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2
Cast:
Narrator:
Reporter:
Photographer:
Clerk:
Elaine Harper:
Mortimer Brewster:
Abby Brewster:
The Rev. Dr. Harper
Teddy Brewster:
Officer Brophy:
Martha Brewster:
Jonathan Brewster:
Dr. Einstein:
Lieutenant Rooney:
Mr. Witherspoon:
Director
Karyl Meyer and cast
Sound Team
Costume and Props Team
Stage Crew
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Course Schedule
Week 1:
Introductions
Readers Theatre
Crews: Stage Crew, Sound, Costumes, Props
Voice: Projection, Articulation and Resonance
Read Through the script, leading to casting
Week 2:
Cast Announced
Script Analysis, identify major actions
Character Study
Read Through, as time allows
Week 3:
Working Rehearsal
Character Development
Planning sound, props, and costumes
Week 4:
Comedy – How it differs from drama
Working Rehearsal
Week 5:
First rehearsal with sound effects
Week 6:
Full “Dress Rehearsal” with sound, props and costumes
Week 7:
Performance
Invite your friends, family and other Academy students
4
Week 1
Introductions
Why do you want to be in an acting group?
What do you hope to experience in this class?
What is Readers Theatre?
Readers Theatre is a style of theatre in which the actors do not
memorize their lines. Actors use only vocal and facial
expression to help the audience understand the story rather
than visual storytelling such as sets, costumes, intricate
blocking, and movement. Sound effects are used extensively to
clarify the action.
Script sources for Readers Theatre
Radio scripts:
genericradio.com, simplyscripts.com/radio,
radiolovers.com (listen to classic radio plays, etc.)
Standard acting scripts:
Dramatists Play Service, Inc.; Samuel French, Inc.
Differences between the two types of scripts:
I worked with 4 scripts to create the version of Arsenic and
Old Lace we’re using.
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Before we begin: Some practical considerations:
1. No memorization required! However, great familiarity with script is needed. (This is not
limited to your own lines.)
2. No stage setting or lighting
Imagine/visualize the setting and lighting in detail, and let this
inform your acting.
3. No blocking
Be aware of the action so that our acting and reactions are
specific and believable.
4. No or very limited props
Again, be very aware of the imaginary props – visualize them
in detail.
5. No or very limited costumes
**Everyone will wear black. I like to add one costume item per
character.
6. Sound effects are very important!! They make up for all of the production elements we do not
have in readers theatre.
Live sound effects – hopefully a bugle use by an actor
Possibly live effects such as glasses clinking
Most effects will be recorded and played on cue by a sound
team.
7. Mics for actors – we may be able to use one or two, but
will rely primarily on effective vocal technique.
8. Accents: An initial question – Does anyone have the
ability to do one of these accents?
German, Yiddish, Polish, central European, Irish, Italian
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Making yourself heard: Projection, Articulation &
Resonance
The actors’ voices convey the play to our audience. How can
we maximize our ability to communicate by voice?
Realize that with greater age, our articulation, projection and
resonance become less effective than they were many years
ago.
And with greater age, the hearing of many in the audience will
be compromised.
We can do a few exercises and adopt some practices to
partially mitigate the aging effects on the voice.
Projection: Air is the fuel for the voice
Projection is how well the voice carries. This is determined
primarily by breath control.
Breathing for maximum “fuel efficiency”: Breathe deeply, use
the diaphragm, shoulder and upper chest movement provide a
greater amount of air for fuel.
Never stress your voice box trying to speak louder!!
Articulation: The motor producing the sounds of speech.
The parts of this motor are the tongue, lips, teeth and soft and
hard palettes.
Karyl’s magic articulation exercise: “Tip tongue activity”
Repeat this phrase precisely, exaggerate the tongue and lip
actions. As you become more precise, say it faster.
Are tongue twisters a useful exercise? Just practicing precise
speech is more helpful.
Commented [WDM1]:
7
Resonance: This is the “sound” or quality of your voice.
Tension has negative effects on your resonance. Relax before
speaking.
A few exercises.
Preparation for Week 2:
1. If I’m able to get casting to you, mark your lines in your
script. Use a yellow highlighter to mark them.
2. Explore the script: What’s going on, even in small scene
or “beats”.
3. Practice articulation, projection and resonance exercises
frequently – this week and throughout the rehearsal
weeks.
4. Help locate a sound team leader.
5. Help locate costume and props items.
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Week 2
Final Cast Announced
Script Analysis
Sources: Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers
Fourth edition, by James Thomas
Plus your director’s memory
Script analysis can be very technical and complex! We shall
simplify it.
Script analysis focuses on the action(s) of a script rather than
the dialogue. The goal for an actor is to identify the actions in
the script and how they impact his character. This is called
action analysis.
