Hey, Where are we?

1. Hey, Where are we? 8th Grade English Stage Geography Drama Unit

2. What did we learn about yesterday?

3. Today… • We are going to talk about the general geography of a set and how to move around on stage. • You will learn what to do and what not to do when you are acting on stage (in terms of moving) • You will learn what the fourth wall is and why you should almost never break it.

4. What is stage geography? • Stage geography is a loose term for the placement and the arrangement of a stage or set. • It is where the audience sits, where the players perform, and the directions to which the players move, speak, and act on stage. • It is also the placement of the audience in relationship to the actors.

5. Stage Geography • You have seen stage directions in plays before. However, you have probably never had to actually do the movements before. • So, how does an actor know where to move. There are a few basic rules they need to remember.

6. Moving and Geography • All directions refer to the actor’s point of view when they stand on stage. • Ex. Stage right = to the actor’s right. • Ex. Stage left = to the actor’s left. • This will look the opposite direction to the audience.

7. Downstage and Upstage • Back in some of the earlier theatres (Greek, Roman, Middle Ages, and Renaissance) the stages were what we call raked. • The audience was higher than the stage itself; therefore it was hard to see what was going on in the back of the stage. You had to look through the front people. • A raked stage allowed everyone to see what was going on in the front and the back of the stage.

8. Upstage and Downstage • This is where we get the terms upstage and downstage. • Being downstage means that you are closer to the audience. • Being upstage means that you are closer to the back of the stage.

9. Oh, No you DIDN’T • Upstaging or to upstage: when an actor turns his/her back to the audience in order to talk to someone upstage. • This is a BIG problem. • Why?

10. Upstaging • This is called upstaging. • When your back is to the audience and you are talking to someone upstage, the emphasis and the attention to the crowd shifts from you to that person. • You become background!

11. A good actor… • …will never turn his or her back to the audience. • An actor HATES to be outshone!

12. Another rule… • When you look at any room in your house, it typically has how many regular walls?

13. The Fourth Wall • In acting, there is something called the fourth wall. • The fourth wall is the imaginary wall between the actors and the audience. • A good actor will NEVER break the fourth wall! (Unless the script calls for it)

14. Breaking the Walls DOWN! • Breaking the fourth wall means that the actor somehow acknowledges the audience. • Beginning actors do this a lot! • You can break the fourth wall in a lot of different ways.

15. Breaking the Fourth Wall • An actor breaks the fourth wall when he/she: • Acknowledges the audience: “HI MOM! LOOK AT ME!!!” • Breaks character: giggling when the character is not; reminding someone of a line while onstage.

16. DO NOT BREAK THE FOURTH WALL! • You don’t do it in real life; why would you do it onstage? • Although, there are exceptions? Think of Peyton’s character in “Murder in the House of Horrors” or Zach in “SBTB” • Talking to the audience • Character asides

17. Breaking the wall means… • Breaking character… • DON’T BREAK CHARACTER…

18. Improv activity • Three volunteers… • Time to act out a scene… • Remember: Improv’s big three rules… • Never say no • Keep the scene going • Don’t start with a question…