Stage Directions

Objectives

•To understand and practice body positioning

•To become familiar with the areas of the stage

•To use movement to create expression of thought, feeling and character

•To plot and execute stage directions

Moving On Stage

Onstage- the part of the stage that is visible to the audience.

Offstage- the part of the stage that is NOT visible to the audience.

Cheating out- playing toward the audience while seemingly conversing with others on stage.Gestures- movements of parts of the body, such as shrugging your shoulders.Upstaging- drawing the audience’s attention to yourself when it should be focused on another character.Muscular Memory- having an action appear effortless and natural due to repeating the movement many times.

Moving On Stage

Stage Business- any small action that the actor performs without major movement.

If your character continually knits or is forever whittling a piece of wood this reveals something about his or her nature.

Specific actions such as toasting bread indicates what time of the day it is.

Stage Business

Stages used to be raked so audience could see all of the actors.

Raked: slanted

Now stages are flat and audiences raked to improve sightlines.

Sightlines:imaginary lines indicating visibility of stage areas

Downstage stronger than upstage!

Stage left/right:ACTOR’S left or right as he faces the audience.

Backstage: behind the stage; out of view – also known as the wings

House: Where the audience sits

Strongest acting area is downstage and stage right so most important scenes done here and major characters settle here.

Downstage: area towards the audience.

Upstage: area away from audi., towards back

Full front: facing to audience straight on.

Full back: completely turned away from the audience.

Quarter turn: halfway between full front and stage left/right

Three quarter turn: halfway between full back and stage left/right

Profile: sideways to the audience

When to use body positions?

quarter turn (strong)

Having a conversation with another actor

Three quarter turn (weak)

Give strong focus to another actor/scene

profile (weak)

Intense conversation point

Focus attention on others

Full front (very strong)

Monologues/asides to the audience

Full back (can be weak or strong)

Unusual circumstances only

BODY LEVELS

HIGH - standing on a step or an increment higher than another actor.

MEDIUM - sitting, kneeling, leaning forward, standing on a step

lower than another actor.

LOW - Sitting, lying on the floor.

STAGE PICTURE - is an appealing arrangement or grouping formed on stage by performers.

BLOCKING - planning and working out the movements and

stage grouping for a play.

Crossing!

Cross:movement across the stage

Counter-cross: moving in the opposite direction of an actor making a cross.

Types of Stages

Proscenium Stage - The proscenium stage, with its grand frame, is the most common of all types of stages. The stage is surrounded by three walls - leaving the 4th wall open. Grapevine Theatre is a proscenium stage.

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Types of Stages

Thrust Stage - The thrust stage comes in many different shapes, but always juts out into the audience. The audience sits on three different sides of

this stage.

Types of Stages

Arena Stage - The audience sits around this type of stage. Sets must allow for continuous movement onstage and one that does not block the audience viewing from any side of the house.

How to write stage directions

DL X UR X C

UL (do 5 jumping jacks) X C (sing your ABCS) X CR (spin in a circle 5 times)

Or

C (Stand Profile) X DL (Three Quarter Turn Right) X CL (Full Back)