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A PRACTICAL COURSE IN DOCUMENTARY THEATRE
By

Daniel Roth

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Theatre

2008

ABSTRACT
A PRACTICAL COURSE IN DOCUMENTARY THEATRE
By

Daniel Roth

The lack of a guide to teaching a practical course in documentary theatre has lefi
university instructors with a difficult task when attempting to design a course on their
own. Although more literature has been created and unearthed in recent years, including
the publishing of several important works on the history and semiotics of documentary
theatre, as well as many play scripts, the question of how to assemble a documentary play
remains difficult to answer. The purpose of this guide is to assist the instructor in

creating and facilitating a practical university course in documentary theatre.

Cepyfight By
DANIEL ROTH

2008

ACKNOLEDGEMENTS

This thesis would not have been successfirlly completed without the assistance of the

following persons: Kirk Domer, Rob Roznowski and Dr. Georg Schuttler Of Michigan

State University; Dr. Mary Pratt Cooney and Dr. Linda Roth of Wayne State University.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER ONE
What is Documentary Theatre? ............................................................ 4
Why Produce Documentary Theatre: “An Active and Immediate Theatre”... .. ....7
Documentary Theatre in the University ................................................... 8
CHAPTER TWO
PREPRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 1
Select a Topic. . ...................................................................................................... 1 1
The Big Who ................................................................................ 13
Assignment for Students: Media Dragnet ............................................... 15
Theory and Experimentation for the Students .......................................... 16
Exercise 1: Interview a Friend ................................................... 18
Exercise 2: Physical Only Interview ............................................ 19
Exercise 3: Interview a Professional ............................................ 20
On to Production ........................................................................... 20
CHAPTER THREE
PRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 21
There is Method to the Madness ......................................................... 21
Method for the Students: Five Roles .................................................... 23
ROLE ONE: JOURNALIST .............................................................. 25
Contacting the Interviewee ...................................................... 26
Journalism 10] ..................................................................... 27
Special Note About Equipment ................................................. 29
What Questions Are Good Questions? ...................................................... 3O
Interviewing Behaviors to Instill ................................................ 32
ROLE TWO: EDITOR ..................................................................... 34
The Watchful Eye ................................................................. 34
Editorial Review ................................................................... 35
Editor to Writer Transition ....................................................... 36
ROLE THREE: PLAYWRIGHT ......................................................... 37
Dramatic Structure and Tips ..................................................... 38
Dramatic Structure Exercises“ . . . . . . ,. ........................................... 39
Getting Down To It.. ........ . .................................................... 40
Collaborate ......................................................................... 41

Special Note to the Instructor ................................................... 42

ROLE FOUR: DIRECTOR ............................................................... 43
A New Discussion ................................................................. 43
The Partner’s Direction ........................................................... 44
Helping the Actor Create ......................................................... 46
The Opening, the Closing and the Transitions ................................. 48
Sets and Props ..................................................................... 49
Publicity Notice ................................................................... 51
ROLE FIVE: ACTOR-MANAGER ..................................................... 53
Stage Managing ................................................................... 53
Acting in Performance ............................................................ 55
Break a Leg ........................................................................ 56
CHAPTER FOUR
POSTPRODUCTION .............................................................................. 57
The Script Itself ............................................................................. 58
Assessing Success .......................................................................... 59
APPENDICES ....................................................................................... 61
Timeline for the Teacher ................................................................... 61
Audio/Video Release Statement .......................................................... 71
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................... 72

vi

INTRODUCTION

The lack of a guide to teaching a practical course in documentary theatre has left
university instructors with a difficult task when attempting to design a course on their
own. Although more literature has been created and unearthed in recent years, including
the publishing of several important works on the history and semiotics of documentary
theatre, as well as many play scripts, the question of how to assemble a documentary play
remains difficult to answer. The purpose of this guide is to assist the instructor in

creating and facilitating a practical university course in documentary theatre.

Though the number of documentary plays produced has increased in past decades, there
is currently little published to guide the instructor of documentary theatre. This could be
so for several reasons. First, documentary theatre plays have been created and staged in
far less number than traditional dramas, leaving less need for a guide, though the numbers
are now growing. Documentary theatre’s close connection to themes of political and
social unrest also saddles it with an air of controversy. With topics as challenging and
varied as riots in Los Angeles and women’s first-hand perspectives on their private parts,
documentary theatre has the ability to reflect social problems and create controversy in a
society that often remains silent on pressing issues. In addition, the subject material for
many Of the great documentary plays is so provincial that they remain tied to one theatre
company or location and remain of little interest to other theatres. An example of this is
Gillette Elvgren and Attilio F avorini’s excellent play about Pittsburgh, Steel/Cig', which

finds little interest in reproduction while remaining an important work of the

documentary theatre. The academic study of documentary theatre has recently become a
topic of interest for many scholars, and as this evolves, more published texts about the

topic may come.

The design of this course will differ from the traditional organization of classes in the
theatre curriculum given its goal of creating a new play within the structure of a
university class. This course will involve providing instruction and practice in acting,
writing and directing and will also address elements of journalism and history. The class
created from this guide will give the student practical experience in documentary theatre
production and will result in every student having experience in creating a documentary
theatre performance for the public. Since this process has many components, grading can
be based on the student’s participation in each section, as well as on their contribution to
the collaboration and their creativity; thus a student’s final performance can serve as a

final examination.

The logistics and planning for a course as large in scope as this can seem daunting, but
the experience Of engaging students in the community can yield a highly rewarding
experience for each person involved. Throughout the process of gathering information,
editing, writing and gearing up for performance, the project will continually evolve into
something which truly can reflect the current mood and emotions of a local area. This
project can easily excite students towards the prospect of creating theatre on their own
terms, a theatre that closely reflects the world they live in. An important notion to keep in

mind throughout the process of creating a documentary theatre play is that as much

archival information should be saved as possible in order to document and preserve the

history and stories collected for the community and great world.

In addition to the instructor and the students of this course, there will also be the need for
technical personnel to help with the final production. Requesting assistance from a
technical director, technical theatre student or theatre manager for this production early
on will help when the time comes to put up the new play later in the semester. A
technical director or theatre manager will also be able to help procure resources and
people in order to make the fully-realized version of this production happen. Engaging
such professionals early on will prevent the surprise of such a request later, also making

sure that possible allocations of budget and instruments are made for the final production.

This guide provides a systematic format to follow in designing and implementing a
course on documentary theatre. With a good topic, a handful of students, and fair amount
of theatrical expertise, an instructor without previous specific documentary theatre
experience can facilitate the creation a product of which the instructor, students, and

community can be proud.

CHAPTER ONE

“The whole play gives an accurate but emotive picture of life. .. It is propaganda of a
kind, but propaganda that works not by bullying and terrorizing but by evoking sympathy
and understanding.”2

-Peter Cheeseman, The Fight for Shelton Bar

Throughout its history, documentary theatre has been known by many names. What we
now know as documentary theatre has been shaped by the artists and technicians who
have created it. Like most art, documentary theatre has come to being through the need
for its type of expression, only being defined later by its records and creative principles.
This chapter will give a working definition for documentary theatre and reasoning for its

place in our creative culture, as well as its place in the university.

What is Documentary Theatre?

Documentary theatre is a form of theatre whose texts are created fi'orn interviews, news
reports and other “factual” reference material. Also called community-based theatre,
theatre of fact, or theatre of testimony, some trace the origins of this genre to the Greek
epic poets’ recanting of the great battles of their time. The major recent advancements in
the form came during the early twentieth century in Germany with such artists as Bertolt
Brecht and Erwin Piscator, and in America within the Federal Theatre Project. “It was

Piscator, more than any other playwright or stage director, who took current events and

made them come face-tO-face with the public in the most direct of manners, using
primary source documentation.”3 These theatre directors and playwrights wanted to find
a way to hold a theatrical mirror to the real world in order to show people the horrible

truths of their times. Documentary theatre served as this mirror.

The restriction that is placed on the scripts for documentary theatre creates a unique
challenge in comparison to the traditional forms of theatre where a script is written under
the author’s aegis. Documentary theatre has in its foundations a commitment to accuracy
in its sources, as they are to be delivered and received as primary and factual, which leads
its writers to have more in common with the journalist than the playwright at times.
Certain aspects of traditional playwriting, such as plot, conflict, character, and dialogue
certainly do apply, however, and should be upheld and not forgotten in this process; this

also includes dramatic structure and style.

At once, documentary theatre can be both included in the dramatic canon and dismissed
by it. Documentary theatre qualifies as drama because of its essence as a play to be
performed. Documentary plays relate to Aristotelian concepts of drama by following
similar purposes, these being to entertain and to educate". Finally, the use of dramatic

structure and style is often undistinguishable between the two.

