Theory of Theatre and its Components 3

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Learning outcomes of the course unit:

Systematic reflection on basic problems and questions connected with the emergence and development of dramatic art, analysis of concrete examples from contemporary stage practice.

Mode of study:

Classes, development of master's exam questions and their presentation.

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

Theory knowledge and practice at the bachelor's exam level.

Course contents:

This course combines lecture and classes (2 hours a week) developing knowledge and skills acquired in the bachelor's study at a new level at which the interests of the students are focused towards general issues and on the other hand, to issues in individual fields (directing theory, theoretic dramaturgy, acting theory).

The course curriculum is made up of questions for the masters exam in the history and theory of drama theatre formulated so they will instigate brief considerations supported by examples. This consideration should come, not only from acquired knowledge but also from the considerations of one's own experience from Stage creation and Production practice.

Questions for the master's exam in acting:

1. Fundamental markings of European acting, particularly, a comparison with the Asian. Tendencies of European acting to behaviour „like in life“ and acting as a creating, performance and creation of a figure.

2. Changes in Czech acting from Vojana to today with a consideration of the changes in style in the context of changes in period mentality.

3. „Psycho-physical“ types and types of acting approaches to a figure (including the corresponding theory) and their relationship to the appropriate types and genres of dramatic (stage) arts.

4. The actor on stage and before the shooting camera from the perspective of the overall issues of behaviour in a space and body-space feeling.

5. The actor on stage and before the shooting camera from the perspective of issues of spontaneous reation and building (and setting) a line of behaviour: performance and character, from spontaneous reaction and conscious reaction building a line of behaviour; apriory unity of a created character and the genesis of a figure from (possibly contradictory) behaviour in various situation.

6. Dramatic behaviour and acting (stage) expression: experiencing and presenting, conventional and expressive behaviour, life and stage conventions, text and sub-text, stance and expression, emotional expression and behaviour, gesture and gesticulation, expression and communication.

7. Dramatic and acting (desirable) tension: acting performance and physical existence on stage. Muscle tone and dialectical tension and release against surges (spasms) and permissibility, muscle sensitivity and movement sense, body self awareness and acting self control.

8. From the stance of a figure in a situation to movement expression: the body and mind, breath, spirit and soul, conventional and expressive (emotional) utterance, stance and holding, gesture and gesticulation, isolated movements and overall movement, "purposeful' and the body center, natural and stylized movement.

9. From the written text to acting speaking: word and breath, logical and rhythmic division of speaking, verbal expression and emotion, text and subtext, expression and intonation, intonation and its basic functions, intonation in a wider and narrower sense, the work, whole words and sense, speaking in the context of the compact acting behaviour and staging context.

10. Types of verbal expression in a drama, style-genre intentions of a text, dialogue and monologue; development of the relationship of dialogue and monologue, types of monologues, monologues and „internal monologue“.

11. „Civil“ speaking and verse, verse systems of European drama, development as particulars of Czech verse, concept of speaking rhythm and its application in prose and verse; formal construction of a text and its vocal execution in various types of stage verse, an possibly in various translations of stage verse.

12. Acting and „extra-acting“ tools for building a figure: the actor and mask, actor and costume, actor and prop, actor and mis-en-scene (arrangement); play and interplay; participation of the acting partner, director and set designer on creating a figure.

13. The acting figure as the subject of behaviour and element of the stage image; the acting figure as an arbitrary phenomenon and a collection of elements joined into a whole with more or less a measure of actor created independence; the status of acting in changeable hierarchies of stage elements.

14. Interpretation, or (self)statement; issues of empathy and distance, imagination and rational analysis, a new understanding and self-expresion in the approach of an actor to a character in (apriori or in group rehearsals) of creating the dramaturgical-directorial intentions.

15. The position of the actor considering the genre and style and conditions of the gensis of a stage work; heroes and characters, acting types and fields; the actor in various types of theatre and other audiovisual media, particularly, of course, in theatre with a permanent ensemble; acting individuality and team.

Question for the master's exam in directing:

1. From Diderot to today: genesis and development of European dramaturgy (in a wider sense „thought on theatre“) with a consderation of the genesis and development of modern directing.

2. Rise and development of Czech dramaturgy with a consideration of the rise and development of Czech modern direction (Kvapil, Hilr, E. F. Burian, Grossman and others.: Where does the dramaturgist end and the director begin?)

3. Rise and changes in modern European directing in relation to the development of dramaturgy (directors „intellectuals“, directors „arrangers“ and „acting“ directors, dual significance of the concept of „acting“ directing).

4. Rise and changes in Czech modern directing in relation to dramaturgy considering the European context.

5. Drama and theatre (stage) space: rise, types and changes in new-era stage arts and the development of European set-design.

6. Rise and changes of Czech new-era stage arts and development of Czech set-design.

7. Drama, dramatic and dramatical with consideration of issues in the relation of aesthetic categories and concepts of historic poetics (drama of Dostojevsky's novels and lyricism of E.F. Burian's theatre.

