Spotlight! E-news from Theatrefolk
Issue 4 - Scene and heard: All about scene work!Welcome!
Welcome to our fourth newsletter, examining the ins and outs of scene work. Lots of advice here for working on scenes, including some insights from a competition judge on how to stand out from the crowd.And, of course, don't miss out on your chance to download Theatrefolk's Scene Collection.
In this issue:
- THE SCRIPT BANK - Our innovative new licensing program is now on-line!
- ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IEs I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN- Playwright and competition judge Allison Williams shares 10 years worth of advice about performing scenes.
- WARM UP EXERCISES- A collection of exercises for pairs to get the creative juices flowing.
- SCENE SPECIFIC EXERCISES- Tips for exploring your scene in depth.
- SELF-BLOCKING FOR PAIRS- How to block a scene when you can't see it.
- FREE DOWNLOADS - Download Theatrefolk's Scene Collectionplus two excellent worksheets your students can use while working on a scene - Action/EnvironmentandCharacter. (Newsletter exclusive!)
- YOU ASKED FOR IT - We answer your questions.
- CONFERENCE ALERT - Meet us in person.
- IN THE NEXT ISSUE - What you can expect next.
- STAY IN TOUCH - Contact info/Read our blog.
The Script Bank
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A Full Year of Access
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All I Really Need to Know About IEs I Learned in Kindergarten
There are many different competition opportunities for scene work - one of which being the Individual Events (IEs) through Thespians and the Educational Theatre Association. One of our authors, Allison Williams ( Hamlette , Mmmbeth ) has had a long history performing and judging scenes. We asked Allison to write about what students can do to make sure their scene stands out.
I've been judging Individual Events (IEs) at the District, State, and International levels for 10 years, and I vividly remember performing individual events myself. At this point, I've seen more than a thousand scenes, monologues, musical events and pantomimes. When an IE goes well, it's electric. The judges are on the edge of their seats, the audience is holding its collective breath, and the applause is truly enthusiastic.When an IE goes badly, it's painful, not just for the performers, but for the judges and actors watching. Most problems are widespread - actors who are about the same age and level tend to have the same challenges. For years, I've written the same five or six comments on most of the judging sheets I've filled out, and they boil down to a few basic guidelines that may sound familiar!
Neatness Counts
The generation gap sucks. But the fact is, the judges are generally as old or older than the performers' parents, and we don't want to see your hair in your face, big swingy earrings, pants hanging around your pelvic bone, or those really annoying loud clompy platform shoes. Most of this is practical - I want to see your face and eyes, I want to hear your voice and not your shoes, and I want a neutral canvas for your character. Doing Hamlet while clinging to your waistband to avoid a potential Underpants Situation doesn't cut it.
Neatness also matters in your introduction and closing - rehearse your introduction so that you can smoothly say your names, the name of the play your scene is from, and the playwright. And please don't be in character - we want to see who you are, that you are taking this seriously, and that you're ready to begin. When you finish your
scene, take a moment of silence (about a three count), turn to the judges, and say "thank you". Don't say "scene" - it sounds like you're terrified you're going to run over and you have to stop the clock. And please, be on time - cutting your scene to give you thirty seconds of slack is better than rushing to fit a 5:10 scene into 5 minutes.
Do Your Homework
You know that great, funny David Ives scene Sure Thing? The one with the bell? And that one fromBaby With the Bathwaterwhere they throw water on each other? So do I. In fact, I know them by heart, because every time I adjudicate, there are at least three of each. Don't get me wrong - they're both good scenes, well-written by masters of the craft. But do you really want to be compared to three other groups? Because as fair as we want to be, we will be thinking "yeah, but they just aren't sparkling like the other team did."
The best way to find scenes is to read plays. Lots of 'em. Maybe start with a scene book to narrow down your choices, then look up the rest of the play you liked, or other works by the same author. If you pick something the judges haven't seen before, our attention is stronger from the beginning because we want to find out what it is. And while you're at it, pick something that's at least close to your range (no older than early 30's). I never want to see seventh graders doing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfever again.
Run, Run, Run with Scissors!
Start big. Start strong. Start dangerous. Jump into your scene with a big, confident acting choice that keeps us wondering what's going to happen next. Here's the deal - the judges sit in that room 9AM to 5PM, and we're supposed to keep the room running on time. So after the first thirty seconds of your scene, we start writing the critique. Which means we stop listening. So, for the rest of your scene, we tune in and out (especially if it's a scene we already know, see #2), catching about every other 20 seconds of your work. Unless...you start with a bold choice that catches our attention and grows from there.
Most scenes warm up in the middle and start getting better near the end. Take a couple of rehearsals where you repeat the scene right after you've finished it, and see what happens with your energy level if you *begin* from the emotional place where you previously *ended* the scene. Get an outside observer to watch and let you know when something is really at a good energy level, and practice reaching that level so that it feels normal and comfortable.
Make New Friends
The judges want to like you. No, really. After sitting all day long through 80 scenes, we are waiting and hoping and
praying that the next one will be The One That's Great. We want you to have your best day ever. We're rooting for you to be so fantastic that we go home and tell our families about you! I still remember an incredible scene from Fences (August Wilson) in 2001. IEs like that make my day. So remember, we're not the enemy. That said, we're also not Theatre Gods, waiting to hand down sacred pronouncements. When you get a critique sheet, it's an opinion. One person's opinion. Have a friend read them with you, and discuss the things that show up on all the sheets - those are probably the most important.
