8/30

Intuition
 Synonymous to instinct, but instinct is more primal
 A feeling
Creating universe is creating a space where anything and everything can exist.
Unity of consciousness – suspense of disbelief. We’re all there on the same page.

09/04
Nontraditional casting
 Encompasses all aspects (not just race)
 We no longer use the term colorblind casting
o We always see race
 Here’s the question: who gets to tell what story?
 “Jewface” controversy

09/09
 Internal analysis – actions
 External analysis – structure
 Know whether or not a play is linear or non-linear
 Within each scene there is a cause and effect
 Trigger: the first part of an action that causes the heap: the result of the first action
 Beat: for Bloom, a beat is a trigger and a heap (an entire action)
 There is a difference between an action for an actor and an action of analysis
 French scene: new character entrances and exits (director defines the scenes)
 Giving the scene a name “the one where Amy slaps Noah”
 Exposition (given circumstances), inciting incident (conflict is introduced), rising action,
crisis/climax (crisis is the height of action, but climax is the height of emotion), falling
action, resolution, new stasis
o If there is a play that is missing a part, there needs to be a reason
 Your job as the director is to be able to manage both the internal and external analysis
 Directing 101: don’t go against the given circumstances
 The play is THE THING

09/13
 Make cuts FIRST REHEARSAL
 This is a lab – experiment
 Create rehearsal schedule
 Email cast
 Consent, always
 Make time for consent and check in with the actors
 Line readings
o Sometimes you have to do what you need to do
 Actors have questions because they are…
o Unsure in their choice
 o Completely unknown
 Use your judgement to determine why an actor is asking a question
o Ego
o Unsure
o Anger
o …
 Product v. process
 Directors of the root v. the result

09/20
 Picturization evokes cultural things

Rules of Composition:
 Fundamentals of Play Directing
 Arrangement of bodies and things in space
 Mise en scene
 Backs to the audience – have a reason
o Takes focus away from the actor
o Possibly blocked off the other person
 To open up, open a toe
 Countering
 Crossing – the person who needs the focus crosses DS
 U-Turn – keep the action going (full turn and complete the turn US)
 Remember the relationship between the actor and the audience
 Emphasis:
o Body position
 DS ( and center) draws the most focus and emphasis
o Through Area
o Through Planes
 Downstage, center, upstage (3 planes)
 Comes from raked stages
o Lines draw our attention to the end of it
 The audience will look where the actor look
 Emphasis on the entrance

Dramaturgy
The study of the text.
Research is only ONE part.
Aesthetic architecture and practical philosophy
Dramaturgy goes into practice by…
 Analysis (discovering the architecture)
 Research (the best known thing that a dramaturg does)
 Making it accessible to a contemporary audience (lobby displays….)
Fills all of the roles, but none of them at the same time.
10/07
SDC Interview:
 Found the transcripts from the obscenity trial in 1923
 American Revolution study

11/13/19
What makes a good collaborator?
 Picking the director’s brain about moments
 Don’t need to use technical jargon
 Evocative imagery?
 What are the important moments to talk about
 MOOD
 Quick check ins
What gets in the way of successful collaboration?
 Don’t do the job for the lighting designer, but bring them in on the discussion of how the
story is going to be told
 Make it obvious that you are taking notes and actively listening and watching a rehearsal

Conversations over something visual.

Everybody must listen to EVERYBODY.

Give designers a heads up if you are unsure of something – avoiding a designer telling a director
“NO”

You must be respectful of the designers, their time, their work, and their energy.

You must be flexible.

You have to find a way around the wall. You cannot stop.