The American Method

and Alternative Performance Traditions

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is NOT an acting class. This course examines twentieth century performance traditions in the United States, studying the history, theory, criticism and practice of acting, directing, stage design and other dimensions of performance. The course begins with a brief introduction to the ideas of two Russians--Constantin Stanislavski and Vsevolod Meyerhold--both of whom had great influence on American ideas about performance. The main focus of the course will be directed on American interpretations of Stanislavski's theory of "Method" acting, tracing its evolution through the Group Theatre, the Actors' Studio, the Neighborhood Playhouse and in other directions. In addition to considering stage practice, we will also think about performance modes in film. As a counterpoint to our focus on the Method and its realist foundations, we will look at alternative theories of acting, directing and design, including those related to expressionism, performance art and the experimental techniques of Joseph Chaikin, Richard Foreman, Robert Wilson and Anne Bogart.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Thoughtful preparation of readings and participation in class discussions are extremely important in this class. Each student will be assigned to a small reading and discussion group that will meet outside of class time for an hour each week. These small groups will do one presentation during the semester. Students will also participate in panel discussions and we will have occasional performance workshops on short scenes. Students will attend films shown outside class time as part of their assignments. Written work will include several one-to-three page prep papers (informal) and two formal papers, one shorter (5-7 pages) and one longer (about 10 pages). Papers are described in a separate "Paper Topics" handout.

ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED. Any student with more than three unexcused absences will automatically receive a lower grade and any student who misses 6 sessions will receive a No Entry.

GRADING: Grading breakdown is as follows:

RESERVE LIST

Feb. 5: Introduction: American Performance in the 19th and early 20th Centuries

Stanislavski, An Actor Prepares: "The First Test," "When Acting Is an Art," "Emotion Memory," "Inner Motive Forces," "The Unbroken Line," "The Super-Objective"

Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard
Discussion of Stanislavski films (See Screening Schedule at end)

Chapters 1 & 3 from Meyerhold: The Art of Conscious Theatre (xerox)
Excerpts from Meyerhold on Theatre (xerox): "The Naturalistic Theatre and the Theatre of Mood," "The Theatre-Studio," "On the Contemporary Theatre," "Biomechanics"

"Theatre on a Wharf," "The Provincetown Players' Experiments with Realism" (xerox)
Suggested Reading: Susan Glaspell, Trifles (1916) (xerox)
Eugene O'Neill, Before Breakfast (1916) (xerox)

"The Vogue of Expressionism in Postwar America" (xerox)
Sophie Treadwell, Machinal (1928) (xerox)
.
Suggested Reading: "Players and Plagiarism: Sophie Treadwell, John Barrymore and 1920s Broadway" (xerox)

Eugene O'Neill, The Emperor Jones (xerox)
Paul Robeson, "Reflections on O'Neill's Plays" (xerox)
"Whose Role Is It, Anyway?: Charles Gilpin and the Harlem Renaissance" (xerox)
.
Suggested Reading: The Theatre of Robert Edmund Jones (on reserve)
Jo Mielziner, Designing for the Theatre (on reserve)

"Black Drama and the Harlem Renaissance" (xerox)
First half of Mule Bone by Hurston and Hughes

Finish Mule Bone, read essays in play book by George Houston Bass, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and scan correspondence between Hurston and Hughes
Suggested Reading: "Staging Hurston's Life and Work" (xerox)
Hurston, "The Characteristics of Negro Expression"
Hughes, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain"
.

Smith: Read Chapters 1 and 3 from Real Life Drama: The Group Theatre (on reserve)
Discussion of film on Group Theatre (see Screening Schedule at end)
.

Smith, Chapters 6 and 7 from Real Life Drama
Odets, Waiting for Lefty

Smith, Chapter 8
Harold Clurman, "The System" and "More Rehearsals" from On Directing (handout)
Robert Brustein, "Harold Clurman and the Group" (xerox)
.
Suggested Reading: Odets, Awake and Sing
Excerpts from Morris Carnofsky, The Actor's Eye (on reserve)

Strasberg, Excerpts from A Dream of Passion: "Beginning of My Voyage," "Stanislavski and the Search . . .," "Discoveries at the Group Theatre"

"Birth of the Actors' Studio" (xerox)
Strasberg, "The Actors' Studio and My Classes" from Dream of Passion
.

"Stanislavski and the Studio: The Method Controversy" (xerox)
Bobby Lewis: "The Method Itself" (xerox)
Tyrone Guthrie, "Is There Madness in the Method?" (xerox)
Discussion of film on Actors' Studio

"Presentation and Representation: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (xerox)
Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955)
Suggested viewing: Kazan's film of Baby Doll (on reserve in A/V)

Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 from Sanford Meisner on Acting
Discussion of Sanford Meisner film

Chapter 5 from Meisner on Acting
Discussion of film on Meisner
Student panel groups on Stella Adler, Herbert Berghof, Uta Hagen

Apr. 16: ARTUAD AND GROTOWSKI: EUROPEAN INFLUENCES
"Antonin Artuad and the Devaluation of the Word" (xerox)
"Primary Explorations" (The Living Theatre and the Open Theatre) (xerox)
Discussion of film of Living Theatre
.
Suggested readings: Antonin Artuad, The Theatre and Its Double (on reserve)
Jerzy Grotowski, Towards a Poor Theatre (on reserve)
.

"The Director and the Group: Grotowski and Chaikin" (xerox)
Discussion of film on Chaikin
.
Suggested reading: Joseph Chaikin, The Presence of the Actor (on reserve)
"The Anti-Director: Peter Brook" (xerox)

"Richard Schechner and the Performance Group" (xerox)
Sam Shepard, The Tooth of Crime (xerox)
Schechner, "Drama, Script, Theatre and Performance" (xerox)
Discussion of film of The Tooth of Crime
.

"Elizabeth LeCompte and the Wooster Group" (xerox)

"Richard Foreman" (xerox)
"Lee Breuer and Mabou Mines" (xerox)

"The New Formalism" (xerox)
Discussion of film of Einstein on the Beach
"Not Either/Or, But And: The Postmodern Theatre of Peter Sellars" (xerox)
Discussion of film on Peter Sellars

Ann Bogart, Viewpoints
David Mamet, True and False, Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor

The following videos are required viewing for the course, and will be shown at Mudd Library. Please try to attend at these times, but if you cannot be there, make arrangements to see the video on your own time before its scheduled discussion in class.

Sunday, Feb. 8: 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Stanislavski films (MUDD 050)

Sunday, March 8: 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. The Group Theatre (MUDD 050)

Tuesday, March 31: 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. The Actors' Studio (MUDD 456)

Sunday, April 5: 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Sanford Meisner: Theatre's Best-Kept Secret (MUDD 050)

Sunday, April 12: 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. The Living Theatre (MUDD 050)

Sunday, April 19: 4:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Joseph Chaikin and the Open Theatre (MUDD 050)

Sunday, April 26: 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. The Tooth of Crime (MUDD 050)

Sunday, May 3: 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Einstein on the Beach (MUDD 050) Peter Sellars

These videos are held in reserve at the A/V center in the library. To see a video, go to A/V Dept. on the fourth floor of the library. Hours are as follows: