Directing I: The Director's Vision
Course Description
Summary
What is action? What is character? What is an “event”? What are gestures, timing, rhythm and stakes? How do actors, playwrights, and directors collaborate to create an experience/event in space and time? How do illusion and anti-illusion collude and compete to make the representation “real?” This workshop/seminar offers theater artists the chance to examine their craft from the inside out. We meet twice a week with a 4-hour block on Tuesday afternoons to allow for in class rehearsals and showings.
Throughout the course everyone participates in all exercises and assignments. We tell stories, we act, and those who have never directed direct. We begin by exploring the energy in the body, focusing on stillness and release. We continue with physical exercises from both the eastern and western traditions leading into improvisation as a method for tapping the source of impulses. We touch on the Viewpoints as a tool for creating kinetic compositions spontaneously in space. In the text analysis section, we study the expression of action through structure, dialogue, and the importance of “events.” We consider both external and internal action, subtext, and freeing up the voice. By mid-term, everyone directs a short scene from one Chekhov play. In the second half of the term, students choose one contemporary play from which they will direct individual scenes. Directors and actors will work together to direct, rehearse, design, and present a public performance of scenes from one play of the students’ choosing.
Following the example of Lynn Hernandez, I practice presenting materials and activities, and invite the students to present materials and activities that respect equity, inclusion, and diversity. This embraces gender identity, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyzing, visualizing, and staging a script for performance.
Sharpening spatial and temporal awareness of events: how do things happen and how long does it take?
Collaborating with an ensemble: how to listen, how to work together, how to articulate a vision, and how to inspire others to work with you.
Learning how to work with actors: What is the character's problem and what do they do to solve it?
Learning how research can deepen your awareness of a historical period, or the context of an issue.
Learning how to identify the big ideas of a text and consider how to engage your audience with the immediacy of these ideas. In other words, how to make art that speaks to your community.
Prerequisites
A selection of courses in acting, design, dramaturgy, stage management, dramaturgy, or theater history, as well as permission of the instructor. Students should express their interest and qualifying experience in writing to Jean Randich at jrandich@bennington.edu. First years are expected to wait a year before applying to this course. We will compile the names of the interested candidates and the drama group as a whole will confer on who may enroll. Preference is given to 4th and 3rd year students, and to students for whom directing is vital to their plan.
Please contact the faculty member : jrandich@bennington.edu