Action Analysis:
Action Analysis is based primarily on events in the plot and
how they impact the major goal of the main character
(protagonist).
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The easiest and most accessible way to come to terms with a
play is through the events in the plot.
An event is something that generally would not or should not
happen.
As a result, everything changes, causing new ideas and
feelings in a character, forcing the character to see life in a
new way. An event changes the direction of a character’s life.
External events: facts, especially as they apply to the
current situation and give insight to your character.
Internal events: changes in emotion, desires, goals etc.
with your character.
Climaxes:
A climax is an event of high dramatic tension, a major turning
point in the action.
Plays have 3 major climaxes, plus an initial incident.
What are these climaxes in “Arsenic and Old Lace”?
Initial incident: Presents the major goal or objective of the
main character, and begins the action of the play.
1St climax: The main character discovers an obstacle or
problems which impede him from achieving his objective.
2nd climax: Hardships encountered by the main character
become seemingly insurmountable.
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3rd climax: How the main character resolves his obstacles
or comes to terms with the play’s particular reality –
whether comic, happy, or tragic.
Character Study
An unexamined life is not worth living.
Socrates
An unexamined character is not worth
acting.
Sources: Audition, by Michael Shurtleff
Plus your director’s memory
Stanislavsky – Method acting
Given Circumstances in a script: examining these leads into
character study.
What are the given circumstances (similar to external facts)
provided by the script for your character?
Who, what, when, where, and why?
What do other characters say about you?
What can be learned about your past?
How do other characters treat you, and why?
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What else might you discern about your character from
the script?
Learn to use yourself in developing your character - but
not your everyday self! Plays are about the unusual, not
ordinary, everyday life. Develop empathy with your character’s
unusual situation and your character’s reactions.
Using your life and memories:
It’s like when…
It reminds me of…
How did you feel at the time these events happened to
you?
Focus, Focus, Focus!!!
Stay in the Moment!
Be in the moment with your at all times during rehearsal and
performance.
Summary: From the beginning, be aware of the facts, or given
circumstances:
What do we know, absolutely for sure, about the character?
Then you can get creative, within the framework of the
scripted facts. This is where the fun begins!
12
12 Guideposts to knowing and communicating
your character
Adapted from Michael Shurtliff
1. Relationships – how to create them on stage
2. Conflict – what you are fighting for
3. The moment before – how to start a scene
4. Humor – why jokes don’t work
5. Opposites – finding the hidden tension in your scene
6. Discoveries – making things happen for the first time
7. Communication and competition – coaching the other
actor
8. Importance – locating the dramatic core
9. Find the event – what is really happening in the play
10. Place – create it on a bare stage
11. Game playing and role playing – play them for reality
12. Mystery and secret – adding wonderment to the scene
1. Relationships – how to create them on stage
Creating relationship is the heart of acting. It is basic. It is
essential.
Start with the question: Where is the love?
This can mean a variety of things, and lead to many
insights.
Ask “feeling questions” about your emotional attitude
toward the other characters.
Examples:
Explore the feelings you have to the other character right
now – on a given page or scene. It will change, perhaps
many times, in the course of the play, or even within a
scene!
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Create the feelings as you would feel them, not as you
think the character would feel them. Realism in feelings is
far more meaningful.
Where is the love in the scene? – A wide range of
answers.
2. Conflict – What are you fighting for?
Your character has a goal in each scene.
Conflict is what keeps you from achieving your goal.
Remember, we always want something, we are always
fighting, no matter how disguised the action may be. An actor
needs to find out what the basic fight is for his character in
every scene. The various ways in which that fight is waged are
what heightens the interest.
3. The Moment Before – How to start a scene
Every scene you will ever act begins in the middle. Something
precedes it, and this is called “the moment before”.
What are you fighting for just before the scene begins? Be fully
committed to that.
The more specific, the more focused, the moment before, the
better the entire scene will go.
This is tricky in Readers Theatre. Why?
How can we handle this difficulty?
14
4. Humor – Why jokes don’t work
Humor is not jokes. Humor is not being funny. It is that
attitude toward life that makes it possible for us to get through
the day.
The humor is in each scene – be real and let it develop
naturally.
One reason comedies are so often unamusing is that actors are
working hard for jokes instead of finding the real-life humor.
Preparation for Week 3
1. Analyze your character/characters? What is your
characters goal? Overall, and in in each scene?
2. Where is the love? Answer this question for your
relationship with other characters.
3. Read your scenes aloud. Picture the scene in detail in your
mind as you read. (If you can get another person to read
the other character’s lines with you, this may be helpful –
or it may not be at this stage.)