Conventions of Acting
“The Actor only quotes a character… he never forgets nor does he allow anyone to forget that he is not the one whose action is being demonstrated, but the one who demonstrates it. And he must never forget that he is performing to an audience, that he is telling the public things through his role.” Brecht
Multiple roles: actors played multiple roles throughout a production. This was to remind the audience that the characters were only personas portrayed by actors, thus encouraging the audience to not get emotionally involved in the production.
Demonstration of role: actors weren’t fully engaged in their characters, instead they ‘demonstrated’ their characters with a sense of detachment.
Narration: actors served as narrators, demonstrating actions and events that assisted in the audience’s understanding of the situation.
Direct address: actors spoke directly to the audience, thus breaking the fourth wall. They did this in order to provide analysis of situations on stage, to provoke argument and reflection, and additionally to prevent the audience from getting emotionally involved.
Gestus: a theatrical technique that is the combination of a gesture and a social meaning in a singular movement, stance or vocal display. It is used to convey the thematic ideas significant to the play or the particular scene, as well as denoted a character’s social attitude and relationships with others.
Movement: the physicality of actors was very stylized and emotionally detached.
Voice: actors had to be vocally flexible as productions often involved singing, chanting, the creation of mechanical and non-verbal soundscapes, as well as a range of dialects and class accents.
Song and music: not used to heighten the emotion of the scene, but instead highlight the didactic message being communicated throughout the drama. The music was used to provoke thought, dispel illusion and drive out emotion.The musicians were often clearly visible by the audience to further emphasise that the performance was purely drama.
Masks and puppetry: used throughout performances as symbols for people and ideas.
The Verfremdungseffekt (V-effect): the effect that makes things seem strange or different. The term refers to the use of various devices to make things appear in a new light, so we consider them with intellectual objectivity, robbed of their conventional outward appearance.
Demonstration of role: actors weren’t fully engaged in their characters, instead they ‘demonstrated’ their characters with a sense of detachment.
Narration: actors served as narrators, demonstrating actions and events that assisted in the audience’s understanding of the situation.
Direct address: actors spoke directly to the audience, thus breaking the fourth wall. They did this in order to provide analysis of situations on stage, to provoke argument and reflection, and additionally to prevent the audience from getting emotionally involved.
Gestus: a theatrical technique that is the combination of a gesture and a social meaning in a singular movement, stance or vocal display. It is used to convey the thematic ideas significant to the play or the particular scene, as well as denoted a character’s social attitude and relationships with others.
Movement: the physicality of actors was very stylized and emotionally detached.
Voice: actors had to be vocally flexible as productions often involved singing, chanting, the creation of mechanical and non-verbal soundscapes, as well as a range of dialects and class accents.
Song and music: not used to heighten the emotion of the scene, but instead highlight the didactic message being communicated throughout the drama. The music was used to provoke thought, dispel illusion and drive out emotion.The musicians were often clearly visible by the audience to further emphasise that the performance was purely drama.
Masks and puppetry: used throughout performances as symbols for people and ideas.
The Verfremdungseffekt (V-effect): the effect that makes things seem strange or different. The term refers to the use of various devices to make things appear in a new light, so we consider them with intellectual objectivity, robbed of their conventional outward appearance.
Stagecraft Conventions
Costume: not individually identifiable (stereotypical) and often incomplete or fragmentary (e.g. just using a tie and briefcase to represent a business man). Furthermore costume also served the function of denoting the character’s role in society, and subsequently their wealth and class.
Sets: often non-existent or fragmentary with only partial sets or singular objects being on stage. However, sometimes the sets were industrial due to the influence of Meyerhold’s constructivist set design.
Makeup: makeup was theatrical and used to convey themes and ideas as well as depict a character’s social role in the play.
Signs: signs and placards were used to show the audience information significant to the performance
Lighting: only open white lighting was used, as colour would generate an emotional response from the audience. Lighting instruments were in full view of the audience to help remind the audience that they were watching a play.Effects of colour and dimming weren’t allowed.
Sets: often non-existent or fragmentary with only partial sets or singular objects being on stage. However, sometimes the sets were industrial due to the influence of Meyerhold’s constructivist set design.
Makeup: makeup was theatrical and used to convey themes and ideas as well as depict a character’s social role in the play.
Signs: signs and placards were used to show the audience information significant to the performance
Lighting: only open white lighting was used, as colour would generate an emotional response from the audience. Lighting instruments were in full view of the audience to help remind the audience that they were watching a play.Effects of colour and dimming weren’t allowed.