The Play is the Thing

David
Playwright
- Also known as scriptwriters.
- Playwrights create scripts. Like other literary artists, playwrights tell stories through the words and
actions of characters. While the work of the playwright can stand on its own as literature, its
potential is fully realized only when the skills of all the other theatre artists combine to transform the
script into a production of a play.
- A playwright’s tool kit needs to contain:
 a vivid imagination
 a gripping story to tell
 insight into what makes people tick
 a good ear for capturing the way people really speak
 working knowledge of the elements of dramatic structure
 an understanding of theatre’s non-verbal means of expression, sound, movement, setting,
costume, lighting, music, pacing and stage picture.
- While most playwrights, like most writers, work alone, sometimes they share the task of script
creation with actors and directors in a process known as collective creation.
- Here everyone takes a hand in researching the story idea and developing the script. But because
the skillful ordering and re-creation of events is central to the playwright’s art, the final task of
shaping the raw material into a coherent and effective script will normally fall to the playwright.
- Is the person responsible for writing dramatic material for the purposes of performance within the
theatre.
- The script is the blueprint for creating a dramatic production.
- A script for a play is the road map to creating a successful and complete theatrical production.
- They are the one who has a working knowledge of the body works of the playwright, critical
studies, on the playwright, recurring the themes and leitmotifs in his other writings, and sometimes
even the author’s biography.
- One must look at the structure of the play, whether it is linear, cyclical or deconstructed.
- The language of the play must be given attention as well as the images, characters, rhythm and
texture of the material.
Nick Joaquin’s The Portrait of an Artist as Filipino (Ang Larawan)
- Most popular and esteemed Filipino play of the second half of the 20 th century.
- This is a foolproof play.
- This play is during the 60s in Minnepolis, watched three other productions of the play, and co-
directed the musical version in CCP.
- With all its limitation, never fails to engage the Filipino audience emotionally and intellectually, a
credit to our National Artist for Literature.
Director
- A theatre director or stage director is an instructor in the theatre field who oversees and
orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production (a play, opera, musical, or devised piece of
work) by unifying various endeavors and aspects of production.
- The director's function is to ensure the quality and completeness of theatre production and to lead
the members of the creative team into realizing their artistic vision for it.
 - The director thereby collaborates with a team of creative individuals and other staff, coordinating
research, stagecraft, costume design, props, lighting design, acting, set design, stage combat,
and sound design for the production.
- If the production is a new piece of writing or a (new) translation of a play, the director may also
work with the playwright or a translator. In contemporary theatre, after the playwright, the director is
generally the principle visionary, making decisions on the artistic conception and interpretation of
the play and its staging.
- Different directors occupy different places of authority and responsibility, depending on the
structure and philosophy of individual theatre companies. Directors use a wide variety of
techniques, philosophies, and levels of collaboration.
- A production begins with the director’s concept which he shares with actors, and the artistic and
production staff.
- Rehearsals might take between three weeks to three months, depending on the complexity and
difficulty of the play.
- It begins with the reading of the play.
 Textual analysis
 Character analysis
 Blockings or staging of the play
- When the lines are perfect, and run-throughs of the play are in order; the actors must try on their
costumes, work on the actual set, and look for the light and shadow on stage.
- A week of the dress and technical rehearsals helps the actors tremendously.
- Sometimes, the play has their audience preview before it finally opens to the general public and
critics.
- After the opening night, the director along with the stage manager, makes necessary change to
further improve the production.

