DRAMA 1310 THEATER

Also, a large part of your grade will be based on how well you follow these instructions!An important thing to remember when writing any critique is that you should make an effort to be fair in your analysis of pleasure, impact, and form (as we discussed in the audience and critic lecture). Even if you did not enjoy the play you watched, you should be able to recognize some aspects that went well, or at least to respect the risks taken and the attempts made by those who worked on the production. There should be a balance of positive and negative observations. When you criticize a production, support your views (both positive and negative) with evidence from the performance you saw and the information you have learned in our DRAM 1310 lectures. You should carefully consider a wide range of production elements.Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should edit your work for grammar, word choice, spelling and syntax before turning it in.The critiques you write should be at least two (2) pages typed (not including your cover page), using the following structural guidelines:1″ margins12 point font (Times New Roman or Arial is preferred)Single spacing within paragraphs, double spacing between paragraphsInclude a cover page with your name and classTitle your critique: Critique of NAME OF PLAYYou must use a classic 5 section (not necessarily 5 paragraph) structure:Introduction (1 Section)Your introduction must include the name of the play, the name of the playwright, the time/ date and location of the performance, and the name of the performance’s director. If possible, you should also include the name of the production company.Your introduction should feature some basic statements about pleasure, impact, and form (e.g. Did you enjoy the experience? What about this performance will stick with you? Was the show and its concept well structured or well crafted?).Include no more than one sentence summarizing the play’s story, plot, or theme. A critic should not spoil the show while offering insight!End this section with your thesis statement. Give your overall impression of the success or failure of the production, identifying the most important elements of that success or failure. Body of Critique (3 Sections)Fully detail, flesh-out, and support all of those important elements/contributing factors you mentioned in your introduction and thesis. Support your opinions with specific observations from the performance you are critiquing.In the body of the critique, while supporting your thesis, make sure to touch on all of the following:The work of the director (e.g. the production concept or the blocking)The work of the actors (you may use specific actors as positive or negative examples, but you must be specific about what they did that did or did not work well!)The design elements (light, sound, set, prop, costume, projections, etc., when present)The performance’s level of social awareness or cultural relevanceConclusion (1 Section)A conclusion is not a recap. A strong and effective conclusion should explain why your thesis and supporting evidence are important for your reading audience to keep in mind, but it should not actually repeat your thesis and supporting evidence.Tell your readers whether you believe the performance changed the way you view theatre or your role as an audience member.End this section by stating whether you would recommend this performance to others, and if so, to whom? What this critique should and should not be about: What you are really writing about is the specific production you saw. You are writing about the work that the production company has done on stage. You are writing about the performance and technical elements you observed. You are writing about the overall success or failure of the performance. You are not writing about the story of the play. You are not writing about what the characters do. You are not writing about the physical location in which you were seated. You are not writing about the moral of the play. You are not writing about whether you agree with the message or story of the play. For those of you who have seen many plays, keep those plays in mind. Those other experiences will help you to be more detailed in your observations, and they will give you a basis for comparison. Finally, a critique should never be as simple as saying “I hated it” or “It was the best play I ever saw.” You should present a balance of positive and negative observations, and you should support your opinions with evidence and examples from the performance. As I mentioned earlier, it helps if you are fair with regard to your observations about pleasure, impact, and form.The following is some helpful advice from Ms. Debra Schultz, our drama program coordinator: You might write the following….John Smith, playing the role of John Doe, seems very self-conscious throughout the performance. During the first scene, Smith fidgeted with his shirt cuffs and kept pulling at his jacket. Later in the performance, Smith nearly dropped a cup because his hand was shaking so badly. If the character of John Doe hadn’t been described as “the big man around town,” these might have been choices by Smith; however, nervousness made little sense for his character. Additionally, you shouldn’t “gush and awwww” in your critique. If you really like something about the performance, comment on it, but be specific. You could write something like…Jane Doe, playing the role of Alice, was unbelievable, but in all the right ways. Doe made Alice seem as though she was plucked right off the street, not a rehearsed character. Doe moved easily onstage, and seemed to glide instead of walk in the scene where she had to descend the staircase up center. Not only did Doe move effortlessly, her line delivery seemed completely natural. The dialogue in the play uses a lot of starchy vocabulary, but Doe said those words like she uses them everyday. For example, with the line “Your manner is well beyond me, I have never once entertained an idea to the contrary,” Doe made the words flow and seem almost like the lyrics of a song. She gave the audience the distinct impression that she not only understood every word, but also that her character was sincere with each phrase. Obviously, these are examples put together for explanation here, but they should give you sense of how you can be specific while still being critical or complimentary to the production. Think about it as 1) make a statement, 2) provide example(s), and 3) explain Focus Your Attention Focus on the actors, scenery, lighting, costumes, sound, props, and the other elements that go together to make the production. These are elements of the performance and not of the “story.” Focus on things that worked either really well or need improvement. Either side of this equation make writing easier; the “okay” stuff is difficult to write about it, because quite honestly, there isn’t much to say about it. Focus on things that could be improved or changed–forget about those that can’t be altered. For ease of discussion and clarification sake, the following elements are off limits as they are script-bound items that generally are locked in place and cannot be changed in contemporary pieces. The story itself: the script and language used cannot be changed. Because of copyright restrictions, any changes to the script or cuts in dialogue must have the written consent of the playwright–which is many times nearly impossible.The number of characters: the number of characters is set by the playwright and cannot be altered. So, don’t put in your critique, “the director should have put in at least two more characters in the play” because the director cannot do that.The number of roles an actor plays: there are quite a few shows in which actors are required to play multiple roles. This sometimes creates confusion for the audience, but generally only if the presentation of the characters is unclear. If the show is written to have 2 actors present 12 characters, then there is a reason for it and it cannot be changed. (Plays which are in the public domain–no longer subject to copyright laws–are exceptions to these guidelines, but these plays are not widely produced in the Houston area. The Shakespeare plays on the pre- approved list do fall under this category.) Focus on the overall success or failure of the production, based on what you saw and how you felt about it. Make sure to use examples from the performance to support your assertion. Helpful Hints…Hopefully Take someone with you. There is nothing more frustrating than watching something and wanting to talk to someone about it and not having anyone to do that with. So, get a friend or significant other to go to the performance with you–it doesn’t matter if they know any more about theatre than you do, they just provide a sounding board for your thoughts later.Don’t be afraid to read a synopsis of the play before you go. Nearly every theater website provides a brief synopsis of the play–read it. Additionally, read the program for any notes on the production. Reading the program before the performance generally clears up a lot of potential confusion.It is okay to take notes. Don’t take notes like you are in class–because every time you look down to write something, you will miss something else. But absolutely make yourself notes at intermission and directly after the show. These notes will help you remember examples you will need for your critique.Write your critique within a day (or so) of seeing the production. Write your critique soon after seeing the performance. But also give yourself enough time to think about what you have seen. My recommendation usually follows this line–If you see the play on Friday evening, make yourself some additional notes when you get home. Those notes should include things that you really want to talk about in your critique. Then, on Saturday morning, read your notes. The things your have included may or may not seem as important as they seemed the night before; and pay particular attention to anything you notice that you didn’t include, and add those things to your notes, if necessary. And finally, at some point later on Saturday or even Sunday morning, sit down and write your critique. This timing will allow your brain to mull over what you saw and how the performance affected you.