Staging and the Drama

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Staging and the Drama

• English 12 - Rutsky

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What is staging?

• Staging is the component of theater that is not
  normally directly controlled by the playwright.
  It is the most fluid part of a drama, consisting
  of the instructions an actor/actress is or is NOT
  given about how to behave and where to position
  themselves on stage. When combined with the
  recitation of lines, staging creates a
  three-dimensional drama from a two-dimensional
  text.

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Huh?

• Staging is
• when an actor moves
• where an actor moves
• how an actor moves
• and
• why an actor moves
• when on the stage!

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Why is staging important?

• Brings text to life in a visual manner
• Adds nuances to dialogue that might be missed
  otherwise (gestures, facial expressions)
• Can shade our interpretations of texts through
  the directors staging choices

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Example 1 Hamlet, Act III Scene 1

• The scene opens with the King, Queen, Polonius,
  Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern all
  discussing Hamlet, and the King instructing them
  to watch him carefully
• KING CLAUDIUS Sweet Gertrude, leave us tooFor
  we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,That he,
  as 'twere by accident, may hereAffront
  OpheliaHer father and myself, lawful
  espials,Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing,
  unseen,We may of their encounter frankly
  judge,And gather by him, as he is behaved,If 't
  be the affliction of his love or noThat thus he
  suffers for.

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Polonius is also in on the plot he instructs
Ophelia to act casually. LORD POLONIUS Ophelia,
walk you here. Gracious, so please you,We will
bestow ourselves.To OPHELIARead on this
bookThat show of such an exercise may
colourYour loneliness. We are oft to blame in
this,--'Tis too much proved--that with
devotion's visageAnd pious action we do sugar
o'erThe devil himself. Ophelia plays along. At
this point in the play, we get the instruction
Enter HAMLET, and he launches into his famous
to be or not to be soliloquy. However, his
treatment of Ophelia in the scene that follows,
where he abuses her and tells her get thee to a
nunnery, claiming she is false.
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How does staging affect this scene?

• Consider what happens if Hamlet walks on stage
  a little earlier, but entersmakes himself
  knownat that cue! Suddenly, the mad Dane
  doesnt seem so insane or so fickle in turning on
  Ophelia

• He has seen her with the King and her father,
  plotting to trap him
• He feels betrayed by a second woman he loves
  (first his mother, now Ophelia)
• He lashes out at the falseness of women in
  general in his speech!

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Example 2 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

• Staging can add to characterization, leading the
  audience to make certain decisions about
  interpreting characters.
• What do we know about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?
  What do they look like? How do they carry
  themselves? Is Lady Macbeth domineering or
  seductive? Is Macbeth strong-willed or easily
  bullied? Is he smart but loving, or foolish and
  easily duped? Does he want to make his wife
  happy or himself? How old is he?

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Questions like these can affect our
interpretation of the text!

• A production that wants to emphasize Macbeths
  responsibility for his own downfall would use
  dynamic, active staging. Macbeth would move
  aggressively, draw his sword regularly on
  threats, and be an imposing figure.
• A production that wants to show Macbeth as being
  a victim of his surroundings might choose to play
  him as reluctant, moving away from threats, and
  being physically intimidated by his wife.

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So how do we teach staging?

• Step 1 Ask students to talk through a scene,
  explaining what they think a character is doing
  at a given point (physically) and why
• Step 2 Do a walk-through of a scene, where
  students read the scene aloud after a first
  reading as a group. Have the students stand on
  stage at the front of the room, and remind them
  to move and interact. They will usually stand in
  one place and read in a monotone, possibly
  following pre-written directions. Use this as a
  way to point out how vital staging is to the
  plays entertainment level.
• Step 3 Use a simple staging diagram combined
  with the text to set up staging for homework or
  take-home assignments.

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Sample stageplot diagram

• Simple and easy to use. Note that I have reduced
  the size of the script on the right side by 25
  to leave margin room. This is where the student
  will annotate their plot. On the left is the
  stage page, where the students map movement and
  placement.

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A sample stageplot for Act III Scene 3, Banquos
murder

• Note the use of margin notes to clarify when and
  how movements occur, as well as significant set
  pieces such as trees.

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Typical assignments

• Give students one scene to map completely using
  plots and diagrams
• Combine plotting an important page in the play
  with a one-page analysis/synthesis paper which
  explains why the director chose the staging
  choices s/he made and how they affect our
  reading/interpretation.
• Require stage plots prior to scene performances
  as a way for students to demonstrate that they
  understand the nuances of the scene (or as a
  substitute for live performance.)