Tma 101 200

TMA 101—Introduction to the Theatre
Section 200 / 3 Semester hours

Emily Ray
Copyright © 2012 Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.
Published by the
Department of Independent Study
Division of Continuing Education
Brigham Young University
120 MORC
Provo, Utah 84602-1514
USA
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Introduction to this Lessons Packet
Thank you for purchasing the lesson packet for TMA 101: Introduction to
the Theatre. Included in this packet, you should have received these items:
• this introductory letter

• a copy of the readings from each lesson (the pages following this
letter)
Begin your online course by reading the syllabus; it contains the

information you need to successfully complete the course. As you begin,
you will notice that each lesson includes a brief introduction, learning
outcomes for the lesson, reading assignments, and lesson reading mate-
rial. The reading material for each lesson is included in this packet, as
well as in the online course.
The lessons also have Speedback assignments associated with them,
as well as several paper assignments; these are available only through
the online course.
This packet is designed to give you the best experience for reading
the detailed lesson content and taking notes. To complete the course, you
will need access to the online assignments and exams.
Best wishes for your success in this course!
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TMA 101 : Introduction to the Theatre
Table of Contents
Lesson 1: What is Theatre?...............................................................6
Lesson 2: What is a Play?.................................................................9
Lesson 3: The Playwright................................................................11
Lesson 4: Give it a Shot!..................................................................14

Original Play Script Assignment Instructions.................................. 17
Lesson 5: The Critic and the Dramaturg........................................18
Lesson 6: Critical Thinking Journal................................................22

Critical Thought Journal Assignment Instructions..........................25
Lesson 7: Critical Thinking Part 1: Read a Play............................26

Lesson 7 Critical Response Paper Assignment Instructions........... 29
Lesson 8: Acting..............................................................................30
Lesson 9: Visual Language.............................................................33

Lesson 9 Visual Language Paper Instructions . ...............................35
Lesson 10: Directing.......................................................................38
Lesson 11: Director’s Concepts.....................................................42

Lesson 11 Director’s Concept Paper Instructions.............................45
Lesson 12: Critical Thinking PArt 2: See a Play............................46

Lesson 12 Production Analysis Instructions................................... 49
Lesson 13: Set Design and Light Design.......................................50
Lesson 14: Design Part 2: Costume Design and Makeup Design...

52
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Table of Contents
Lesson 15: Design Part 3- Sound Design and Other Types of De-
sign...................................................................................................54
Lesson 16: Final Project.................................................................57

Lesson 16 Final Project Instructions............................................... 62
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Lesson 1
What is Theatre?
L ope de Vega, the most influential playwright of the Spanish

Golden Age, said that all one needed to do theatre was “two planks
and a passion.” More recently Peter Brook, an important British director,
said, “I can take an empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks
across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is
all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.” Is this all theatre
is? It can be that simple, but for most of us theatre is much, much more.
Brook goes on to say, “…when we talk about theatre this is not quite what
we mean.” So, what exactly is this thing we call theatre?
Theatre spans the world from Broadway to backyards. It is done by
every culture and people. It takes many forms and styles. It is performed
at many different levels and for many different reasons. It lifts and
enlightens. It attracts and repels audiences. But why? What is it that
keeps theatre alive and important as an art form? Why, in a world with
films and state-of-the-art special effects, would there still be a place for
theatre? What’s the draw?
This chapter will provide in depth answers to these questions and
many more. It will help you begin to understand the purpose and nature
of theatre. Next to cave paintings, dance, and pottery, it is probably the
oldest art form in existence. Welcome to Introduction to Theatre and
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Lesson 1: What is Theatre?
the study of this culturally rich, politically important, and downright

entertaining art form.
Lesson Objectives
When you have successfully completed this lesson, you should be able
to do the following:
1. Understand what theatre is.

2. Begin to gain an appreciation for the dedication of live-perfor-
mances and the draw on audiences to attend such events.
3. Begin to use vocabulary terms, such as representational, presen-
tational, immediacy, performance, presentness, suspension of
disbelief, and more as they relate to theatre.
Reading Assignments and Activities

1. Read Chapter 1, “What is Theatre?” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.
2. Take the Speedback assignment associated with this lesson.
Lesson Activities Breakdown

1. Read Chapter 1, “What is Theatre?” in your McGraw-Hill text-
book. Use the study guide questions below to help you prepare
for the speedback.
a. What does the Greek word theatron mean?
b. What three things does your book say a theatre can refer to?
c. What are the definitions of each of those things?
d. What is the art of theatre?
e. What is a mask? Why is it at the heart of a character?
f. What action is at the heart, or the very essence, of theatre?
g. Understand what might be characterized as a performance
and how it relates to theatre.
h. Be able to define representational and presentational.
i. Be familiar with the presentness of live theatre. What sepa-
rates live performance from other art forms?
j. Why does Jaques Derrida call theatre the “only art of life”?
k. How does the idea of “play” relate to a play?
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TMA 101: Introduction to the Theatre
l. Understand the difference between a text and a play. Why

do they differ?
2. After you have carefully read the chapter, and reviewed for the
test, take the Speedback assignment. When complete, you’re
ready for the next lesson.
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Lesson 2
What is a Play?
A ristotle’s Poetics is, perhaps, the single most important work

in Western dramatic criticism. Some have even gone so far as to
believe that without Aristotle, there wouldn’t be any drama today. His
predecessor, Plato, spoke heavily against drama and felt that it had no
place in a perfect society. He argued that all things (chairs, tables, flowers,
animals, etc.) have an ideal form, and everything is striving to meet that
ideal form. In a perfect society, everyone would be striving for perfec-
tion, or to reach that ideal. Good drama, he argued, doesn’t imitate an
ideal, but imitates the conflicts that play out between imperfect people.
He didn’t want people imitating the imperfect actions they saw in drama.
He wanted people to strive for an ideal.
In many ways, Plato was right. Good drama does imitate conflict.
In this lesson, we’ll see what makes a play work and why conflict is so
important. Those are the issues that Aristotle tried to understand. His
queries led him to the conclusion that what we learn from imitation and
drama is important in society. In this lesson you will be required to read
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex (or Oedipus Tyrannus or Oedipus the King)
because Aristotle thought it was the best example of tragedy and used it
as the standard in Poetics.
Some important things to note: while Aristotle did come up with the
six elements of drama (plot, character, etc.), he did not come up with
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TMA 101: Introduction to Theatre
the structure of drama (exposition, climax, etc.) People often refer to

this type of plot structure as Aristotelian, but that’s not entirely correct.
That definition of structure would come many hundreds of years later.
Second, you should be aware of variations in terminology. Aristotle’s
“theme” is also called “thought” by some translators. Some people say
“rising action” to define the series of conflicts that escalate to a climax.
Others add the term “inciting incident” to refer to the major incident that
comes after the exposition that begins the major conflict for the play. And
some people say “resolution” instead of denouement.
For assessment purposes in this lesson, you will not need to know
these variations. It will, however, be useful in your future study of drama
to know the different terms that are used. The most useful part of this
lesson will be gaining a basic understanding of dramatic structure and
how, exactly, a play functions. Enjoy!
Lesson Objectives
1. Be familiar with different genres of plays.

2. Gain an appreciation for all genres, and understand the place and
importance of each.
3. Understand the basics of the Aristotelian components of drama.
4. Understand the basic elements of plot structure and how they
work together to create a play.
5. Be able to understand and identify the structure of Oedipus Rex.

