THE GOLDEN SECTION

after: anjali kalle

(click image to enlarge)

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"The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

WOMEN IN FILM

A scene from Cecilia Miniucchi’s film “Expired,” featuring from left, Samantha Morton, Jason Patric and Teri Garr.


By JOHN ANDERSON
Published: June 22, 2008
New York Times

For Ms. Wertmüller being a storyteller is what’s important. “Fellini said, ‘When you are trying to direct, they will tell you there are a lot of rules,’ ” she said. “ ‘Of course these rules are important, but in reality the way to tell a story is the way you would tell it to your friends in a cafe. And if you have a talent as a narrator, you will tell this story well. Otherwise all the technique in the world will never help you.’ ” (Article)

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"The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

WORDS TO LIVE BY: ACTION - OBJECTIVE - JUSTIFICATION - BE SPECIFIC

What follow are some exchanges of notes with regard to the T-Shirts. Thought they might be of use here:

"Greetings

Yes, the T-Shirt idea came about because in conversations with John T. and others, it seemed that where the actor meets the script, is where so many of the disciplines of Drama come together, and that those concepts of ACTION, OBJECTIVE and JUSTIFICATION and the great value of SPECIFICS, which are all so important to an actor's craft, also, so strongly inform the writing and of course the directing process.

But, for some reason these basic principles seem to [so often] get lost in the shuffle, where Style, and other concepts can take precedence. But, without these basics, Drama can seem rather pointless."

AND

"(If you go to the link above and see what I'm working on, vis-a-vis the T-Shirt, I realize, that perhaps some of you would not be caught dead in such a garment. But, so . . . let the shock of this gesture, serve as notice that every "Actor's Director" wears [these] words on their soul.)"

AND

Student response:

"[T]his is hilarious ... we get t-shirts that are like cheat sheets for passing our directing the actor's final exams.

i wear a small, and i like bright colors but anything is cool.

looking forward to your class."

My reply:

"That is a very very good and very close assessment of the situation. Yes, the T-Shirt can be looked at as the "cheat sheet" for the course. Meaning that if in each exercise you address and communicate those concepts to and with your actors, that would be a 100% successful accomplishment.

What are they doing? (Action)

To get what they want? (Objective)

"Why" - or what's at stake, to lose or gain? (Justification)

Stated in the most specific [of] terms.

As for the concept of 'exam' as I'm sure you [already] know, in the arts, the only passing grade is "to deliver. . ."

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"The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."