The problem with categorizing documentary theatre solely with all other forms of theatre
lies in its lack of adherence to staunch principles regarding the difference between fiction

and non-fiction. In his definitive book on the subject, Documentary Theatre in the

United States5, Richard Dawson forms a unity of three attributes for documentary theatre,
in order to help classify them while excluding those that are not documentary theatre.

These attributes, or principles, are as follows:

0 The Principle of Factual Authenticity- Keeping a strict adherence to the truth.

0 The Unity of Primary Sources- Using first hand, primary information, regarding
the event or topic.

0 The Unity of Piscatorian Stage Devices- Using media from the outside world (i.e.

newspapers, photographs, radio broadcasts) in creating the world of the play.
Dawson goes on to explain this categorization:

“Each of these unities in some combination, I believe, provides a test for attributes of
documentary theatre. Also, an analysis of these unities helps to locate a play within the
genre itself. As in Neoclassicism where an ideal was selected on the basis of particular

constituencies, so too in the New Realism of documentary theatre does there exist
common elements, connecting links, that represent an ideal. By revealing these unities of
composition not only can the patterns of history in the content, form, and stagecraft be
identified, but also can the level of expectation in the fame called documentary theatre be
raised because the rules that govern it are made clear.”

In other words, Dawson signifies the difference of documentary theatre from traditional
theatre by its adherence to truthful retellings, the primacy of the play’s textual sources
and the use of actual media from society. Thus, by judging each piece by how much it
uses these conventions, the types of documentary theatre can be classified by comparison.

A play that uses interview transcripts as its text adheres directly to the second principle

but may be less accurate in retelling the facts of certain events and may not use media or

records at all. A play that draws its text from courtroom proceedings adheres mostly to
the third principle, but also draws directly from primary sources and remains truthful to
the record of the trial. Dawson’s great gift to the documentary theatre is giving it some

definition, separating it from the canon, and celebrating its parts.

Why Produce Documentary Theatre: “An Active and Immediate Theatre”

The subtitle of this section comes fi'om a conversation I had with Mary Pratt Cooney of
Wayne State University about what options there are for documentary theatre in a
university setting. She very passionately stated, “The most important thing for theatre

”6 and throughout the conversation we

now is to have an active and immediate theatre,
both became convinced that documentary theatre could create theatre with the audience,
rather than for them. Taking issues and stories from the audience themselves would
create a sense of active engagement that the audience could take with them and use to
reflect on their life and/or work. In Peter Brook’s The Empty Smce, the process of
creating an active audience is described with passionate sentiment. He states, “If the
actor can catch the spectator’s interest, thus lower his defenses and then coax the
spectator to an unexpected position or an awareness of a clash of opposing beliefs, of

”7 This audience awakening

absolute contradictions, the audience becomes more active.
often happens when the mirror is held in front of them like in docmnentary theatre; they
see themselves in contrast and compliment with their community and become more

connected.

This fantastic mission, to create an active and immediate theatre, has inspired the creation
of documentary theatre for many of its practitioners. The writer and director Edwin
Piscator experimented in Germany during the first half of the twentieth century,
designing techniques in order to express political views and descent. Piscator explains
his theatre’s guiding principles as such, “Its purpose should be to teach us-of human
relation, human behavior, human capacities.”8 His Total Theatre used multiple medias,
including music, film, and visual arts, to create an invasive and challenging experience
for his audience. Film clips and images from the local culture all supported his scripts,
the words for which had been taken from real life, in court trials and newspapers. He
used the immediate reality of his society in his productions to affect his fellow Germans,

foster discussion, and inspire change.

Documentary Theatre in the University

Piscator is an example of someone who could not work solely within the traditional forms
of theatre. His need for expression took him outside of already—established mediums and
pushed him to create a new method, a new way. The student who studies this form of
theatre can benefit from it in many of the same ways. As often is the case, it is hard for a
young actor to take ownership of the role of a Shakespearean king or upper-west-side art
collector. Documentary theatre often puts the actor in touch with their character face-to-
face through the words and sounds of the real life subject. This allows the actor to use

the immediate reality in how he or She will embody this persona. A practical class in

documentary theatre will expand students’ ability to create and invigorate the connection
they have with their art by personalizing it and giving their character, an ofien-abstract
concept, a face. This connection can also apply to the instructor, the theatre department,

and the university as a whole.

By creating a play that reflects the local community, the university theatre can justify its
existence as a place for advancing thought and not just a source of entertainment. The
process of creating a documentary play will, in most cases, breach the gap between the
university and its surrounding community. Depending on the topic chosen and the
availability of external and internal support, documentary theatre’s way of reaching out
and engaging the community can create the basis for grants and secondary sources of
funding. Creating a new documentary play, unless it is about the theatre itself, is always
a multidisciplinary process, creating communication between often-divided groups within
the university and the outside world. A play about the effect of cancer in the community
would involve the theatre department, hospitals, medical schools, psychologists, patients,
families and community groups for example, creating communication where there has
been little of its type. Through this unique form of creating communication, the students,

the community, and the university all stand to gain greatly.

The resulting research and records fiom taking part in this process can also be archived
and used by future researchers, creating a deeper emotional understanding of topics that

often appear as cold facts of written record. A proper plan for assessment, including

surveying the students and audiences involved in this process, can help to recognize what

has been accomplished by the work done during this process.

10

CHAPTER TWO

Preproduction:

The preproduction section of this guide will provide a description of the necessary work
to be done by the teacher to prepare for the class, as well as work that will be done in
class with the students in order to prepare them for task of making a documentary play.
Selecting a topic for the class and forging community contacts in reference to that topic
should be done prior to the students’ first day, as this will eliminate the possibility of not
having the right topic or enough contacts for each student. Reading documentary plays
and performing exercises which push the boundaries of the student’s definitions of
theatre will create the proper prior experience for the student to begin working in the

documentary form.

Select a Topic
“There are moments in history when a particular event brings various ideologies and
beliefs prevailing in culture into sharp focus. By paying attention in moments like this to
people’s words, one is able to hear the way the prevailing ideas affect not only individual
lives but also the culture at large”9

- Moises Kaufman, The Laramie Project

Most important in beginning this process is selecting a topic that will keep you and your

students interested for the length of the semester. The topic selected should be broad

11

enough to encompass several points of view or opinions, involving many people in the
community. There are many questions to think about while brainstorming. A good
place to start is, “What is an important issue in my area?” A Hawaiian university student
will not be interested in the impacts of automobile manufacturing on the economy, as
likewise a Michigan student wouldn’t be as invested in the premature deaths of local
surfers. Start by reading local newspapers and saving clippings of stories that have direct
ties to the community. In addition, a potential resource for finding a hot topic is to go out
and talk to people or community groups fiom the area. Questions about the biggest
events in the area or the area’s biggest scandals will undoubtedly get a local talking for
more time than needed. The most important element in choosing a topic is making sure
that it be relevant in the future, as this will be a semester-long project, and will perhaps

be used for years to come.

Here a list of sample of topics which can be applied to many communities of various
locations:

0 The AIDS Crisis

0 Gun Control

0 Violence in Schools

0 Nature Conservation

0 Local Landmarks and History

0 War’s Local Impact

0 The Importance of Voting

12

Once the topic has been selected the instructor can began to research significant
organizations and persons within the community that will used as subject material for the
production. The best ways to go about this is to contact local groups and associations
which have a connection to the topic. These include unions, community activism groups,
and other representational authorities. The university is probably well connected in some
manner with the topic through various departments. Start a conversation with librarians
and professors in areas related to the topic. If possible try to involve other departments in

the project; this will be furthering their research as well.

The Big Who

The “Big Who” is, “Who should be asked for interviews?” There is no simple answer to
this question because each scenario will be different, and therefore require a different
choice. Finding enough people to interview can be difficult, and that is why finding them
early, or at least finding connections for the students to follow up on, is important. Here

are some questions to get the ball rolling on finding the “Big Who”:

0 Who stands to benefit fiom this subject/event?

0 Who stands to lose fiom it?

0 Who are the people currently discussing it?

0 Who manages the assets associated to it? (i.e., land, wealth, information)
0 Who represents the players? (Government Agency, Unions, Chamber of

Commerce)

13

0 Where did this start?

Once the instructor has had time to research these questions, he or she can determine
whom to contact in order to find a person related to the issue. The total number of
contacts should be at least one and one-half times the number of students in the class, as
some contacts may be difficult to reconnect with or be unavailable at the time of need.
This research and outreach will be done mostly independently by the instructor, though it

can be enhanced from consultation from peers as to where to look.

By making a list of certain “angles” or positions on issues relating to the topic, the

instructor can find groups or people related to them. An example of this is as follows:

Issue: Nature Conservation
Angles: River pollution, landfills, clean air, endangered animal populations, what the

land was like in the past, what can be done to help.

