Readers

Theatre:

Acting Out

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Cast:

Narrator:

Reporter:

Photographer:

Clerk:

Elaine Harper:

Mortimer Brewster:

Abby Brewster:

The Rev. Dr. Harper

Teddy Brewster:

Officer Brophy:

Martha Brewster:

Jonathan Brewster:

Dr. Einstein:

Lieutenant Rooney:

Mr. Witherspoon:

Director

Karyl Meyer and cast

Sound Team

Costume and Props Team

Stage Crew

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Course Schedule

Week 1:

Introductions

Readers Theatre

Crews: Stage Crew, Sound, Costumes, Props

Voice: Projection, Articulation and Resonance

Read Through the script, leading to casting

Week 2:

Cast Announced

Script Analysis, identify major actions

Character Study

Read Through, as time allows

Week 3:

Working Rehearsal

Character Development

Planning sound, props, and costumes

Week 4:

Comedy – How it differs from drama

Working Rehearsal

Week 5:

First rehearsal with sound effects

Week 6:

Full “Dress Rehearsal” with sound, props and costumes

Week 7:

Performance

Invite your friends, family and other Academy students

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Week 1

Introductions

Why do you want to be in an acting group?

What do you hope to experience in this class?

What is Readers Theatre?

Readers Theatre is a style of theatre in which the actors do not

memorize their lines. Actors use only vocal and facial

expression to help the audience understand the story rather

than visual storytelling such as sets, costumes, intricate

blocking, and movement. Sound effects are used extensively to

clarify the action.

Script sources for Readers Theatre

Radio scripts:

genericradio.com, simplyscripts.com/radio,

radiolovers.com (listen to classic radio plays, etc.)

Standard acting scripts:

Dramatists Play Service, Inc.; Samuel French, Inc.

Differences between the two types of scripts:

I worked with 4 scripts to create the version of Arsenic and

Old Lace we’re using.

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Before we begin: Some practical considerations:

1. No memorization required! However, great familiarity with script is needed. (This is not

limited to your own lines.)

2. No stage setting or lighting

Imagine/visualize the setting and lighting in detail, and let this

inform your acting.

3. No blocking

Be aware of the action so that our acting and reactions are

specific and believable.

4. No or very limited props

Again, be very aware of the imaginary props – visualize them

in detail.

5. No or very limited costumes

**Everyone will wear black. I like to add one costume item per

character.

6. Sound effects are very important!! They make up for all of the production elements we do not

have in readers theatre.

Live sound effects – hopefully a bugle use by an actor

Possibly live effects such as glasses clinking

Most effects will be recorded and played on cue by a sound

team.

7. Mics for actors – we may be able to use one or two, but

will rely primarily on effective vocal technique.

8. Accents: An initial question – Does anyone have the

ability to do one of these accents?

German, Yiddish, Polish, central European, Irish, Italian

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Making yourself heard: Projection, Articulation &

Resonance

The actors’ voices convey the play to our audience. How can

we maximize our ability to communicate by voice?

Realize that with greater age, our articulation, projection and

resonance become less effective than they were many years

ago.

And with greater age, the hearing of many in the audience will

be compromised.

We can do a few exercises and adopt some practices to

partially mitigate the aging effects on the voice.

Projection: Air is the fuel for the voice

Projection is how well the voice carries. This is determined

primarily by breath control.

Breathing for maximum “fuel efficiency”: Breathe deeply, use

the diaphragm, shoulder and upper chest movement provide a

greater amount of air for fuel.

Never stress your voice box trying to speak louder!!

Articulation: The motor producing the sounds of speech.

The parts of this motor are the tongue, lips, teeth and soft and

hard palettes.

Karyl’s magic articulation exercise: “Tip tongue activity”

Repeat this phrase precisely, exaggerate the tongue and lip

actions. As you become more precise, say it faster.

Are tongue twisters a useful exercise? Just practicing precise

speech is more helpful.

Commented [WDM1]:

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Resonance: This is the “sound” or quality of your voice.

Tension has negative effects on your resonance. Relax before

speaking.

A few exercises.

Preparation for Week 2:

1. If I’m able to get casting to you, mark your lines in your

script. Use a yellow highlighter to mark them.

2. Explore the script: What’s going on, even in small scene

or “beats”.

3. Practice articulation, projection and resonance exercises

frequently – this week and throughout the rehearsal

weeks.

4. Help locate a sound team leader.

5. Help locate costume and props items.

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Week 2

Final Cast Announced

Script Analysis

Sources: Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers

Fourth edition, by James Thomas

Plus your director’s memory

Script analysis can be very technical and complex! We shall

simplify it.

