be willing to work with any and all members of the class. You and your partner have the opportunity to guide your own learning in rehearsals. Approach the work with joy and a question and respect for your partners – we are all in a learning process.
When doing partner work, I suggest two 1.5 to 3 hour rehearsals each week. You and your partner should make and adhere to a weekly rehearsal schedule. Sign up for a rehearsal space on the Space Calendar outside Leslie Chiu's office on the second floor of Spingold. See Handout: Structuring Your Rehearsals
CLASS REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance:
Plan to attend all classes. There is no way to make up an acting class. If you cannot adhere to this policy, please reconsider your enrollment in this course. We are interdependent on each other in our work. Your absence affects the entire group and determines what projects or exercises can be undertaken in any given class. You have two allowed absences. How you use them is up to you, however, I suggest you plan to use them in the event of illness, or an emergency (i.e., a serious family matter or natural disaster). Use them wisely. Each additional absence will lower the final course grade by one-half letter grade per absence. You must inform me, via email, BEFORE class, if you will be absent.
Absence on the day of a performance assignment will result in a failing grade for that assignment unless other arrangements are initiated by the student. Student-Actors who miss a scheduled work session are not guaranteed a make-up time unless they have arranged a substitution.
Lateness:
Arrive on time for all classes. If you are chronically late, please reconsider your enrollment in this course. Plan to arrive in the classroom to warm up by 2:50-55. You must be in the classroom warming up no later than 2PM. No concession can be made because your previous class ran over time. It is your responsibility to let your teacher know you must arrive on time for your next class.
If you arrive late, do not explain or otherwise interrupt the class. If you need to offer apologies or explanations, do so after class ends. Two late arrivals or early departures will constitute one absence and will result in your grade being lowered by one-half letter grade. If you do arrive late or leave early, do so quietly, without distracting the group. Please notify me if you have a distant class immediately prior to this class so that reasonable adjustments can be negotiated. I will release you on time.
Injuries and other personal information:
If you have vocal or physical injuries (e.g., back or knee conditions, etc.), please let me know, I can make adjustments for you. Feel free to share with me any other personal information as it relates to your ability to participate in the class; personal information will be kept in strict confidence.
Clothing:
Dress for class in clothing that allows freedom of movement, e.g., workout clothes, yoga/sweat pants. Dress in layers so you can adjust to varying classroom activities and temperatures.
Absolutely No jeans, chinos, shorts, skirts/dresses, tank tops or hats (for men or women), watches or loose jewelry are allowed. Please keep your hair pulled away from your face. When you begin scene/monologue work, you will adjust for clothing accordingly.
We often work in bare feet, but you are free to bring flexible, non-slip footwear such as jazz shoes or lightweight athletic shoes to class. Since we often work on the floor, please do not wear outdoor shoes into the studio. Leave them outside the room.
Costumes and Props:
You are encouraged to use costume pieces for scene and monologue work. You can check out clothing from Costume Storage on the third floor of Spingold. Check out times are posted on the Costume Storage door. If you need to borrow props for your work, you can check them out from Prop Storage. Leslie Chiu or her assistants can tell you know how to check things out and how to return them. There are also some selected props and costume piece in the last dressing room nearest Leslie Chiu's office that you can take out and then return after you are done with them.
Food and drink: Other than water, no food or drink is allowed in the studio, including gum.
Email: You must check your email each day, as it is the primary way I will communicate with you. I will do the same. If you write to me about an appointment or class matter, I will get back to you within 24 hours.
Managing the Studio Space:
• In order to keep the studio space clean, leave your street shoes in the hall outside the studio so that dirt is not tracked into our workspace
• Place all your personal belongings on the shelves in the comer of the room
• Every student should help clean up the room at the end of each session. Return exercise mats and chairs to their proper location and clear books, papers, props and furniture to the sides of the classroom
• Throw away all trash and recycle empty water bottles
Visitors: Please have all visitors approved by the instructor before the class they wish to observe.
Please come and discuss problems or questions you have about the work. Make an appointment.
Come to office hours. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. I’m here to collaborate with you.
Note: If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me at the start of the term to discuss what provisions are possible.
THA 21b Acting 2016 Tentative Class Progression Schedule
Due to the creative, exploratory, and often improvisational, nature of our work, this is a tentative schedule. However, DUE DATES for papers, Logs, etc., will not likely change.
Weeks 1 – 3 Jan 13, 20, 25, 27
Breath/Voice/Body work, Ensemble work, Presence, Listening/Receiving, Improvisations, Playing for Goals; Begin Scene #1–Open Scene, Guest: Dmitry Troyanovsky/ Conversations on Stanislavsky (Jan 25)
Jan 13 “We Begin…”
Jan 18 no class, MLK day
Jan 20 DUE Question/Goals paper; DUE: Reading Assignment #1
Jan 27 DUE: Reading Assignment #2
Week 1 – 3 LAB Assigned exercises TBA; Open Scene rehearsals
Weeks 4 – 7 Feb 1, 3, 8, 10, 22, 24, 29, Mar 2
Scene #1–Cont. Open Scenes and Begin #2 Scripted Scenes
Script Analysis, Goals/Other/Tactics/Expectations (GOTE), Intensifying, Atmosphere, Size, Entrances, acting with the “Other”; Script Analysis, Given Circumstances, Physical Encounters, Hats and Shoes, Reading Assignments
Feb 1 DUE: Rehearsal Log #1
Feb 15-17 Winter Break
Feb 22 Begin Scene #2
DUE: Careful Readings of play
DUE: Full Analysis paper
Feb 29 DUE: Rehearsal Log #2
DUE: See Intimate Apparel, Brandeis Department of Theater production MARCH 3-6
Week 4 – 7 LAB Rehearsals Scene #1 and #2, additional exercises, TBA
Weeks 9 – 12 Mar 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 30
Continue with Scene #2 – GOTE, connection to Other, physical stories, Monologue selection
Mar 23 DUE: Rehearsal Log #3
Mar 28 no class, short Break
Mar 30 DUE: your monologue suggestions handed in
Weeks 9 – 12 LAB Scene rehearsals and solo work, TBA
Weeks 13 – 15 Apr 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, May 2
“Going it Alone” – Begin monologues and soliloquies; Scene #2, continued
Apr 20 possible Final Monologue Showing
DUE: Rehearsal Log #4
Apr 25-27 no classes, Spring Break
May 2 Final Monologue Showing, “sweep the slopes”. “We End…”
Weeks 13 –15 LAB Rehearsal w/ partners, solo rehearsal
May 4 – DUE: Final Reflection Paper
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THA 21b ACTING-Language in Action Syllabus Spring 2016 Marya Lowry page