Contact Possibilities: Environmental groups, federal and state employees, scientists,

nature conservation site managers, representatives from companies that aflect the area

Issue: War ’s local impact

Angles: Veterans and local heroes, manufacturing changes, wartime writing, adverse

perspectives, families aflected

l4

Contact Possibilities: Veterans associations, local historians, families of veterans,
current military, federal representatives, veteran’s hospitals, anti-war groups, weapons

manufacturers

The choice of topic should remain broad in order to leave the student with the ability to
make choices regarding the specific angle to investigate. Upon presentation of this topic
to the class, ask students what feelings are evoked on the subject. Discussions between
the instructor and class about why the particular topic of the play was selected will help
to get the students’ minds on the right track from the beginning. Students may feel
limited by the lack of fi'eedom in choosing the overall topic and it may be necessary
explain the work the instructor has done to establish contacts within the area. Making
clear that the students will be in control of the focus of their particular performance
pieces and that they will have to work with their fellow students to make a cohesive

production can help to make their role in the overall program more understandable and

appealing.

Assignment for the Students: Media Dragnet

Early on, ask the students to start collecting imagery and articles in connection with the
chosen topic. An early assignment of assembling two digital images and two articles or
quotations per week is very manageable, and can create a great wealth of information

from which to reference and create. This collection can be used in stage projections and

15

set design later, as well as for transitional sequences within the play itself to create

context for the individual pieces.

Theory and Experimentation for the Students:

This practical class in documentary theatre will be comprised of two parts in order for the
students to gain both knowledge and experience. The first of these two sections will
focus on bridging the gap fiom the student’s previous theatre education to the unique
demands and forms of the documentary theatre. The second section of the course will
focus on the creation of a full-length documentary theatre performance. A thirteen-week
semester format is the basis for this guide, though many of its elements can be adapted to

fit different schedules.

Through assigned readings of popular documentary theatre plays, such as The Laramie
Project") and Fires in the Mirror”, the student will be able to begin to see the results of
research and work that is similar to what they will be doing throughout the class. There
are several forms of documentary theatre. These forms have come about because of the
nature of resources belonging to the producing person or company. A variety of readings
in the area of documentary theatre will give the student a good perspective on the scope
of documentary theatre, ranging from plays taken directly fiom courtroom transcripts to

the recantation of single person interviews.

16

This guide focuses on the monologue-based documentary play. This format will give the

student a task that is both accessible and executable in the period of a semester.

There have been many monologue-based documentary plays published in the past three
decades. Through reading an array of these plays, the student will appreciate the
differing role of the performer in this type of work in contrast to the performer’s role in
traditional plays. There are also excellent video records available for a good number Of
these plays, and viewing them will help the student see how these plays were executed.

Examples of the plays and their playwrights are as follows:

Anna Deavere Smith: Twilight: Los Angeles”, Fires in the Mirror, House Arrest”
Emily Mann: Execution of Justice1 4, Greensboro”

Claudio Sheerer: Blown Sideways Through Life”

As students begin to feel more informed with the many forms of documentary theatre
they can begin to experiment creatively. By engaging in several theatrical exercises,
students can actively begin to see their role in the theatre expand beyond that of the
traditional actor with a script. The exercises that follow can be used in coordination with
discussion of the reading assignments and final play, to begin to build a repertoire of each

actor’s interest and particular talents.

l7

Exercise 1: Interview a Friend

Set up a short interview with a fiiend about his or her history. Use the list of questions
below and record the interview with a tape recorder to save a record of exactly what was
said throughout the interview. This exercise can be used to help begin to get comfortable
with the role of the interviewer. Pay attention to what types of questions provide the
most useful answers and which get only one-word responses. Begin to look at the subject
as a character who will be imitated in the future. Create a system for remembering

gestures, accents and overall physical appearance.

Exercise 1 Questions:

Where were you born?

What is your favorite memory from childhood?

Describe the house that you grew up in.

Did you enjoy school as a while growing up?

When did you first realize you were not a kid anymore?

How do you think that you are the same now as you were as child?
DO you look forward to growing older?

Where do you think you will be in 5 years?

18

Once the interview is completed, write down (transcribe) what was said verbatim
throughout the interview. This may seem tedious, but it is important to begin to listen for

the exact words the subject says, so that one does not misquote or paraphrase him or her.

Use this transcript as the script for a scene in class, editing for dramatic relevance. The
student interviewer will switch roles with a fellow student: they will become the
interviewer, and the original interviewer will become the interviewee (the fiiend). If
possible, have the interviewee watch you in order to recognize when you are acting more

like him or her than yourself.

Exercise 2: Physical Only Interview

A. Have each student study a single late night interview show’s interview of a guest
for their physical actions only, disregarding the voice. An example can be found on an
online video hosting site so the student can prepare on their own time. Have each
perform their impression of the interviewee. Use this exercise to discuss the idea Of
interpretation. What gestures were similar through the performances? What good came

from certain person’s interpretation?

B. Have each student watch a different late night interview show and present silent

scenes reenacting what takes place. Have other students try and guess which celebrity

they are impersonating.

19

Exercise 3: Interview a Professional

Arrange an interview with a person in an interesting profession. This could be a lawyer,
mayor, police officer, team coach, etc. Use your skills as a journalist to find an
interesting story fiorn their career. Watch how their posture changes when the
interviewee becomes interested in the story they are telling. Do they become more
animated? Does their voice change pitch? Pay close attention, as these details will
become the character traits which move your performance fi'om the mundane to the

extraordinary.

On to Production:

Having now defined and examined the documentary form, read some of its modern texts,
and practically experimented in the form, the instructor and students can embark on the
process of making their own documentary play. As the class continues, each student will
be responsible for creating his or her own performance piece, as well as helping others in

the class create theirs.

20

CHAPTER THREE

Production:

The next section of this guide will examine a new method of creating documentary
theatre. This method may serve to ease the pressures of such a large undertaking and will
simplify the process of creating this play. The roles that each student will play will give
him or her a wide array of experiences, all of which are integral to the creation of a
documentary play. Since time and resources differ fiom university to university, the
instructor will need to use his or her judgment in the specifics of each of the elements.
The following exercises and assignments can be augmented and appended relative to the

needs of the class and any circumstantial requirements.

There is Method to the Madness
“1 look at art as a method, just as science is a method. Science and art are methods for
examining 'what is'. Science uses the 'scientific method' which is an extremely well
defined method, on which much has been written, and most scientists agree on exactly
what is meant, by 'scientific method'. Art, at the moment, does not have any widely
accepted 'artistic method.”’l7

Robert C Wittig, ebsqart. com

Everyone thought this was a great idea! The class will make valuable connections within

our community, expand our theatre department’s reach and give the students a wonderful,

21

fulfilling experience! There is a small budget, the technical director is on board and there
is a date on the department’s calendar that says, “Documentary Class Production,” and
now it is all on the instructor. This is a nerve-racking moment; this instructor has chosen
not to stay within the safety of traditional theatre teaching, scene study, and Elizabethan

history, but to venture out into the unknown.

Some thoughts may now be going through an instructor’s head such as: This is too big of
a project! What am I going to teach these students? Have I prepared enough? Some of
this worry is justified; the redeeming quality is that this nervous energy will propel the
instructor through the difficult process he or she faces ahead. In undertaking this
commitment to create a new play by a certain date, the instructor has thrown him or
herself into an expansive task that is always undefined at the beginning, which is the

beauty and the challenge of it.

Included in the appendix of this book is a timeline for the instructor, which will help
access progress through the process. Keeping an eye on this or a self-created timeline
will help the instructor see where he or she is in relation to what is left to accomplish in
order to create a play. Of course, each class will vary depending on scheduling, class
size, holiday breaks, and other commitments, but there will be certain amounts of time
needed to complete assignments, assemble technical elements, and learn lines. A
particular time to note to the students early on is the final performance date and any
technical rehearsal dates associated with it where they will have to meet outside of class

time. Due to the nature of the performance-based class, students will be mandated to put

22

in long days during these periods, which could include ten to twenty hours of time

outside of class during the final week.

Choosing to execute this process with your students will assure a healthy and productive
class by holding you to a specific set of tasks with room for creativity. The amount of
passion with which the class is motivated to investigate their subject, contact the
members associated with it, and dig up interesting and important details will help to keep
morale always pushing forward--uncovering further information, discovering more truths.

The previous exercises, discussions, and readings can help to foster this passion.

Method for the Students: Five Roles

In order for the class to create an original documentary theatre production, every member
of the class will have to perform each of five roles. This guide will help distill this
process into manageable sections and tasks for each student. From beginning to end, the
sections will help define responsibilities and duties for the student, giving each the
chance to apply his or her particular strengths and interests to the personal process and
creations. The instructor’s job throughout this process will be to guide the students,

review submitted materials, and keep the class and production on schedule.

