Basics of Theatre Research 4

Tutor:

Kateřina MIHOLOVÁ

Synopsis:

The seminar involves students in research on specific problems of directing, dramaturgy, acting and related fields.

In the class, students do research, the subject of which at present is defined by the Czech grant project „Czech Acting and the 1945 Generation“ directed by Prof. Jan Císař in collaboration with Associate Prof. Zuzana Sílová, tied in with the grant „Forms and Methods of Acting“ directed by Associate Prof. Zuzana Sílová and „Modern Reconstruction of Productions“ directed by Prof. Jan Dušek in collaboration with Dr. Kateřina Miholová, PhD.

In the case of the research „Czech Acting and the 1945 Generation,“ the attention focuses on development of the extraordinarily strong generation of actors that began working in Czech theatres and film around 1945 and performed during the terribly difficult times for more than half a century, and in the case of the research „Forms and Methods of Acting,“ work follows up on obtained information, and attention is extended to the development of modern acting during the twentieth century.

Prerequisites:

Term paper with research, analysis or reflection on a specific problem.

Study Objectives:

Activation of students, stimulation of the need to analyze and reflect on the more general problems of artistic creation. Deepening the approach to study of history and theory of the field, for which it is important to use as a basis original source documentary materials of the most diverse kind. In 4 semesters it involves individual steps of gathering, continual developing and finding documentary material that can be combined and supplemented.

Outline and Syllabus:

1. Gathering representative video and audio material from students' viewing and listening (including NFA, ČR and ČT archives).

2. Developing a selected bibilography.

3. Obtaining other material including personal memoirs, written statements from interviews, contributions from meeting actors, directors and other artists of the relevant generation, graduates of theatrical schools etc.

4. Developing thematicized commentaries on the collected video and audio material, using other documentation and recordings together with selected excerpts on CD ROM.

Syllabus:

The situation of the extraordinarly strong generation of actors who entered Czech theatres and film around 1945 and performed during terribly difficult times provokes the asking of many important historical and theoretical questions. The period from May 1945 to February 1948, the period around the mid-1950s (connected with a return to the avant garde), the late '50s and early '60s (confrontation with movements of the small forms or theatres), 21 August 1968 and the so-called normalization, when many of those artists should have been at their peak has a specific parallel in the changes of artistic styles and tendencies, the struggle between which was fundamentally influenced by the institutional framework and sometimes strengthening, sometimes temporarily weaking ideological pressures.

The questions that emerge in connection with this development concern the transformation of the standing of acting in the structure of theatrical and film works, generational viewpoints and the degree of consciousness and the possibilities for their application and in this context also in relation to „modernism“ (the avant garde) and „realism“ (psychologism), especially what was called directorism and self-realization of actors, ensemble-ism and the „star“ system. Generally, they involve the relationship between the changeability of artistic expression and the climate of the period, including transformations of audiences' demands, also reflected in the development of the media, transformations of theatrical education and its influence on the acting profession etc. In order to ask appropriate questions, which cannot be based on alluring a priori conclusions influenced by a superficial view of the studied period, one needs considerable supplementing of the existing documentation, including personal recollections (if they can still be obtained) and video material that still is not being adequately used to study the development and forms of acting.

Study materials:

Continually acquired and developed written, visual and audio documentation including audio and video recordings of works of art and period reviews by experts (criticism, studies), as well as reminiscences of contemporaries including interviews and surveys.

Note:

Schedule for winter semester 2008/2009:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2008/2009:

	06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon
Tue
Fri
Thu	místnost K225 Pracovna pedagogů () MIHOLOVÁ K. 14:30–16:00 (paralelka 1)
Fri

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

• Doporučený magisterský teorie a kritika (compulsory subject)