Everyone's A Winner
If you've had a great day at a competition, be gracious. Seek out other people whose work you enjoyed and tell them so. If you went up and bombed and feel like crap, lick your wounds and remember it's only one day. And now you know a scene you like, so why not work on it some more? Do it for your friends, or the people in the hotel lobby. Acting every chance you get makes you a better actor. Bring some new plays with you to competition and sit down with actors you've never met to read scenes out loud for ideas for next year. Go to the workshops. If you meet a judge or a guest artist, ask them about their work and their life, and what plays they think everyone should read. Carry a notebook and write this stuff down. Competition is fun, but there's a lot more to Individual Events than the five minutes you're on stage - use the experience to make you better as a whole.
You will bounce back
My first competition, my partner and I sucked so bad that a particularly unkind judge wrote in "poor" at the bottom of the rating scale and checked it off. The same partner and I were a Judge's Choice with a scene from Top Girlsthree years later, and now I pass out verdicts myself. Where you are now is not where you'll be forever - but it's a springboard to help you jump to the next level.
Warm Up Exercises for Pairs
When doing scene work, it’s important to be comfortable with your partner. Here are a few warm up exercises for pairs to get your students used to working as a team, before they dive into their scene.The Mirror Game
An old stand-by to be sure, but an excellent exercise to get actors to concentrate and be aware of each other.
Two actors face each other. Actor A initiates movement and Actor B must imitate the movement to create a mirror image. After a set time period have them switch so that Actor B is the leader and Actor A is the follower. When they first try the exercise keep the actors limited to the size of mirror they use. As they get more attuned to each other’s movements, increase the size of the mirror.
Variation: Emotion Mirror
The pairs use emotions instead of actions.
The Alphabet Game
Two actors play a scene with a defined relationship. Instead of coming up with lines though, they are only allowed to use the alphabet. A sample exchange looks like this:
ACTOR A: Abcde?
ACTOR B: L…….m…..n…..
ACTOR A: Abcde?
ACTOR B: Q! Q!
The aim of the scene is that the actors have to get across the defined relationship to the audience without the help of dialogue. This exercise allows actors to focus on character building and teamwork without having to worry about text.
Sample Relationships: Frantic man wants fireman to save his home, child wants mother to buy candy, teenager sneaking into house after curfew, man trying to borrow money from a reluctant banker, employee wants a raise.
The Where
Two actors must create a “Where” without using their voice. A good way to get partners to work together in using a space.
Actor’s Nightmare
An improv game. Two actors play a scene. One actor has a script from which he/she reads lines. The second actor works without a script and has to come up with lines and make them make sense. A “listening to your partner” exercise.
Toymaker
Actors work in pairs. Actor A is the “toy” and Actor B is the “toymaker.” Actor A closes his/her eyes and stands in a completely neutral position. Actor B then molds Actor A into a specific toy shape (acrobat, ballerina, cowboy). It’s important for Actor A to be as relaxed as possible to allow Actor B to move his/her body. When Actor B is done, Actor A “comes to life” based on what toy they think they are.
Scene Specific Exercises
Sometimes, the best way to solidify a scene is to approach it in a new manner, outside the standard rehearsal process. Here are a few to try.Emotional Scene
Take the scene you are working on and divide it into four sections. Give each section a defined emotion - don’t worry about making sure it matches the dialogue, just come up with four different emotions. You may even want to draw them out of a hat. Then play the scene switching from emotion to emotion. How does the scene change when a specific emotion is forced upon it?
Part Switch
Play your scene but switch parts. What do you learn about the other character? What do you learn about your character when you see it played by another?
Action Only
Do the scene without speaking. What happens? Is the blocking easy or difficult to remember? Do you find yourself sitting in the same spot for a very long time? Does the blocking you’ve created help tell the story? Do this exercise in front of an audience. What does the audience get out of the scene when they don’t have the dialogue to rely on? How do your characters come across?
Game Play
Play the scene, but instead of doing the blocking, play a game. It has to be a game that doesn’t require a lot of talking (e.g.: Plinko, Jenga, Snakes and Ladders). Keep in character, keep the conflict and the tension in the scene as you play. If you end the scene before you end the game, just start back at the beginning.
Back-to-Back
Play the scene back-to-back. How does the scene change without eye contact?
Free Downloads
Newsletter Exclusive...Download our first scene book by visiting here:
http://www.theatrefolk.com/spotlight/download/4
We’ve included two worksheets this month: Character and Action/Environment. Each provides a series of questions (following the reliable WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW format) that actors should ask themselves when starting work on a scene. I hope they are useful for you!
Character Worksheet: http://www.theatrefolk.com/spotlight/download/6Action/Environment Worksheet: http://www.theatrefolk.com/spotlight/download/5
You Asked For It
At the moment, we only sell bound printed scripts and do not email plays. If you want the ability to download scripts, we recommend you check out our Script Bank: http://scriptbank.theatrefolk.com
Conference Alert
Here's our upcoming conference schedule. If you're attending, please drop by and say hi!
In the Next Issue
Improving your Improv!
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