The production section for the student will be broken up into these five roles: the

journalist, the editor, the writer, the director, and the actor. Though more duties may fall

within the realm of each section, these five titles will give the student the idea of the

23

mindset they should be working in as the semester progresses. The order of the sections
relates to how the production will form throughout the semester. It is important that the
student understand this complex set of circumstances as the class begins so that each is

adequately equipped to juggle several duties every week.

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ROLE ONE: JOURNALIST

This first role will give the student the opportunity to embody the role of a journalist.
The exercises in the earlier chapters involving interviewing parents and fiiends help the
student shake off the nerves of setting up and executing an interview. To step from the
safe place of interviewing someone they know to interviewing a stranger will be a bit
uncomfortable for shy students, but reducing that apprehension is part of what this class
teaches. Setting up deadlines can motivate the student to act quickly and break their

personal boundaries.

If possible, a journalist or journalism professor can be asked to come to the class and help
students in regards to bettering their interviewing techniques. Bringing a professional
fiom the journalism field into your classroom will give the students a person to voice
their concerns to about staging an interview and determining questions to ask. Journalists
are often familiar with local issues and personalities as well, so it will be beneficial on

many fronts to speak with them early on.

In addition, there are several websites which feature helpful lessons on journalism

techniques.

Journalism Web Sites:

Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Journalism Tutorial

25

http://stringers. media. mit. edu/journalism. htm
-This website takes the student through the full journalistic process from coming up with
an idea to writing the story. Condensed into one-minute tutorials, this is a fim website to

check out.

Handbook of Independent Journalism

http://usinfo. state. gov/products/pubs/joumalism/index. htm

-This website, provided by the US government, provides a good run-down of
journalistic techniques. With categories such as research, sources, and interviews, much

information for this role can be found there.

Contacting the Interviewee

Owing to work done in the preproduction section of this process, the instructor may now
make use of the collected contact details for persons relating to the topic which they
researched prior to the semester’s beginning. These contacts, varied in nature, should be
disseminated to the students in order for them to research the contacts’ connections to the

topic.

The students Should contact the possible interviewees, introduce themselves, and
establish a rapport. Once a contact is made, the student should schedule an interview at a
location convenient to the subject. Though it might be taxing on the student’s
transportation, going to the interviewee’s workplace or home often provides a better

context for the interview. Going to the workplace will give the student background into

26

the environment this person works in on a day-toeday basis. Interviewing at their home

can also give important clues as to who the person is and what is important to them.

It is important for students to be as available as possible to the interviewee, as scheduling
time for a professional is often more expensive than for a student. Since students might
not be entirely familiar with phone etiquette, they should be reminded to stay open to
adapt to the schedules and proclivities of their interviewee, as they may be working with
this person for secondary or further interviews and want to create a copasetic and fiiendly
relationship. Most likely this person will want to have his or her story told and will be
more than willing to take time to help a student artist. If a second interview is needed,
and establishing a good rapport during the first interview will provide a good basis for

asking for a second meeting.

After establishing a time to meet their subject, the student should begin to immerse him
or herself in practicing the duties of a journalist in order to grow more comfortable in the
upcoming interview. A short primer in the basics of journalism can improve the

student’s confidence in conducting the interview, creating better material afterward.
Journalism 101
The most important facet of journalism for the students begin to get familiar with is

called the “5 W’s of Joumalism”'8. These are: Who, What, Why, Where, and When.

These rules apply to the students because using them can guarantee that the questions

27

asked will provide the information necessary to tell the subject’s story honestly and

completely.

Though the processes for a journalist and a documentary theatre creator are quite similar,
some special concerns must be thought about as to theatricality and performance. Using
joumalism’s “5 W’s” to serve the documentary theatre purpose asks for a somewhat
special adaptation. Asking these adapted questions will help young writers and authors to
think about setting, character, character arcs, plot structure, and other dramatic elements.
Though this adaptation can go through many variations, an example of how to use the 5

W’s follows:

Why: Why is this story important for this topic? Why does the subject think these events
happened the way they did?

Who: Who is this person? How does location affect their character, personality? Who
are the people that are important to this person’s story?

Where: Where does the story happen? What influence do these locations have on the
way this person behaves?

What: What has changed in this person fi'orn the start of their story to the end?

When: What is the “period” during which these events happened? Did people dress
differently or speak differently at this time? How much time passes throughout the

telling of this story?

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The question of “How?” is often added to the list of “5 W’s”. This is in most cases in
reference to the question, “How did this happen?” It is good for the documentary theatre
student to ask, “How am I am going to perform this?” and “How am I going to bring
myself to this character?” “How” translates into the action, and is very valuable to keep

in mind.

Special Note about Equipment

Depending on resources, there are several ways to notate and record interviews. In a
perfect world, instructors would be able to give each of your students a High Definition
camera and unlimited film, but because of budget and resource limitations, feasibility will,

be a factor.

Audio and video recordings present both limitations and possibilities. It is best to try to
have as thorough as a recording as possible using the best resources available. Audio
recordings on cassette tape can played back through a tape player, if desired, during
performance for easy sound enhancement. Digital recorders are now widely available
and many come with software which will help in the sound editing process. Though the
digital recording does create a better copy of the interview material, the technical

requirements also limit the use of this technology.

Video recordings are currently being made using a number of formats. The resources of

the department or university will likely influence the choice of format. Using video

29

recordings can open your production up to added production elements using projectors
and slides; these technical elements can be time consuming and will require a technician

who is Skilled at integrating video with performance.

What Questions are Good Questions?

Without experience as a journalist, it is hard to know what questions are going to produce
the most useful answers during an interview. Bearing in mind of the end goal(s) of the
interview can help interviewers think of what questions to ask. Since the focus of these
interviews will to be to gather testimonies and stories regarding the selected subject, the
interviewer will need to maintain a healthy balance of anecdotal and factual information
in order to have a well-founded source. The major pitfall of over-planning the questions
for the interview is that your subject may give you their best material spontaneously. The
student’s practice with family and professionals during the exercises in the first section of

the course should have led most of them to this conclusion.

Here are three ways to guide your formation of questions:

0 Let research be your guide.
0 Have more questions then you will need.

0 Phrase the questions to inspire long answers, not ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

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It is important to introduce the idea that the interviewer’s duty is not to control the
interview but to provoke the subject to talk, then to listen to the subject, and finally adapt
their questions so that the subject will be as explicit as possible about what they are most
knowledgeable. In most cases, the longer the interview goes, the better the information

gained.

In the end, the purpose of the interview is not solely to gather information, but to create a
performance piece with emotions and opinions, something that is perforrnable and will be
interesting to an audience. Questions that can provoke the type of response needed to
generate this type of performance piece can be crafted in a direct way. Some sample
general sample questions to produce a chronologically-formed beginning, middle and end
format are:

0 When did you become active in this field?

0 How did you first become involved with this subject?

0 What provoked you to become more involved?

0 What happened during the process that changed your opinions?

0 Describe your best day involved with it.

0 Describe your worst day involved.

0 How do you think this could have ended better?

0 Looking back, how do you feel about the issue now?

0 How would you have changed the outcome?

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Interviewing Behaviors to Instill

Connecting on a personal level with the subject will help to give the transcript a personal
touch, one that can be edited and acted out later. The most basic, yet most important,
elements in interviewing are to be on time, to be prepared and to be thankful to the
interviewee. If the interviewer has made a good impression from the initial contact
setting up the interview, the interviewee should be ready and willing to talk at the chosen
time. Letting the interviewee be on his or her own ground can help him or her feel
comfortable while giving the interviewer possible setting information about the character.
If recording the interview, always make sure the interviewee is aware and okay with
being recorded. There is sometimes a fine line between opinions about a policy or person
and a condemnation, so making sure that the interviewee knows the statements said are
being recorded and that what is said will be used is important in order to avoid
controversy. Included in the appendix of this guide is a sample release form that the
interviewee must Sign in order for their words to be used; this will protect you from most
legal issues after the interview. If there is any question as to if your students are lacking

protection, the university legal representatives can be contacted.

Beginning an interview by having the subject say and spell their name will insure proper
reproduction afterwards, as well as give the interviewer something with which to judge
the sound levels of the equipment. After this, the interviewer can start the interview
process with easy questions or “softballs” to warm up the interviewee. These questions

could be about where he or She was raised, what hobbies they enjoy and what their

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favorite restaurant is in town. Warming up the subject will relax them and get them
comfortable to with speaking candidly. Letting the subject talk is an important and is
sometimes forgotten about in the process. If the interviewer waits an extra moment
before cutting in with their next question, often the subject will fill the pause with extra,
even better information, as this usually leads to their personal opinion of what they just

spoke of.

