Picturization and Movement Directing One Spring 2013

Picturization and MovementDirecting One

Spring 2013

PICTURIZATIONA definition

Picturization is storytelling by a group ofactors. It is brought about by the combineduse of composition, gesture and improvisationwith properties for the specific purpose ofanimating the dramatic action.

--Francis Hodge (114)

Scene from 2013 revival of PIPPIN

PICTURIZATIONA definition

Picturization is the storytelling aspect of blocking. It concerns itself with revealingcharacter, emotion, and motive throughmovement, body language, and business. It is revealed using movement that goes from one composition to another.

--Jim Patterson (119)

CABARET1969 Tony Awards

COMPOSITIONPATTERSON: The technical aspect of blocking that leads the audience to see clearly what the director believes is important. It concerns itself with CLARITY—the pleasing arrangement of characters within the setting that lets the audience know where to look at a given moment. It is a still-life painting of the stage at one moment in time.

HODGE: The physical arrangement of actor-characters in a groundplan for the purpose of discovering dramatic action and of illustrating it in the simplest possible way through emphasis and contrast.

What the audience sees Enhance the visual appeal of the play

Focus Balance Space Area Line Level Contrast

Helpful Composition helps the audience notice what the director thinks is important.

A particular challenge with a large cast

Elements of composition What character (or characters) are important? Are the characters pleasingly arranged? Is the balance symmetrical? Asymmetrical? How is the acting area defined? Pay attention to the essentials

Focus Balance Solidity

What elements of composition are shown in this painting?

Tiepolo: Rachel Hiding the Idols (c1729)

The Iceman Cometh (2015)

The Rocky Horror Show (2010)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2011)

BODY POSITIONS

LineFocus through line is achieved by having characters in a group look at the person or persons who should receive emphasis

The Iceman Cometh, (1946)

SPACE

Space surrounding an important character in a full stage composition is basic blocking technique to give character focus.

The Iceman Cometh (1946)

Level

The higher the actor’s head, the more focus the actor seems to get.

The Iceman Cometh, 1999

Area

In a proscenium stage, the following stage areas seem more emphatic than others:

Center stage areas are stronger than SL or SR Characters closest to audience are most emphatic SR is usually more emphatic than SL DS areas are stronger than US

BALANCE

Balance

Caravaggio’s Christ and the Woman of Samaria, c 1620

Albee’s The Play About the Baby

2001

PICTURIZATIONPICTURIZATION IS GIVING MEANING TO WHAT THE AUDIENCE SEES.

While composition is primarily concerned with the attractiveness of groupings…picturization involves the inherent meaning of how and where the actors move

Their positions on the stage

Their body language

The business they perform

Picturization is also concerned with the amount, speed and direction of movement.

Body Language

Body Language

Body Language

Gesture

Gesture

Gesture

Movement

There are three sources for movement:1. The playwright mandates it in the dialogue.

Movement

2. Movement comes from dramatic action.

Movement

3. Movement can be introduced by the director to enliven the scene. In a street scene, for example, primary action downstage might be amplified or filled-out by secondary action upstage.

Body Positions

Body position tells a story. What is going on here? The script along with the actor’s posture will clarify these questions. (Robin Williams in THE FISHER KING.)

Body Positions

Body Positions

Body Positions

Body Positions

Body Positions

Body Positions

Body Positions

Strong and weak movements Forward movement conveys strength Crosses from USR to L or DSC are inherently strong Movements that take a character back (away from the

audience) are inherently weak

MOVEMENT, both strong and weak, is a tool for the director to use for dramatic effect

Specific Uses of Movement Acceleration in both speed and duration can help build to a

climax A bold cross while others are still can signal a change in

objective A general change in the stage picture can punctuate a

transition A flurry of crosses followed by stillness brings focus to

dialogue, action or plot

When not to move Limit a speaking character’s movement while speaking Important lines may not be clearly understood if the actor

says them while moving Don’t allow actors to cross another while speaking unless

you want to take focus Don’t permit business to distract from the key element of the

composition

Business and movement create meaning

Spatial relationships Kinds of movement Business activities The stamp of the director

STAGE PICTURE Michael Wainstein:

“The totality of what the audience sees

from their seats. Ideal stage pictures

are unified, artistic and reflective of the

inner life of the play in every moment.”

(p. 286)

GUYS AND DOLLS – ESU THEATRE - 2012

“INSPECTING CAROL” - ESU Theatre (2012)

“Dancing at Lughnasa” - ESU Theatre (2013)

BLOCKINGDefinitions

The choreography of the play established by the director and actors. (Wainstein)

The movement of the actors through the setting. (Patterson)

The director is an image-maker…Blocking is the process of stimulating actors to image-making through groundplan, compostion, gesture, improvisation with properties, picturization and movement. (Hodge)

George C. Wolfe at work on Tony Kushner’s adaptation of MOTHERCOURAGE AND HER CHILDREN (2006)

PRIMARY TECHNIQUES OF PICTURIZATION (Hodge)Encourage PICTURIZATION over and around obstacles.

Encourage space separations between characters and the use of different planes, levels and body positions.

Look for intimate climactic picturizations and encourage actors to touch one another if appropriate to the scene and the decorum.

Look for appropriate character-mood-intensities of the different characters.

SPACE SEPARATIONS

APPROPRIATE TOUCH

THE KISS (Picasso)

APPROPRIATE TOUCH

THE KISS (Rodin)

APPROPRIATE TOUCH

THE KISS (Gustav Klimt)

APPROPRIATE TOUCH

PRIMARY TECHNIQUES OF PICTURIZATION (Hodge)Exploit GESTURE in every possible way.

Encourage the continuous use of triangles in setting up compositions.

Encourage the use of HAND PROPS.

TRIANGLES

TRIANGLES

TRIANGLES

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS OF PICTURIZATION (Hodge)BALANCE the stage.

Exploit the STAGE CUBE—you are blocking in 3 dimensions.

Exploit the EXTREMES of the stage floor by using the full depth of the groundplan.

Vincent Van Gogh, The Starry Night (1889)

Vermeer,A Woman Holding aBalance (1622-1623)

THE STAGE CUBE

John Trumbull, The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 (c. 1800)

1776 Directed by Jim Bartruff, MSUM Theatre (2003)Designed by Roray Hedges

EXPLOIT THE EXTREMES OF THE GROUNDPLAN

The Glass Menagerie, Set design by Clare Floyd DeVries WATER TOWER THEATRE, Addison, TX

THE GLASS MENAGERIE, ESU Theatre (2009)Designed by Ron Fowlkes