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Script Analysis Basics for Students: Search … Search

Understanding the Play, Part One
 Posted on November 26, 2013  by Paul Mroczka
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Formalist script analysis for production is an important
skill for directors, designers, and actors to master.
Although each approaches analysis a little differently, Categories
there are foundation elements that everyone in the theatre
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shares when it comes to analyzing a script for production.
In this article, we’ll consider how formal script analysis Auditioning
works and its use for those headed into production. Broadway Show Themes and Issues

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Daniel Craig, 
Rachel Weisz
 and Rafe College and Higher Ed

Spall rehearse the recent successful Community Theatre
Broadway revival of Betrayal by Harold
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Pinter.
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What’s Formalist Script Analysis?
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The term “formalist script analysis” may sound inert, highbrow, or simply boring. But it’s anything
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but that. A formalist analysis is uses standard categories in its approach, such as given
circumstances, background story, character, external action, etc., and focuses on the text in an General Topics
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attempt to understand the play. Although research is involved, the central focus is on the script and
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the person performing the analysis attempts to distill the essence of the play through careful
analysis of about 10 different categories of information. Marketing

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Script analysis is the major tool directors and others use in
the theatre to turn a written script into the three- Musical Theatre
dimensional production. Point of fact, although plays are Playwriting
written and may be read silently, we don’t go to the
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theatre, buy a script and sit in a seat reading the thing. We
go to the theatre to see a play or musical jump off the Professional
paper and entertain us through what is the most
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artistically all-inclusive and closest to life art form you can
find, the living theatre or a theatrical production. In Q&A
essence, script analysis is the tool that allows an artist to Going from the page to stage.
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interpret the various words the writer has given them and,
ultimately, to transform them into live action. It is that which allows for the transformation from Script Analysis

page to stage. Secondary Education

Can’t I Just Read the Play? Smart Board

Study Guides
The answer to the above question is, “Yes, you may just read
the play,” but in order to get yourself ready for production, Sustainability
you’re going to have to read it many times in order to
Teaching Tips
understand how all of the elements function independently
and then how they all work together. Formalist script The Value of Theatre
analysis is a powerful tool that allows you to go beyond basic Theatre Analysis/Criticism
understanding of a script and to a place where you can, as a
director, orchestrate an entire production, guiding everyone Theatre Artists and Education

to a successful opening night. Directing a show calls for the Theatre Careers
ability to communicate highly complex information in a
Director Mike Nicholas, who has 10 fairly simple to a lot of people and it also requires that Theatre History

Tonys for directing, once again actors, designers, technicians, stage managers, publicity Theatre History
revealed his ability to bring insight to managers, and others share ideas, concepts, and
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a production with Betrayal.
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 information about the script in a precise and concise manner. The more you know about a script, the
HOME EXERCISES DISCIPLINE STUDY GUIDES EDUCATION LEVEL EXPERIENCES ABOUT Themes and Issues
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better you’ll be able to do this.
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How it Works
In Part Two of this four-part series focusing on formalist script analysis, we’ll look at plot and
examine techniques useful in understanding how it works. In other parts of this series, we will Recent Posts
examine character and dialogue in Part Three and tempo, rhythm, mood, and style of the play in the
Imagination and Beyond the Curtain
final section.
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 Posted in Acting, College and Higher Ed, Community Theatre, Design & Technology, Musical Lighting the Stage When Using
Theatre, Playwriting, Professional, Resources, Secondary Education, Theatre Analysis/Criticism, Projections
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 Tagged Script Analysis
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← Script Analysis Basics for Students: Understanding the Play and Plot, Part Two The Basics of Lighting Design

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