THTR 1020 : THTR 1020 Notes Oct Midterm
Document Summary
Why: the purpose of playing is to hold the mirror up to nature. Hamelet act 3 scene 2: because we are human, the theatre mirrors our lives unlike any other art form. Mirror which we can see our vices and our virtues, but can also transform it. Invent life instead of just being carried away by it. Codes: embedded assumptions, a system of nonverbal signs (or conventions) that carry meaning. The language: spoken text- the dialogue, action text- when people do something, she exits, he strikes, etc. , subtext- what is left unsaid, reading between the lines. Production elements: once theatre artists read the play for these context clues, they make production decisions, lighting, costumes, set design, staging. Interpreting the text: an actor can give a century"s old text new life, lawrence olivier, defeated, resigned, depressed, kenneth branagh, david tennant. Dramatic structure: aristotle"s six elements of drama, plot, character, thought, diction- language, song, spectacle.