1. Read Chapter 2, “What is a Play?” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.
2. Read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.
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Lesson 3
The Playwright
B oth James Joyce, famous for the literary brilliance of his novels
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Ulysses, and Vladimir
Nabokov, the whimsical, terrifying, erudite, prosaic, and controversial
author of the novels Lolita and Pale Fire, weren’t just novelists. Both
dipped their literary pens into writing for the theatre. Joyce’s Exiles and
Nabokov’s The Waltz Invention, while coming from the minds of two of
the greatest novelists of the twentieth century, were both failures as dra-
matic literature. Many famous novelists were also aspiring playwrights,
though few gained much recognition in the world of drama. Why would
such talented writers fail as dramatists? The answer is two-fold.
The first reason is that the tool-box of a playwright is more refined
than that of a novelist. A novelist can write from any perspective, give us
details into the psychological motivations of a character, create immensely
large casts with hundreds of minor roles, pontificate endlessly, and write
dialogue that he need never fear will be spoken. No playwright has those
luxuries. A playwright has only dialogue and a small cast of characters- all
of which, often, need to reveal some of the same psychological complex-
ity of a novel, without being showy or having the luxury of omniscient
storytellers, and lengthy expository information. A play has to move!
Some plays may be long, but most are about 2 ½ hours.
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The second reason is that a novel is a complete work of art. When

published, it’s complete. A play is not yet in its final form. Playwriting
is never a complete work of art in itself. A play must be written with
the knowledge that people are going to perform this work. It needs to
be act-able. Knowing that, it’s easy to see why literary brilliance alone
does not make a play good. Truthfully, the art of playwriting might be
said to be an art about knowing what to leave out. The production itself
will fill in the blanks.
This does not mean that great novelists will never be great playwrights
(or vice-versa), nor is this to say that dramatic works are not literature in
their own right. In fact, it’s precisely the literary aspects of drama that
allow theatre to work. Plays deserve to be read carefully and attentively.
A careful reading will reveal any number of interpretations- allowing a
work of dramatic literature to be performed again and again in different
productions and always be different. It’s the literary work of the play-
wright that makes theatre function. It’s the backbone.
The cinema will immortalize names like Bergman, Truffaut, Kurosawa,
and Kubrick- famous directors all. But in the theatre, names like Shaw,
Ibsen, Wilde, Shakespeare, Moliere, Miller, and Brecht- all playwrights-
will be remembered as the only steady element in production after pro-
duction. Theatre is, in the end, a playwright’s medium.
Lesson Objectives
1. Identify the qualities of a fine play.

2. Understand some of the effort and process behind playwriting.
3. Be prepared to write your own play.
4. Be familiar with some important contemporary American
playwrights.

1. Read Chapter 4, “The Playwright” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.
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Lesson 3: The Playwright

1. Read Chapter 4, “The Playwright” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.
Use the study guide questions below to help you prepare for the
speedback.
a. What is the “great paradox of theatrical creation”?
b. Why is the independence of the playwright his/her most
important characteristic?
c. What is the difference between write and wright? Why is
this distinction important?
d. What is the connection between words on the page and the
actor?
e. What is at the core of the action of a play?
f. Understand the vocabulary used to discuss the qualities of
a fine play.
g. Why shouldn’t a play simply seek to be “uplifting”?
h. What is the process of playwrighting?
i. How do most playwrights approach it?
j. What are some exercises you can do to improve your
playwriting?
k. Be familiar with the contemporary American playwrights in
your chapter and some of their works.
test, take the speedback assignment. When complete, you’re
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Lesson 4
Give it a Shot!
N ow that you’ve done the first three lessons and read Oedipus
Rex, you should have a pretty good idea of what a play is and how
it works. You should understand the basics of some different genres
like tragedy, comedy, and melodrama. From chapter 4, you learned the
qualities of a fine play and considerations playwrights have to make when
sitting down to write. Now it’s your turn!
Write a play. That’s your assignment. It’s not as hard or as simple as
it looks. There are some specific guidelines to follow, but he key is to just
let your imaginations flow. Just sit down at your computer and give it
a whirl. Here are the answers to commonly asked questions about this
assignment.
Q: What should I write about?

A: It’s up to you. What do you want to write about? Did you observe an
interesting conversation on the bus? Between roommates? Did you have
an interesting conversation with someone? That can be a starting point.
You can think of a memorable or important moment in your life. You can
write about a dream. You can think of an issue that’s important to you
and write a play that tells a story that helps you illustrate your beliefs. You
can write about anything. The old mantra helps: write what you know.
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Lesson 4: Give it a Shot!
Remember that BYU is a religious school. You’re free (and even

encouraged) to deal with difficult and important issues if you desire,
because if religion doesn’t have a place dealing with those things then
what point is religion? Simply remember to avoid being gratuitous,
offensive, vulgar, pornographic, excessively violent, etc.
Q: How long should it be?

A: 7-8 pages. As a general rule, 1 page roughly equals 1 minute on stage.
Also, this is a self-contained, short play. You aren’t writing a scene from
a larger play. Whatever you write needs to have an exposition, conflict,
climax, and denouement. You’re also best off setting this in one location.
Don’t think of this as a film where you can change locations in an instant.
You’re writing for the theatre. While you’re free to write a memory play
like Well or Death of a Salesman, and bounce around time and place,
you’re best off trying to pick one location and writing a scene there. The
easier you make the play to produce, the better you’ll be.
Q: How many characters should I have?

A: For the purposes of this assignment, let’s say at least 2 but no more
than 6. For a play this short, you don’t want more than 6 characters, and
you need at least 2 people to have dialogue. No 7-8 page monologues.
Q: How will my play be graded?

A: These plays will be graded on effort. The main purpose for this assign-
ment is to allow you to experience and more deeply appreciate the effort
it takes to write a play. If you put forth a sincere effort, you’ll do well.
Honestly do the assignment, try your best, fit into the required length,
and you’ll get a good grade. If your play consists of dialogue like this:
ZOMBIE. I’m going to eat your brains.
GIRL. No!
ZOMBIE. I’m going to eat your brains!
GIRL. Nooo!!
ZOMBIE. I’m going to eat your brains!!!
GIRL. NOOOOOO!!!!!
Then you will fail. Just put forth an honest effort.
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Q: Any last advice?

A: Yes. Remember that playwriting is about action. Do not tell me. Show
me! Don’t have characters relate something cool or interesting that hap-
pened. Show it. If your characters think it’s interesting, then chances are
that your audience will too. We’d rather see the conflict than hear about
it. This goes for everything. We’d rather see sympathetic characters in
an interesting situation that makes a point, than be preached to. Put
your characters in motion and have them deal actively with a problem or
situation that needs to be worked out between them in the present. This
will enable them to show us what’s important to them.
Good luck.
Lesson Objectives
1. Understand the joys (and frustrations) of playwriting.

2. Have a play to add to your portfolio of creative projects.
3. Possibly discover a hidden talent and love.
4. Continue to gain a greater appreciation for the work that goes on
in the theatre.

1. Write a 7-8 page play.
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Original Play Script Assignment Instructions
Specific breakdown of Lesson 4 assignments:
1. Recap:
a. Write a 7-8 page play.
b. About anything, but remember that this is a religious school.
c. At least 2 but no more than 6 characters.
d. Have an exposition, conflict, climax, and denouement.
e. Be in one setting.
f. Self-contained story.
g. Put forth an honest effort.
h. Show, don’t tell!
2. When you’ve finished, submit this to the instructor to be graded
according to the instructions in the syllabus.
3. You’re now ready for the next lesson.
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Lesson 5
The Critic and the Dramaturg
W hen you’re with your friends, no one wants to be considered

a snob or become a source of contention by challenging or inter-
rogating someone else’s viewpoint, so we go to movie parties, or read a
book, or attend the theatre and accept rote responses like “I loved it” or
“I hated it,” and never ask “why.” In some ways, this is harmless- you’re
having fun- but it’s bad criticism.
Your book makes a point of saying that “I loved it” or “I hated it”
aren’t really opinions, but poorly thought out generalizations. Another
generalization that can be very dangerous is the comment that “every-
body liked it so it must be good.” Indulge me for a minute while I explain
why that argument does not hold water. Besides the fact that this is an
irrational generalization (everybody?), there are three reasons that come
immediately to mind why that statement is false:
1. It implies that “like” and “good” are the same thing. That isn’t
true. People frequently like things that are bad (or bad for them).
Consider the fact that McDonalds is still in business or that the
pornography industry worldwide has higher revenue than all pro-
fessional football, baseball, and basketball combined. These may
be extreme examples, but they make the point. “Good” should be
a more objective, rational factor than visceral enjoyment.
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Lesson 5: The Critic and the Dramaturg
2. It implies that our tastes should be democratically determined.

