Staging a Production

Introduction

This module provides an overview of the origin and purpose of the modern director, blocking and staging, and culminates in the opportunity to put all of the previous modules into action with the final project of producing and filming a fully staged production.

Key Terms

1. Auteur Director: Author Director and has total control.
2. Collaborative Director: Leads a team of artists and accepts input to the directorial concept.
3. Directorial Concept: The guiding ideas behind the execution of the production.
4. Blocking: Movement on the stage.
5. Stage Business: Actor movement that does not travel.
6. Staging: The arrangement of actors on the stage using levels and planes to help tell the story.
7. Full Front: The actor faces the audience.
8. ¼ Positions: The actor stands one quarter right or left facing the audience.
9. Profile: The actor stands facing stage right or stage left so the audience only sees their profile.
10. ¾ Positions: The actor stands three quarters right or left with the back to the audience.
11. Full Back: The actor is standing with back to the audience.
12. Cheating Out: In conversation, the actor “cheats” to face the audience.
13. Blocking Notation: Shorthand actors use to write their blocking into their scripts.
14. Upstaging: Unnecessarily forcing attention on yourself rather than the intended focal point.
15. Mime/Pantomime: Acting without words.
16. Posture: How the character stands.
17. Gesture: Hand or head movements made by the actor.

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

The Rise of the Modern Director: Students will explore the origin and purpose of the modern director as well as the roles and responsibilities of the director.
Blocking and Staging: Students explore blocking, stage movement, stage directions, stage pictures, and body positions that can be used to help tell the story of a script.

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