2005 updates: Small Chekhov Fall * "Four Farces & One Funeral" -- Chekhov.05 Chekhov's one-acts are updated -- The Bear, The Proposal (1st act -- Oh, Love!), Wedding, Tobacco (Act II -- Ah, Marriage!), but I'm still working on the "funeral" (Last Day of Anton Chekhov). mini-chekhov I am teaching DramLit -- groups.yahoo.com/group/dramlit (subscribe) and see THR215 for subjects, topics, titles. Spring 2006 -- Waiting for Godot, Beckett -- new pages ( see shows ) SHOWS: 12th Night 2004-2005-2006 Summary Theatre UAF: Mamet'07 Questions Notes * Oedipus X : 2005 * Tragedy : case-study

PS

Playscript Analysis

Introduction 

I. THE DRAMATIC MODE. 

1. The Nature of Drama: What Is a Play. 



The Art of Dramatic Art.


The Dramatic in Dramatic Art.


Mode vs. Medium.


The Double-Edge of Drama: Actual Performance vs. Pretense.


A Play Finally Defined.


Tension as the Essence of the Dramatic.


Script, Play and Audience.


Four Guidelines for Analysis.

2. Dramatist and Audience. 



Shared Tone.


Drama and the Crowd.


Drama as Both Aesthetic and Social Event.


Drama's Dependence Upon Polarity.


The Opacity-Transparency Principle.


Histrionic Sensibility.


Internal Probability.


The Play as a Game.


Progression of Audience Involvement.

II. THE STAGE MEDIUM. 

3. The Contextual Dimension of Drama: Spatial and Temporal Isolation. 



The Stage as Confined Space.


Presentationalism vs. Representationalism.


Fixed, Fluid and Floating Stages.


Concentrated vs. Comprehensive Dramaturgy.


Theatre of Illusion vs. Theatre of Communion.


Fundamental Sources of Tension in Space.


Further Sources of Tension.


Tensions Deriving from Temporal Isolation.


Tensions Among Characters.


The Full Array of Potential Tensions.

4. The Temporal Dimension of Drama. 



Progression in Time.


Segmentation of Time: Formal and Organic.


Shifting Tensions: Examples of Organic Segments.


Phases of Dramatic Action.

III. FORM, STYLE AND MEANING IN DRAMA. 

5. Form and Style in the Drama. 



The Difference Between Form and Style.


Structural Form vs. Tonal Form.


Linear, Montage, and Circular Structures.


Traditional Tonal Forms.


Style and the World of the Play.


Personal vs. Established Styles.

6. Steps in Analysis. 



Vertical vs. Horizontal Analysis.


Three Fundamental Questions.


The Three Readings.


The Final Analysis.


Analysis for Directors and Actors.


Analysis for Designers.


A Few Last Words.

Appendix A: Sample Analysis. 



“The Harmfulness of Tobacco” by Anton Chekhov.

Appendix B: Sample Analysis. 



“Tartuffe” by Molière.

Appendix C: Sample Analysis. 



“Conduct of Life” by Maria Irene Fornes.

Appendix D: Bibliography. 



A list of books on script analysis.

2005: My Main Sites (clicable new windows):

script.vtheatre.net

FilmPlus.org

FilmStudy

shows

film.vtheatre.net

direct.vtheatre.net

act.vtheatre.net

Biomechanics

Method

write.vtheatre.net

Plays

Web