Instructions:
Suppose that Saint Leo University was considering doing away with all theatre classes, even for non-English majors. (This is not really under consideration, thank goodness! This scenario is hypothetical.)
Assignment is to write a letter to the President and Board of Trustees outlining the benefits of studying theatre, keeping our core values in mind. What have you learned about the theatre this term that could help you communicate the value of this ancient art form?
How can you apply some of the skills of this craft to other areas of your life/career?
How does participation in and patronage of the theatre reflect our core values?
This is a persuasive piece, so make sure you support your claims with thoughtful details.
The paper must be:
• Double-spaced
• In 12-point font
• Between 500 and 1000 words
While this is a letter, it should reflect standard essay form with consideration to purpose, question at issue, assumptions, etc.
"The drama is not dead but liveth, and contains the germs of better things."
William Archer, About the Theatre
Project
The project will be based on Water by the Spoonful (pages 403-435 in your textbook.) You will choose one of the following jobs to fulfill: director, actor, designer. or administrator.
Below are complete guidelines for each job. Remember. choose something that plays to your skill set or to skills that you wish to improve upon. If you have absolutely no ability to draw, you may still be able to design a costume through a collage rendering. Do not let your inexperience discourage you from trying something new!
Director
Your job is to write a director's concept for Water by the Spoonful addressing the following questions:
• What themes are present in Water by the Spoonful? How do you plan to highlight those themes?
• What is the mood/atmosphere of this piece? How do you plan to create that mood/atmosphere?
• What artifacts in the characters' lives might be part of the physical environment? In what ways is the environment personalized? Is one character's point of view more important than another's in determining the details of the physical environment? Does someone seem to own or dominate the space?
• What are the basic actions of the characters in the play? What are the necessary entrances and exits and the physical actions that the stage space must accommodate and support? What importance will you give to the online portions of the play? How will you direct your designers to tackle the online world of the play?
The paper must be:
• Double-spaced
• In 12-point font
• Between 500 and 1000 words
Actor
You will choose one of the monologues on the next page to memorize and perform. You will record this performance with your digital camera, cell phone, web cam, etc.
Before you submit your video, convert it to either a .wmv or .mov file as these file types will be most readily viewable.
There are many free video conversion software packages available on the Internet. Just search for. select. and download the one you want to use and follow the instructions for converting videos. You may want to compress your video as well. Like conversion software. there are many free compression software packages available on the Internet.
You may choose from the following monologues from Water by The Spoonfat Elliot's Monologue, p. 404 (cut for continuity's sake) Yaz, you gotta help me with my morn.
She cooked breakfast
The docs said she can't be eating all that junk. it'll moss with her chemoo, so she crawls out of bed for the first time in days and cooks eggs for breakfast. In two inches of pork chop fat. I'm like, mom, recycle glass and plastic, not grease. She thinks putting the egg on top of a paper towel after you cook it makes it healthy. I told her, mom you gotta cook egg whites_ In Pam spray_ But it has to be horny.
Like. "That's how we ate them in Puerto Rico and we turned out fine." You gotta talk to her I'm trying to teach her about quinoa. Broccoli rabe. So I get home the other day, she had made quinoa with bacon. She was like, "It's healthy'"
I gave those eggs to the dogs when she went to the bathroom. Or Yaz's monologue. p. 413 (cut for continuity's sake)
They should have a frequent flower card. They punch a hole. Buy nine funeral bouquets, get the tenth free. We'd be living in a house full of lilies. Look at that guy. Arranging his daisies like little treasures. What do you think it's like to be him? To be normal?
I bet his family funerals are rare occasions. I bet he's never seen a cousin get arrested. Let alone one under the age of eighteen. I bet he never saw his eight-year-old cousin sipping rum through a twisty straw or...1 just remembered this time cousin Maria was babysitting me...
I was dyeing her hair. I had never dyed hair before so I asked her to read me the next step and she handed me the box and said. -You read it" And I said. "My rubber gloves are covered in toxic goop. I can't realty hold that right now." And so she held it in front of my eyes and said. -You gonna have to read it.'
I said. "But you graduated from high school." She sad, "They just pass you, I just stood in the back." I was in fourth grade. I could read!
You must also submit a character analysis of your character that addresses the questions provided for character analysis in your textbook on page 479.
NOTE. Sometimes you have to fill in the gaps. the playwright may not give you all of the information. The analysis must be double-spaced and in 12-pant font
Designer
If you choose to play the role of the designer. you may choose between sets or costumes. Whether you choose sets or costumes. you must submit a written design concept for Water by the Spoonful in addition to a rendering that visuaRy communicates your idea.
Set Design
Your concept should address the following:
1. How does the playwright describe the setting? How do you see the world of the play? Are there any major differences between what you envision and what the playwright set forth?
2. What seems to be the impact of the online world on the different characters? How important is it in their lives? In what ways does it limit them? What makes it a comfortable environment? What changes when the characters leave the online world for the physical world?
3. What specific area of the non-online. physical world are most important to the play? What are the parts of these places that need to be seen onstage by the audience? Since there we so many scene changes. how do you imagine changing from one location to another?
Your rendering can either be handdrawn by you (you wt. need to scan it it so) or you may create a PowerPoint that incorporates research for your set design Include exterior and interior pictures of buildings that give the feeling of the places m Water by the Spoonful suggested by the script and that fit your concept Make sure you list your sources'
The design concept must be double-spaced and in 12-point font
Costume Design
If you choose to be the costume designer, you must design a costume for either Odessa, Yaz, or Elliot. You will turn in a rendering or PowerPoint and a written design concept that addresses the following
1. What symbols are associated with the character?
2. What time period do the costumes come from?
3. What color (s) might represent the life of this character? Are specific colors called for in the script?
4. Do they cover or hide themselves in their clothes or do they dress to impress? How do think the characters feel about what they wear?
Your rendering can either be hand- drawn by you (you will need to scan it if so) or you may create a PowerPoint that incorporates research for your costume design. Include photos of fabric swatches, accessories. and period clothing that you fed would be appropriate for your character. Make sure you list your sources!
The design concept must be double-spaced and in 12-point font.
Administrator
1. If you choose to act as the marketing director (administrator) for the final protect, you will be required to create a marketing plan that will require you to Brand your "production"
• Create a poster design for the show, Must include information about the show and some eye catching graphics
• Keep the graphics and fonts consistent from the poster to the program
• Must turn m a copy on the day of the final
2. Create a concept for the lobby Often, productions concoct some son of lobby display to extend the environment outside of the theatre What would suggest that might help set the mood and extend the environment beyond the theatre?
3 Consider how you would market the event as.de from the posters. Any interesting ideas? Would you include radio spots, social media, public appearances? How might you get the word out to your target audience'.
This must be contained in a written Word document. You may attach the poster separately if you wish. Poster files may be in Microsoft Publisher or Word; JPEG; or PDF.
The marketing plan must be double-spaced and in 12-point font.