Finding someone to interview, scheduling, and other logistics can often be the hardest
parts of the journalistic role, as these are things which cannot be practiced in class.
Practicing interviewing can give the student much-needed confidence once they find

themselves in the actual situation.

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ROLE TWO: EDITOR

The Watchful Eye

The purpose of the “editor” role is to create enough credible material to make a
successful performance piece. This role will keep the students committed and
responsible for their own work throughout the process. The editor role serves as an
intermediary for the journalist and writer roles, being used by the journalist as a
transcriber and as a fact checker, and used by the writer as supplier of script material and
accurate information. Because the same student is performing all of these roles, it is

good to make clear which role is being performed at which time.

The editor’s first duty is to transcribe the words collected though the earlier interviews.
This must be transcribed verbatim as to assure clarity and honesty. The transcripts
should retain both the interviewer’s questions and the subject’s answers, in order to
remember what prompted each answer and retain awareness of context. The transcript
copy will serve as the bulk of the writer’s material and as the actor’s script and therefore
it is import to write exactly what is said, including abbreviated words, Slang and jargon.
These colloquial parts of speech are often what dictate a character’s idiosyncrasies in
monologues of this kind. Trying to write the dialogue as you hear it, with pauses, stutters
and breaths, will save the writer and actor from having to reference the original tape and
will allow them to make different interpretations. Underlining the words stressed in each

sentence allows the writer to see the intonation of each line so they can edit accordingly.

34

The transcript either should mark out where each breath is with a symbol like (breath) or

should start a new line with each breath consistently, as breathing patterns also has much

to do with character.

Here are some examples of a transcribed interview that keeps the slang and

idiosyncrasies intact:

Back in the day when, uh, when I_first started
There weren’t, uh, no people like m workin dere
Everybody else was farmers (breath), they hadn’t been in the city before-

So I, well, I did my best to get along (breath), but things were tense.

Editorial Review

After creating a transcript, the student should then review the material and note important
themes that are discussed during the interview. The writer will be looking to make a
dramatic piece from this material; the editor’s job is to suggest to the writer what is
important to the character and to the play. However, again, the same student will be
performing both Of these roles, but a separation between editor and writer roles will

insure a thoughtful process.

Determining the quality of the interview material is difficult. Many times upon leaving

an interview, a journalist can feel as if he or she has much more than they will need, only

35

to begin work and realize they have nothing of substance. The opposite is also possible,
when the journalist’s expectations are not fulfilled but another story surfaces and changes

their entire perspective on the piece or topic.

It is possible that the first interview will not provide enough material for a good
monologue. This happens quite often and requires that a second interview take place.
This is a good thing; a second interview is the best way to assure a thorough piece and
should be encouraged where possible. Using information gathered from the first
interview to create questions for the second will create more in-depth answers and a more

personal retelling of events.

Editor to Writer Transition

Having now a rough transcript which has been reviewed thoroughly, the student can
began the work of writing his or her piece for performance. The role of editor will be
referenced several times over, as the journalist role has revisited in order to research more
information and hold a second interview. The editor role will exist within the writer’s
segment by making sure the writer remains honest to the original interview and keeps the
story in line with what was told. The writer will use the skills and knowledge gained by
editing and transcribing the original interview to instill in their piece the mood of the

original interview.

36

 

 

 

- .s. mmfl

ROLE THREE: PLAYWRIGHT

“You, not a professional journalist, photographer, or folklorist fiom outside the
community, are the best person to tell the story of how your community was moved to
action. No one is more qualified for this task than those who work tirelessly, every day,

9919

to make their piece of the world a better place to live.

-Putting Documentary Work to Work

The writer’s role in the documentary theatre process is a lesson in two parts. The first is
a general playwriting lesson. The second is a specific treatment of this lesson to the area
of documentary theatre. Although there has been a great effort in this guide to define the
separation between traditional playwriting and writing for documentary theatre, the role
of the writer, like that of the actor, at times transcends this difference. The process of
writing a piece for performance involves similar concepts and practice in either situation.
Some of the students of this course may have previous playwriting education; this may
serve as a refresher for them. Those that have not had any playwriting instruction will

benefit greatly by learning and practicing writing plot and characters.

The focus of this course will be monologue-based documentary theatre. This focus will

help the student make more character specific acting choices and create a thorough

character through writing and revising their own performance piece. The following

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discussion of style and structure in theatre will use this monologue form to examine

several principles of playwriting and drama.

Dramatic Structure and Tips

The most common dramatic structure, and the one that we will follow in this process, is
the narrative, or climactic, structure. The narrative structure is most common in Western
literature and in most notable for its beginning, middle and end structure. The beginning
of a play most often holds two principles within its section, the exposition and an inciting
incident that presents a problem for one or more Of the characters to overcome. The
middle of a narrative structured play features the hero or protagonist forming his or her
plans and method of achieving victory over the problem that has been placed in his or her
way. Finally, the ending has two parts: the climax, which is usually the result of a
conflict between the protagonist and the obstacle, and the resolution, where the clirnax’s
effect is seen and felt. This play structure maintains that something happens which leads
another event to happen in a chain of events towards an ending. This structure is often

associated with Freytag’s triangle that works to explain plot through a “unity of action”2°.

Two books for supplemental reading about breaking down and building up dramatic
structure are:
0 Creating Your Own Monologue, by Glenn Alterman21

o The Art of Dramatic Writing, by Lagos Egri22

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Dramatic Structure Exercises:

Dramatic Structure Exercise 1: Retell Your Favorite

Each student is required to create a monologue retelling the plot of his or her favorite
movie or play. This monologue should include the three acts of dramatic structure and be
told by the main character in the piece, in order to see a sample of the emotions of the
character as they traveled through the story. By discussing what elements worked the
best for telling a certain story, the students can begin to apply these dramatic techniques
to their own monologues.

Dramatic Structure Exercise 2: Detective’s Rundown

Each student researches a certain criminal case that has multiple news stories covering its
proceedings. The student then must write two monologues, one fiom the perspective of
the perpetrator and another from the perspective of the victim. These monologues will
aim to tell a story from opposing viewpoints while keeping the integrity of the facts given

in the news reports. The student will then turn in the news articles and the monologues

for grading.

Getting Down To It:
The writing process for this production accomplishes the most when it focuses less on the
writer at home trying to imagine what would be best, and more on a collaborative process

involving discussion followed by several drafts and rewrites. Once the students have

39

edited down the initial transcripts into those parts they feel will fit the monologues, they
can bring these cuttings to class and begin constructing their pieces. This requires a strict
set of due dates which the students will have to follow in order to stay on the course
timeline. By answering the following questions, they can begin to transform their rough

cuttings into a speech worthy Of performance.

Questions to ask of your material:
0 What is most important to your character?
0 How does your character feel about the subject?
0 Where is the beginning, middle and end of the subject’s involvement?
0 What is the most climactic moment for the issue? For the subject?

0 What surprises you about the subject’s testimony?

Having each student answers these or similar questions will result in many variations on
the same issue, providing the class the opportunity to see how different sides of a story
evolve from each person interviewed. Students may feel protective of their material, as
they generated through their hard work, but the more input the student can receive from
his or her peers, the better each will benefit fiom the drafting process. Using the
discussed and distilled rough interview material, the student can then form this material

into a speech using the rules of dramatic structure already discussed.

40

Collaborate:

In order to assure a well-drafted piece, the student should work directly with a partner
student now will assist the student throughout the creative process, directing them and
assisting them in the later stages as well. This partner should, during the writing phase,
read each draft of the student’s monologue and listen to the student read it aloud. This
review will then lead into questions that will probe to see if the student is on track and

how the piece can be improved.

Establishing a good working relationship with this partner will assure that the student
remains on track during the writing process and is creating something that sounds good to
the listener. Throughout the rewriting phase, the students will bring their piece to class in
order to compare and contrast their work with other students. By looking at the direction
each other’s pieces are taking, the student can then begin to get a feel for how he or She

can link the pieces together for a performance.

Reminder: Journalist and Editor led to Writer

Once a piece is written and performance time gets nearer and nearer, it is easy to lose
track of where the work came from. The student Should be constantly reminding himself
about the source material, often listening or watching it again in order to pick up certain
defining idiosyncrasies. Remembering the editor’s task of keeping the piece accurate to

what was first recorded is vital to making a successful and honest piece.