Ciara
Actors
- The one who acts on stage
- An actor is a person who portrays a character in a performance
- Their world is the stage.
- Actors are not necessarily born, for they can be trained.
- What actor needs?
 Imagination
 Intelligence
 Flexibility
 Discipline
 Dedication
 Good health
 Stamina
 Cooperatives
 Persistence
 And luck
- Their main instruments are the body and voice.
 - To act on stage, actors need to learn the stage directions that appear in the script, such as "Stage
Left" and "Stage Right". These directions are based on the actor's point of view as he or she
stands on the stage facing the audience.
- Actors also have to learn the meaning of the stage directions "Upstage" (away from the audience)
and "Downstage" (towards the audience).
- Theatre actors need to learn blocking, which is "...where and how an actor moves on the stage
during a play". Most scripts specify some blocking. The Director also gives instructions on blocking,
such as crossing the stage or picking up and using a prop.
- Some theater actors need to learn stage combat, which is simulated fighting on stage. Actors may
have to simulate hand-to-hand [fighting] or sword[-fighting]. Actors are coached by fight directors,
who help them learn the choreographed sequence of fight actions.
- A beautiful face is helpful but not mandatory.
- Good actors are usually intuitive and passionate about life and art.
- Stanislavski's Legacy is a companion volume to his three great teaching books, An Actor Prepares,
building a Character and Creating a Role.
While not all actors, directors, or teachers subscribe to Stanislavski's ideas, many are useful to
consider:
 Given circumstances- all the facts in the script that are not open to interpretation such as plot,
historical period, the basic personalities of the characters and the social conditions in which they
live.
 The “magic if”- a way an actor can stimulate his or her imagination by asking “How would I
behave if I really was this character in this situation?”
 Motivation- the underlying reason for a character’s behavior
 Subtext- the deeper meaning in the spoken lines that reflects the inner life of the character.
 Objective- the goal towards which a character is working in a scene; the specific outcome of an
event the character would like to see.
 Obstacle- something that stands in the way of a character’s achieving his or her objective.
 Concentration- an actor’s ability to focus his or her attention completely.
- Actors might understand the whole play and not just their part. They must know how the character
fits in the scheme of things. They must know the intention or objective of their character. They must
know their relationship and attitude to other characters and the environment they find themselves
in.
Production Designer
- Production designers- are responsible for the visual concept of theatre production.
- They identify a design style for sets, locations, graphics, props, lighting, camera angles and
costumes, while working closely with the director and producer.
- They are the one who contributes the desired mood of the play, and gives dynamism to the many
scenes in play.

Mara
Stage Manager, Technical Director and Theater Manager
- Stage manager is the direct extension or alter ego of the stage director. He/she records the
emendations or additions on the script, keeps a copious record of the blocking, cues the entrance
of the music and sound effects; sets the standard of behavior on the stage and backstage.
- The role of the stage manager is especially important to the director in rehearsals. Here the
director and the stage manager work side by side, with the stage manager recording the director's
 decisions about blocking and notes for the actors, keeping track of logistical and scheduling details
and communicating what goes on in rehearsals to the rest of the team. This enables the director to
concentrate his or her full attention on directing.
Stage managers have several key responsibilities and tasks to perform in each phase of a production,
including:

 scheduling and running rehearsals

 communicating the director's wishes to designers and crafts people
 coordinating the work of the stage crew
 calling cues and possibly actors' entrances during performance
 overseeing the entire show each time it is performed

In conjunction with the director, the stage manager determines the scheduling of all rehearsals and makes
sure everyone involved is notified of rehearsal times, meetings, costume/wig fittings and coaching
sessions. During the rehearsal phase, stage managers also:

 mark out the dimensions of the set on the floor of the rehearsal hall
 make sure rehearsal props and furnishings are available for the actors
 attend all rehearsals
 notify the designers and crafts people of changes made in rehearsal.

- In rehearsals the stage manager also records all blocking, plus all the light, sound and set change
cues, in a master copy of the script called the prompt book. The information in the prompt book
also allows the stage manager to run the technical rehearsals, calling each technical cue in turn to
determine precisely how it needs to be timed to coordinate with the onstage action.
- In other words, the stage manager takes charge of the stage logistics during rehearsals and the
run of the show.
- The technical director asserts himself or herself in matters of the technical aspects of the
production, such as lightning, music/sound effects, and the system of the set changes.
- The stage manager and the technical director also work out a smooth and efficient plan for the
stage crew to follow during set changes. Furniture and prop plans for complicated sets are drawn
up by the stage manager and technical designer to show exactly where the furniture and props are
to be positioned on stage at the beginning of each scene and sometimes in the wings.
- If the stage manager and the technical director supervise the backstage, on stage, and the house
requirements, the theater manager takes care of the front-of-the-house operations such as the
ticket booth, lobby display, program preparation, and sales.
- He or she is also in charge of the budget, promotion, sales and marketing, and accounting of the
production.
Showcase Production/ Class Projects
- As a culminating activity for an introductory course in theater, an actual theater production may be
in order.
- The production will include actors, director, production designer for set, properties, both hand and
heavy, costumes and lightning.
- The position for sound director in charge of incidental music, either live or “canned”, and the
special sound effects, will also be filled.
- Stage managers, a stage crew, a technical director, and theater manager to handle the budget,
promotions and publicity, and front-of-the-house management will be chosen.
- The actual stage production under the supervision of the teacher will concretize for the students
the theories, skills, and information learned in class.
- The students may experience and practice the craft of the theater in the following ways through
enrichment projects.
- Lastly, any approach in the teaching of theater demands that the teacher is knowledgeable,
passionate, energetic, and insane.