Chapter 8 Creating the World of the Play

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Chapter 8 Creating the World of the Play

• Conventional theatre begins with a text
• A.K.A. The script
• The text provides the foundation for performers,
  directors, and designers to create.
• The playwright (or dramatist) is responsible for
  this expression of the human condition.
• But how can we begin to discuss how the
  playwright creates a script?

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Focus and Emphasis

• The Choices of the Playwright
• Broad subject (history, biography, fiction)
• Specifics choices
• Who - the characters
• What - the idea
• When - the time
• Where - the place
• The contemporary trend to devise works still
  requires these choices although made by the
  entire production team rather than a single
  author

3
Purpose

• Art can serve multiple purposes
• Entertainment / Escape
• Education
• Commentary political, religious, community,
  etc.
• The director identifies the purpose to create
• a unified approach to production
• interpreting the playwrights text.

4
Viewpoint

• Point of View an expression of the way we look
  at things how we perceive the world and events
• How is point of view evidenced in our world?
• Advertising
• Politics
• Film / Media
• The arts present their own point of view allowing
  audiences to see ideas from fresh perspectives.

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The Dramatists Point of View

• The dramatist provides the point of view on the
  subject making it heroic, humorous, tragic, etc.

The Realized World of the Play as it occurs
onstage
Playwrights point of view
The Audience Experience
Production Team Concept

• The director, performers, and designers take
  their cue from the text, using the playwrights
  P.O.V. as a guide.
• The world of the play evolves from this blend of
  perceptions and ideas.

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Societys Point of View

• Theatre Society are intertwined

The outlook of society influences the
playwright
The playwright often reflects the world view
in his/her writings
The Text

• Together, the playwright and the social outlook
  of his/her world creates a point of view that is
  complex and contextualized.

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The Collaborative Viewpoint

• Theatre uses many different artists to create
  productions.

The Playwright
The Performers
The Production
The Director
The Designers

• Remember that the work you see has multiple
  visions working towards a common goal the
  purpose of the play.

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The Question of Genre

• How do we categorize plays?
• GENRE
• Genres include
• ComedyTragedyMusicalFarceEtc.
• Why group plays together?
• To provide an easy means of referencing works
  that share characteristics
• To allow audiences an identifier to recognize a
  type of performance
• Beware of labels!
• Many plays exhibit characteristics of multiple
  genres
• and defy traditional expectations!

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Conventions of Dramatic Structure

• The playwright determines the structural
  blueprint of a play
• While the director organizes and unifies the
  structure of a production, it is the playwright
  who determines the dramatic structure of the play

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Essentials of Dramatic Structure

• The Form of Drama
• Plot vs. Story
• The Subject and Verb of Drama
• People and Action
• The Crucible of Drama
• Conflict

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The Rules of the Game

• Here are the ground rules
• Limited Space
• Limited Time
• Strongly Opposed Forces
• A Balance of Forces
• Incentive and Motivation
• Remember Theater may have rules, but breaking
  the rules is also acceptable and often
  encouraged!

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Creating Dramatic Structure

• How does a playwright create?
• The Opening Scene
• Obstacles and Complications
• Crisis and Climax