41

Special Note for the Instructor:

At the end of the playwright section of the course, the instructor will be able to see what
type of pieces have come from the interviews and previous research done. Allowing the
students freedom to construct a Show from their collaborations while maintaining an
overview for clarity, structure, and equal work/stage time will becomes the instructor’s
responsibility here. Letting the students work together as a larger piece is important, as it
will give them equity in the final project they will take ownership and want a better
product. As in any class or student project, there will exist differing levels of
commitment and experience interplaying in the process. Recognizing these differences
and giving special consideration for those who have less experience will need to be an
important focus of the instructor. Those students who have a great amount of experience

in theatre can take leadership roles in the remainder of the process.

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ROLE 4: DIRECTOR

The focus of the class can now turn fiom research and writing to producing a
performance worthy of the students’ material. The partner groups the students began
working in in the editor’s section will now continue working together in the staging of
the scene. Each partner will now serve as director to the writer’s scene, as the writer will

act in his or her own work.

Combining the variety of pieces that have been generated by different students into a
cohesive production is a creative challenge for any instructor. Again, because this is a
class production, it is important to assess what the instructor’s goal will be with the
production in order to not be overcome with a desire to have an overly grand production
or one that misses the trees for the forest. The first half of this chapter will focus on the
individual pieces, while the second half will focus on combining these pieces into a long-

form play.

A New Discussion:

At this time, it is possible to have an idea about what directions the show can take. By

examining the texts of the monologues, the participants can extract opposing points of

view and differing perspectives about the topic that was selected early in the process.

This discussion can lead to a firrther conversation about how the overall show can bring

43

together the pieces that have been formulated by the individual students, thus making a

cohesive statement about the topic.

This conversation can revolve around what to title the piece, as a title can reflect or
illtuninate the overall mood or theme of a play. Using the title as a center-point in the
discussion will provoke the students to explain their perception of what the play is about.
As each student has now learned specific knowledge from certain perspectives, the
discussion can become quite lively as each student defends his or her piece’s place in the
overall theme of the play. The instructor may need to guide the students toward a word
or a phrase that will unite the pieces through the abstract rather than try to find one title

that suits each piece’s needs.

The Partner’s Direction:

The writing partner from the previous section’s work will now serve as the director of
writer’s scene, as that author becomes the actor in his or her own work. There are several
elements to discuss with students at this point in order to give them enough knowledge to
create an interesting scene for the audience. The instructor will serve during this phase as
assistant director to these scenes by reviewing them and coaching the scenes to greater

success.

The majority of theatre students will have an idea of how to stage a scene, making sure

the audience can see and what the best ways are for actors to get their points across.

44

Variety in the staging, using the space in several ways, creates something that is visually
interesting. The use of props and of other actors is important to encourage in the staging
of these pieces, creativity in their usage presenting its own reward as a successful

performance.
Basic Staging Advice for the Student Directors:

The first hurdle to overcome in creating interesting staging for these monologues is to get
the scripts out of their original context. The tendency is often for the actor to assume that
since the interview was done sitting down that it will be performed in the same fashion.
Though some pieces can remain seated, it should be instilled in the students directly that
the purpose of putting these monologues on stage is not to recreate the interview exactly
but to bring the monologue into a new light. This can be done through several variations
and is only truly limited by the artist’s creativity. Several examples of staging concepts

are as follows:

0 Talking to a class of young students

0 Giving a speech to the citizens of the US

0 Talking with your grandson

0 Applying for government assistance

0 Being interviewed on a national comedy talk Show
0 Speaking on the telephone

0 Making a sale

45

Taking liberties with the location and context of the monologue will inspire renewed
passion for the scene in a performance context. Letting each student create their own
circumstances will give them the ability to build upon a world of their own creation.
These circumstances can build on the student’s perception of issues addressed during the

script, in order to illuminate important points or perhaps create irony within the scene.

Depending on the concept for the scene, the use of props, other actors, and blocking will
all be subject to context. As assistant director, the instructor can place scenes on the
stage in differing locations and inspire unique movements and blocking throughout the
rehearsals. This encouragement may become more specific as the class starts moving

towards performance, as the instructor is the most familiar with the show in its entirety.

Helping the Actor Create:

The focus of this course is not on how good an actor a student is, but how well he or she
tells the story as a whole. The job of the actor in documentary theatre has more to with
the delivery of information than emotion in some cases. An impassioned performance is
desired for the audience’s interest, but overly dramatic scenes, unless called for by the
material, are not what is entirely sought. Scenes that avoid sentiment in order to move
the audience with important information can be just as effective as emotionally vibrant

scenes.

46

During the transcription process of the editor’s role, the student marked out different
verbal cues based on how the subject had spoken during the interview. The new context
will benefit fi'om this earlier work by giving a sense Of truth-in-character to the speech
and personality of the character. Maintaining a proper balance of both theatrical context
and interview subject authenticity provides an interesting opportunity for actors of all
training levels. The ideas of imitation and interpretation should be balanced in order to

present a truthful treatment of the subject’s words and emotions.

The character’s motivation in the scene should follow both the scenario and fiom the
original impetus for telling the story. Some actors might feel limited by having to recite
something that was originally spoken in a relaxed and non-dramatic way. In order to give
the actor more to work with, his or her partner can help by developing a conflict and
motivation that brings more energy to the scene. Here are some sample questions to ask

of the actor about his or her character in order to inspire a more vibrant performance:

0 Who or what is the Opposition?
o What will it or did it take to overcome your obstacles?
o What will be the greatest part of your achieving your goal?

0 What more can you do to get your goal accomplished?

Giving the actor a context and the right questions to think about will help to set a sound

foundation and create energy within the scene. Since the two partners will be working on

47

their respective pieces together, rehearsal time can be accomplished outside of class with

ease.

The Opening, the Closing and the Transitions:

One of the major rules of thumb for making an impact on an audience is to open and
close the show with a unique moment. For this production an introduction piece, or show
opener, should be created in order to get the audience prepared for what they are about to
see. In the same vein, creating a closing piece which reflects what the audience has just
seen will help them understand and put together the show in their minds. These two
pieces of the play can be done simply or lavishly depending on what the show and the
class demands. Here are some ideas for these segments, as well as the transitions between

pieces, that may inspire some ideas:

0 Use media- Use the video and sound recordings from the interviews to give the
audience a sense the people whose stories they will be seeing. This can be done
by showing only the record of their names or using snippets of their pieces.
Continuing this device between the scenes can help lend continuity to the people
and topics which are being shown. Cutting together a montage of what the
subjects said about an ending or the future can help create a cap to the piece as
well. This option requires extra technical help, but not any large further demand
on the class besides marking time codes or what sections of their interviews they

would suggest to be used.

48

. Monologue Previews- In this version each student will create previews or
“trailers” for their pieces. These can be said under unique lighting or in stylized
movement patterns in order to give the audience a taste of what is to come. The
pieces might use the beginning sections of interviews where the subjects state
their names and where they are from, etc. These can be integrated with recordings
or other media to create interesting stage pictures. The transitions in this case
may only be black outs with music or manipulated recordings of the original
interviews. Often times a poignant ending piece can be created by piecing
together quotes from Opposing viewpoints in contrast to each other.

. Piscatorian lntroduction- Using techniques drawn from Piscator’s “Total
Theatre,” news clips, photographs and other information can be used to inform the

audience on the subject prior to the initial monologues.

These types of fashioned pieces are not a necessity for the performance to be successful;
a simple blackout between scenes will many times support great monologues by not
interfering with their raw power--words have power. The audience’s experience should
be kept in mind. Having a fellow instructor or a graduate student watch a dress rehearsal
and give feedback can help illuminate any unforeseen problems before the production

gets too far along to drastically change.

Sets and Props

In order to fill out the visual elements of the performance, like any other play, settings

and props will be needed. This is where the Piscatorian elements discussed in the

49

introduction can play a role in creating theatrical devices. The pictures and news stories
brought in by the students during the research phase can now be used as backdrops
through projections or collages of printed-out materials. Owing to the nature of the
performance being set in many locations, one general backdrop can often be used. Many
of these decisions can be aided by the technical help or the student who has signed up to

do scenic design.

Giving the students input into what the design of the stage provides another opportunity
for hands-on experience in the creation of a new play. A class day can be set aside at
least five weeks before the production in order to discuss each piece with the scenic
designer. Just as the play has developed to become variations on a central selected
theme, so too can the settings revolve around this by using a selection of thematic items
from around the community. An excellent way to provide authentic objects and
photographs is to ask those who have been interviewed for these with a promise of a
speedy return and special thanks in the program. Any authentic donated items will

usually be appreciated by the set designer as well.

Ultimately:

Ultimately, each student will have a revised and staged piece at this time. The order of

the monologues has been determined and each has been inspired by a unique context for

performance. The transitions have been blocked and discussed, as have the opening and

50

closing segments. Before moving to the performance space there are a few housekeeping

elements to remember:

. Check in with the interviewees— Each student should be in contact with the
interviewees to invite them to the performance. Doing this will help get a fuller
audience for the Show and will help the interviewees feel like they were part of
something that helped them express themselves

. Legalize it- Make sure that all of the release forms have been collected and are
held in a safe place in order to protect each of the individuals and organizations
involved.

