Drama, Monday, Period 2 [6/8]
"First of all, congratulations to those of you who auditioned for and were cast in the play," Sophie said, smiling at them over her coffee. "I expect all of you to work hard, and I look forward to acting with you, since I was cast as well. Secondly! A few no-no's I truly hope none you inflict on this production, or on any acting you do in the future. Because acting is a team sport as much as anything that takes place on a ball field."
"Upstaging. There are two ways to hog the limelight and ruin a play. One is to literally move upstage-- counter to whatever the director told you," Sophie did this on the stage, and pointed downstage toward the class. "While another actor is speaking, so that they have to face you and not the audience. Utterly unfair. If I catch anyone doing this, I will make you do the acting equivalent of sit-ups here in class."
Sophie gave the class an amused look. "Another form of upstaging is to distract the audience with extra movement or mugging while it's another actor's turn to be the center of attention. Cleaning, furniture-grabbing, fluffing one's hair at a dramatic moment for someone else; all unacceptable. Stepping on another's lines, interrupting them before they're done? Also unprofessional. You can be the greatest actor in the world and that kind of behavior will mean you are never cast a second time, or that you can very justifiably be fired. The best actors can make the act of listening into another part of the greater performance."
"Today, you get to be directors of scenes, as well as actors. Please break into the groups I've assigned."
[ooc on its way! up!]
"Upstaging. There are two ways to hog the limelight and ruin a play. One is to literally move upstage-- counter to whatever the director told you," Sophie did this on the stage, and pointed downstage toward the class. "While another actor is speaking, so that they have to face you and not the audience. Utterly unfair. If I catch anyone doing this, I will make you do the acting equivalent of sit-ups here in class."
Sophie gave the class an amused look. "Another form of upstaging is to distract the audience with extra movement or mugging while it's another actor's turn to be the center of attention. Cleaning, furniture-grabbing, fluffing one's hair at a dramatic moment for someone else; all unacceptable. Stepping on another's lines, interrupting them before they're done? Also unprofessional. You can be the greatest actor in the world and that kind of behavior will mean you are never cast a second time, or that you can very justifiably be fired. The best actors can make the act of listening into another part of the greater performance."
"Today, you get to be directors of scenes, as well as actors. Please break into the groups I've assigned."
[ooc on its way! up!]