Thr 204 Acting 1 Course Schedule
SCHEDULE FOR TERM 1 (a schedule for Term 2 will be provided later):
Week 1: Focus: physical reponsiveness (Grotowski)
Tue 8/23 syllabus, workout, contact and other physical exercises; discussion of physical theatre; begin work on movevement sequence (to be continued outside of class)
Tues 8/23: Auditions for Readers’ Theatre A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Kitt. Theatre 7:00 pm
Thu 8/25 workout, contact and other physical exercises and improvisations
performance due: short movement sequence
reading due: "Introduction" (pp.1-10) in Hodge (ed.), Twentieth Century Actor Training
papers due: concise response to reading assignment
concise essay in response to these prompts
(total length 1 page--longer only if you want): 1) What is acting? 2) As an audience member at a live performance, what is it that an actor does which says to you, "This is good acting?" 3) What do you (or might you, if you’ve never acted) enjoy most about acting? 4) What do you or might you find most difficult about acting?
Week 2: Focus: physical and vocal responsiveness (Grotowski)
Tue 8/30 physical and vocal workout, elementary balance & tumbling, various exercises
performance due: movement piece in pairs upon an assigned image
reading due: Twentieth Century Actor Training, "Grotowski’s vision of the actor" (pp. 190-208)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Thu 9/1 physical and vocal workout, continue elementary tumbling, various exercises
performance due (graded, rehearsal log): revised movement piece (pairs) with sounds added
reading due: Grotowski, Towards a Poor Theatre, "The Theatre’s New Testament" (pp 27-53)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Fri 9/2 watch and discuss video of Polish Lab Theatre’s Akropolis; assign open scenes
Week 3: Focus: Action, problem, given circumstances (Stanislavski)
Tue 9/6 physical and vocal workout; exercises
performance due (graded, rehearsal log): open scene
reading due: Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares, "Action", "Imagination", "Concentration of Attention" (pp. 31-89)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Thu 9/8 physical and vocal workout; exercises and improvisations; assign scripted scenes
performance due (graded, rehearsal log): revised open scenes
reading due: Twentieth Century Actor Training, "Stanislavski’s system" (pp. 11-36)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Week 4: Focus: Stanislavski, continued
Tue 9/13 physical and vocal workout; exercises and improvisations; show short scripted scenes (off book)
performance due (graded, rehearsal log): short, scripted scene
reading due: Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares, "Relaxation", "Units and Objectives" (pp. 90-119)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Thu 9/15 physical and vocal workout; exercises and improvisations; continue scene work
performance due: continue short scripted scenes
Fri 9/16 TBA (video?)
Saturday, 9/17: Reader’s Theatre production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM; 8:00 pm Kittredge Theatre
Week 5: Focus: inner and outer truth, responsiveness, spontaneity (Meisner & Chekhov)
Tue 9/20 physical and vocal workout; Meisner exercises
reading due: Meisner, Sanford Meisner on Acting (pages TBA)
performance due (graded, rehearsal log): short scripted scenes (revised)
papers due: concise response to reading assignment
one-page (or longer) response to the readers’ theatre production of A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT’S DREAM
Thu 9/22 physical and vocal workout; continue Meisner exercises; Chekhov exercises
performance due: continue short scripted scenes (revised)
reading due: Michael Chekohv, To the Actor (pages TBA)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Week 6: Focus: physical and vocal responsiveness (Meyerholt)
Tue 9/27 physical and vocal workout, etudes, various exercises
performance due: etudes
reading due: "Meyerhold and Biomechanics," in Twentieth Century Actor Training, Hodge, ed.
(pp. 37-54)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Thu 9/29 physical and vocal workout (emphasis on vocal), continue etudes; assign Brecht scenes
performance due: etudes
(possible additional Meyerholt reading due)
Fri 9/30 TBA
Week 7: Focus: the conscious actor (Brecht)
Tue 10/4 physical and vocal work; exercises; begin Brecht scenes
reading due: Twentieth Century Actor Training, "Brecht and actor training", (pp. 98-112)
paper due: concise response to reading assignment
Thu 10/6 physical and vocal work; exercises; scenework
performance: short scripted scenes from Brecht
reading due: Brecht, Brecht on Theatre (pages TBA)
Week 8: Focus: Review and synthesis through Brecht
Tue 10/11 physical and vocal work; scene work
performance (graded, rehearsal log): Brecht scenes
paper due: 3-5 page acting critique of The Syringa Tree or concise response to the same
Thu 10/13 physical and vocal work; scene work
performance due: contnue Brecht scenes
Fri 10/14 performance due: continue Brecht scenes
(Term 2 schedule of assignments to follow)