Directing Basic and Advanced
NEW: Total Acting & Total Directing 2005 *
The Chronotope
2006: updated
Gateway to StageMatrix Directory
Chrono -- time, tope -- space. This term is used in physics and linguistics (structuralism and Bakhtin). I introduce it to directing students in order for them to realize that a drector must create his unique "Time-Space" on stage. Using the real time and space, of course -- our (audience) imagination. The life of constantly changing chronotope of the show is the spectacle. (The pictures on this page from my show based on Gogol's "Inspector General" and the drawings are from Eisenstein's class on directing).
[ film directing pages -- start with actors page. ]
"The Inspector General" was renamed in UAF 1991 production into "INVESTOR GENERAL" -- Inve$tor.
There were several rolling doors. (See Meyerhold page at Icestorm). In fact, all the furniture was movable. I called it -- "acting set." The same with the drops, they were acting, too.... But usually, we position the set to "block" actors, to give directions to their movement. So, we better start with the SPACE first.
The stage floor plan is in every book -- down, center and up, stage-left (actor's left, not the audience), center and right. Wow! We got nine areas already!
To learn the levels lets limit ourselves to downstage only. Usually I do this exercise in acting class. You have only left, right and center -- you have enough to express the conflict in space. Place "to be" on the left, "not to be" on the right and everything else in the middle. You don't have to use all the space, two-three steps on each side is enough (we, the public, know how to "zoom" -- only give us DIRECTIONS, and let us read your mind).
THE FLOOR PLAN CONCEPT
We can start with the floor plan. The two-dimensional ground plan which helps to define the positions we are about to live with through the scene (sometimes through the whole play). Table, chair, sofa are the favorites. In the lab theatre we also have a door-frame. I call it "improvisational" exercises in directng. So? What do we have on the set? Window? Fine. Table? Okay.
We move this table around many times. All depends on the scene and what you want from the scene. "The table exercise" is for all of them -- Hamlet, Three Sisters, Inspector. The idea is to make it work for mise-en-scene, as long as you have a table on the set. (Mise-en-scene is "staging"; for a more serious definition go the Dictionary or/and Glossary pages).
The window and the table have to find their own relations. The easy way is to use common sense. Since this window is a source of light, including "stage lighting," we could leave the table near by.
Are you sure? Don't worry, it's not a show yet. We can change it later, if it doesn't work. Visualization is a skill, you have to play with the set, let actors test it -- you watch. Remember, director is the only spectator who is allowed to change things on stage. In fact, it's his duty!
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upstage
[1]
UR
[ls]
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[2]
UC
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[3]
UL
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center
[4]
CR
[ms]
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[5]
CC
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[6]
CL
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downstage
[7]
DR
[cu]
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[8]
DC
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[9]
DL
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Yes, we have to direct furniture first, not the actors. We do it in orider for our furniture on the set to direct actors. Of course, we're arranging set properties according to our understanding the dramatic essence of the scene. The right position of a sofa could do wonders to acting, trust me.
Of course, we forgot that any inner space has at least one door. In acting class, we do the entrance and exit exercises and directors should be prepare for actors to struggle with the two crucial moments -- the beginning and the end on the set. What about the two doors?
ACTING AREAS
Fundamentals of directing class has a prerequisite -- Fundamentals of Acting. For a simple reason, the basics of acting must be behind you. Such as "acting areas" -- never heard of it? I always blame the lighting designer, he places the lights and colors in fixed positions. The areas of your set already have their assigned meanings. You know, red, green, blue. If you understand the meaning of color, you know what takes place when an actor steps into blue light. You realize that going from a red zone to a green zone is a statement.... The Director is the one who's arranging the space. The Space is acting already -- all you actors need to do is to REACT to it! They will, it's only natural. Work on the ACTING SET and you will save yourself hours of discussions. Save the time for more interesting stuff.
I even ask directors to designate areas for each character in the scene. In "Who is Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" I called -- "Martha corner" and "George corner." Each has his or her coloristic treatment, individual space arrangements, etc. -- depending on your interpretation of the character. Now, when George goes into Martha's "territory" it's a statement. How much your audience understands it? Why should they? They are here to experience the drama, you should understand that they see it without even realizing what they see.
We are not done yet with the set. What is this? A table? There are no such things on stage as "a table" or "a door" -- everything has its symbolic meaning and it's dynamic! The Window in your "Three Sisters" is different from my window in my "Three Sisters" -- and it could be the same simple frame. Do you have a name for your table? Yes, what is the name of this important actor I am about to see all the time? Use the big categories, use metaphors -- is it a "family" symbol (dinning table, when the father is gone -- in "The Glass Managerie"). Name it, so your actors would know what takes place when they come near it. Of course, it could mean different thing to different characters, but you have to designate the image to this place on stage.
Don't make too many acting areas, too many is like none. There seven colors, notes, feelings -- if you got eight areas, you don't know how to use seven.
Very Advanced Directing? See 3 Texts
or Theatre directory at my Film-North
* GODOT.06: Doing Beckett => main stage Theatre UAF Spring 2006 *
