Style, Structure, Focus and Tension

When considering any production, there are a number of considerations:

How will you convey the playwright's intention/s?

How do you bring the page to the stage?

What kind of characterisation is needed?

What theatre style will best suit the play in question?

What are the needs in terms of lighting, sound effects, set design, costuming etc.

Style of the play

There are many kinds of theatre styles but put simply, all plays can be categorised into the realistic or non-realistic, presentational (the actor addresses the audience directly) or representational (where the actors speak to each other)

Some examples of the realistic representational genre are realism and naturalism whilst in the non-realistic, presentational style we have Classicism, Symbolism, Surrealism, Expressionism. Epic, Theatre of the Absurd, Theatre of Cruelty.

Structure of the play

This involves how we organise the situations, events and characters of the play to reflect mood, tension, conflict, action and resolution.

The structure of a play may be or contain:

Chronological and Sequenced

Flashbacks or changes in time frames

Episodic

Epic

Cyclical

In the tradition of the well-made play (a common playwriting structure) you would expect to see:

The exposition, the rising action and the resolution of the play

An identifiable climax at the outset so that there is a sense of development and a progression of intensity, through action, pace and rhythm

Identifable conflicts or points of crisis so that tension, mood and pace are developed through the scenes

Focus

In approaching the production of a play, you need to consider the dramatic focus or emphasis the play will take. In this way, you are able to make informed decisions about blocking, design, lighting and costume.

Some useful ways of ensuring that the audience stays focused on what is happening on stage include:

Using effective eye contact on stage

Vary body positions in relation to the audience

Create levels on stage

Block appropriate movement for key characters

Isolate the key characters from others in order to highlight that character

Employ a specific prop to highlight the dramatic action. e.g. a letter, phone ringing, a photograph

Use various entrances to give focus to the key character

Use interesting sound and lighting effects (using spotlights, pools of light etc)

Make use of interesting (not necessarily expensive or complex) stage settings

The Performance Space

A successful production will be one in which the space was used creatively and thoughtfully. As you know, it is possible to work in a small space such as the drama studio and still present a performance that is diverse and impacting.

Some considerations:

Assess the space carefully in terms of the style of the play

Design a ground plan that will be both functional and aesthetically pleasing and that will frame the dramatic action effectively.

When working in a small or makeshift area, use masking tape to map out the floor plan of the stage. When possible use furniture and props to help frame the action appropriately.

Remember, the set may be simplistic and minimalist to the grand and spectacular. Often, the more abstract, the easier it is to make the setting change to suit a number of different scenes and ideas.

Be cognisant of the actor-audience relationship and how the distance affects this relationship.

Place furniture so sight lines are maintained and actors are forced to work behind the set.

(Reference Source: Gadaloff, J. Springboards: Australian drama 2, 1998. Milton, Brisbane: Jacaranda Press)