Script analysis focuses on the action(s) of a script rather than

the dialogue. The goal for an actor is to identify the actions in

the script and how they impact his character. This is called

action analysis.

Action Analysis:

Action Analysis is based primarily on events in the plot and

how they impact the major goal of the main character

(protagonist).

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The easiest and most accessible way to come to terms with a

play is through the events in the plot.

An event is something that generally would not or should not

happen.

As a result, everything changes, causing new ideas and

feelings in a character, forcing the character to see life in a

new way. An event changes the direction of a character’s life.

External events: facts, especially as they apply to the

current situation and give insight to your character.

Internal events: changes in emotion, desires, goals etc.

with your character.

Climaxes:

A climax is an event of high dramatic tension, a major turning

point in the action.

Plays have 3 major climaxes, plus an initial incident.

What are these climaxes in “Arsenic and Old Lace”?

Initial incident: Presents the major goal or objective of the

main character, and begins the action of the play.

1St climax: The main character discovers an obstacle or

problems which impede him from achieving his objective.

2nd climax: Hardships encountered by the main character

become seemingly insurmountable.

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3rd climax: How the main character resolves his obstacles

or comes to terms with the play’s particular reality –

whether comic, happy, or tragic.

Character Study

An unexamined life is not worth living.

Socrates

An unexamined character is not worth

acting.

Sources: Audition, by Michael Shurtleff

Plus your director’s memory

Stanislavsky – Method acting

Given Circumstances in a script: examining these leads into

character study.

What are the given circumstances (similar to external facts)

provided by the script for your character?

Who, what, when, where, and why?

What do other characters say about you?

What can be learned about your past?

How do other characters treat you, and why?

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What else might you discern about your character from

the script?

Learn to use yourself in developing your character - but

not your everyday self! Plays are about the unusual, not

ordinary, everyday life. Develop empathy with your character’s

unusual situation and your character’s reactions.

Using your life and memories:

It’s like when…

It reminds me of…

How did you feel at the time these events happened to

you?

Focus, Focus, Focus!!!

Stay in the Moment!

Be in the moment with your at all times during rehearsal and

performance.

Summary: From the beginning, be aware of the facts, or given

circumstances:

What do we know, absolutely for sure, about the character?

Then you can get creative, within the framework of the

scripted facts. This is where the fun begins!

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12 Guideposts to knowing and communicating

your character

Adapted from Michael Shurtliff

1. Relationships – how to create them on stage

2. Conflict – what you are fighting for

3. The moment before – how to start a scene

4. Humor – why jokes don’t work

5. Opposites – finding the hidden tension in your scene

6. Discoveries – making things happen for the first time

7. Communication and competition – coaching the other

actor

8. Importance – locating the dramatic core

9. Find the event – what is really happening in the play

10. Place – create it on a bare stage

11. Game playing and role playing – play them for reality

12. Mystery and secret – adding wonderment to the scene

1. Relationships – how to create them on stage

Creating relationship is the heart of acting. It is basic. It is

essential.

Start with the question: Where is the love?

This can mean a variety of things, and lead to many

insights.

Ask “feeling questions” about your emotional attitude

toward the other characters.

Examples:

Explore the feelings you have to the other character right

now – on a given page or scene. It will change, perhaps

many times, in the course of the play, or even within a

scene!

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Create the feelings as you would feel them, not as you

think the character would feel them. Realism in feelings is

far more meaningful.

Where is the love in the scene? – A wide range of

answers.

2. Conflict – What are you fighting for?

Your character has a goal in each scene.

Conflict is what keeps you from achieving your goal.

Remember, we always want something, we are always

fighting, no matter how disguised the action may be. An actor

needs to find out what the basic fight is for his character in

every scene. The various ways in which that fight is waged are

what heightens the interest.

3. The Moment Before – How to start a scene

Every scene you will ever act begins in the middle. Something

precedes it, and this is called “the moment before”.

What are you fighting for just before the scene begins? Be fully

committed to that.

The more specific, the more focused, the moment before, the

better the entire scene will go.

This is tricky in Readers Theatre. Why?

How can we handle this difficulty?

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4. Humor – Why jokes don’t work

Humor is not jokes. Humor is not being funny. It is that

attitude toward life that makes it possible for us to get through

the day.

The humor is in each scene – be real and let it develop

naturally.

One reason comedies are so often unamusing is that actors are

working hard for jokes instead of finding the real-life humor.

Preparation for Week 3

1. Analyze your character/characters? What is your

characters goal? Overall, and in in each scene?

2. Where is the love? Answer this question for your

relationship with other characters.

3. Read your scenes aloud. Picture the scene in detail in your

mind as you read. (If you can get another person to read

the other character’s lines with you, this may be helpful –

or it may not be at this stage.)