That also isn’t true. Goodness is not decided by popular vote.
Simply because “everybody” likes it, it does not mean that it’s
truly valuable.
3. It implies that all opinions are equally valuable. While everyone
is entitled to their opinion, it isn’t true that all opinions hold
equal weight in every circumstance. Subjectively, everyone has
an equal opinion. In other words, everyone’s gut reaction is going
to be as valid as the next person’s. This is what we might refer to
as “taste.” It either sits well, or it doesn’t. Objectively, however,
there are better standards than simple taste. There are rational
people with passion for and knowledge of the subject matter. Your
book calls these observant, informed, sensitive, demanding, and
articulate critics. This is what we want you to be.
Your book will discuss five different standards by which you can judge
the theatre that you experience. In the professional world, there are as
many opinions as there are critics (since good critics formulate their
own opinions based on rational observation), so don’t consider yourself
“wrong” if you liked or didn’t like something that the mainstream respec-
tively didn’t like or liked. There’s no such thing as “wrong” in criticism
as long as you are rational, careful, open-minded, consider other peoples’
views, and weigh all available factors.
Responsible productions also try to be rational, careful, etc. Contrary
to popular belief, it isn’t just “entertainment”. Many production meetings
are spent trying to figure out what they want the production to say and
how they’re going to achieve that. They are trying to push theatre, be
socially and personally significant, artistic, and enjoyable. This is one of
the main reasons a theatre company might choose to hire a dramaturg,
though many theatres have a dramaturg in residence. You may be asking
yourself, “What is a dramaturg?”
Essentially, the dramaturg is an in-house critic. They support a produc-
tion through research, knowledge of literary theory, theatre history, and
other fields. This is not to say that a director shouldn’t be an intelligent,
resourceful researcher- they should be. But the existence of a dramaturg
as a job helps show the usefulness of criticism as we’ve been discussing
it. A dramaturg helps to serve as an objective eye that knows what the
director “wants” and can help guide the production through rough areas
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where the director’s vision is not as clear as it could be. This is the heart
of criticism. Critics love the theatre. It’s why they’re critics. They want
theatre to be its best at all times.
Unfortunately, criticism has been given a bad name, because people
feel that it is synonymous with being critical- which has a bad connotation.
What you are doing is holding the theatre up to its highest standards.
As Bertolt Brecht said, “Society must increase the understanding of art
by general education. The needs of the population have to be satisfied.
But only by fighting at the same time against its need for trash.” Theatre
should be enjoyable, but it should also be significant. We can be a part
of that. It is not just in this class that you are a critic. You are always
a critic, and you should be the best one you can be so that theatre can
always be held up to the highest standards. After all, this is our theatre.
Lesson Objectives
1. Understand the difference between good and bad criticism.

2. Learn the importance of carrying the theatre with you, and engag-
ing in a postplay discussion.
3. Gain some important measuring posts from which you can begin
objective critiques of theatre and other arts.
4. Learn to be observant, informed, sensitive, demanding, and articu-
late critics.
5. Learn what a dramaturg is and what different functions they might
perform in a theatre.
6. Continue to gain an appreciation for the work that goes on before
and after the theatre.

1. Read Chapter 11, “The Critic” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.
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Lesson 5: The Critic and the Dramaturg

1. Read Chapter 11, “The Critic” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.
speedback.
a. What do we mean by dramatic criticism?
b. Know the critical perspectives your book lists.
c. How does a playwright use the theatre for social discourse?
d. Why must theatre be highly personal?
e. What does the term metatheatre mean?
f. What do we mean by entertainment?
g. What’s the difference between a newspaper critic and an
academic critic? What are the primary skills of each?
h. What research should be done to support a production?
i. What’s the relationship between a dramaturg and a playwright?
j. What are the concerns of a literary manager, or new play
dramaturg?
2. After you have carefully read the chapters, and reviewed for the
test, take the speedback assignment. When complete, you’re
21
Lesson 6
Critical Thinking Journal
Y ou need to think deeply about the things you read. As you engage
with a text, consider the following:
1. What are the significant ideas the author is revealing?

2. Are these things true?
3. Is the author being responsible and thorough in their work?
4. How should these words change my outlook on the subject and
on life?
As you ask yourself questions about what you read you will discover
many new difficulties, revelations, inconsistencies, beauties, truths, and
reconciliations. This may be a different way of looking at the things you
read and see but it will help you become a more informed consumer of
information and expand your understanding of the world around you.
When we use the term “text,” we’re referring to anything of a literary
nature, whether in written or unwritten form. A play in written form can
be a text, but so can a play on stage. A book is a text, but so is a film, and
so is music, or a painting. We use the term “text” because it reveals the
literary similarities of all forms of art: that it can all be “read” literarily.
All texts can be taken apart, piece-by-piece, analyzed, read for mean-
ing, or any other critical analysis we want it to withstand. Some literary
22
Lesson 6: Critical Thinking Journal
theorists go so far as to say that everything is text! When we say text we

mean anything that can be analyzed for meaning. We want you to start
doing that early in this class.
This assignment is given to help you practice your skills of critical
thinking- issues of like and dislike will be irrelevant. We will be doing
scholarly criticism at a student level. We’re more concerned with the
questions that Goethe came up with to begin an analysis: What is the
artist trying to do? How well is it done? Was it worth doing? This is
much more complicated than the issue of simple taste. You’re trying to
get at the heart of the text. In order to get to that heart, don’t concern
yourself with like or dislike (although you’re free to analyze only those
things you like). Instead, ask difficult questions of the text. Engage with
it. Why was that choice made? Why did it end that way? What was the
purpose of that scene? Why was that image chosen? What accidental
implications are here? How does this relate to history? Current events?
Interpersonal relationships? Society as a whole? In other words, what
is the meaning?
We want you to start considering those issues with every text you
encounter. For this assignment, you don’t need to go out and read or
watch anything in particular- just continue to live your life as you normally
do. You’re going to watch plays, movies, TV, read books, listen to music,
go to a museum, etc. We just want you to start thinking critically about
those things, and learn to process and articulate those thoughts on paper.
Lesson Objectives
1. Be in the habit of thinking critically about things that you watch,

hear, or read.
2. Be able to articulate those thoughts to others.
3. Understand the heightened enjoyment one can get out of theatre
and other arts by engaging with it, instead of being passive.
23

1. Any texts you choose. Simply live your life and view or read as
you normally would.
2. Begin to keep a Critical Thought Journal about those things.
3. Write six entries.
4. Turn it in when complete.
24
Critical Thought Journal Assignment
Instructions
Specific breakdown of lesson 6 assignments:
1. Like we’ve said, you can watch/read any text you choose. There’s
no need to do anything that you wouldn’t do anyway. Simply live
your life; just expand the caliber of your encounters with texts.
You are not allowed to do any repeats. No text assignments from
this class can be also be used for your journal.
2. Begin to process your thoughts in a Critical Thought Journal.
These do need to be typed. Each entry is to be about ONE specific
book/film/television show/play/etc. They need to be one page in
length, double-spaced. These are not long. They are just to be a
formal place to write your thoughts.
3. You do not need to have a scholarly tone when you write these. Just
get your thoughts onto paper. You still, however, should observe
rules of spelling, grammar, complete sentences, etc. Someone
besides you should be able to read these entries and understand
what you mean. While your tone is not scholarly, your depth of
thinking should be. Really interrogate a piece. Don’t let it off the
hook. What is it trying to say? Really dig.
4. Write six of these entries. These can be done throughout the time
you’re in this class. Feel free to go onto the next lesson at any time.
5. When you’re done with all six, save them in the same document and
turn it in to your instructor to be graded, following the instructions
in the syllabus. This is due when you turn in your final. You’re
more than free to turn this in early. It’s simply due by that time.
6. Once you thoroughly understand these instructions, go on to the
next lesson.
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Lesson 7
Critical Thinking Part 1: Read a Play
W ho’s you favorite playwright? This is a hard question to

answer in light of the complexities and intricacies of differ-
ent writers, writing in tremendously different circumstances, in vastly
differing styles, languages, cultures, and for a different social purpose.
Historically however, the four playwrights who epitomized and shaped
theatre in their time and country, and have left a footprint on contem-
porary western theatrical practices are: William Shakespeare, Molière,
Henrik Ibsen, and Anton Chekhov.
Few playwrights have captured the times they lived in more thoroughly
than Anton Chekhov. The greatness of his works comes partly from the
complex social circumstances under which he was writing. In 1861 the
social hierarchy of Russia was struggling through the turbulence caused
by the new-found freedom of the serfs. Many aristocrats were forced
to sell their homes to ambitious and hard-working peasants who were
now free to purchase land. Even the young Chekhov’s family had to sell
their estate after his father’s bankruptcy. This event most likely played
a significant part in his creation of The Cherry Orchard.
This historical information (and much more) is very useful for estab-
lishing a holistic reading of the text because no work can be separated
from the culture and history behind its creation. It isn’t the only approach
however. There are other ways of looking at the text that we’ll use in
26
Lesson 7: Critical Thinking Part 1, Read a Play
this class. An understanding of historical background may help color a

