Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers
4th Edition
Published on 13. March 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
388 pages
978-0-240-81049-2 (ISBN)
Description
Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers applies directly to the experience of theatrical production. You will immediately be able to incorporate the concepts and processes you learn into both your practical and creative work. Whether you are an actor, a director, or a designer, you will benefit from clear and comprehensive examples, end-of-chapter questions, and summaries meant to stimulate their creative process as they engage in production work.
Based on the premise that plays should be objects of study in and of themselves, Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers teaches an established system of classifications that examines the written part of a play. This fourth edition will include in-depth analysis of unconventional plays, which are more frequent on amateur and professional stages. These plays present unique analytical challenges that the author teaches you the unusual ways in which the subject matter operates in unconventional plays.
Based on the premise that plays should be objects of study in and of themselves, Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers teaches an established system of classifications that examines the written part of a play. This fourth edition will include in-depth analysis of unconventional plays, which are more frequent on amateur and professional stages. These plays present unique analytical challenges that the author teaches you the unusual ways in which the subject matter operates in unconventional plays.
Reviews / Votes
"James Thomas has written a great resource book for anyone creating theatre. The information is detailed, clear, and easily applicable to text analysis for actors, directors, and designers." --Barbara Anger, Ithaca College"This book has been overwhelmingly effective in meeting the goals I set for this course."---Perry Crafton, West Texas A&M University
More details
Edition
4th New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Students in script analysis courses in theatre programs, as well as acting and directing courses, drama, literary criticism. Also, students in design classes.
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-240-81049-2 (9780240810492)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
James Thomas
Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers
Book
09/2013
5th Edition
Focal Press
€60.84
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Previous edition
James Thomas
Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers
Book
08/2004
3rd Edition
Focal Press
€32.18
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
James Thomas, Professor of Theatre at Wayne State University and Head of its PhD Program in Directing and Theatre Scholarship, is a graduate of St. Ambrose College (BA), Villanova University (MA), and the University of Texas at Austin (PhD). Thomas has also taught theatre at Mount Holyoke College, Marquette University and Florida State University, where he was Associate Dean. His recent directing credits include Six Characters in Search of an Author and Cymbeline at Detroit's Hilberry Theatre, and Ah, Wilderness! and The Skin of our Teeth at the Bonstelle Theatre. He is also translator of texts about modern Russian acting and directing technique and Director of the Department's Study Abroad Program with the Moscow Art Theatre School. He is currently at work on a study of Shakespeare's plays for actors, directors and designers.
James Thomas, Professor of Theatre at Wayne State University and Head of its PhD Program in Directing and Theatre Scholarship, is a graduate of St. Ambrose College (BA), Villanova University (MA), and the University of Texas at Austin (PhD). Thomas has also taught theatre at Mount Holyoke College, Marquette University and Florida State University, where he was Associate Dean. His recent directing credits include Six Characters in Search of an Author and Cymbeline at Detroit's Hilberry Theatre, and Ah, Wilderness! and The Skin of our Teeth at the Bonstelle Theatre. He is also translator of texts about modern Russian acting and directing technique and Director of the Department's Study Abroad Program with the Moscow Art Theatre School. He is currently at work on a study of Shakespeare's plays for actors, directors and designers.
James Thomas, Professor of Theatre at Wayne State University and Head of its PhD Program in Directing and Theatre Scholarship, is a graduate of St. Ambrose College (BA), Villanova University (MA), and the University of Texas at Austin (PhD). Thomas has also taught theatre at Mount Holyoke College, Marquette University and Florida State University, where he was Associate Dean. His recent directing credits include Six Characters in Search of an Author and Cymbeline at Detroit's Hilberry Theatre, and Ah, Wilderness! and The Skin of our Teeth at the Bonstelle Theatre. He is also translator of texts about modern Russian acting and directing technique and Director of the Department's Study Abroad Program with the Moscow Art Theatre School. He is currently at work on a study of Shakespeare's plays for actors, directors and designers.
Content
Preface: New in This Edition, This Book and Its Point of View; Acknowledgments; Introduction: What is Formalist Play Analysis?, Action Analysis, Dramatic Writing, Reading Plays; CHAPTER 1-ACTION ANALYSIS: Events, Sequence of External Events, Reviewing the Facts, Seed, Sequence of Internal Events, Three Major Climaxes, Theme, Super-Objective, Through-Action, Counter Through-Action, Action Analysis and Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 2-GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES: Time, Place, Society, Economics, Politics and Law, Learning and the Arts, Spirituality, The World of the Play, Given Circumstances in Non Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 3-BACKGROUND STORY: Technique, Identification, Background Story in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 4-EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ACTION: External Action, Internal Action, External and Internal Action in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 5-PROGRESSIONS AND STRUCTURE: Progressions, Structure, Progressions and Structure in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 6-CHARACTER: Objectives, Actions, Adaptations-an Aside, Conflict, Will, Values, Personality Traits, Complexity, Relationships, Character in Non-Realistic Plays, The Score of a Role, Questions; CHAPTER 7-IDEA: Idea in the Words, Idea in the Characters, Idea in the Plot, The Main Idea, Idea in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 8-DIALOGUE: Words, Sentences, Speeches, Special Qualities, Theatricality, Dialogue in Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 9-TEMPO, RHYTHM, AND MOOD: Tempo, Rhythm, Mood, Tempo, Rhythm, and Mood in Non-Realistic Plays, Closing Notes on Non-Realistic Plays, Questions; CHAPTER 10-THE STYLE OF THE PLAY: Given Circumstances, Background Story, Plot, Character, Idea, Dialogue, Atmosphere, Questions; A FINAL WORD; Appendix-Further Questions for Script Analysis; Bibliography; Index