PART TWO of this Directing the High School Play series will focus on Script Analysis. In the beginning, before the actors and the stage and the blocking and the lights and the sound and of course the audience, the director is alone with the play.

THE ONE WHO KNOWS

The script is chosen! Whats Next? All forms of plays, from the lighthearted comedy to modern absurdity and traditional classics, benefit from some level of analysis. It can help even if you feel like you’re strictly a rehearsal director. Because, in the high school play, the director has to be ‘the one who knows’. That’s really what I mean by analysis: becoming the one who ‘knows’ the script inside out and the other way around. In the professional world there are playwrights to investigate, there are motivated actors who study their characters, there are stage managers to list the props.

Most of the time, all of those jobs need to be taken care of by the high school principal. And even if he is in a position to make the students deal with things, or if it is part of their class work, he will still have to push them, be the adviser, remain the ‘one in the know’. You have to know what the students are trying to accomplish. If some of the work has taken place before rehearsals begin, all the better.

For me, script analysis is always a good starting point. If I don’t have a clear vision for the production, studying the script opens many creative doors. When I review a script, I look for something that will enhance the experience for everyone involved. Something that will help create a theatrical world.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE SCRIPT

Character details: What are the details of the characters in the script? What questions should students be able to answer about their characters? What does each character want? You get it? What changes happen in the characters? How do they sound? What is your background? Is character detail plentiful or sparse?

Story Details: What are the main plot points? Is the story logical or absurd? Are there plot holes? Are there moments in the play that are mentioned but not dramatized?

The structure: What does the structure say about the work? For example: repeated dialogue, unusual choice of words, change of time. Is the structure trying to make a point? Does it reflect a certain genre, time period, or location? Are there words that can be mispronounced or misunderstood?

The conflict: What is the main conflict? How does each character react to the conflict?

Topics: Are they obvious? Subtle? More than one? Defining the themes will help you shape your vision for the work. How will themes influence blocking patterns? Can you create images that demonstrate the themes? Is there a recurring symbol?

Photos: What images come to mind when you read the play? What images can you create? Plays are more than just words, they are about the images you can plant in the minds of the audience, the physical action of the characters. Is there a dominant color or texture?

The crux of the matter: A list of props, sets, and costumes specifically mentioned in the script. What is absolutely necessary for the show?

Research: If there is a specific time period, a specific historical event, specific pop culture references, all of these things need to be researched. It will reflect acting options, design options, directing options.

The big ones: What is the big problem you are trying to solve? What is the biggest action in history? What is the biggest action of each character? What is the climax? The highest point? The low point?

A LITTLE DISCUSSION OF BEATS

Depending on the type of director you are, your script analysis may include defining the ‘beats’ in every scene. Some directors are very specific when it comes to outlining the rhythms, others not so much.

In my very limited high school theater experience as a teenager, I never heard of ‘the beat.’ No director had that discussion with me. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that in my limited college theater experience I didn’t hear about ‘beats’ until my directing course. Although little by little I became aware of them, as a director I have always focused on other elements.

Is it necessary to mark the times? Do students need to know about them? This depends on your own experiences as a principal and the backgrounds of the students. If they’ve never heard of timing and you start down that road, it won’t end well. It’s easy to get confused. Because the interpretation of each script may be different, the rhythms may differ. I think similarly about iambic pentameter: it’s something that can absolutely help, but it can also be a hindrance to the process.

You can of course introduce students to something new, it can be part of learning about your students’ theatrical background and their goals for the production. Maybe you discuss the rhythms of a scene. If they’ve never done it before, they certainly shouldn’t do it alone.

a beat is: A single moment in the dramatic action of a scene. That means the actor must take into account not only the physical action (the character walks across the stage to pick up the phone), but also the character action (what the character does to get what they want in the scene) and the emotional action. (what emotions are at stake) Look, it can get complicated! A rhythm has a beginning, a middle, and an end; it can be very short with just a couple of lines of dialogue, or it can span the entire scene.

How do I know when the beat has finished? The rhythm ends when there is a change in the action (for example, the characters change the subject, someone enters or leaves, a problem is solved, a new problem begins, a change of emotion).

How long are the scenes? There is no set answer. Every time there is a change, there is a new rhythm.

Because they are important? It is important for directors and actors to be on the same page when it comes to the rhythm and rhythm of a scene and the play as a whole. Marking times helps to define the climax, and to know the action of each act, of each scene, of each moment.

How do I mark the times in the script? Slashes, brackets, stars – whatever works for you. Just be consistent.

PART THREE in this series about Directing the High School Play will focus on vision. How do you use a vision to your best advantage in High School production?