script, but it often exists outside the words actually contained in the text.
Chekhov didn’t just capture his era, his greatness also comes through
his mastery of complexities of character. Laurence Senelick writes, “Any
attempt to grade Chekhov’s characters as ‘right-thinking’ or ‘wrong-
headed’ ignores the multi-faceted nature of their portrayal. It would
be a mistake to adopt wholeheartedly either the sentimental attitude
of Gaev and Ranevskaya to the orchard or the pragmatic and ‘socially
responsible’ attitude of Lopakhin and Trofimov.” This was a much dif-
ferent way of looking at plays and characters than his society was used
to. Star-studded melodramas were still highly popular in Russia and
other parts of the world. Chekhov provided a worldview that was more
complex than the blockbuster fair of most commercial theaters. He was
influential in establishing realism as the primary mode of expression for
the theatre that would endure for many years.
He pioneered a movement, and created works of historical significance,
but Chekhov is great because the text(s) themselves are brilliant. They
are consistent, symbolic, engaging works populated with interesting,
sympathetic characters. Most importantly, you are approaching the text
now. It is what you have in front of you, and your reading exists in this
moment. We call this approach formalism.
Formalism means that you are looking at the text, and only the text.
There is no need to gather outside sources to do this paper. In fact, we
don’t want you to do that. We want you to concentrate solely on the text.
Use the tools we’ve talked about before to get into the meaning of the text.
Do you notice any echoes? Repetitions? Dissimilarities in characters?
Opposites? Symbolism? What’s the point in the orchard itself? What
does the ending mean? What’s happening in the background? How does
that inform the foreground? All these and more can be explored in your
paper. This paper is yours and you’re free to discuss this play as you
wish. Several things should be kept in mind, however:
1. This is a thesis-driven essay. You should structure your paper

around a specific and arguable statement. Spend the paper arguing
your point. Remember, you only have 2-3 pages, so you need to
be narrow; the more specific, the better. Your papers won’t cover
everything about the play, but they will cover one point really well.
27
We want you to be as thorough as possible about your chosen

thesis. Narrow does not mean shallow. The difference is essential.
2. Also, use specific quotes from the text. You cannot base your
arguments around generalities. You must support your thesis
with evidence from the text. If you can’t give a specific example,
perhaps you need to revise your thesis.
3. Like your journal, this is not an issue of taste. It’s irrelevant
whether or not you liked it. We’re concerned with multiplicities,
intricacies, subtleties, careful readings, and, most of all, your
thoughts. Contrary to popular belief, teachers are not interested
in hearing their opinions regurgitated back to them. Teachers
want your opinions, but they want them to be well thought out
and deep. Paper writing is work, but it’s rewarding work.
You will follow these guidelines on all your critical analyses in this
class. It should be fulfilling as you put your best into it. Chekhov put his
best into writing his plays, and any reading less than thoughtful is unfair.
Lesson Objectives
1. Have confidence as you approach a text for analysis.

2. Understand the intricacies and possibilities of a text.
3. Become a more adept thinker and communicator of those thoughts.

1. Read The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov.
2. Write a 2-3 page thesis-driven analysis.
28
Lesson 7 Critical Response Paper
Assignment Instructions
1. Thoroughly and carefully read The Cherry Orchard by Anton

Chekhov.
2. Write a thesis-driven analysis of the play. This is not a review.
It is an analysis. The distinction is vital to an understanding of
the assignment.
3. Your paper should delve deeper than a plot-summary, or descrip-
tion of characters. It should be an analysis of the meaning of the
play. Instead of asking, “What is this character’s motivation?”
Ask, “What is the significance of this character’s action to the
meaning of the overall play?” Most great plays are consistent,
meaning that they center their energies around a major theme,
and all action of the play helps to uncover that theme.
4. Your thesis should be specific and arguable. You should support
it with specific examples from the text.
5. When complete, turn the paper into your instructor to be graded
according to the instructions in the syllabus. You are now pre-
pared for the next lesson.
29
Lesson 8
Acting
T he great film director Alfred Hitchcock was once accused of

saying, “Actors are cattle.” He never said that. Here’s the quote
from his own mouth, “I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was
all actors should be treated like cattle.” This quote might bring a smirk,
or perhaps a chuckle to the face of anyone who has ever acted or worked
with actors, but in or out of context, it doesn’t do them justice. Perhaps
this quote has helped add to the stereotypical portrayal of the actor as
a selfish prima donna, whose only goal is to stroke their ego and get
another paycheck. Doubtless there are actors like that, but most are not,
and only the highest paid “stars” can expect to get away with that kind
of behavior in the professional world. Most actors are dedicated profes-
sionals striving to improve their craft and do justice to their roles. They
are vital, important pieces of the art of theatre. They may, in fact, be the
most important piece, for without the actor there is nothing to view but
furniture, sets and costumes. There can be no play without them.
Truth is, the actor is the lifeblood of the theatre. As we’ve discussed
in earlier chapters, a play is incomplete until it has been mounted on a
stage. On paper, it is like a blueprint for a house. You might be able to
envision it, and even design elaborate models on the computer, but it has
no life until it’s built. The theatre is similar. A play is only a blueprint,
and the actors are the most essential ingredients in the completion of the
30
Lesson 8: Acting
plan. A play may be performed with simple costumes, virtually no set

and no lighting beyond the natural lighting in the space, but you must
have an actor to have theatre.
Since the actor is so important, let’s ask: what exactly does the actor
do? The answer may seem easy—they act. Since the final product of
acting is very visible, many people believe that acting is simple, and that
the process of acting is simply one of memorizing lines, and then saying
them in front of an audience. Anyone who has done any serious acting
can attest that it takes much more. In fact, line memorization is generally
the least important of an actor’s worries. Dedicated actors strive to be
memorized as soon as possible, so they can actually begin acting without
worrying about the simple issue of being memorized.
In this chapter you will learn more about the art and craft of acting.
Great acting takes significant “art” and “craft.” Like any other art, it is
both a mixture of raw, intuitive feeling and well-learned, practiced, and
perfected skills. It is definable, yet elusive. Actors must follow their
instincts and connect with the other actors on stage, yet they must be
aware and feed off the energy of their audience. They must make rep-
etition new. They must care deeply about their performance, yet not
become conscious that they are performing. In short, acting is a series
of complex paradoxes that only become richer the more one immerses
in this essential aspect of theatre.
Lesson Objectives
1. Begin to gain an understanding of the work that an actor does in

preparation and performance.
2. Understand the basics of the history of the development of acting,
specifically how acting developed in the U.S.
3. Gain an appreciation for the actor.
4. Begin to understand the difficulties and complexities of this seem-
ingly simple art.
31

