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    Hum 01-Lesson 3 - Elements of Theater

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    Hum 01-Lesson 3 - Elements of Theater

    Uploaded by

    Salus Hernando Tiedra
    11 views6 pages

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    Hum 01-Lesson 3- Elements of Theater

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    11 views6 pages

    Hum 01-Lesson 3 - Elements of Theater

    Uploaded by

    Salus Hernando Tiedra

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Lesson 3: ELEMENTS OF THEATER

    This lesson helps students to gain an understanding of the basic elements of theater which
    will help them appreciate said genre of art.

    Learning Outcomes:

    At the end of the lesson, students must have:

    1. Identified the basic elements of theatre;


    2. Discussed/described the basic elements of theatre;
    3. Analysed theatre performance based on its basic elements.
    Warm-Up

    Open this link youtube.com/watch?v=cXY_rrnBkWw, and watch a portion of the video.


    Then, answer the following questions:

    1. What kind of theatre performance is this?


    2. What are your observations?
    In Focus

    Elements of Theater

    The word theatre comes from the Greek word “teatron” which means a place for seeing.
    It is a place where a play is performed, or a drama performed before an audience. As a place for
    seeing, theatre has various types:

    • Proscenium/picture frame stage—the most widely- used type in the west


    • Arena stage/ theater in-the-round
    • Thrust or open stage—platform stage that thrusts out into the audience
    • Amphitheater –open air building
    • Black box –developed in the 1960’s in the US for inexpensive experimental work
    Theater production is an avenue for self-expression, resourcefulness, better understanding
    of human nature, and exercise in responsibility.

    Theater has the following elements:

    Script. It contains the story to be performed--the plot, setting, character, theme and
    dialogue. It is said that better understanding of the script ensures better theater production.

    Directing. The work of a director is extremely important in preparing any production for
    the stage. The director is responsible for all the creative decisions. He collaborates with the
    playwright, actors, designers and technicians to stage a play based on his/her interpretation of the
    script.
    Functions of Director

    • Interprets the script

    • Makes necessary decisions about style and approach of the play

    • Selects the actors suited for the roles in the play (casting).

    • Choreographs or blocks the movements.

    • Is responsible for stage composition

    • Controls rhythm and pace

    • Does the polishing.

    • Evaluates his work.

    Notable Theater Directors

    • Bertolt Brecht – Germany

    • Elia Kazan – U. S.

    • Peter Brook – Britain

    • Peter Hall – Britain

    • Julie Taymor – U.S.

    Acting. It is the fundamental art of theatre. Actors must posses talent, or personality, an
    intangible quality which is a fundamental feature of good acting. They must be versatile.

    Mediums of Actor

    • Voice – must be loud enough to be heard and understood by the audience, powerful,
    well-modulated, must have good diction, must develop vocal variety to determine the
    pitch and voice quality suitable for a particular role.

    • Body – must have grace and physical control to enable him to move about the stage in an
    easy and graceful manner.

    Duties of Actors

    • Must study the script to understand the character he is playing and the play as a whole.

    • Must research the information about the character he is playing.

    • Delivers his/her lines by speaking loudly and clearly.


    • Makes movements in such a manner that everyone may see and interpret his/her more
    meaningful gestures.

    • Confines himself/herself to the exact patterns that have been rehearsed so that his fellow
    actors will be confused.

    • “A good actor has done his role well when the audience could enter into his character,
    and the actor could create a bond between himself and the audience.”

    Performers are the most identified by audience.

    • Thespis

    • Chorus

    • In England, it was not until 19th century that actors achieved a respected social status

    • Henry Irving received the first knighthood given to an actor.

    • Early actors were males.

    • Only prostitutes were allowed to appear on stage (Rome).

    • Women began appearing on the French and English stage in the 17 th century.

    Set. It is the most obvious visual element, and perhaps the largest in theater production.
    Set calls for a considerable amount of money, time and effort in both design and construction.

    Functions of Set

    • Must provide an environment for acting.

    • Must express the proper mood of the play.

    • Should help establish the time and place of the action

    • Must provide visual impact.


    Set/Scene Designer

    • Must study the script very carefully.

    • Must be familiar with the stage blocking that the director has in mind.

    • Notable Set Designer

    • Adolphe Appia – Switzerland

    • Gordon Craig – Britain


    • Robert Edmond Jones & Lee Simonson – 1920’s Broadway

    Costume. It makes the most continuous impact. Its details should be


    coordinated/complemented with the stage direction and set.

    Ancient Greeks and European actors till mid- 19th century wore clothing of their time.

    Functions of Costumes

    • To clothe the actor

    • To help create mood

    • To help establish the theme

    • To establish time, place, and character relationships

    • To add to the visual impact

    Properties. Also known as ‘props’, it constitutes a highly important area of backstage


    responsibility.

    Classifications of Props

    • Trim props – any decorative objects which hang upon, or are attached to the set

    • Set props – objects standing about the floor of the set but not large enough to be
    considered part of the set

    • Hand props – objects picked up and used by the actors

    • Prop visual effects – special effects which are manually done

    • Prop sound effects – any off-stage sounds created by other than electrical means

    Make- up. Make-up is usually left to the individual actor. Ancient Greeks, Romans,
    Chinese wore masks instead of make-up

    Kinds of Make-up

    • Straight make-up – highlights the actor’s normal features

    • Character make-up – transforms an actor’s features

    • Fantasy make-up – alters the actor’s appearance

    Functions of Make-up

    • Helps make the features visible.


    • Helps portray character.

    • Adds to the mood, theme, and visual impact of the production.

    • Helps beautify or disguise the actor.

    Lights/Lighting. Lights, together with set and costumes, account for most of the visual
    impact of a production.

    Functions of Lights

    • Provide necessary visibility.

    • Help establish mood.

    • Focus attention.

    • Heighten realism.

    Development in the Use of Lights in Theater

    • Candles—first lighting to be used in theater

    • Gas lamp – 1840

    • Electric – 1879

    Savoy Theater was first theater to use electricity

    • Computerized light board

    It was Adolphe Appia who first thought that light can be used as an artistic medium.

    Sound. It is a backstage mechanism. The following are sound mechanisms used in the
    history of theater:

    • Pit orchestra – orchestra located in the theatre pit which provides sound for incidental and
    background music. It was used when modern technology for sound production was not
    yet invented.

    • Tape recorders

    • Playback units

    • Microphones

    • mixers

    • Amplifiers
    • Elaborate speakers system

    • Control consoles

    Stage Management. It coordinates all the diverse activities in theater productions, from
    directing to sound. Stage manager handles the responsibilities from dress rehearsals to actual
    performance.

    Activity : Again, open the link given to you at the beginning of the lesson. Watch the entire video
    and identify the elements of theatre that we discussed. Take note if there are other elements present
    in the presentation which are not included in our discussion. Write your observation, and submit
    your output in the email address provided to you.

    Encore

    Activity : On that same video, select three elements that you have identified, come up with your
    own analysis and reactions. Limit your analysis to not more than 300 words. E-mail your output.

    Re-Run

    List down ten things that you have learned from this lesson. Which element are you most
    interested in?

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