Directing Shakespeare in America: Current Practices

Description

In this first substantive study of directing Shakespeare in the USA, Charles Ney compares and contrasts directors working at major companies across the country. Because of the complexities of directing Shakespeare for audiences today, a director’s methods, values and biases are more readily perceptible in their work on Shakespeare than in more contemporary work. Directors disclose their interpretation of the text, their management of the various stages of production, how they go about supervising rehearsals and share tactics. This book will be useful to students wanting to develop skills, practitioners who want to learn from what other directors are doing, and scholars and students studying production practice and performance. FC Half title Related titles Title Copyright Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction Part I Core Beliefs about Directing Shakespeare 1 Text and Context British influences on US practice Other studies Recent developments 2 The Directors and their Aesthetic Values Shakespeare as contemporary Endless possibilities Complexity in Shakespeare The invisible director The interpretive director The language and text director The original practice director The physical and visceral director Mixing approaches The inclusive director Part II Preparations for Rehearsal and Production 3 Developing an Approach Given circumstances Images Critical scenes/central issues Questions of interpretation Point of view Following an Elizabethan model Concepts Challenges and limitations of concepts Examples of context approaches 4 Research and Analysis Research Analysis 5 Preparing the Production Text Consulting different editions Punctuation Cutting Transposing scenes Replacing, emending and adapting 6 Working with Designers Preparing for design meetings Talking with designers Attitudes about working with designers Two contrasting views on design approach Ground plans 7 Casting Desirable qualities for Shakespeare Racial diversity in casting Cross gender casting Part III Rehearsing the Production 8 Beginning Rehearsals First day Working with actors Goals, atmosphere, energy 9 Table Work Everyone at the table versus scene-by-scene Meaning and comprehension Punctuation, scansion, language analysis Story Getting the company on the same page Event, structure, energy shifts Developing layers Going back to table work Image chains 10 Staging the Play Moving from table work to staging Blocking Sketching a structure or frame Organic blocking; improvising the staging Designs and blocking Transitions Additional advice on staging 11 Speaking Shakespeare’s Language Qualities and objectives Phrasing and word choice Rhetoric and language structure Stresses and operatives Rhythm and pacing Physical language Later rehearsals 12 Middle Stage Rehearsals After the first week Character issues Subtext and motivation Shaping Run-throughs Giving notes Rehearsal schedules and time management Part IV Finishing the Production 13 Tech and Dress Rehearsals Possibilities Problems/challenges Original practice tech/dresses An opportunity for improvement and change A description of tech for The Merchant of Venice Moving on 14 Adding the Audience Number of previews Using and assessing previews Opening After opening Conclusion Interviews Conducted Notes Select Bibliography Index