1. Read Chapter 3, “Acting”, in your McGraw-Hill textbook.

1. Read Chapter 3, “Acting”, in your McGraw-Hill textbook. Use the
study guide questions below to help you prepare for the speedback.
a. Who were some major players in acting history?
b. Who was known as the first actor?
c. Who developed the primary acting technique used in the
United States today?
d. Understand the difference between an outer and an inner
approach to acting.
e. Understand Diderot’s argument in The Paradox of Acting.
f. How is zadacha generally translated and what does it mean?
g. What are the essential skills required by an actor?
h. What is used in the physiological instrument?
i. Understand the psychological instrument.
j. What is part of the actor’s professional routine?
k. What are some particular problems faced by professional
actors?
32
Lesson 9
Visual Language
I n Lesson 1, you were introduced to the Greek word for theatre,

theatron meaning “seeing place.” This root definition of theatre
is more than just happenstance, it is central to the way we look at the
theatre even today. We see plays, we look at the dramatic elements that
are employed to catch and hold our attention. Much of our language is
constructed around visual metaphors. In fact the entire Western world
can be considered a visual world. This does not simply mean that our eye
perceives the world (although that’s true), but that our culture defines
the world through images or visual representation of that world. These
are the things that hold, reflect and create much of what we hold as true.
Consider the famous photograph of the U.S. soldiers raising the flag
on Iwo Jima, or the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square. They cap-
ture the entire focus of a generation of Americans, but what do they
mean to others…especially our enemies. What is the entire truth behind
them? Contrast these patriotic and stirring images to that of the young
Vietnamese child Kim Phuc, running naked, in pain, her body covered in
jellied gasoline. These images represent, respectively, stirring national-
ism, victory celebration, and the innocent victims of war. Because they
are so iconic in our society we can talk about them with clarity without
posting them here. How do these or other images become iconic?
33
It is raw human emotion that raises images to the status of iconic. How
then, exactly, do images stir our emotions? The key lies in understand-
ing the elements and principles of visual language- the colors, textures,
balances, rhythms, and more- of the images we see.
To help build your understanding of these aspects of our visual world
you will work through a PowerPoint presentation developed by Rory
Scanlon, a professor at BYU in the Theatre and Media Arts department
with a specialty in costume design, scenic and lighting design, visual
language, and costume history. His insights are invaluable in beginning
to understand the power that images have to communicate thoughts,
ideas, and impressions.
You must not think that “image” refers only to those images that are
in a recorded medium. Theatre is a live art and its images are fleeting
and meant to be consumed in an actual “place of seeing.” The images
we see on stage can have as much effect on us as a recorded image. As
discussed earlier, our Western worldview is a visual one and the theatre
is often seen as a mirror that reflects our understanding and helps us to
see ourselves more clearly. An understanding of visual language deepens
our appreciation of life; for the “seeing place” is more than just a space
for performance, it is a space where we see our world.
Lesson Objectives
1. Understand the basics of visual language and how it communicates.

2. Become aware of the ways in which images manipulate our senses
and emotions.
3. Be able to practically apply knowledge of visual language through
analysis of a film clip.

1. View Rory’s Scanlon’s power point presentation on Visual
Language.
2. Write a 2-3 page paper analyzing the visual language of the film
clip from the film Million Dollar Baby
34
Lesson 9 Visual Language Paper
Instructions
1. View Rory Scanlon’s presentation on Visual Language. Take your

time going through it and ensure that you fully understand the
principles. There is no audio associated with the slides, so take
your time reading the content and relating it to the pictures shown.
Click on the image above to watch the video “Rory Scalon’s Presentation.”
35
2. After going through the presentation, watch a short clip from the
film “Million Dollar Baby”. Feel free to watch this clip multiple
times.
Click the image above to watch the video “Million Dollar Baby Clip.”
3. Write a 2-3 page paper analyzing the visual language of the clip.
This is not a “test” in the sense of being closed book. This is your
opportunity to apply the things you’ve learned in a scholarly sense.
Feel free to go back to any point in the presentation that you are
unclear on and re-watch it. You may also watch the clip as many
times as you feel you need to. Go shot by shot if necessary. The
point is that you understand the principles and are able to apply
them practically.
4. Your paper should do more than point out specific examples of
visual language in the clip (although it should do that). Your
paper should analyze what that visual language says about the
world of the clip. What feelings do you get? What worldview is
being presented? How can you tell? What specific clues lead you
to that conclusion? You need not have any context for the rest of
the film to be able to complete this assignment. You should be
able to adequately pick up what you need from the clip provided.
If you have seen the rest of the film, please keep your comments
36
Lesson 9: Visual Language
simply about the clip provided, and specifically the meaning of

the visual language.
5. When you’re done, turn in your assignment to your instructor,
following the directions in the syllabus. You are now ready for
the next assignment.
37
Lesson 10
Directing
I n the theatrical world today, most people believe we are living

in the day of the director. Though the job of the director is the most
recent to emerge today it is one of great power, responsibility, and prestige.
The major purpose of the contemporary director is to act as unifier of all
the artists working on a production to insure there is clarity of purpose
in all aspects of the piece. Directors typically head a team of talented
artists whose combined abilities turn a script into a living breathing work
of art. The director’s first job is to determine the particular approach or
concept for their play and work with each member of the team to create a
collaborative environment. In some circles this is thought of as unneces-
sary but the truth of the situation is this; every show that is directed has
a concept whether by design or by accident.
Choosing a production concept is the first of a myriad of choices that
face each director. The great director William Ball admonishes directors
that once a concept for a production is set they must “stick to it with the
exactitude of a monk.” As we explore this concept of theatrical choice,
let’s look at the following contentless dialogue.
PERSON 1: I love you.

PERSON 2: Shut-up.
38
Lesson 10: Directing
Simple, right? Or is it? How many ways can this scene be believably
portrayed? Is Person 1 sincerely saying, “I love you”? If so, is Person
2 issuing a command, or using the slang “shut-up” to express surprise?
Is Person 1 joking? What about Person 2? Brainstorm this scenario for
a minute. Try and imagine all the possible ways these two lines can be
said to each other to tell a story.
Done? Now, let’s dig deeper. Who are these people that speak these
lines? Is Person 1 female or male? What about Person 2? Could they
both be male, or female? How does that change things? What’s their
relationship? Are they friends, enemies, siblings, lovers, or strangers?
How old are they? Many plays provide some clues to these questions but
some remain remarkably vague and open for interpretation.
How does the impact of these kinds of relationship and gender choices
change the play? What happens if we also add in a particular location?
How does the play change if it is played at church, at home, in a park,
in a trench in WWI, aboard a space ship, or between two people stuck
in an elevator? See how these decisions impact the piece…and this play
has only two lines!
This small-scale scenario begins to illustrate why theatre needs some-
one to make choices. Any of these choices could be valid and believable,
but there are benefits and drawbacks to each one. What implication
does each choice have? Do interpretation, casting, and scenario choices
change the meaning? Of course they do! Each choice sends a different
message to the audience. Think how difficult these choices would be if
there were no unifying idea to refer to.
A director’s concept is a simple, arguable statement (similar to a thesis
for a paper) that channels and focuses the production in one direction.
This isn’t simply a one word statement (ex. “It’s about love”), but delves
deeply into one aspect of the play (ex. “Romantic love is a disease similar
to madness”). The concept gives shape to all the choices that are made
throughout the play. Many directors create metaphors to help give solid-
ity to their concepts (ex. A straight jacket). This helps designers have
something concrete to base their designs around. This imaginary concept
isn’t connected to any play in particular, but it could be (A Midsummer
Night’s Dream). Now, we are beginning to have a play! Things are get-
ting interesting.
Creating a concept isn’t the only thing that a director must do. They
are an organizer, leader, artisan, communicator, and more. Essentially,
39
the production rests on the shoulders of a director. They must have a

vision, create a concept, communicate it, and lead others to that final goal.
That’s why choices are so important. This is where everything begins to
come together. This is the difference between a play and a script for a
play. This is the essence of engaging theater.
Lesson Objectives
1. Understand the history of the director and why the modern direc-
tor is so essential to the theatre.
2. Know exactly what a director does.
3. Begin to understand the complex workings of theatre behind the
scenes (how plays are chosen, rehearsed, etc.)
4. Understand what a director’s concept is.

