beating up drama

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“Beating up” drama Chunking Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” for meaning

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Strategies for understanding as you read drama, or theater (plays).

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Page 1: Beating up drama

“Beating up” drama

Chunking Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” for meaning

Page 2: Beating up drama

Beating up drama• “[Beats are] Changes within the scene, signaling

that some kind of transaction has been completed and a new one is starting--for example, a topic of conversation is changing; another attack is being tried; a new person is changing the direction of the conversation; or a new objective is being pursued.” -- Robert Barton, Acting: Onstage and Off (pg. 14)

• Simply put, a beat is a meaningful chunk of a scene. Beats change when a big change takes place in the scene

Page 3: Beating up drama

First step• The first step to ‘beating up’ a scene is to find and name

each beat.• Look for changes that shift the whole scene …

– a topic of conversation changes– a new person changes the direction of the conversation – a new objective is pursued – a new character enters– a character’s emotional state changes (i.e. calm to very angry)– a shift in power occurs between two characters– a character finally gets what he/she wants– a character IS NOT getting what he/she wants and attempts a

new approach

Page 4: Beating up drama

Example | Beat 1: Preparing for the Guests

Act 1, Scene 5 | A hall in Capulet’s house[Musicians waiting. Enter Servingmen with napkins]

First Servant: Where’s Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He shift a trencher? he scrape a trencher! Second Servant: When good manners shall lie all in one or two men’s hands, and they unwashed too, ’tis a foul thing. First Servant: Away with the joint-stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate. Good thou, save me a piece of marchpane; and, as thou lovest me, let the porter let in Susan Grindstone and Nell. Antony, and Potpan! Second Servant: Ay, boy, ready. First Servant: You are looked for and called for, asked for and sought for, in the great chamber. Second Servant: We cannot be here and there too. Cheerly, boys; be brisk awhile, and the longer liver take all.

[Enter CAPULET, with JULIET and others of his house, meeting the Guests and Maskers]

Why do these lines make up one beat? What change will introduce the next beat?

Page 5: Beating up drama

Example | Beat 2: Let’s Party!

CAPULET •Welcome, gentlemen! ladies that have their toesUnplagued with corns will have a bout with you.Ah ha, my mistresses! which of you allWill now deny to dance? she that makes dainty,She, I’ll swear, hath corns; am I come near ye now?Welcome, gentlemen! I have seen the dayThat I have worn a visor, and could tellA whispering tale in a fair lady’s ear,Such as would please: ’tis gone, ’tis gone, ’tis gone:You are welcome, gentlemen! Come, musicians, play.A hall, a hall! give room! and foot it, girls. [Music plays, and they dance]•More light, you knaves; and turn the tables up,And quench the fire, the room is grown too hot.Ah, sirrah, this unlook’d-for sport comes well.Nay, sit, nay, sit, good cousin Capulet;For you and I are past our dancing days:How long is’t now since last yourself and IWere in a mask? Second Capulet •By’r lady, thirty years. CAPULET •What, man! ’tis not so much, ’tis not so much:’Tis since the nuptials of Lucentio,Come Pentecost as quickly as it will,Some five and twenty years; and then we mask’d. Second Capulet •’Tis more, ’tis more, his son is elder, sir;His son is thirty. CAPULET •Will you tell me that?His son was but a ward two years ago.

Why do these lines make up the second beat? What

change will introduce the next beat?

How does the name of the beat help you to determine

its job?

Page 6: Beating up drama

Example | Beat 3: Enchantment

ROMEO •[To a Servingman] What lady is that, which dothenrich the handOf yonder knight? Servant •I know not, sir. ROMEO •O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!It seems she hangs upon the cheek of nightLike a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear;Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night. TYBALT •This, by his voice, should be a Montague.Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slaveCome hither, cover’d with an antic face …

Why do these lines make up the third beat?

How does the name of the beat help you to determine its job?

Page 7: Beating up drama

Second step

Character Objective/Verb Receiver Desired response

Lord Capulet wants to convince Paris to woo other girls

Tybalt wants to defend Capulet family honor

Benvolio wants to show Romeo other girls rival Rosaline

Mercutio wants to enjoy friendly company

• The second step for each beat is to identify character objectives

• State each character’s objective(s) using this model: character wants to strong verb + receiver + desired response.

Page 8: Beating up drama

Who cares?• Beats help readers think about chunks of a scene.

Use additional reading strategies in one beat to make meaning from what you read.– Identify and define key words: identify and define the

key words found in one beat– Visualize: picture yourself as the director of the play.

What would your actors need to do to show each beat? How would you use lighting, movement, volume, or set changes to move between beats?

– Shrink a beat: clarify main ideas and details; summarize the meaning of a beat in ten words or less

Page 9: Beating up drama

Watch • Watch one interpretation of II.iii (Act 2, Scene 3)

by the BBC with closed captioning– http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=lWgrU1MXhRU&feature=related

• Answer– What does Romeo want from the Friar?– Why is the Friar concerned about Romeo’s love for

Juliet?– Why does the Friar agree to Romeo’s request?

Page 10: Beating up drama

Practice• Step one: Beat up II.iii– Find and name each beat

• Step two: assign character objectives– Use the model: character wants to strong verb +

receiver + desired response

• Check and debrief

Page 11: Beating up drama

Independent practice

• You’ll be assigned a small group– Period 1– Period 2– Period 3– Period 5bc– Period 7

• In your group, you will read through II.iv (skipping lines 50-134) and beat up the scene together

• Name each beat in the scene. For each scene, create character objective statements. Submit this sheet as your exit ticket with all group member names

Page 12: Beating up drama

Period 1 groupsGroup A Group B Group C Group D

Shawnee L Jasmine B Alana B Ebony M

Joshua A Taiha G Dwayne J Kalia H

Blake B Alonzo C Justen W Sylvia S

Amir P Mia S Stephen T Wayne S

William S Dante’ D Arnezjah C Chris P

Page 13: Beating up drama

Period 2 groupsGroup A Group B Group C Group D Group E

Yasmine T Sharief C Precious I Jada G KeSean S

Johnathan B Rayonna M Tatiana M David C Teddie S

Princess I Scottie L Thomas H Lesly A Jalen D

Jocelyn P DaShane’ Julian N Carter K Bederlin L

Messai T Sam W Miracle A Ray B Ryla V

Page 14: Beating up drama

Period 3 groupsGroup A Group B Group C Group D

Australia Hazzard M Joshua P Shannon H

Jeremy F Alexis P Crystal T Elijah B

Toshiro J Imani R Christian B Gregory J

Taylor R J’Von W Dynara D Laura C

Wynter S

Page 15: Beating up drama

Period 5bc groupsGroup A Group B Group C Group D Group E

Kareem G James M Astrid O Matthew C Steve W

Dana P Nicholas O Antonio D Cameron G John R

Maurice H Jada M Sarah M Johnae C Jahmai G

John T Alaysiah F Devin B Margarita M Briana S

Janell W Jynea J Donte’ M

Page 16: Beating up drama

Period 7 groupsGroup A Group B Group C Group D

Adrian S Kevin G Tyron F Dayonna P

Jalyn W Katherine C Ronald H Malik S

Cashmire R Pedro G Samaya M Endia O

Justin C Daja’ C Treasure G William K

Davon V Ja’Nai H