1. GENERAL HEADING: Live Performance Analysis
2. TITLE OF EXERCISE: "Interrogating the Director"
3. GOALS: To articulate issues in the play that require directorial decisions;
to learn about a director's ideas and experiences in production.
4. NUMBER OF STUDENTS: Any number.
5. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES: A visiting director.
6. CLASS TIME NEEDED: 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on number of students.
7. STEP-BY-STEP DESCRIPTION: Each student writes 10 questions for the visiting
director: 5 about the play in question, and 5 about practical directing
choices. Depending on time and goodwill, each student may ask a question
in turn, or the visiting director may select from questions provided in
advance.
8. POINTS FOR OBSERVATION, DISCUSSION:
· Director's vision of the play;
· Relevance to contemporary audience;
· Director-designer relationship, creative process;
· Director-actor relationships, rehearsal process;
· Textual choices and cuts.
9. SOURCE/REFERENCE: Prof. Audrey Stanley, University of California at Santa
Cruz, 1995-96 NEH Institute "Shakespeare Examined through Performance."
10. ADDITIONAL READING: Reviews, interviews, biographical studies of director;
accounts of other directors' productions of the play.
11. VARIATIONS: N.A.