1. Read Chapter 6, “The Director,” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.

1. Read Chapter 6, “The Director,” in your McGraw-Hill textbook.
speedback.
a. What are the functions of a director?
b. What is the history of the director? What phases did that
job go through?
c. What responsibilities does the director have?
d. What does “directorial vision” mean?
e. How does a director choose plays?
f. What makes a good director’s concept?
g. How does a director work with designers?
h. How do they choose actors?
i. What is the difference between the European and American
models for producing a play?
40
Lesson 10: Directing
j. Once cast, how does a director work with actors?

k. What are different aspects of staging?
l. How does one become a professional director?
41
Lesson 11
Director’s Concepts
H amlet.
What image comes to mind? Do you picture a man in tights hold-
ing a skull aloft and looking at it? What words come to mind? “To be,
or not to be.” “Get thee to a nunnery.” “Brevity is the soul of wit.” “To
thine own self be true.” “Alas! Poor Yorik.” “There are more things in
heaven and in earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
“Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew and the dog will
have its day.” Chances are you recognized most of those quotes. Even
people who haven’t read it (or even seen it) know the famous “To be, or
not to be” line. However, Hamlet should be more to a director than a
jumble of recognizable quotes. How should a director approach this text?
What is the right interpretation?
The short answer is that there is no right interpretation. There is no
definitive way to perform this play. As we’ve already discussed, the play
is big. It’s bigger than any individual person. There’s no way that anyone
can put everything that’s in the text into one play, so choices must be
made. What choices are there? Here are some examples:
• In a post-Freud world, many people interpret the relationship

between Hamlet and his mother as Oedipal. Notice that Hamlet
wants to kill Claudius because he did exactly what Hamlet wanted
42
Lesson 11: Director’s Concepts
to do: kill his father and sleep with his mother. What happens
when a director highlights this aspect of the play?
• What’s the role of madness in the play? Is Hamlet crazy, or is he
faking? How does the play change depending on which choice
the director makes?
• What about Fortinbras? Many people cut this character for the
sake of time (the play runs about four hours). But what happens
when you cut this character? Hamlet and Fortinbras are both
princes. They are both named after and avenge their fathers.
What happens to the play when you cut this Hamlet parallel?
• What happens when you change the setting? Why would a director
change the setting? What happens when you put it in the modern
day? What needs to be left out? What is gained?
These are just a few examples of some of the most major decisions
that any director needs to make when facing this play. A director must
first discover what story they want to tell then decide what choices tell
that story. No choice is “right”; it’s simply a matter of making choices.
For this assignment, we’ll be exploring this issue. You will be required
to read William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and then watch a film version of
the play. Any film version. Your local video store is bound to have several
choices. Simply choose one.
After you watch the film, you will be required to write a paper detailing
what the director’s concept was and how you came to that conclusion. Use
specific examples from the film and the play to support your argument.
Knowing the play well will help you because you will be able to notice
things that were left out/changed. In many ways, seeing what they left
out will highlight the importance of what was left in. Look at as many
elements as you have in your toolbox to come to this conclusion. Enjoy.
43
Lesson Objectives
1. Solidify the difference between a script and a performance.

2. Identify a director’s concept.
3. Understand more deeply the idea of choices and how they relate
to theatre.
4. Develop better writing skills.

1. Read William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
2. Watch a film version of Hamlet.
3. Write a 2-3 page paper analyzing the directorial choices made
in the film.
44
Lesson 11 Director’s Concept Paper
Instructions
1. Recap:
a. Read William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
b. Watch a film version of Hamlet. This may be any film within
reason. There are many films loosely based on the text (The
Lion King), but you must watch a film that uses the actual
language of Shakespeare. Make sure that you cite while film
version you are using. Film is cited by country and year. Ex.
Hamlet (USA, 1991).
c. Write a 2-3 page paper analyzing the director’s concept. Be
specific in your analysis. Use specific examples from both
the play and the film. Like all of your papers, this is a thesis-
driven essay.
2. When you’ve finished, submit this to the instructor to be graded,
following the instructions in the syllabus.
45
Lesson 12
Critical Thinking Part 2: See a Play
W e’ve talked and talked about making good theatre and ana-
lyzing theatre. We’ve also explored the many jobs that go on
behind and in front of the curtain. Now it’s time for you to see how this
increased awareness has affected the way you view a theatrical produc-
tion. To complete this lesson successfully you must view and write a
thoughtful analysis of a production.
Here are some guidelines:
1. You may only see a college, university, or professional level pro-

duction. This may make the assignment more difficult, but the
difference in quality will be worth the work. When I say “quality,”
I don’t mean the budget. Budget has little to do with good theatre.
Most community and high-school theatres have a different aim
than university and professional theatres (even university and
professional productions have different aims). However, the main
purpose of most community and high-school theatre is to create
a social environment for the participants. I’m not interested in
ruining anyone’s fun, but it usually isn’t good theatre. We want
you to have the experience of watching a play that has more of the
elements we’ve been discussing. Most community and high-school
theatres do not have dramaturgs or even director’s concepts. The
46
Lesson 12: Critical Thinking Part 2, See a Play
miracle is that a group of people have actually gotten together to

achieve a common goal. Unless extenuating circumstances exist,
which you must get approval for beforehand, you must see a col-
lege, university, or professional level production.
2. A musical is considered a play. Remember that Oklahoma! has
some serious issues underneath the song and dance.
3. Remember, like all of your other assignments, this is an analysis,
not a review. Please do not write like a newspaper critic. You
are there to use the tools that we’ve discussed in this class and
analyze the meaning of the piece. Don’t say, “I didn’t like that
choice.” Ask, “Why did they make that choice? How does it fit
thematically with the rest of the piece?”
4. Specific examples are your best friend when writing a paper.
Always cite specific examples from any text that you analyze.
You’ll be best off bringing a piece of paper and a pen and taking
notes on the production while you watch it. This will help you
remember what you’ve seen and begin to engage with the text.
Ask questions in the margins. Figure things out. This will make
your papers better, because you will have a concrete memory of
the event and many specific examples to draw on.
Other than that, you know what to do. If you’ve taken this class seri-
ously, the work you’re going to do on this assignment is only a formal
exercise for something that you should be doing anyway. When properly
done, criticism will not diminish your enjoyment; it will enhance it. Enjoy.
Lesson Objectives
1. Articulate thoughts about a specific production on paper.

2. Have a successful experience with an advanced level theatrical
production.
3. Continue to gain analytical and critical thinking skills.
47
1. Watch a college, university, or professional level production.

2. Write a 2-3 page analysis of what you saw.
48
Lesson 12 Production Analysis Instructions
1. Recap:
a. Watch a college, university, or professional level production.
Community or high school drama will only be considered
under extenuating circumstances for which you must get
approval.
b. Write a 2-3 page critical analysis of what you saw. Remember
to use specific examples. Like all of your other papers, this
is a thesis-driven essay.
following the instructions in the syllabus.
49
Lesson 13
Design Part 1: Set Design and Light
Design
F rom the outset of this class, we’ve been exploring the question
“What is theatre?” If we return to the Greek theatron, or “seeing
place,” we begin to get a better sense of what theatre is. When learning
about design, we learn that actors and playwrights never work alone.
Because theatre must be staged, it becomes visual (“the seeing place”), and
it becomes impossible to escape the effect that design has on an audience.
Even without designers, with the actors dressed in street clothes and
acting outdoors in natural lighting, the show still has a look, feel, and
sound. Birds chirping outside, the brightness of the sun, the footfalls of
the actors, their natural clothing melding with the clothing of the char-
acter so they become one, etc. Once staged, design becomes essential. It
becomes the play because it becomes what the audience sees and hears.
In this section, we’ll only be covering set design and lighting design.
Costumes, sound, makeup and others will follow in later sections.
50
Lesson Objectives
1. See design as a collaborative art.

2. Know the history of set and lighting design.
3. Position each in its function in theatre.
4. Understand the basic approaches that designers take in their work.

1. Read Chapter 5, “Designers and Technicians,” pages 123 – 155 in
your McGraw-Hill Textbook.

1. Read Chapter 5, “Designers and Technicians,” pages 123 – 155
in your McGraw-Hill Textbook. Use the study guide questions
below to help you prepare for the speedback.
a. Why does design complete a play?
b. Is there collaboration between different design elements?
Why, or why not?
c. What are different types of stages?
d. What are advantages of each?
e. What is the difference between realistic and metaphoric
scenery?
f. What are different elements of scenic design? What are
platforms, flats, drapes, etc?
g. When was dramatic lighting first used?
h. When did lighting begin to become sophisticated?
i. What are the main concerns of the lighting designer?
j. How is atmosphere achieved?
k. What are the two major preparations of a lighting designer?
51
Lesson 14
Design Part 2: Costume Design and
Makeup Design
M ark Twain said, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have
little or no influence on society.” Also on the subject, Guy de
Maupassant said, “A lip without a mustache is like a body without cloth-
ing; and one must wear clothes, very few, if you like, but still some cloth-
ing.” Humor aside, the inescapable fact of life is that everyone must wear
clothes. People are, perhaps, more accustomed to costume than to any
other aspect of the theatre.
In theatre, one of the functions of costume is to express the character to
the audience. Your book points out that you must almost always assume
that the character chose to wear those clothes of their own free will. So,
what kind of clothes do they pick? Are they well-dressed? Sloppy? What
colors do they pick to represent themselves?
This is something that people are very familiar with in their own “per-
formances” in real life. Everyone needs to pick out clothing to wear that’s
comfortable, or looks good, or what one thinks represents their idiom
best. High school students, perhaps, understand this aspect of costume
the best. However, the function of costume in the theatre is more than
the function of costume in real life.
It must, by nature, be theatrical. The very existence of costume on stage
places the actor in a position apart from character. Since professional
52
actors rarely wear clothing from their own wardrobe, the adornment of
clothing on stage allows the actor to embody the character more fully.
Costuming creates the character because it separates the body from the
character. It allows the actor to disappear.
Once again, in this section of the chapter we will begin to see how
important design is to creating theatre. Design is what separates people
watching in the park from coordinated, unified performance.
Lesson Objectives
1. Know and understand the four basic functions of costume design.