8. Space-time drama and space-time stage works with regard to the specific space-time of various genres and styles.

9. A drama work and story, production and directing plot; plot and event, directing treatments and stage behaviour, subject, plot and theme.

10. Dramatic, stage and acting character in various (historical;y established) genres and styles of drama and stage creations, the director's part in the rise of acting and stage characters (see the relationship of acting and extra-acting tools in the building a stage character by E. F. Burian).

11. „Civil“ speech and verse, verse systems of European dramas, development and particulars of Czech verse, concept of speaking rhythm and its application in prose and verse; constructing an acting speaking part and directing 'orchestration,' voices and sounds, music as a constituent element and merely accompaniment.

12. From palying a situation in movement in a space; stance and holding, gesture and gesticulation, character gesticulation and stage gesticulation, individual movements and movement wholes, the creative aspect of acting movement in a space and set-design treatments, directing and choreography.

13. Interpretation and implementation: analysis and understanding, work and (current) context, „reading“ texts and their setting, dramaturgic-directing ideas and genesis of a stage work; illustration of intentions and creative (rehearsal) process.

14. A classic text as a cultural phenomenon and material: interpretation, updating, adaptation, variation.

15. Originality and tradition: „classic“ („classical“) and contemporary („modern“), canons and conventions and their violations („innovation“), individual and generational approaches, continuity and fashion.

Questions in the master's exam in dramaturgy:

1. Rise and development of European dramaturgy (in a broad sense „thoughts on theatre“) with a consideration of its „elements“ (including theory-critique) and its (historical) forms.

2. Rise and development of Czech dramaturgy considering the European context.

3. Rise and changes in modern European directing in relation to the development of dramaturgy (directors „intellectuals,“ directors „arrangers“ and „actor“ directors; dual-significance of the concept „actor“ directing).

4. Rise and change in Czech directing in relation to dramaturgy with a consideration of the European context.

5. Theatre and literature including issue of the works of various literary types and their dramatization or staging.

6. Drama, dramatic and dramatically with consideration of issues in the relationship of aesthetic categories and concepts of historical poetics (drama of Dostojevsky's novels and lyricism of theatre of E. F. Burian).

7. Drama and theatricality (staging): their development, foundations and mutual relationship.

8. Time-space of drama and time-space of a stage work with regard to the particular time-space of various genres and styles.

9. A drama work and story: plot and event, subject matter (wandering subject matter) and theme.

10. Dramatic, stage and acting characters in various (historically established) genres and styles of drama and stage creations.

11. The phenomenon of interpretation: analysis and understanding, work and (current) context, „reading“ and implementation, dramaturgic-directing idea and dramaturgic or critical commentary.

12. A classic text as a cultural phenomenon and as material; interpretation, translation, updating, variation.

13. Dramaturgy and guardianship of (written) texts: the author writing for theatre and the drama writer in theatre, status of the author and the text in the development of European theatre.

14. Translation problems.

15. Originality and tradition: „classic“ („classical“) and contemporary („modernity“), canons and convention and their violation („innovation“), individual and generational approaches, continuity and fashion.

Recommended or required reading:

Ukládán a doplňován průběžně podle konkrétních úkolů.

Brockett, O. G. Dějiny divadla

Císař, J. Přehled dějin českého divadla I, II

Aristoteles. Poetika

Zich, O. Estetika dramatického umění

Honzl, J. K novému významu umění

Vostrý, J. O hercích a herectví, Divadelní a literární podobizny

Gajdoš, J. Postmoderné podoby divadla

Pavis, P. Divadelní slovník, Praha

Vostrý, J. Režie je umění

Balvín, J. / Pokorný: Vídeňské lidové divadlo

Vostrý, J. Činoherní klub 1965-1972

Burian, E. F. O nové divadlo 1930-1940

Hyvnar, J. Herec v moderním divadle

Diderot, Herecký paradox

Brecht, B. Myšlenky

Císař, J. Základy dramaturgie 1, 2

Mukařovský, J. Otázky z estetiky

Veltruský, Příspěvky k teorii divadla

Frejka, J. Železná doba divadla

Lukavský, R. Stanislavského metoda herecké práce, Kultura mluveného slova

Otokar Fischer a Národní divadlo

Götz, F. Boj o český divadelní sloh

Šalda, F. X. O naší moderní kultuře divadelně dramatické

Fischer, O. K dramatu

Macura, V. Paradox obrozenského divadla, in: Divadlo v české kultuře 19. století

Grossman, J. Analýzy

Hyvnar, J. Francouzská divadelní reforma, Praha 1996

Assessment methods and criteria:

Completed with an exam checking the acquired knowledge considering the submitted task of developing at least one of the topics in the form of a related presentation. (cca. 3-5 pages), self-review of stage activties.

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