Authorial Acting 1

Display Schedule

Subject guarantor

Jan HANČIL

Name of lecturer(s)

Alex ASIKAINEN, Jan HANČIL

Department

Předmět zajišťuje Department of Authorial Creativity and Pedagogy

Contents

The course introduces students to group practice in orignal theatre through a creative class/creative workshop in which the students join in as actors, creators, directors of parts and learn the basic principles of directing composition and dramaturgy. The aim of the basic two-semester course is to introduce students to method of collaborative work so, eventually, they can practice and execute their own original projects.

This course continues the Acting Propedeutics Based on Dialog course and adds challenges of group creation of a group original piece under the guidance of the course instructor. A requirement is an ability in group dramaturgy, original and acting joining in to preparations from class to class. In classwork emphasis is on perception of one's partner, teamwork and personal/original investment. An ability for original writing and dramaturgy consideration. Students, as well, encounter the literary basis (drama, epic), work with various literary and speaking genres, and under the guidance of the instructor develop it to a poly-phonic form of a stage collage. The course guides students to an understanding of the composition principles of collaborative theatre and prepares students for their later independent development.

The course has two main phases:

1. material collection,
2. creating and searching for a whole.

At the close of the semester project there is greater requirement for engagement and a greater number of rehearsals, in principle, on the weekends.

During the semester, independent reading, ongoin preparations for partial assignments, and independent rehearsal of developed situation are expected. Collaboration ability, initiative, creative manner of developing one's creative impulses and that of the others is graded. Emphais is placed on real individual understanding and adoption of the subject matter.

Process:

1. Dramaturgy preparations
2. analysis of personal and personality topics and their development.
3. active analysis of the situation
4. composition and preparation for the summary performance.

Learning outcomes

Students demonstrate:

A) Study skills:

1. research topic fields and select a supportable topic,
2. in collaboration with the instructor and others finde an adequate for of stage treatment for the situation and its theme,
3. forms the theme with acting tools (gestures) with the use of personal topical posture, characterization, working with a genre and stylization,
4. applies theatre composition principles: in collaboration with the instructor and others demonstrates how to structure a whole.

B) Study knowledge:

1. explain the principle of original comprehension of the theme,
2. define the difference between acting experience of a figure and acting theme/individual acting,
3. explain composition of stage components and floorplan of the emerging work.

C) General capabilities

1. be a valued member of a creative team (collaboration, including appying original contributions and respect to the employment of the other team members),
2. set one's artistic idea and convince the others,
3. know to patiently search for the most appropriate expression tools up to the end of the rehearsal process itself,
4. know to moderately employ power an invest energy in decisive moments.

Prerequisites and other requirements

Pre-requisites:

1. general knowledge of the principles of original creations,
2. two-semester experience in dialog behaviour,
3. two-semester experience in other psycho-somatic disciplines: Recitation, speech, voice creation and stage movement,
4. two-semester experience in the Acting Propedeutics Based on Dialog course.

Co-requisites:

1. creativity,
2. study of dialog,
3. study of speech, respectively recitation,
4. study of stage movement.

Literature

Alfreds, Mike. Different Every Night: Freeing the Actor. London: Nick Hern Books, 2007.

Barba, Eugenio, and Savarese, Nicola. A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology. London and New York: Routledge, 2005.

Barnett, David. Brecht in Practice: Theatre, Theory and Performance. London: Bloomsbury, 2015.

Silberman, M., Giles, S., Kuhn, T. eds. Brecht on Theatre. London: Bloomsbury, 2014.

Brook, Peter. Empty Space: A Book About the Theatre: Deadly, Holy, Rough, Immediate. New York: Scribner Macmillan, 1995.

Brook, Peter. There are No Secrets: Thoughts on Acting and Theatre. London: Bloomsbury, 2015.

Chekhov, Michael. To the Actor: On the Technique of Acting. London: Martino Fine Book, 2014.

Donnellan, Declan. The Actor and the Target. London: Nick Hern Books, 2005.

Johnstone, Keith. Impro: Improvisation and the theatre. London: Routledge, 1987.

Meisner, Sanford, Longwell, Dennis, et al. Sanford Meisner on Acting. New York: Vintage, 1987.

Merlin, Bella. The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit. London: Nick Hern Books, 2014.

Stanislavsky, Constantin. An Actor Prepares. New York: Routledge, 1989.

Evaluation methods and criteria

During the semester independent reading, preparation of component assignments, independent rehearsing of developed situations are required.

Overall grading is comprised of 50% for participation in exercises, 30% for original input and 20% for the artistic quality of the performance at the summary performance.

Note

For 3rd year students.

Further information

Course may be repeated

Schedule for winter semester 2024/2025:

• Week view
• List

Schedule for summer semester 2024/2025:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

The subject is a part of the following study plans

• Authorial Acting in English (B.A.) (Required subjects)