Play Analysis How do directors, designers, and actors understand the plays they are to perform? They have to understand the play, the world of the play.

Play AnalysisHow do directors, designers, and actors

understand the plays they are to perform? They have to understand the play, the world of the play and justify their artistic decisions

BEFORE they start their work.

Aristotle Aristotle was one of

the great Greek philosophers. He wrote about many subjects including logic, physics, biology, and astronomy. He also wrote The Poetics, an analysis of Greek tragedy, in 330 B.C.

Aristotle’s Parts of a Play

In The Poetics, Aristotle sought to analyze why Greek tragedy was great. He felt that there were six elements to each play, in this order of importance for Greek Tragedy. As you see plays and films, try to determine the order of importance of these elements.

1. Plot

The plot is the ordering of incidents in the play. What happens?

2. Character

The people in the play. Characters are not real, but an artistic invention. Characters are revealed through ACTION.

Genius is an actor who sees life and is able to re-create it on the stage.

Constantin Stanislavski

3. Thought

The main idea. What is the playwright trying to communicate?

Sweeney Todd

4. Diction

The meaning in words. What language has the playwright used to communicate the ideas and emotions in the play?

Into the Woods (top) by Stephen Sondheim vs. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. How do the interpretations of Cinderella and the Prince differ in these productions?

5. Music

Can be either of two things: 1) Actual music. Aristotle referred to music as

an “embellishment.” 2) The “music” of the language. Playwrights

write in different styles. Discuss:• Shakespeare• Neil Simon• Tennessee Williams• David Mamet

6. Spectacle

Spectacle is everything you see. This can include lighting, sets, props, costumes, movement and dance.

What is the most important part of a play?

What is the most important part of plays or films you’ve seen recently?

Types of Plots

1) Linear or Causal Plots Stay in chronological order Follow a cause and effect sequence of

events.

NOTE: All plays must have CONFLICT.

Parts of a Linear Plot

Point of Attack-Where the play begins.

Information from the past we need to know to understand the plot.

The most exciting part—where the action determines the outcome.

Where the plot comes to a conclusion.

CONFLICT

All drama must have CONFLICT. The conflict creates OBSTACLES for the central

character(s) to navigate. Conflicts and obstacles can be forces, ideas, or

people. Characters must always have something to fight

FOR—choosing to make a negative or passive choice as an actor makes for uninteresting drama. Why should we care if the characters don’t?

Types of Characters

Protagonist-A protagonist is the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other story. A protagonist is sometimes called a “hero” by the audience or readers. The word originally came from the Greek language and in Greek drama which refers to the person who led the chorus. Later on, the word started being used as a term for the first actor in order of performance.

Antagonist

An antagonist is a character or a group of characters which stand in opposition to the protagonist, or the main character. The term antagonist comes from Greek word “antagonistēs” that means opponent, competitor or rival.

Antagonist

It is common to refer to an antagonist as a villain (the bad guy) against whom a hero (the good guy) fights in order to relieve himself or others.  In some cases, an antagonist may exist within the protagonist that causes an inner conflict or a moral conflict inside his mind. Generally, an antagonist appears as a foil to the main character embodying qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of the main character.

(Definitions from literarydevices.net)

Non-linear or Episodic Plot

Illustrates a character or idea rather than a linear plot.

Does not necessarily stay in chronological order or reality.

We are not necessarily aware of time and place.

Examples of Non-linear or Episodic Plots

The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney—What happens in WASP New England dining rooms?

Happy Days by Samuel Beckett. A metaphor for death.

Stephen Sondheim’s Company—Looks at marriage through the eyes of a single man with married friends.