Theatre in practice: a student's handbook

List of figures

List of tables

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part 1. Key practitioners

1. Stanislavski and the system

Understanding Stanislavski through practice: work on the actor

1. Imagination

2. Crating pictures and impressions

3. Free body relaxation

4. Concentration

5. Communication

Understanding Stanislavski through practice: work on a role

6. The six W's

7. The objective

8. The action

9. The super objective

10. The germ

11. Tempo-rhythm

Using Stanislavski with text

12. Reading the play

13. My character's past

14. Pinning down my character

15. Dividing up the play

16. Objectives and actions

17. Active analysis

18. Mise en scène

19. The final run

Summary: Stanislavski and the system

2. Brecht

Understanding Brecht through practice

20. The narrator

21. Turbulent times

22. Class

23. The taxi driver

24. Folding linen

25. Characterisation of a fellow actor

26. V-effect

27. Gestus

Using Brecht with a text

28. The ensemble read through

29. First reactions

30. The set

31. Casting the play

32. Episodes

33. The message of the play

34. Epization

35. Feeding lines

36. Freeze and gestus

37. Stylising

38. Banners

39. Lighting

40. Sound, song and music

41. Voicing the part

42. Epic theatre

Summary: Brecht

3. Lecoq

Before you start: warm-ups and technique exercises

43. Physical warm-up 1: roll and stretch

44. Physical warm-up 2: ensemble awareness

45. Physical warm-up 3: the ball

46. Technique 1: with attitude - stage one

47. Technique 2: with attitude - stage two

48. Technique 3: acting the mask - advanced revision

49. Technique 4: hunger

50. Technique 5: push and pull/love and hate

Understanding Lecoq through practice

51. Improvisation: individual

52. Improvisation: group

53. The neutral mask

54. Expressive masks

55. Core technique: action mime

56. Dramatic context

Using Lecoq when devising

57. Improvisation for devising

58. The neutral mask and devising

59. Poetic journeys

60. Urban ID

61. Character swap

62. Expressive masks and devising

63. Storytelling and expressive masks

64. The language of gesture

65. The dramatic territories: human comedy

66. Lecoq's creative questions

Summary: Lecoq

4. Berkoff

Understanding Berkoff through practice

67. The base pulse

68. The Greek chorus

69. Bouffon

70. The spoken word

71. East End sport

Using Berkoff with a text

72. Character, motif and gesture

73. The family as a chorus

74. Enacting the ceremony

75. The miniature stage

76. On trial

Summary: Berkoff

Part 2. Skills you will need

5. Rehearsing a monologue/duologue

77. Context of the play

78. The facts of the play

79. Research

80. My character's past

81. My first main memory

82. My character's future

83. My physical self

84. My character's germ

85. What do I think of other people?

86. I am being…

87. Breaking down the text

88. What are the given circumstances?

89. What do I want?

90. What is my action?

91. Relationships

92. Improvising text

93. Off book

94. Outside eye

95. Costume, props and music

96. The final run through

6. Devising theatre

Starting off

97. Ideas, issues and themes

98. Research

99. Using a practitioner

100. What do we tell the audience?

101. Exploring ideas

102. Plot through line

103. Creating a character

104. Deepening your character

Working on individual scenes

105. Getting up on your feet

106. A letter

107. With sticks

108. Pass the ball

109. Freeze a scene

110. Scene changes

111. Unique staging

Using Artaud

112. The Artaud effect

113. Harnessing nature

114. Soundscape

115. Choral repetition

Bringing everything together

116. Music, costume and props

117. Preparing the space

118. Running the piece

119. Watching from the outside

120. The final run

7. Improvising with a practitioner

121. On the edge

122. The hot chef

123. Strike action

124. 'Spoons'

125. Fallout

126. Art

127. On the couch

128. Student house

8. Directing a play

129. Questions and answers

130. Before and during

131. Social, cultural and historic influences

132. The director's copy

133. The read through

134. Auditions

135. Character biographies

136. The model showing

137. The essence of the play

138. Rehearsing

139. Directing actors

140. A pause

141. Impressive staging

142. Using silence

143. Using comedy

144. Using music

145. Using space, voice and movement

146. Designing the set

147. Special effects

148. The tech

149. Finishing touches

150. Running the play

151. The first night

Afterword

Glossary of terms

Notes

Further reading

Index of terms and exercises