Playwright Discovery Award Teacher's Guide - The John F. Kennedy ...
Playwright Discovery Award Teacher's Guide - The John F. Kennedy ... Playwright Discovery Award Teacher's Guide - The John F. Kennedy ...
FOR THE ARTIST’S NOTEBOOK: The Dramaturg’s Best Tool: The Open Question An Open Question raises an idea or observation in a way that avoids telling the writer how to solve the problem. An Open Question also avoids telling the creator how you, the dramaturg or director or actor, would like to solve the problem. An Open Question leads to a discussion where the writer explores options and discovers answers. A Closed Question Does Michael need to look for a stuffed animal? This question more than implies to the writer that the stuffed animal is not the ideal choice and that Michael should do something other than look for it. A Closed Question like this doesn’t help the writer to develop the character or story outline. An Open Question What does the stuffed animal mean to Michael? This question asks the writer to tell us about the relationship between Michael and his toy. This questions makes way for a conversation and for the writer to discover things about the story or character. Some Important Open Questions: • Why is this day (or night) different from any other day (or night)? As the writer describes what sets this day (or night) apart, the dramaturg listens for details that help identify the inciting incident and other truths about the play’s world that are missing or aren’t as prominent as they could be. • What is this character afraid of? How does this fear affect the journey? As the writer speaks, listen for details and descriptions that can become dramatic secrets or feed minor crisis moments or the major conflict. • What do we need to know to get from point A to point B? This question helps the writer explore how time passes in the play and how an audience learns information. All too often characters know things, but the audience doesn’t. Keeping the audience in the dark can help with the story’s mystery or it can just frustrate everyone. A dramaturg helps a writer strike a balance between knowing too much and not knowing enough. 44 ACT III: DRAMATURGY
FOR THE ARTIST’S NOTEBOOK: The Dramaturg’s Second-Best Tool: Listening Well The second part of asking an Open Question is listening well, which means listening to what’s said, not for the answer one wants to hear. • Listen for words the artist uses but the characters do not. Sometimes the writer describes characters out loud one way and sets them on paper another way. A writer may describe a self-important character by adopting a different vocal pattern and repeating the word “fabulous” every fourth word. A dramaturg can help a writer notice that the dialogue isn’t written in dialect and the word “fabulous” never appears in the script. For example, the revised version: SUZIE’S MOTHER Suzie, dahhling. Thahht’s fabulous! As the writer describes what she or he would like to see happen in the play or scene, think about where the writer can add these details. • Listen for what drives the artist to pursue this project, the passion. • Listen for what excites the writer about the story. Passion, if nothing else, keeps the journey going when times get rough and the rewriting process seems long. For example, in the original draft: Oh, Suzie. SUZIE’S MOTHER • Listen for places where the writer can be more specific. ACT III: DRAMATURGY 45
- Page 1 and 2: vsa Playwright Discovery Resource G
- Page 3 and 4: vsa Playwright Discovery Resource G
- Page 5 and 6: PROLOGUE The Changeling by Paul Bau
- Page 7 and 8: A goal of this guide and project is
- Page 9 and 10: 3/4 of a Mass for St. Vivian by Pho
- Page 11 and 12: ACT I PREPARATION: Exploring Disabi
- Page 13 and 14: heats up quickly. Isn’t it much m
- Page 15 and 16: Discussion Questions 1. What charac
- Page 17 and 18: presented for entertainment. Instea
- Page 19 and 20: ACT II PLAYWRITING: Igniting the Im
- Page 21 and 22: FOR THE ARTIST’S NOTEBOOK: The Bu
- Page 23 and 24: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 1 continued PA
- Page 25 and 26: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 2 continued Wh
- Page 27 and 28: Creating Narrative and Dramatic Act
- Page 29 and 30: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 3 continued Po
- Page 31 and 32: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 3 continued PA
- Page 33 and 34: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 4 : Changing t
- Page 35 and 36: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 4 continued PA
- Page 37 and 38: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 5 : Putting Wo
- Page 39 and 40: PLAYWRITING EXERCISE 5 continued DI
- Page 41 and 42: ACT III DRAMATURGY: Shaping What Yo
- Page 43 and 44: FOR THE ARTIST’S NOTEBOOK: The El
- Page 45: DRAMATURGY EXERCISE 1 continued PAR
- Page 49 and 50: DRAMATURGY EXERCISE 2 continued PAR
- Page 51 and 52: DRAMATURGY EXERCISE 3 : The March o
- Page 53 and 54: DRAMATURGY EXERCISE 4 : What Are th
- Page 55 and 56: DRAMATURGY EXERCISE 4 continued In
- Page 57 and 58: ACT IV PRESENTATION: Sharing Your W
- Page 59 and 60: ACT I Scene 1 1 A Classroom. Upstag
- Page 61 and 62: ACT V ASSESSMENT: Discover Your New
- Page 63 and 64: Discovery Assessment NAME (optional
- Page 65 and 66: 9. Define what it means for a scene
- Page 67: 19. Name at least three writers or
- Page 70 and 71: EPILOGUE Plays submitted to the VSA
- Page 72 and 73: VSA Rating System continued 4. CRIT
- Page 74 and 75: Contributors Lenora Inez Brown | Pr
- Page 76: VSA, the international organization
FOR THE ARTIST’S NOTEBOOK:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dramaturg’s Best Tool:<br />
<strong>The</strong> Open Question<br />
An Open Question raises an idea or<br />
observation in a way that avoids telling<br />
the writer how to solve the problem. An<br />
Open Question also avoids telling the creator<br />
how you, the dramaturg or director or actor,<br />
would like to solve the problem. An Open<br />
Question leads to a discussion where the writer<br />
explores options and discovers answers.<br />
A Closed Question<br />
Does Michael need to look for a stuffed<br />
animal?<br />
This question more than implies to the writer<br />
that the stuffed animal is not the ideal choice<br />
and that Michael should do something<br />
other than look for it. A Closed Question like<br />
this doesn’t help the writer to develop the<br />
character or story outline.<br />
An Open Question<br />
What does the stuffed animal mean to<br />
Michael?<br />
This question asks the writer to tell us about<br />
the relationship between Michael and his toy.<br />
This questions makes way for a conversation<br />
and for the writer to discover things about the<br />
story or character.<br />
Some Important Open Questions:<br />
• Why is this day (or night) different from any<br />
other day (or night)?<br />
As the writer describes what sets this day (or<br />
night) apart, the dramaturg listens for details<br />
that help identify the inciting incident and other<br />
truths about the play’s world that are missing<br />
or aren’t as prominent as they could be.<br />
• What is this character afraid of? How does<br />
this fear affect the journey?<br />
As the writer speaks, listen for details and<br />
descriptions that can become dramatic secrets<br />
or feed minor crisis moments or the major<br />
conflict.<br />
• What do we need to know to get from point<br />
A to point B?<br />
This question helps the writer explore how time<br />
passes in the play and how an audience learns<br />
information. All too often characters know<br />
things, but the audience doesn’t. Keeping the<br />
audience in the dark can help with the story’s<br />
mystery or it can just frustrate everyone. A<br />
dramaturg helps a writer strike a balance<br />
between knowing too much and not knowing<br />
enough.<br />
44 ACT III: DRAMATURGY
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