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Staging and the Drama

Staging and the Drama. English 12 - Rutsky. What is staging?.

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Staging and the Drama

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  1. Staging and the Drama English 12 - Rutsky

  2. What is staging? • Staging is the component of theater that is not normally directly controlled by the playwright. It is the most fluid part of a drama, consisting of the instructions an actor/actress is or is NOT given about how to behave and where to position themselves on stage. When combined with the recitation of lines, staging creates a three-dimensional drama from a two-dimensional text.

  3. Huh? • Staging is …when an actor moves… …where an actor moves… …how an actor moves… and …why an actor moves… when on the stage!

  4. Why is staging important? • Brings text to life in a visual manner • Adds nuances to dialogue that might be missed otherwise (gestures, facial expressions) • Can shade our interpretations of texts through the director’s staging choices

  5. Example 1: Hamlet, Act III Scene 1 The scene opens with the King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern all discussing Hamlet, and the King instructing them to watch him carefully: KING CLAUDIUS Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,That he, as 'twere by accident, may hereAffront Ophelia:Her father and myself, lawful espials,Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen,We may of their encounter frankly judge,And gather by him, as he is behaved,If 't be the affliction of his love or noThat thus he suffers for.

  6. Polonius is also in on the plot; he instructs Ophelia to act casually. LORD POLONIUS Ophelia, walk you here. Gracious, so please you,We will bestow ourselves.To OPHELIARead on this book;That show of such an exercise may colourYour loneliness. We are oft to blame in this,--'Tis too much proved--that with devotion's visageAnd pious action we do sugar o'erThe devil himself. Ophelia plays along. At this point in the play, we get the instruction “Enter HAMLET”, and he launches into his famous “to be or not to be” soliloquy. However, his treatment of Ophelia in the scene that follows, where he abuses her and tells her “get thee to a nunnery”, claiming she is false.

  7. How does staging affect this scene? Consider what happens if Hamlet “walks on stage” a little earlier, but “enters”—makes himself known—at that cue! Suddenly, the mad Dane doesn’t seem so insane or so fickle in turning on Ophelia: • He has seen her with the King and her father, plotting to trap him • He feels betrayed by a second woman he loves (first his mother, now Ophelia) • He lashes out at the falseness of women in general in his speech!

  8. Example 2: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth • Staging can add to characterization, leading the audience to make certain decisions about interpreting characters. • What do we know about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? What do they look like? How do they carry themselves? Is Lady Macbeth domineering or seductive? Is Macbeth strong-willed or easily bullied? Is he smart but loving, or foolish and easily duped? Does he want to make his wife happy or himself? How old is he?

  9. Questions like these can affect our interpretation of the text! • A production that wants to emphasize Macbeth’s responsibility for his own downfall would use dynamic, active staging. Macbeth would move aggressively, draw his sword regularly on threats, and be an imposing figure. • A production that wants to show Macbeth as being a victim of his surroundings might choose to play him as reluctant, moving away from threats, and being physically intimidated by his wife.

  10. So how do we teach staging? • Step 1: Ask students to talk through a scene, explaining what they think a character is doing at a given point (physically) and why • Step 2: Do a “walk-through” of a scene, where students read the scene aloud after a first reading as a group. Have the students stand on “stage” at the front of the room, and remind them to move and interact. They will usually stand in one place and read in a monotone, possibly following pre-written directions. Use this as a way to point out how vital staging is to the play’s entertainment level. • Step 3: Use a simple staging diagram combined with the text to set up staging for homework or take-home assignments.

  11. Sample stageplot diagram Simple and easy to use. Note that I have reduced the size of the script on the right side by 25% to leave margin room. This is where the student will “annotate” their plot. On the left is the stage page, where the students map movement and placement.

  12. A sample stageplot for Act III Scene 3, Banquo’s murder Note the use of margin notes to clarify when and how movements occur, as well as significant set pieces such as trees.

  13. Typical assignments: • Give students one scene to map completely using plots and diagrams • Combine plotting an important page in the play with a one-page analysis/synthesis paper which explains why the “director” chose the staging choices s/he made and how they affect our reading/interpretation. • Require stage plots prior to “scene performances” as a way for students to demonstrate that they understand the nuances of the scene (or as a substitute for live performance.)

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