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Have you tried blocking? (1 of 3) |
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Written by David Farmer
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Getting started
Blocking has two distinct meanings in theatre. Sometimes used to describe a refusal to accept ideas in improvisation, traditionally it refers to the positioning and movement of actors on stage - and that is what we are looking at here. Some playwrights go to great lengths to describe the layout of the set and the positioning of performers, while others give no stage directions at all. Ultimately, decisions on blocking are made by the director. On a basic level we obviously need to prevent the actors from bumping into the furniture, but the outcomes of blocking also have a far-reaching effect on the meaning of the play.
One way to familiarise students with stage terminology is by playing an
adapted form of Boal’s “Game of Power”. Assemble a few simple props
such as a moveable table, some chairs and a book. Show the students a
marked-up diagram of the stage, indicating upstage, downstage, stage
left and so on. On the stage or in a designated space, invite one
student to randomly place three or four objects.
Ask the remaining students which object seems the most powerful.
Now try to change the emphasis, making different objects appear more
powerful. Do this by inviting other students to give instructions to
the one on stage e.g. “Move the chair downstage centre”. Play with
this for a while, and then invite four students, one at a time, to
enter the space and make a still image, showing a high status. Each
student that enters should try to “top” the others by somehow assuming
an even higher status. You can ask the group to discuss which areas of
the stage seem to carry more impact. Students can also give
instructions to the still images to move to different areas - using the
correct terminology.
This article first appeared in Teaching Drama, published by Rhinegold
Publishing Ltd (020 7333 1720). © David Farmer 2007.
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