Theatre 492: Directing
Spring 2005

DESCRIPTION:
Basic techniques of stage direction including play analysis, director/actor communication, and technical problems of movement, composition, picturization, and blocking.

TEXTS:
Play Directing by Francis Hodge (Prentice Hall, 6th edition, 2005)
Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams (acting edition)
Riders to the Sea by John Millington Synge (Handout) (also available on-line at http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/micsun/IrishResources/riders.htm)

OBJECTIVES:
This course will provide the student with a solid technique in the direction and staging of modern realistic drama. It will help the beginning director develop a working vocabulary of theatrical terminology, and provide methodology for pre-production play analysis and research, and through this process develop the student's ability to apply the fundamentals of play analysis, composition, picturization and movement to the directorial process. Additionally, this course will provide each student with the opportunity to demonstrate his/her effectiveness as a director in the presentation of class scene work.

GRADING:
Grading is based on written work, tests, classroom exercises and major scene project.
The breakdown of the class grade is as follows:

1. Riders to the Sea
   Unit Work-- 5%
   Staging Project-- 5%
   
2. Major Scene Project
   Play Analysis-- 20%
   Prompt Book/Research-- 20%
   Scene Work-- 20%
   
3. Tests (2 @ 10%)-- 20%
4. Participation/Work on Exercises-- 10%
   (includes groundplan, picturization, composition and movement exercises)

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Project work on Riders to the Sea:
   • a dramatic action breakdown
2. Staging exercise from Riders to the Sea:
   • a 3 minute cutting from the play that can be staged in class using classmates,
   • that uses a groundplan that incorporates 5 acting areas with a strong sense of tension,
   • "pictures" that tell a story without words,
   • and dynamic movement that indicates focus and power, property use that reveals character
3. Play Analysis (3 ring binder) of Suddenly Last Summer (15 pages minimum, due on Friday, February 22nd)
4. Prompt book (also in the same 3 ring binder) of Suddenly Last Summer which should include the following (due on Friday, April 1st):
   • pre-blocking of the selected scene (Hodge's model)
   • master movement plan of the selected scene
   • act/scene breakdown for the entire play research into the world of the play (set, costumes, lights, props)
   • rehearsal journal documenting each rehearsal, your goals and process (due on Friday, April 30)
5. Scene project from Suddenly Last Summer must:
   • be 5-8 minutes long
   • have a minimum 15 hours of rehearsal time (documented in a rehearsal journal that is due on Wednesday, April 30th)
   • have 3 or more characters in the scene (some exceptions may be made)
6. Preparation and active participation in class discussions and activities
7. 2 Tests, covering assigned reading in Hodge's Play Directing

All written work must be typed (double spaced). Late papers will not be accepted. Failure to submit play analysis, research and promptbook will preclude work in class on scene project and will result in a grade of "F" in the class.

ATTENDANCE:
As this is a practical course strongly oriented toward group activity, ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY. A total of THREE (3) absences will be permitted. Each succeeding absence will lower the final course grade average by one point. As well, tardiness will not be tolerated. Six tardies will constitute ONE (1) absence. Anyone arriving later than ten minutes will be marked absent. This attendance policy will be enforced.

EXPECTATIONS:
This class will demand a great deal of your time and energy, especially in the writing of the play analysis and the direction of the final scene project. Plan your time accordingly and stay well ahead of all the deadlines! For directors, opening night is a hard and fast deadline that cannot be changed- and it will serve you well to learn to work comfortably within the class deadlines.