. Assess each student- Have each student write a short essay regarding his or her
role in the upcoming production and reviewing his or her work thus far. This will

insure a more cohesive knowledge of the show.
Publicity Notice:

In order to maximize the benefit of this production for the community, publicity should
be created for the production. Giving a poster and postcards to organizations with
relevance to the subject of the play will help to procure a special audience, one that is
directly interested in the material. Traditional methods of theatre publicity can be applied
as well depending on the size of the theatre and the number of productions. Often, a full

house for one or two nights of production can found by advertising directly to those

51

persons who would be interested in the subject, minimizing the budget and footwork that

would have to be done in traditional marketing campaigns.

52

ROLE FIVE: ACT OR-MAN AGER

Entering the final weeks before the performance, the duties of the students can begin to
focus more on creating a solid performance of the play they have now constructed. Once
again, the experience of certain students can be used in assisting less experienced
students in the practice of working in the theatre. The duties of the fifth role can be
divided in to two sections, first the duties of a stage-manager need to be taken on and

then the student must return to his or her role as an actor in this production.
Actor-Manager Assessment Assignment:

As the performance approaches, it is time for students to reflect upon achievements and
failures within their experience. Assigning the students to write an essay describing his
or her participation, what has been learned and what skills have been gained, will help the

student recognize the value of their work in the course. This paper and the performance

can serve as the final examination for the students.
Stage Managing

Each student in the production should now be involved in at least two scenes, one which

they wrote and act in, and one they have directed. Adding to this a third duty, that of the

53

stage manager for one scene, will help each student become more connected to the

overall production, as well as with the overall business of theatre.

The stage manager Should be responsible for making sure the scene is ready to be
performed during each rehearsal period. This involves checking properties and sets
before the show’s beginning, as well as before the individual scene begins. The stage
manager will also keep track of sound and lighting cues, blocking and lines for the scene,
assuring that the rehearsed and planned piece is what is being performed when it is

moved from rehearsal room to performance space.

If possible, having an external experienced stage management student join the production
during the last weeks can help the instructor with this task. This can apply to the areas of
sound design, lighting and costumes as well. At any theatre school there are Often many

apprentice or young designers eager to work with new productions.

Describing all Of a theatre’s logistical operations is not the purpose of this guide. The
instructor can engage with students as much or as little is practical in the services of
ushers, box Office staff, publicity managers and house managers will bring about varying
levels Of decorum and professionalism. Given that this is both a class presentation and a
community outreach project, admission can also be forgone in order to entice an

audience.

54

Acting in Performance:
“Mimicry is not character. Character lives in the obvious gap between the real person
and my attempt to seem like them. I try to close the gap between us, but I applaud the
”23

gap between us. I am willing to display my own unlikeness.

-Anna Deveare Smith, Fires in the Mirror

All students Should have a piece that has been rehearsed thoroughly by this point. Their
roles as actors can now focus on how they can create interest and drama within the theme
of the entire production. The instructor can begin to give acting notes as to how this
blending can be accomplished better, but since these pieces have been created mostly in

class with each, many similarities most likely exist already.

The creation of the student’s character on stage should be constructed by three factors:
the interviewee, the student’s interpretation, and the situation that has been created for the
given circumstances of the piece. Maintaining a healthy balance between these three

focuses is a difficult task for the actor that will take time and work to accomplish well.

AS the play becomes more developed, the actors will begin giving more to their
respective pieces. This will involve heightened emotions and increased levels of
vulnerability that will require sensitivity from every student in class. The respect, trust,
and focus needed among the actors can be created by group warm-ups both physical and

mental before the performance or rehearsals.

55

Break A Leg!

The process of creating this production can involve quite a bit of stress and tension, but
the creation of a play that connects with and reflects the community it is in the midst of
can be a very rewarding experience. Observing the interviewees as they see themselves
reincarnated can be a positive experience as well, as most of them have not had the
opportunity to be involved in something of this type previously. Having a “talk back”
session with the interviewees and/or local leaders after the performance can inspire
informed conversation after the performance and lead to firrther connection between

university and community.

Though the performance is over there is still a need for documentation and assessment in
order to gather the true lessons learned and to evaluate the students’ growth. The next
section of this guide will cover how to assess the accomplishments of the process and

how to preserve the materials collected for use by future dramatists and historians.

56

CHAPTER FOUR

Post-Production

Throughout the creative process of making a documentary play, a large amount of
research material is created and used. These records and collections can be beneficial far
beyond the use of this play and are worthy of preservation in some fashion in order to be
accessed later by like-minded historians or artists. The work that was necessary to
accomplish the creation of this play can be saved for future projects about the same topic

simply by preserving the materials already in hand.

The most important resource to save regarding the production are the original audio,
video, and transcripts obtained from interviews. Working with a librarian at the
university can alleviate the specific demands of posterity and will help in the encoding
and organizing of the material in order for it to be recovered later. Many libraries that
focus on specific topics will jump at the chance to obtain first-hand opinion and

information from people directly involved with their subject.

Oral history is a growing field with many non-profit organizations such as libraries and
state institutions actively seeking to help preserve just this type of record. The oral
historian is a wonderful resource to consult during the creative process as well; their

perspective can suit the documentary theatre cause.

57

The Script Itself

The question of what to do with the script created by the class is a challenging question.
If the script is exceptionally noteworthy, it could be moved along the traditional
publishing route, with the university permitting. This action would also take the
cooperation of the students although, because this is a university class project, the
ownership would reside with the university. Listing all of the students’ names and
moving all profits to the university can help alleviate many issues dealing with the
publishing of a cast created script. In all cases, the university legal department should be

consulted.

With or without taking actions to publish the script, it should be copyrighted and bound
copies should be made and kept at the university. At the least, these copies can serve as a
great record of a large accomplishment, at most, this play can be produced in the future in
a university or professional theatre. The choice of topic, number of actor roles and
proficiency of writing will all have influence on the chances of reproduction, but having
the script available for reading will honor the work done and the stories contained within.
To best preserve the production’s entirety, a video recording can be made and placed

with the preservation copy.

58

Assessing Success

The achievements of a project such as this are not easily judged. By looking at the

production from several points Of view, it will be seen that success comes in many forms.

Though the goal of the class, creating a documentary theatre production, was achieved,

the process itself can be probed for further benefit. When the course is done a second

time, these assessments can be used to enrich the course’s benefits to all involved.

The Instructor: As proctor and producer, the instructor is in the position to
judge the final project’s success. This judgment is aided by the instructor’s
detailed knowledge of each student and of the trials and tribulations that the
project went through. In the end, the director is able to find how the production
met expectations and why any elements did not.

The Students: The students’ gains fiom this experience can be judged through
several methods. The first method is through the writing and assessment paper
mentioned in Actor-Manager section. Second, the students can be surveyed or
tested on their knowledge of the form of documentary theatre and of the subject of
the play at the beginning and ending of the semester. Comparing these results can
give a good perspective on the student benefit from the course.

Peer Review: These colleagues can address the theatrical achievements as well
as the quality of the information presented with the production.

Contributors and Interviewees: The outside contributors to the production can

be asked to fill out survey questions pertaining to how they felt the subject was

59

represented. Their opinions as to how authentic and accurate the information

given is to the subject can be used to judge the relevance Of the play.

Using the opinions and thoughts of those connected to the play in order to assess its effect
is important in maintaining the class’s academic purpose. A class centered on practical
production can often lose focus on the academic benefits being derived from the process
of production. However, a class in documentary theatre can benefit the theatre student in
ways far beyond just practical skills in the theatre. A student of a class such as this has a
thorough experience in not just playmaking but also in the meaning of theatre, as he or

she actively seeks out that which needs to be expressed through theatre.

6O

APPENDICES

Timeline for the Instructor

 

Pre-class:

- Read: Documentary Me in the United State; by Richard
Dawson

- Acquire time in theatre for technical rehearsals and production
night(s)

- Speak with technical director regarding needs

- Order assigned readings

 

5 Weeks Before class

- Choose topic and research

 

4 Weeks Before Class
- Continue research by engaging members of community
- Contact groups in relation to topic

- Begin acquiring possible interviewee contacts

 

3 Weeks Before Class
- Continue research on topic

- Continue acquiring interviewee contacts

 

 

2 Weeks Before Class
- Finalize a list of possible interviewees, more than number of

students in the class.

 

61

 

 

-Revise timeline and syllabus

 

1 Week Before Class

-Make final preparations and organize.