2. More fully understand the concept of unified design.
3. Understand the illustrative and ceremonial functions of makeup.


a. What are the ancient functions of a costume?
b. What’s the goal of the modern costume designer?
c. What are the four main functions of a costume?
d. What does a costume designer primarily work with?
e. What is the basic creative process that a costume designer
goes through?
f. What is the difference between illustrative and ceremonial
makeup?
53
Lesson 15
Design Part 3: Sound Design and Other
Types of Design
B y dividing this chapter into three sections we hope you have

been able to concentrate on each design element. Please don’t let
this division lead you to a conclusion that each design element should be
considered separately. In fact, sound design is a perfect place to discuss
just how integrated each of these elements can be.
Cinema gets its meaning from the juxtaposition of images. In its
simplest sense, film is a sequence of images that only have meaning when
placed together. It is primarily a visual medium. Theatre, on the other
hand, can be considered a medium of sound. This should not diminish
the importance of the visual in theatre or the sound in film, but the light-
ing and sound have a special relationship in the theatre.
Interestingly, the dimmer the light, the less clear the sound is on the
stage. The clearer the light, the more audible the sound on the stage
becomes. Costumes change their look under light, and no few sound
effects would be complete by themselves without a visual to match.
When combined with a concrete, clear, director’s concept, design,
directing and acting combine to create a cohesive and unified production.
Backstage crews work together to implement the vision of the directors
and designers. When the audience arrives, they see very little of the work
54
Lesson 15: Design Part 3, Sound Design and Other Types of Design
that goes on in theatre. Only the finished product is visible, but the rest
of the work is nonetheless present in the fact that the show exists.
Theatre is such a fascinating art. It’s a collaborative work that, in the
end, produces only an ephemeral art. Any piece of theatre only exists in
the moment and then it’s gone. Once recorded, it’s no longer theatre. It’s
simply an archive of the event. Why would all of these people spend so
much of their time to produce something that only exists for a moment?
What power lies in theatre?
While there are many different reasons people choose to get involved-
social interaction, excitement, etc.- perhaps one reason that many the-
atre practitioners can agree on is a belief in the power of theatre. When
members of the community and theatre practitioners come together for
a single moment in time to share in the discussion of human concerns,
lives can change. For centuries, theatre has been everything from a pagan
religious center to a community-based forum to teach Christian doctrine;
it’s been a state-sanctioned propaganda machine, and an underground,
counter-culture movement.
The question of what theatre is becomes increasingly more difficult to
define when we realize that theatre has never really been one thing. It’s
been multiple things for different people at different times. However,
from tribal rituals to regional theatres, people have believed that humans’
coming together to explore, discover, and create can be a powerful medium
of change. This change is not simply limited to individual lives, but can
extend to society as a whole.
Lesson Objectives
1. Understand the important function of technology in the theatre.

2. Learn about and appreciate the many jobs performed by technical
artists and crew.

55

a. What is meant by the “liveness” of theatre in relation to
electronic sound?
b. Why would a person want to use musical underscoring in
the theatre?
c. What are some of the drawbacks?
d. How did the Globe theatre burn down in 1613?
e. How prevalent are effects designers in theatres?
f. What do CAD and CAM stand for respectively?
g. What are the benefits of computers in design?
h. What the Production Manager, Stage Manager and Technical
Director each do?
i. What other jobs are performed backstage?
56
Lesson 16
Final Project
Y ou’ve made it. Congratulations. Before you proceed, make sure

that you’ve completed all of the other assignments for this class.
The lessons were designed to be sequential, and you can’t do this final
until you’ve done everything else. If you’re ready, then proceed.
For this assignment, you are going to pretend that you’re part of a
production of one of the following plays: The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde, Medea by Euripides, Miss Julie by August Strindberg,
The Tempest by William Shakespeare, or Tartuffe by Molière. It’s entirely
up to you which play you choose. Once you’ve chosen the play, proceed
through these steps:
1. Read the play carefully. You’ll want to make notes.

2. Select one of the following jobs: Director, Dramaturg, Set Designer,
Costume Designer. If you are unsure about any of the jobs, simply
refer back to the previous lessons to refresh. Once you’ve chosen
the job that you prefer to do, you’ll probably want to go back and
refresh yourself anyway. You should probably re-read the chapter
where each is discussed. Make sure that you understand the job
as thoroughly as you can.
3. Re-read the play as many times as necessary, this time with your
specific job in mind. Professionals read the plays many, many
57
times, so don’t feel that once through the play is going to be all
that’s necessary to get everything that’s in the text. Start to for-
mulate ideas, analyze the text through the lens of your job, begin
to get creative, etc.
4. Depending on the job you’ve chosen (detailed below), complete
your assignment and turn it in to the instructor. Congratulations,
you’ve finished the course.
The next logical question is what each job entails. Here is what will
be required for each:
Director: Your job is to come up with a director’s concept and give

specific examples of how that concept is going to be implemented. This
will require you to read the text carefully, and rather than come up with a
textual analysis, you are to use the information gathered from your reading
to come up with a workable concept. The important thing about being a
director is to add something to the text. Ask yourself, “so what?” What
about your production is unique? Why would people want to see your
play instead of just reading it? In addition to your concept, you should
choose a metaphor that you, as a director, would be able to give to your
designers so that they can begin to make concrete choices.
You need to justify your concept with specific examples from the text.
Explain how your interpretation is valid. In addition, you need to explain
specifically how you plan on implementing your concept. If you can’t
think of exactly how your concept can be brought about, then perhaps
your concept is too amorphous. You don’t need to actually design the
set and costumes and light, etc., but you do need to give some basic ideas
about how design is going to be able to support your concept. Think about
every aspect of a play. What sort of stage will you use? Why? What do
you want your audience to feel/do? How will you bring that out? How
will casting affect your production? What specifically are you looking
for in the characters and why? This must all fit in with your concept.
These are not all of the questions that you should ask yourself or that
you should answer in your paper. This is simply a starting point to begin
your thinking process. Don’t feel that this assignment requires less work
than the others. Your depth of thinking must be thorough and unified.
You must explain yourself specifically and clearly. If the director doesn’t
understand the play, then no one will. This is a 5-7 page paper.
58
Lesson 16: Final Project
Dramaturg: As a production dramaturg, your job is going to be primarily

