Pinter, That

1
Pinter, Thats All
2
Starting Point

• What kinds of conversations do most people have
  most of the time? What about you? Think about the
  conversations you have had today or yesterday.
  What did you talk about?
• Discuss these questions with your neighbour.
•  

3
What kinds of conversations did you have?

• Getting information
• Discussions
• Arguments
• Deep interpersonal talks about personal topics
  (feelings, problems, dreams etc.)
• Small talk
• Flirting?

4
Which factors determine the kind of conversation?

• Place
• Time
• Mood
• The other person
• The objective?

5
How much of your time is spent in meaningful
conversations every day?

• How many meaningful conversations do you have per
  day?
• Would class time be considered meaningful
  conversation?
• When is a conversation meaningful?

6
Pinter Thats All

• Read the text with a partner.
• Who is talking and about what?
• What are your first impressions and thoughts?

7
Listen to the text

• While listening take special notice of
• Tone
• Voice quality
• Attitude of the speakers
• The pauses
• What is not said
• Did your impression of the text change when you
  listened to it?

8
Viewpoints

• What are these two women talking about?
• Where do you think they are having this
  conversation?
• Do you think it is a straightforward
  conversation, or are they really talking about
  something else? What could that be?

9
What makes this sketch Pinteresque?

• The things that are not said
• The pauses
• The seeming banality/trivialness of the the
  conversation
• What could they really be talking about?

10
Try these Creative Stunts

• With a partner, perform the play. Think about
  these points and stage directions.
• Who is in it?
• How old are they?
• What tone of voice are they using?
• What kinds of nonverbal body language are they
  using?

11

• Note for the teacher before showing the next
  slide, you could fill several slides with
  pictures from Internet of different people from
  different places. Then ask the students to
  perform the same play with these new characters
  (two men (two tough guys or wimps) two young
  women (posh celebrities) man and woman, etc ,etc

12
Perform the play again but..

• Change the characters or their tone of voice or
  both
• Suggested characters young women, two men, man
  and woman
• Suggested tones accusing, apologetic, angry,
  bored
• How does the play change?

13
Now

• Write your own play using your own conversation
  and Pinteresque style.
• Or
• Imagine you were to film this play. What would
  you include? Think about props, setting
  (inside/outside) characters (age, gender,
  clothing) lighting, music, camera angles,
  cross-clipping, film speed etc.  
• Write the screenplay
• Make a video?