-Rest

 

Week 1: Class A

 

Introduction Give students an explanation of the course

Obj ectives

 

Introduction Give a brief synopsis of documentary theatre

 

Assign Read Play 1 (Instructor’s choice)

 

 

 

Week 1: Class B

 

Discuss and Quiz

Play Reading 1

 

 

Discuss Opinions and angles on topic for
play
Assign and Explain Preproduction Exercise 1:

 

 

Interview a Friend. Interview to

be done before next class.

 

 

Week 2: Class A

 

Discuss and Assist

 

 

Exercise 1 Interview Process

 

62

 

 

 

 

 

and Transcription/Scripting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Process
Discuss Brainstorm ideas regarding play
topic
Assign and Explain Media Dragnet
Assign Play Reading 2
Week 2: Class B
Discuss and Quiz Play Reading 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss Brainstorm ideas regarding play
topic

Discuss Media Dragnet Examples

Rehearse Exercise 1 Scenes

Assign and Explain Find Contact for Exercise 3:

Interview a Professional

 

 

Week 3: Class A

 

Perform and Discuss

Exercise 1 Scenes

 

Discuss

Contacts for Exercise 3

 

Assign

 

 

Preproduction Exercise 2:

Physical Only Interview

 

63

 

 

 

 

 

Week 3: Class B

 

Perform and Discuss

Remaining Exercise 1 Scenes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss Exercise 1 Process

Discuss Media Dragnet Examples
Week 4: Class B

Rehearse Exercise 3

Assign and Explain Interviewees assigned to

 

 

students, contact information

given

 

Week 5: Class A

 

Perform and Discuss

Exercise 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assign and Explain Role 1: The Journalist
Assign Schedule Interview
Week 5: Class B

Lecture Bring in Journalism Instructor,
Journalist or have in depth
Journalism lesson

Discuss Questions for Interview

Discuss Media Dragnet

 

 

 

64

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6: Class A

 

Prepare and Discuss

Interview Techniques and

Prepared Questions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss Transcription Process
Discuss Media Dragnet

Week 6: Class B
Discuss Interview Status
Discuss Brainstorm about Topic
Assign Transcription

 

 

 

Week 7: Class A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss Transcription Process

Assign and Explain Role 2: The Editor

Discuss Media Dragnet
Week 7: Class B

Discuss Transcripts Due

 

Editorial Review

Assess if the transcript has
given enough information, if not

schedule 2'1d interview.

 

Discuss

Dramatic structure

 

Assign and Explain

 

 

Playwright Exercise 1: Retell

 

65

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Favorite or Exercise 2:

Detective Rundown

 

 

Week 8: Class A

 

 

 

 

 

Assign and Explain Role 3: The Playwright
Perform Playwright exercise
Discuss Media Dragnet

 

Week 8: Class B

 

Read and Discuss

Edited and written scenes

 

Form

 

 

Partner pairs and work in pairs

to continue editing

 

Week 9: Class A

 

 

 

 

 

Assign and Explain Role 4: The Director
Discuss Remaining process
Rehearse Partner groups create

circumstances for scene and

block.

 

 

Week 9: Class B

 

Rehearse

 

 

Partner groups

 

66

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss

 

 

Media dragnet: begin to assess
quality of images and stories in

relation to theme.

 

Week 10: Class A

 

Rehearsal and Discuss

Scenes off-book and performed

in front of class and designers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discuss Technical elements with
designers and technicians
Week 10: Class B
Rehearsal Decide order of monologues for
production
Publicize Students to publicize the show

 

 

to community and interviewees

 

 

Week 11: Class A

 

 

 

 

 

Rehearsal Rehearse in scenes in order

Assign and Explain Role 5: The Actor-Manager:
assign stage managers to partner
groups

Discuss Remaining weeks of class and

performance duties

 

67

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 11: Class B

 

 

Rehearsal Rehearse Opening, Closing and
Transitional Sequences
Publicize Students must contact

 

 

interviewees and expressly
invite them and their
organizations to the

performance

 

Week 12: Class A

 

Rehearsal

First Full Run

 

Designer Preview

 

 

Invite designers to watch the run
and speak with the students

about the realized production

 

 

 

 

Week 12: Class B
Rehearsal Second full run.
Prepare Props and sets for the technical

 

 

rehearsal

 

Technical Rehearsal Over Week End

 

68

 

 

 

 

 

Week 13: Class A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rehearsal Full run with technical elements
Assign and Explain Actor-Manager assessment
assignment
Week 13: Class B
Rehearsal Dress Rehearsal
Performance On Weekend

 

69

 

 

 

AUDIO/VIDEO RELEASE STATEMENT SAMPLE

I authorize (Name of University) to record my voice and/or image (or that of my minor
child named below) and give (Name of University) and all persons or entities acting
pursuant to (Name of University)’s permission or authority, all rights to use these

recorded images.

I understand that said images would be used for educational, advertising, and promotional
purposes in all conventional and electronic media, and any future media. I also authorize

the use of any printed material in connection therewith.

I understand and agree that these images and recordings may be edited, duplicated,
reproduced, distributed with and without charge, and/or altered in any form or manner
without firture/further compensation or liability, in perpetuity. I understand that (Name of
University) has no obligation to distribute the program(s). I understand that my
comments may or may not be used in the program(s). I understand that I will receive no
monetary compensation for the rights granted herein. I understand that my appearance on

the program(s) confers on me no ownership rights.

If by reason of my statements and actions on the program materials furnished by me for
the program(s), there is any claim or litigation involving any charge by third parties of
violation or infringement of their rights, I agree to indemnify and hold harmless (Name of
University) and its licensees and assigns from any liability, loss or expenses arising from

such claim or litigation.

7O

Name of Subject:

 

(Please print or type)

Project:

 

Signature:

 

(Parent or guardian must sign here if subject is under 18 years old.)

Dated:

 

Address:

 

 

Phone:

 

Email:

 

 

71

BIBLIOGRAPHY

' Elvgren, Gillette, and Attilio Favorini. Steel/Cifl. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh
P, 1976.

2 Cheeseman, Peter. The Fight for Shelton Ba_r_. London: Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1977.

3 Dawson, Richard F. Documentary Theatre in the United Statg. Westport: Greenwood
P, 1999. 63.

4 Aristotle- Poetics. Butcher, S. H., trans. 7 Apr. 2008
<http://libertyonline.hyperrnall.com/Aristotle/Poetics.html>..

5 Dawson, Richard F. Documentary Theatre in the United Stem. Westport: Greenwood
P, 1999.

6 Mary Pratt Cooney, PhD, Applied Theatre Studies, Wayne State University.
7 Brook, Peer. The Empty Suzie. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968.

8 Loy-Piscator, Maria. The Piscator Experiment: the Political Theat_re. New York: James
H. Heinmen, Inc., 1967.

9 Kaufman, Moises. The Laramie Project. New York: Vintage Books, 2001.

'0 Kaufman, Moises, and The Tectonic Theatre Pro . The Lagamie Project. New York:
Dramatists Play Service, 2001.

” Deavere Smith, Anna. Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights. Brooklyn and Other
Identities. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1997.

'2 Deavere Smith, Anna. Twilight: Los Angeles. New York: Dramatists Play Service,
1992.

'3 Deavere Smith, Anna. Hou§e Arrest: A Segch for American Chfltcter in and Around
the White House, past and present. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2003.

'4 Mann, Emily. Execution Of Justice. New York: Samuel French, 1986.
'5 Mann, Emily. Greensboro: aCRequim. New York: Samuel French, 1996.

'6 Shear, Claudia. Blown Sideways Throrggh Life: a Hilaripus Tour De Resume. New
York: Delta, 1996.

'7 Wittig, Robert. "Robert Wittig: the Need for Artistic Method." EBSQ Self

Representing Artists. 12 Dec. 2002. 17 Apr. 2008
<http://www.ebsqart.com/ArtMagazine/za_1 65 .htm>.

72

'8 "Handbook of Independent Journalism." Usinfo.State.Gov. June 1996. US. State Dept.
28 Feb. 2008 <http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/journalism/getting.htm>

'9 Putting Documentary Wodt to Work: a Guide for Communities Artists and Activists.
Durham: Center for Documentary Studies At Duke University, 2001.

 

2° Klein, Cheryl. "The Essential's of Plot." Talking Books. Apr. 2006. Arthur a. Levine
Books. 29 Feb. 2008 <http://www.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/freytag.jpg>.

2‘ Alterman, Glenn. Creating Your Won Monologu_e. New York: Allworth P, 1999.
22 Egri, Lajos. The Art of Drafltic Writing. New York: Touchstone, 1960.

23 Deavere Smith, Anna. Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other
Identities. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1997.

73

 

 

 

 

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VERSIIV LIBRARIE

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