English 25 Zapata

Drama Assignment: Presentation and Performance

My company would like to finance and distribute a new film version of Cherrie Moragas Heroes and Saints. We have narrowed down our choice of production companies to two, of which yours is one. In order to make our final decision, we want each company to give us a 2530 minute demo (presentation). We will assign each of you different acts from which you may pick whatever you want--a particular scene or combination of scenes--to present. Theater Company One: Acts I Theater Company Two: Acts II On the day you present your demo, we request that you proceed with: 1. an oral report explaining what your vision of the play is and how your demo emphasizes or communicates that vision. What key dramatic questions do you want to address and what answers to those questions do you want to promote? What themes or conflicts do you want to highlight? How do you want the audience to interpret or react to the characters? And how do the lines or scenes in your demo manage to convey that vision? What other special features of production, setting, props, wardrobe, or casting would you like to bring to our attention? 2. a performance you must highlight what you feel is key to your vision of the play. It may be one scene or a combination of them. In order to present a clear understanding of your acts you must put on a performance from the play. It must be clear to the audience why your group is performing a certain scene(s). Please, set up your scene clearly within the presentation of your vision. It's up to the group how much to perform, but your presentation must reflect a thorough understanding of your Act. 3. an eye-catching/non-boring PowerPoint (5 slides max) that helps in presenting your vision Make sure that all members of your production company are involved in some aspect of the presentation--as readers, actors, perhaps as props or sound effects, etc.--so that we can get a sense of the overall competence of your outfit. (Though we expect you to have rehearsed your presentation, we do not expect the parts to be memorized!) Elaborate costumes and props are not expected; however, creative use of some props and costuming is strongly encouraged. Above all, we encourage creative or unexpected interpretations and production approaches. Surprise us! Please provide us with a printed version of your demo/acting presentation i.e. a handout (see below). All two competing companies will make their presentations on Tuesday, May 7th. I have decided to dedicate class on Thursday, May 2nd to rehearsals/presentation preparation. You are to use the time to meet with your group and work on last minute presentation adjustments and/or practicing your acting. At the end of rehearsal day you will be writing a report on what you accomplished. You will also be writing down what each person in the group is working on/contributing to the presentation/performance. It must be clear to the audience and production company that you are well rehearsed. FYI:

After the presentation there will be a 5-minute question and answer session with the audience. Audience members will be filling out a presentation evaluation that I will strongly consider when factoring the grade. You will receive the evaluation forms (the audiences and mine) one week before your presentation.

Presentation/Demo: (Group) Your presentation must have clear structure, organization, order, and meaning. In other words, it must move seamlessly from one speaker to the next from presentation to performance. It should be clear to the audience that considerable prep work has gone into your presentation and performance. Handout: (Group) In order to facilitate your presentation your group needs to create and provide a handout for your classmates. You can think of your handout as your version of a playbill. It should list the names of your group members, photos, artwork, cast of characters and performers, etc. It should have a full paragraph titled: "Our Vision." The paragraph should sum up what your vision of the entire play is (according to your group). Be creative! Here's your chance to be artistic. Make 6 copies of your playbill/handout.

Worth: 100 pts total (75 points group performance and presentation, 25 points group handout)

ANALYZING A PLAY When you analyze poetry, you know how important the details are. Vocabulary, rhythm, meter, and tone are all very important. It is true that analyzing a scene or a play has some similarities to analyzing poetry but, as you'll soon see,

analyzing plays has some characteristics all of its own. Remember, plays were meant to be performed for an audience, not simply read. Theme How has the playwright emphasized the play's theme? Through images? characters? action? and/or direct statements? Is the theme negative? How negative? Where is the theme first introduced? By whom? How does the central action of the play reveal the theme? Does the play's ending reinforce the principle theme? How? Are sub-themes important? Characters Playwrights often try to convey many of their messages through the way they depict characters. Consider points such as whether the character has a major or minor role in the central action of the play, how other characters react to him/her, what happens to the character throughout the play, what changes does he/she undergo, what his/her fate is, his/her place in society, as well as any strengths or weaknesses. What does a character reveal about him/herself through speech and action? How fully developed is the character? Are we led to like or dislike a character? Actions Are the actions physical or mental? Do they seem forced or do they appear to occur naturally? Are they coincidental or are they the result of much planning and scheming? How many people and which characters are involved in, or suffer from, the actions of the play? What are the results of the action? Plot How does the plot evolve from act to act and from scene to scene (do not simply retell what happens)? Is suspense used? How effectively? How do conflicts help develop the plot? What is the significance of any subplots? How unified is the plot? Where is the climax? How is the action resolved in the conclusion? Is the play a tragedy, a comedy? How can you tell? Soliloquies/Monologues At what point in the action do they occur? What do they reveal about the speaker? What is their tone? What is the speaker's mood? Does the speaker talk of taking action or is he/she giving you his/her philosophy of life? Is the speaker's train of thought rational? Treat the soliloquies to the same close reading as you would a poem; for example, consider imagery, symbolism, diction. Are asides used as opposed to soliloquies? to what effect?

Conflict Where does the conflict lie? Is it between two characters or within a character or between a character and his/her surroundings? How are they developed? How are they resolved? Is the central conflict reinforced by other conflicts - between minor characters or in the setting (a storm, perhaps.) Time Does the play take place over a short or a long period of time? Does a lot of time elapse between the scenes or in between the important actions? Are the characters preoccupied with time? Is the play set in actual time, where the stage time is the same as real-life time? Symbolism and Imagery Playwrights often use symbolism and imagery. Characters are often representations of something else. Actions, objects, and props may also be symbolic. What images are used? How powerful are

they? Does the imagery extend through the entire play, an entire scene, or is it only used once? How does the imagery help bring out the theme? Key Lines Often an entire theme of a play can rest on a single line, as in a Shakespearean scene. The theme of deceit in MacBeth is seen clearly in the line "Look the innocent flower but be the serpent under it." The theme of guilt in MacBeth is also seen vividly in Lady Macbeth's fervent crying, "Out, out damn spot!" and in the way that the action had "murdered sleep" for her. Respond to the emotions lying beneath the written lines. They may be vital to the meaning of the play. Setting Does the setting have a particular significance? Does it add to the mood of the play? Does the setting change and, consequently, the mood or the symbolism involved?

The above points should not simply be applied to each and every play. Instead, think about the play and the separate actions that take place in it. Remember, the closer you read and study a play, the more you will experience its power and beauty.