How to Direct Shakespeare

Description

You may be a student, or just starting out in the theatre profession, or an actor contemplating a switch to directing, or anyone dreaming of a life in the theatre. Know this: by developing and sharpening your skills on a Shakespeare text, you will be preparing yourself for your next production whatever or wherever that might be. Practical, inspirational and steeped in the wisdom and expertise of one of the great Shakespearean directors of our age, How to Direct Shakespeare guides you through each step of a production, from conception to final presentation to an audience. It includes close analysis of the text and provides strategies for focusing on the main action and structure; it considers dramatic energy and the world of the play, and illuminates these with examples drawn from a variety of Shakespeare’s plays. It will assist you with creating your vision for the production as you collaborate with the design team, cast the play and work with actors in rehearsal. And it walks you through the encounter with the audience as you open your production. Drawing on examples from his work as artistic director of The Royal Shakespeare Company and subsequent directing work that has taken him all over the world, Noble shows how every production is shaped by a vision of the world — the interplay of the writer’s vision and the director’s interpretation of it. How to Direct Shakespeare will inspire and equip you as you develop your vision for your next production. Cover Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements and Thanks Introduction 1 You 2 Him 3 The Director and the Text Part One: The World (Who’s Who) Part Two: Reading the Play Part Three: Analysing the Play Part Four: Entering Shakespeare’s World 4 Awayday 1: Dramatic Energy (How Does He Do It?) Apposition Metaphor Metre and Pulse Line Endings Word Play: Rhyme, Alliteration and Assonance Vocabulary Shape and Structure 5 Let’s Design It! The Eye Your Designer To Start: Wall of ideas Read out loud Analyse and discuss Brainstorm The Model A Methodology Space The mechanics: Floors The mechanics: Entrances and exits The mechanics: Axes The mechanics: Walls The Skeleton The Journey of the Play: Two Casebooks Playtime ‘In the Round’ Thrust Stages Technology of Design: How to Get from A to B Colour, Texture and Decoration Storyboard Show and Tell FAQ: Design What if they don’t like what we’ve done? What if my designer and I get stuck? What if someone asks ‘What is your concept?’ When should I involve the lighting designer in the process? Working with Costume Designers Costume and the Actor The Director and the Lighting Designer 6 Design – The Ear Music Sound 7 Casting the Play The Actor’s World Do I Cast the Actor or the Part? The Audition Process Putting It Together 8 Awayday 2: Stanislavski and Actioning 9 To Cut or Not to Cut, That Is the Question Length Shape Choice of Edition 10 The Rehearsal Plan The Traditional Way of Organizing Rehearsals Basic Aims of Rehearsal Making a Plan Beginning Middle Nearly-at-the-end 11 Rehearsing the Play: Beginning The Rehearsal Room Stage Management An Approach to Day One of Rehearsals 12 Awayday 3: Improvisation Building a Company Building a Character Developing Relationships and Exploring the World of the Play Exploring Scenes and Situations in the Play without Using the Text 13 Rehearsing the Play: End of the Beginning Work on Language Work on Character 14 Rehearsing the Play: Middle Aims for Middle Section of Rehearsals Examples from Romeo and Juliet ‘The Tank’ Blocking Blocking Large-scale Scenes Second Pass at Scenes What to Do if Your Actors Get Inhibited or Stuck 15 Rehearsing the Play: End First Run Through: How Does it Work? How to Give Your Notes Second and Third Run Throughs Preparing for the Theatre 16 Tech, Dress, Previews and Opening The ‘Tech’ How to Set Up a Tech The ‘Dress’ Curtain Calls Previews Opening Index