Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers
- 4th Edition - March 12, 2009
- Latest edition
- Author: James Thomas
- Language: English
Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers applies directly to the experience of theatrical production. You will immediately be able to inforporate the concepts and… Read more
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Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers applies directly to the experience of theatrical production. You will immediately be able to inforporate the concepts and processes you learn into both your practical and creative work. Whether you are an actor, a director, or a designer, you will benefit from clear and comprehensive examples, end-of-chapter questions, and summaries meant to stimulate their creative process as they engage in production work.
Based on the premise that plays should be objects of study in and of themselves, Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers teaches an established system of classifications that examines the written part of a play. This fourth edition will include in-depth analysis of unconventional plays, which are more frequent on amateur and professional stages. These plays present unique analytical challenges that the author teaches you the unusual ways in which the subject matter operates in unconventional plays.
Based on the premise that plays should be objects of study in and of themselves, Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers teaches an established system of classifications that examines the written part of a play. This fourth edition will include in-depth analysis of unconventional plays, which are more frequent on amateur and professional stages. These plays present unique analytical challenges that the author teaches you the unusual ways in which the subject matter operates in unconventional plays.
* Each chapter has comprehensive examples, end-of-chapter questions, and summaries to stimulate your creative process
* NEW focus on unconventional plays
* Expanded information on Action Analysis
* NEW appendix with helpful forms for Action Analysis and Formalist Analysis
* NEW focus on unconventional plays
* Expanded information on Action Analysis
* NEW appendix with helpful forms for Action Analysis and Formalist Analysis
Students in script analysis courses in theatre programs, as well as acting and directing courses, drama, literary criticism. Also, students in design classes.
Preface: New in This Edition, This Book and Its Point of View; Acknowledgments; Introduction: What is Formalist Play Analysis?, Action Analysis, Dramatic Writing, Reading Plays; CHAPTER 1–ACTION ANALYSIS: Events, Sequence of External Events, Reviewing the Facts, Seed, Sequence of Internal Events, Three Major Climaxes, Theme, Super-Objective, Through-Action, Counter Through-Action, Action Analysis and Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 2–GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES: Time, Place, Society, Economics, Politics and Law, Learning and the Arts, Spirituality, The World of the Play, Given Circumstances in Non Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 3–BACKGROUND STORY: Technique, Identification, Background Story in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 4–EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ACTION: External Action, Internal Action, External and Internal Action in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 5–PROGRESSIONS AND STRUCTURE: Progressions, Structure, Progressions and Structure in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 6–CHARACTER: Objectives, Actions, Adaptations—an Aside, Conflict, Will, Values, Personality Traits, Complexity, Relationships, Character in Non-Realistic Plays, The Score of a Role, Questions; CHAPTER 7–IDEA: Idea in the Words, Idea in the Characters, Idea in the Plot, The Main Idea, Idea in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 8–DIALOGUE: Words, Sentences, Speeches, Special Qualities, Theatricality, Dialogue in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 9–TEMPO, RHYTHM, AND MOOD: Tempo, Rhythm, Mood, Tempo, Rhythm, and Mood in Non-Realistic Plays, Closing Notes on Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 10–THE STYLE OF THE PLAY: Given Circumstances, Background Story, Plot, Character, Idea, Dialogue, Atmosphere, Questions; A FINAL WORD; Appendix–Further Questions for Script Analysis; Bibliography; Index
- Edition: 4
- Latest edition
- Published: March 12, 2009
- Language: English
JT
James Thomas
James Thomas, Professor of Theatre at Wayne State University and Head of its PhD Program in Directing and Theatre Scholarship, is a graduate of St. Ambrose College (BA), Villanova University (MA), and the University of Texas at Austin (PhD). Thomas has also taught theatre at Mount Holyoke College, Marquette University and Florida State University, where he was Associate Dean. His recent directing credits include Six Characters in Search of an Author and Cymbeline at Detroit’s Hilberry Theatre, and Ah, Wilderness! and The Skin of our Teeth at the Bonstelle Theatre. He is also translator of texts about modern Russian acting and directing technique and Director of the Department’s Study Abroad Program with the Moscow Art Theatre School. He is currently at work on a study of Shakespeare’s plays for actors, directors and designers.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Theatre, Wayne State University; Head of the PhD Program in Directing and Theatre Scholarship, Detroit, MI, USARead Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers on ScienceDirect