in the library. You need to write a paper containing historical and literary
information about the text that will be relevant to a director. You shouldn’t
simply go to the library, grab historical information and literary analyses
and make a hodgepodge of dramaturgical soup. This paper should be
a thesis driven essay, similar to the ones that we’ve been doing in class.
However, this paper will use, in addition to your own thesis and ideas, a
synthesis of ideas from other critical and historical writings.
What historical information changes the play? What information
about the author sheds light into the text? How could that affect the
choices that director could make? That’s the key to any information that
you find and finally use in your paper- what information will actually
help a director make choices? Use other people’s analyses from current
scholarly journals, and information about the time period of the play to
help you. Also remember that there are three historical time-periods
that meet for any production of a play: the time it was written, the time
it’s set, and the time it’s being performed. What about today informs the
work? What makes this piece relevant for a modern audience? Make
sure that you cite all of your sources. Not citing sources is plagiarism.
The internet is not a valid source. It can be a good starting point for a
paper, but with few exceptions, there’s no way to know that the informa-
tion was written by an expert in the field. This immediately makes any of
the information suspect. Look up MLA format on the internet for more
specific information about citing in the humanities. These are not all of
the questions that you should ask yourself or that you should answer in
your paper. This is simply a starting point to begin your thinking process.
This is a 5-7 page paper.
Set Designer: While it’s hard to design a set without the help of a direc-
tor to give you a concept, we’ll have to make do. For the purposes of this
assignment, rather than come up with a director’s concept, or an analysis
of the play, simply “feel” your way through the production. What feelings,
images, settings, colors, etc., come to you when you read it? You will also
need to spend some time doing research. If you imagine this play set in
a specific time and place, then what would that time and place look like?
Get a feel for the mood and setting of the piece.
Next, you need to work on the practical. As you go through the play,
what set pieces are required when? Do characters use any specific scenery?
59
If so, that should be included in your design. Are there act changes, or
scene changes? That needs to be accounted for. In a Shakespeare play,
there are usually so many location changes that it isn’t practical to make a
major change for every new scene, so how will you overcome that? What
type of stage will this be on? This will affect your design.
You need to turn in an overhead stage plot of your designs. Show us
from a bird’s eye view exactly where everything will be placed on the stage
for each of your designs. This is not a time to be lazy. Each change of
scenery needs a separate plot. Also, each change of scenery is going to
need a full color drawing from the audience view of what it will look like.
We recognize that not everyone is an amazing artist, but do your best.
Color is a must for this assignment. You do not need to make a 3D model.
Write up any explanations to anything that you’ve drawn. Make sure
your work is clear enough so that someone is able to view it without you
there and be able understand your ideas. In addition to the drawing and
legend work, you should turn in a 2-3 page paper justifying your choices.
Use specific examples from the text to explain what the text feels like and
why. What caused you to make the choices you did? These are not all of
the questions that you should ask yourself or that you should answer in
your paper. This is simply a starting point to begin your thinking pro-
cess. Be specific in your paper and creative in your designs. You are to
imagine that this is for an actual production so these designs should be
thematically unified as if you had a director to work with.
Costume Design: For the sake of space, much of the requirements for
costume design are similar to the requirements for set design, so make
sure you familiarize yourself with it. You need to “feel” your way through
the piece and the characters, do research on the costumes from the period
that you want to set it in and be aware of practical requirements.
What do the characters need to wear? Are there specific directions in
the text explaining what people are wearing? If so, then that should be
taken into account. If it’s necessary for a character to be wearing black
for a scene, then you ensure that that character is in black. What about
scene/act changes? If yours is a realism piece, should they be wearing
something different? Take all of the practical into account in addition to
the organic. These are not all of the questions that you should ask yourself
or that you should answer in your paper. This is simply a starting point
to begin your thinking process.
60
Each character needs a full-color sketch of every costume that they are
going to wear. You should also make a trip to your local fabric store and
pick out fabric swatches and attach them to the drawings. These draw-
ings should be in color. Be specific and creative. You are to imagine that
this is for an actual production so these designs should be thematically
unified as if you had a director to work with.
Like the set design option, you need to write a 2-3 page paper justifying
your choices. Whether your production is realistic or anti-realistic, there
still should be a justification for the choices. Explain why you chose the
designs that you chose. What do those costumes mean for the characters?
What do they mean for the audience? How do they fit the world of the
play? How are they thematically consistent?
Remember that none of these elements are designed in a vacuum. All
of them work together to inform one another in an actual production.
Even designers and directors spend time using the critical thinking skills
that we’ve discussed in class in their creative work. Make sure that you
use your critical thinking skills for any of the jobs you picked. You must
be able to make informed decisions based on the text, and articulate those
decisions to someone else.
Good luck.
Lesson Objectives
1. Apply what has been learned in class in a practical setting.

2. Begin to understand the creative process.

1. Read a play from the following list: The Importance of Being
Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Medea by Euripides, Miss Julie by August
Strindberg, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, or Tartuffe by
Molière.
2. Select one of the following jobs: Director, Dramaturg, Set Designer,
Costume Designer.
3. Complete the assignment as instructed.
61
Lesson 16 Final Project Instructions
1. Recap:
a. Read a play from the following list: The Importance of Being
Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Medea by Euripides, Miss Julie by
August Strindberg, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, or
Tartuffe by Molière.
b. Select one of the following jobs: Director, Dramaturg, Set
Designer, Costume Designer.
c. The Director must come up with a director’s concept, includ-
ing a metaphor and specific examples of how the concept will
be implemented in production. How will all elements come
together to create a unified whole? Use the text to justify
your decisions. This is a 5-7 page paper.
d. The Dramaturg must turn in a textual analysis that’s informed
by historical and literary analyses of the text. Since you will
doubtless find a wealth of information on any of these plays,
you must be judicious in selecting only that information that
will help a director make choices. This is a 5-7 page paper.
e. The Set Designer must come up with a design that fits the-
matically with their interpretation of the play. Where is it set
and why? You should turn in a (1) Bird’s eye view of the set
for every scene/act change as needed (2) a legend explaining
what every part of your set is and what the necessary parts are
from the play (ex. You included that closet since there must
be one in that act.) (3) A color illustration of the set for every
scene/act change as needed from the perspective of the audi-
ence, and (4) a 2-3 page paper justifying your decisions (both
thematic and practical) with specific examples from the text.
62
f. The Costume designer must come up with a design for every

costume for every character in the play that fits thematically
with their interpretation of the play (choruses and groups
of characters may be given one costume, but they must be
included). Where is it set and why? You should turn in (1)
Full color illustrations for every costume for every character
(2) fabric swatches attached to the drawings that represent
the fabrics you have in mind. (3) A 2-3 page paper justifying
your decisions (both thematic and practical) with specific
examples from the text.
following the directions in the syllabus.
3. If you have not submitted your “Critical Thought Journal” from
Lesson 6, please submit it now.
4. Congratulations! You have now finished the course.
63

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TMA 101—Introduction to the Theatre

Section 200 / 3 Semester hours

Copyright © 2012 Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.

• this introductory letter

Begin your online course by reading the syllabus; it contains the

Lesson 2: What is a Play?.................................................................9

Lesson 3: The Playwright................................................................11

Lesson 4: Give it a Shot!..................................................................14

Lesson 5: The Critic and the Dramaturg........................................18

Lesson 6: Critical Thinking Journal................................................22

Lesson 7: Critical Thinking Part 1: Read a Play............................26

Lesson 9: Visual Language.............................................................33

Lesson 10: Directing.......................................................................38

Lesson 11: Director’s Concepts.....................................................42

Lesson 12: Critical Thinking PArt 2: See a Play............................46

Lesson 13: Set Design and Light Design.......................................50

Lesson 14: Design Part 2: Costume Design and Makeup Design...

Lesson 16: Final Project.................................................................57

L ope de Vega, the most influential playwright of the Spanish

the study of this culturally rich, politically important, and downright

1. Understand what theatre is.

Reading Assignments and Activities

Lesson Activities Breakdown

l. Understand the difference between a text and a play. Why

A ristotle’s Poetics is, perhaps, the single most important work

the structure of drama (exposition, climax, etc.) People often refer to

1. Be familiar with different genres of plays.

Reading Assignments and Activities

The second reason is that a novel is a complete work of art. When

1. Identify the qualities of a fine play.

Reading Assignments and Activities

Lesson Activities Breakdown

Q: What should I write about?

Remember that BYU is a religious school. You’re free (and even

Q: How long should it be?

Q: How many characters should I have?

Q: How will my play be graded?

Q: Any last advice?

1. Understand the joys (and frustrations) of playwriting.

Reading Assignments and Activities

W hen you’re with your friends, no one wants to be considered

2. It implies that our tastes should be democratically determined.

1. Understand the difference between good and bad criticism.

Reading Assignments and Activities

Lesson Activities Breakdown

1. What are the significant ideas the author is revealing?

theorists go so far as to say that everything is text! When we say text we

1. Be in the habit of thinking critically about things that you watch,

Reading Assignments and Activities

W ho’s you favorite playwright? This is a hard question to

this class. An understanding of historical background may help color a

1. This is a thesis-driven essay. You should structure your paper

We want you to be as thorough as possible about your chosen

1. Have confidence as you approach a text for analysis.

Reading Assignments and Activities

1. Thoroughly and carefully read The Cherry Orchard by Anton

T he great film director Alfred Hitchcock was once accused of

plan. A play may be performed with simple costumes, virtually no set