http://thedirectorsector.com/2008/01/11/how-i-developed-my-first-concept/ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:11:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://thedirectorsector.com/2008/01/11/how-i-developed-my-first-concept/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Scott Walters Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:22:01 +0000 http://thedirectorsector.com/2008/01/11/how-i-developed-my-first-concept/#comment-41 This is going to seem self-serving, but I am going to recommend that you try to track down my book "Introduction to Play Analysis." It is short, and too expensive -- so see if you can get it through your library. Pay particular attention to the chapter on "Theatrical Contract" and "Conflict." All too often, what are called "concepts" are really "wouldn't it be cool" moments. A director reads the play once or twice and goes "wouldn't it be cool if...we set the play in 19th-century Uruguay!" NO! Find out what the play is trying to say and, more importantly, how it is trying to do it. If the original references no longer have the same associations in our society (e.g., when Shakespeare set a play in Italy, he could count on certain associations in his audience that would help them understand the play more quickly), then look for a contemporary analogue (there is an interesting version of this in Anne Bogart's most recent book "And Then, You Act," where she creates a context for the production of a classic show that will help create the associations -- see the chapter on "Context"). Concepts should be deeply rooted in the text. Good luck! This is going to seem self-serving, but I am going to recommend that you try to track down my book “Introduction to Play Analysis.” It is short, and too expensive — so see if you can get it through your library. Pay particular attention to the chapter on “Theatrical Contract” and “Conflict.” All too often, what are called “concepts” are really “wouldn’t it be cool” moments. A director reads the play once or twice and goes “wouldn’t it be cool if…we set the play in 19th-century Uruguay!” NO! Find out what the play is trying to say and, more importantly, how it is trying to do it. If the original references no longer have the same associations in our society (e.g., when Shakespeare set a play in Italy, he could count on certain associations in his audience that would help them understand the play more quickly), then look for a contemporary analogue (there is an interesting version of this in Anne Bogart’s most recent book “And Then, You Act,” where she creates a context for the production of a classic show that will help create the associations — see the chapter on “Context”). Concepts should be deeply rooted in the text. Good luck!

]]>