Performance Project THET 110: Introduction to Theatre Fall 2013The Performance Project: This assignment is an opportunity for each student to demonst rate his or her understanding of the concepts presented in lecture as well as a chance to get a taste of the collaborative skills and creativity required of theatre professionals. Students will work in gr oups of five and each student will as sume a role: actor, director , designer, stage manager, or dramaturg. (There can be more than one actor or desi gner in the group). The group will then choose a pl ay from the list below. Read the entireplay carefully. Select a short scene from that play, and choose a production concept. If appropriate, you may adapt a scene from the play to support a strong concept. Finally, using the techniques of theatre addressed in class, the group will put together a 7-8 minute memorized performance and a 5 minute discussion in front of the class. Possible Plays for the Performance Project: Plays are limited to the options on this list In The Seagull Reader– The Importance of Being EarnestandFencesOn Canvas –Lysistrata, Macbeth, The Cherry Orchard, Waiting for Godot, The Maids, A Streetcar Named Desire, Fat Pig, The Clean House Your scene should be a full production with a concept, blocking, memorized script, fully developed characters, set, and costume designs. Be resourceful. We do not expect your design choices to cost a lot of money. However, we do expect creativity and engagement with the project. Depending on the scene you choose, more than one person may need to act in addition to his or her other responsibilities. We shouldseeeach person's contributions t o the scene. For example, a costume designer does not have to perform, but in the performance we should see his or he r costumes, and in the post- performance discussion and in the paper, he or she should explain how the design choices supported the concept and explain what the costumes would have looked like if this had been a professional production with a budget. In addition to the performance, each student should be able to answer questions related to his or her role in the production process during a brief question and answer period. We recommend that the group fir st select a director and a stage manager. The stage manager is responsible for setti ng meeting and rehearsal schedules. The director is in charge of the production concept and ensuring cohesion and collaboration. Keep in mind that you will need a minimumof 10- 12 hours of rehearsal (working with lines, moving, blocking, and fine-tuning) to prepare for the performance. You will be given a very limited amount of class time to work on your projects, but you are responsible for organizing your own out-of-class rehearsals as well. The Research and Process Papers: As you have learned in class, all people involved in theatre do research before mounting a production. This performance is no exception. Your research will occur in a number of steps. OnOctober 30,each student will turn in an annotatedbibliography with five sources and the group will turn in a statement of the production c oncept and present this concept to the discussion section. *Concept Presentation: After determining a “production concept” for their scene, the group will turn in a one-page statement explaining their concept, how it applies to the play, and offer some preliminary thoughts as to how they will reali ze that concept in production. The statement will also outline the job responsibilities of each member of the group and a draft of a
