This is a first draft of a philosophy of theater, written in preparation for the launching of a theater club at my school (SACA).
Ms. Card
Introduction
Theater is a sort of many-headed beast, the Greeks’ hydra perhaps. It consists of diverse pieces that come together to create a unified whole. Construction, painting, music, words, voice, physical movement, and poetry all unite within the confines of the stage. This inherent complexity causes theater, and specifically student theater, to be susceptible to several pitfalls. Some of these include a complexity of production design which does not match amateur student talents and a disregard for the necessity of developing students’ basic theatre skills. The purpose of this document is to set forth a simple philosophy of student theatre to provide vision for future productions, as well as to avoid common mistakes.
What is theater?
A theater production is the incarnation (the making flesh) of a text at a particular time within a specific community. It takes into account the people producing it, their ideas, passions, and talents and the unique needs of the audience viewing it.
Theater, like man himself, is both lofty and earthy. It is the thing wherein Hamlet will “catch the conscience of the king,” and yet it reminds us, often in the next scene, that human beings have a hilarious tendency to slip on banana peels. This dual quality of theater must be kept in mind both throughout the preparation for a show and its performance.
Theater’s purposes are manifold, but can be summarized as the attempt to know more deeply man, creation, and God. Aristotle and Shakespeare write of a play as a mirror or imitation by which we see both our selves as bodies and souls, and the orderliness of the cosmos. On the stage we see the beginning and end a man and of a nation.
Like any other art form, theatre is also simply something to mess about in. It is a place for people to get their hands dirty playing with words, paints, and funny faces.
Why do we do theater at SACA?
First, we believe that theatre, like all the works of our hands, is to be done to the glory of God. When we produce something beautiful, a thing carefully crafted, it reflects the beauty of our Creator. Second, theater provides students with a unique context to study classical texts, learn a variety of artistic, physical, and practical skills, as well as enjoy learning together in a small community. Third, theater broadens students’ conceptions of what is fun and entertaining.
Principles for Theater at SACA
Text Based
SACA theater will emphasize the text as the basis of a theatrical production. The study and discussion of scripts/texts will be a primary part of our preparation for a production. Plays preformed at SACA will be limited to texts which we study (or would consider studying) in our daily curriculum. This will prevent us from spending significant time studying poor quality literature.
Skills Instruction
All students will study the basic skills required in all areas of a theatrical production. Even students not cast in a production will study the basic skills of acting (controlling expressions, physical movements, vocal intonation, characterization, etc.). In addition, students will practice the skills associated with play production (designing sets, creating costumes, blocking a scene, etc.). As is common throughout classical education, the fundamental skills and building blocks of each discipline will be taught and practiced before more complexity is introduced.
Simplicity
Simplicity of production will be a guiding principle in SACA theater. This will focus our efforts toward basic skills rather finishing touches. This does not mean that student theatre will be set and costume-less, but rather that the sets, costumes, and concepts should be simple, suited to the amateur level of theater that is being explored.
Student Driven
The majority of the production work, including that of set and costume design and construction will be completed by students. This, again, reminds us that theatre is not meant to be flashy and slick, but carefully thought out and constructed. Parents will be encouraged and welcomed in this process, as long as it remains student driven.
Ensemble/ Amateur Spirit
SACA theatre will produce plays in the long tradition of amateur theater clubs, where all members of a club are encouraged to take ownership of the entire play. All students will read and discuss the text being preformed, as well as be involved in acting exercises and production choices. All members of a theater club are important to the production of a play.
