How must we take the stage?

How must we How must we “take the stage”?“take the stage”?

Ms. Aixa B. RodriguezMs. Aixa B. RodriguezESL Teacher ESL Teacher

High School for World Cultures High School for World Cultures Bronx, NYBronx, NY

Art in Literature ClassArt in Literature Class

Terms used in this presentation: copy these Terms used in this presentation: copy these down with room for definitions/explanationsdown with room for definitions/explanations

• Acting areas (9) (15)Acting areas (9) (15)• ApronApron• Arena stageArena stage• BlockingBlocking• Body positionsBody positions• Business Business • Clock (floor plan)Clock (floor plan)• Curtain lineCurtain line• EntranceEntrance• Flexible stagingFlexible staging• Floor plansFloor plans• Fourth wallFourth wall• Grand drapeGrand drape• househouse

• LevelLevel• Map (floor plan)Map (floor plan)• Performance spacePerformance space• PlanesPlanes• Proscenium stageProscenium stage• Proscenium archProscenium arch• Proscenium lineProscenium line• Shared positionsShared positions• Stage pictureStage picture• Thrust stageThrust stage• UpstageUpstage• DownstageDownstage• wingswings

What are the types of stages?What are the types of stages?

• Proscenium Stage- Proscenium Stage- this is the stage you are this is the stage you are probably most familiar with, as it is often the probably most familiar with, as it is often the type you see in schools. It is type you see in schools. It is a raised picture a raised picture frame stageframe stage. .

The The proscenium arch proscenium arch is the is the frame that surrounds frame that surrounds the opening of the stage the opening of the stage like a picture.like a picture.

Vocabulary: Acting Areas/Stage positionsVocabulary: Acting Areas/Stage positions

• Acting areas - the 9 to 15 divisions of the stage floorActing areas - the 9 to 15 divisions of the stage floor• OnstageOnstage- anything visible to the audience- anything visible to the audience• OffstageOffstage- anything not visible to the audience- anything not visible to the audience• BackstageBackstage – the areas behind the stages not seen by – the areas behind the stages not seen by

the audience.the audience.• Center stageCenter stage- the area directly in the middle of the - the area directly in the middle of the

stage.stage.• DownstageDownstage- area toward the apron of the stage.- area toward the apron of the stage.• Up stage- Up stage- The part of the stage that is furthest from The part of the stage that is furthest from

the audience. the audience.

What are stage positions?What are stage positions?• Stage right: Stage right: The The

right side of the stage right side of the stage as seen by the actors as seen by the actors looking out at the looking out at the audience.audience.

• Stage left: Stage left: The left The left side of the stage as side of the stage as seen by the actors seen by the actors looking out at the looking out at the audienceaudience

• Abbreviations for Abbreviations for acting areas (9)acting areas (9)

• DR- Down RightDR- Down Right• DC- Down CenterDC- Down Center• DL- Down LeftDL- Down Left• R- RightR- Right• C- CenterC- Center• UR- Up RightUR- Up Right• UC- Up CenterUC- Up Center• UL- Up LeftUL- Up Left

What are the parts of the What are the parts of the proscenium stage?proscenium stage?

apronapron

Curtain Line

Parts of a stage continued: Larger Parts of a stage continued: Larger performance space with 15 acting areasperformance space with 15 acting areas

What about the stage with 15 acting What about the stage with 15 acting areas? Can you figure out what the areas? Can you figure out what the

abbreviations mean?abbreviations mean?• UR

• URC

• ULC

• UL

• R

• RC

• C• LC• L• DR• DRC• DC• DLC• DL

How do we refer to other parts How do we refer to other parts of the stage during a of the stage during a

production?production?

What is an arena stage?What is an arena stage?

Arena stages or sometimes called In-the-Round- as the name suggests, the audience is seated all around the stage on four sides. Can also be circular.

How do we divide the Arena How do we divide the Arena Stage?Stage?

This is a plan for staging This is a plan for staging Shakespeare’s Macbeth in an arena Shakespeare’s Macbeth in an arena

stage. stage.

What is a Thrust stage?

• A thrust stage is one in which the performance area sticks out into the “house” and the audience is seated on three sides.

Apply what you have learned to describe this real theatre.

Apply what you have learned Apply what you have learned to describe this stage.to describe this stage.

What is flexible staging?• As the name

suggests, flexible staging is when stages are created in any location and when they cannot be classified as proscenium, arena, or thrust stages.

What is a traverse stage?

• When the audience faces each other and the action occurs in between this is called a traverse stage.

• Where have you seen this before?

What is a black box theater?A black box theater is simply a large room used to stage plays that is painted completely black. Lights are suspended on the ceilings and the performance space and audience space is flexible. This smaller space can be found in colleges and high schools around the country. It is often used as both a rehearsal and a performance space.

How do we “share” a stage?

What does “give” and “take” mean?

What are planes?• In drama planes refer to imaginary divisions giving depth

to the proscenium stage.

What is “business” on the stage?

• actions performed by actors, such as looking in a purse, brushing one’s teeth, tying a shoe, pouring a drink, knitting. These actions are related to the character and his/her role in the scene.

What are levels?

What are the basic actor’s body positions in relation to an audience?

What are body positions?What are body positions?

• Full front: Full front: a strong a strong position. The boxer is fully position. The boxer is fully "open" to the audience and "open" to the audience and can be seen and heard by can be seen and heard by the audience.the audience.

• 1/4 Left and the 1/4 Right 1/4 Left and the 1/4 Right positions open and strong positions open and strong positionspositions

What positions should be What positions should be avoided?avoided?

• Profile-Profile- not a strong position, the not a strong position, the audience members in left or audience members in left or right o only see the back of the right o only see the back of the performer who is facing away performer who is facing away from them. from them.

• ¾ Left/Right- ¾ Left/Right- a weak position a weak position that should be avoided. This that should be avoided. This makes it hard for the audience makes it hard for the audience to hear and see.to hear and see.

• Full Back: Full Back: far the weakest far the weakest position. No one can see the position. No one can see the performers' faces and their lines performers' faces and their lines are being said to the back wall -. are being said to the back wall -.

ReferencesReferences

• Prince, Nancy & Jackson, Jeanie. Prince, Nancy & Jackson, Jeanie. Exploring Exploring TheatreTheatre. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009.. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009.– Chapter 9 pg. 149-157Chapter 9 pg. 149-157

• http://www.pndrama.org/pages/stage-door/http://www.pndrama.org/pages/stage-door/stage-positions.phpstage-positions.php

• http://redbirdstudio.com/AWOL/http://redbirdstudio.com/AWOL/bodypositions.htmlbodypositions.html

• Pictures from a google search by theatre terms.Pictures from a google search by theatre terms.