21M.710  Script Analysis

Script Analysis for Wednesday, May 17

Hey Script Analysis Gang!

I was so deeply impressed with the range, vision, imagination, and originality that each of our presenting directors demonstrated on Monday! BRAVO! How thrilling to see that a play like STREETCAR can be interpreted and brought to life in so many vastly different ways!

We'll continue with our presentations on Wednesday! Since we ran out of time on Monday, we need to add Bryan to the list. That means everyone needs to be concise, to the point, and very effective with their pitch in order to get to everyone. Be prepared!

ALSO:
EVERYONE MUST COME TO CLASS, AND EVERYONE MUST BE ON TIME.

And in case you were wondering, it turns out that I am indeed the Best Director.
http://www.wbur.org/artery/2017/05/15/topdogunderdog-elliot-norton-awards-2017

;-)

David

Announced on 16 May 2017  2:11  p.m. by David R Gammons

Streetcar Director's Pitches!

Hey Gang!

Great discussion this week!
Here is the division for next weeks presentations:

MONDAY, May 15 (In no particular order)
(Attack of the MAD M's)
Mandy
Murielle
Mina
Michelle
Max
Marissa
Avery
Ony
Bryan

Wednesday, May 17 (In no particular order)
Andrew
Christine
Tal
Abby
Rianna
Jenna
Erica
Nonye
Kayo

Your Director's pitch should be approximately 5 minutes, followed by some questions from me!

Have fun imagining yourself in the role of the director, and trust your individual intuition and imagination to guide your process. There are many different "ways in" for a director, and I encourage you to allow the text's poetry and power to inspire your concrete choices for an imagined production!

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to show your momma some love!

David

Announced on 13 May 2017  9:01  a.m. by David R Gammons

Script Analysis for Wednesday, May 10

Hey Amazing Script Analysis Gang!

Thanks for another exciting conversation! I appreciate your engagement and insight!

On Wednesday, we will continue exploring STREETCAR.

You should be thinking about your own unique interest in the play, and the elements that YOU would like to explore from the director's angle.

Are you interested in a traditional production? An historical approach to the play? A radical re-envisioning? A Feminist perspective? A Queer reading? Let your Director's Pitch (due next week!) be driven by your own personality and interests. Look over the assignment posted and begin making notes in your JOURNAL.

In class, we will also need to divvy up the days next week -- be thinking about whether you would like to do your pitch on Monday or Wednesday!

Also, the on-line portal for providing course feedback is now open. I encourage you to take some time to respond. I take student feedback very seriously, and am grateful for your honest (and anonymous) response to what worked well for you in this class, and what you found challenging or difficult (beyond the healthy challenges of learning something new!).

Thanks guys! See you tomorrow!

David

Announced on 09 May 2017  10:03  a.m. by David R Gammons

Script Analysis: Director's Pitch Assignment, Due 5/15

Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire
Director's Pitch Assignment

Imagine that, inspired by your reading of (and passion for!) Tennessee Williams' masterpiece "A Streetcar Named Desire," you decide that YOU really want to direct this play. Based on your fascination with and understanding of the script -- and your own bold imaginative abilities -- what kind of production would YOU create?

Consider some of the following questions that a director might ask herself, and make notes in your journal:

+ What "world" would you generate? What are its specific qualities? How do ideas about time period and location play into your choices? What is the mood or atmosphere?
+ What themes would you emphasize? This play is rife with poetic imagery, recurring motifs, symbolism, and interconnected thematic material. Which themes or images would drive your conceptualization of the production? Which would motivate your choices?
+ What kind of actors would you imagine in the lead roles? You might consider specific actors, or have thoughts about age, gender, race, or ability.
+ What kind of design choices would you like to explore with your design team? What kind of performance space would suit your vision? A traditional proscenium stage? "Thrust" or "In the Round"? Outside? Site-specific? How would this influence the look and feel of the set, costumes, lighting, etc.
+ Why this play NOW? In what ways is it topical, relevant, or urgent? Why does it need to be shared with a contemporary audience?
+ Why is it important for YOU to tell this story? What is your personal "hook" into the characters, events, or relationships?
+ What will the audience actually experience?

Now, prepare your "Director's Pitch" !

Imagine that I'm a bigwig Artistic Director, and I'm going to pay to produce a big production, and I'm looking to hire a great director: smart, creative, original, and with a deep but personal understanding of the play.
You want me to hire you to direct the show. Prove to me why I should. BUT, you only have FIVE MINUTES of my time. Make it count! Be prepared to give your pitch and then answer any follow-up questions that I may have. You may come prepared with written notes, but your presentation is fundamentally an engaging oral presentation.

BE PERSONAL! BE CREATIVE!

Pitches are due in class Monday, May 15 and Wednesday, May 17.

This assignment is also available in the Matreials Section of the site.

Announced on 07 May 2017  8:06  a.m. by David R Gammons

Script Analysis for Monday, May 8

Hey Script Analysis Team!

Great work this week -- I very much appreciated our discussion and our reading from the play! It is exciting to have the text come alive for us so effectively in class!

For MONDAY, May 8:

+ Please READ the short essay by director ELIA KAZAN: "Director's Notebook for A Streetcar Named Desire." You'll see that he focuses on each of the four main characters, analyzing their character, relationships, and "spine" in the play. The essay is posted in the Materials Section of this site.

+ Make some notes in your journal. Do Kazan's observations match up with your own reading and understanding of the play? Do his notes illuminate aspects of the play you wouldn't think about? Do you see other perspectives or draw different conclusions?

Be prepared to continue to discuss the play through the lens of Kazan's notebook. We'll also read aloud more from the text.

+ Thinking from a Director's perspective, try to imagine which particular elements in the play you might draw on to organize and focus your individual approach to a production.

+ Pay particular attention to forces of OPPOSITION:

Dark vs Light
Masculine vs Feminine
Gay vs Straight
Clean vs Dirty
Reality vs Fiction
Innocence vs Experience
Nature vs Culture
Dressed vs Undressed
Sanity vs Madness
as well as the pervasive obsession with
SEX and DEATH.

+ What specific moments -- lines, descriptions, actions, characters -- catch your attention, and why? Which elements in the play would shape your interpretation?

Be prepared with moments you'd like to read aloud and discuss!

David

Announced on 05 May 2017  5:45  p.m. by David R Gammons