1. Prompt Copy

2. Prompt Copy
Goals
Focus Questions
Identify and define theater terms related to the production of a play
Analyze a section of the play closely
Imagine what the scene would look like on stage
What is a Prompt Copy and how is useful in theater?
What would the scene look like performed?
How can an artist reflect character through movement?

3. Prompt Copy
Actors, actresses, and directors have to constantly consider WHAT their characters should do on stage and WHY.
What is a Prompt? If you are prompted to do something, you are…
Encouraged, provoked…
Which mean there is reason for the action that is performed
Prompt copy, or the prompt book, also called transcript, the bible or sometimes simply "the book," is the copy of a production script that contains the information necessary to create a theatrical production from the ground up.

4. Prompt Copy
Prompt Copies look at the subtilties of humanity and make them real on the stage
Stage design
A prompt copy contains:
blocking
Business
light, speech, and sound cues
list of properties
any other relevant information

5. Stage Design
Check!
That’s right, in Act 2, you already designed our set.
So keeping that image in mind, you will need to now imagine how the actors will perform the stage on that set!

6. Blocking Vs. Business
What is the difference between blocking and stage business?
Blocking is major actor movements -- entrances, exits, a cross from the sofa to the fire place. (W.S. Gilbert)
Stage Business is small character defining movements. A character looking at his pocket watch, opening a book.

7. Blocking What is the difference between blocking and stage business?
Blocking is major actor movements -- entrances, exits, a cross from the sofa to the fire place. (W.S. Gilbert)
Stage Business is small character defining movements. A character looking at his pocket watch, opening a book.

8. Stage Business (SB) - What does it mean?
Movement that an actor does to develop a full character.
Most of time it is the actor who comes up with stage business not the director.
Sometimes the playwright will also give SB

9. 2 Types of Stage Business
1. Personal Business small actions performed by actors such as:
looking in a purse,
brushing one’s teeth,
tying a shoe, pouring a drink,
knitting, reading, writing, nail biting, etc.
These actions are related to the character and his/her role in the scene.

10. 2 Types of Stage Business
2. Gestures
Avoid covering the face with a gesture.
When handling stage props such as a telephone or making large gestures, use the upstage hand.
Remember that any movement can and will draw the audience’s attention.

11. What Stage Business do you see in this picture?
MARRIAGE BLANC by Tadeusz Rozewicz

12. How about in this photo?

13. And here?

14. Here?

15. What stage business could an actor add to this type of setting?

16. Movement can tell a story all on its own.

17. Purpose: This will help us work on Standard 9- 10
Purpose: This will help us work on Standard with analyzing characters, their growth, and their influence on theme.
It also gives us another look into the life of acting
Assignment: Using the script, you will be making a prompt copy by notating facial expressions, emotions, actions, and movement.

18. Goal: To examine the text in detail, to imagine the scene coming to life on the stage and to create a Prompt Copy of the script between 2-3 character for MND Act III Scene ii.
Purpose: Students will be able to develop empathy with characters, understand how multifaceted characters transform and grow from other characters, work with cross-discipline subjects (theater), and develop creativity and writing.
Standard: RL Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

19. Directions:
1) Prompt Copy Using the script provided to you, you are to write in the margins (or type comments through a digital version) throughout the script to indicate:
blocking- tells the actors where they should make major movements for the proper dramatic effect, ensuring sight lines for the audience, and work with the lighting.
business- small character defining movements which provides insight to that character. Consist of personal business (small actions) and gestures (with or without props)
light, speech, and sound cues
list of properties- props, articles of clothing, etc.
any other relevant information- i.e. interaction with set design, moveable stage, etc.

20. 2) Character Close-up: Choose ONE character in your scene, and write a cohesive paragraph (7-10 sentences) that answers the following questions (You many use 1st person P.O.V.):
What makes you interested in this character?
What does your character want in this play (objective)?
What is your character’s motivation for doing what he or she does?
What obstacles stand in his or her way?
What happens when your character confronts these obstacles?
Are there any distinctive elements in your character’s way of speaking (elaborate, plain, musical, monotone, etc.)?
What is your character thinking during the play? How does he or she react to the other characters and events?

21. Main idea: The idea is to write the “extra” information so that this moment can be performed on a stage exactly as you imagined it. Then, look closely at a character and examine what it would be like to be that character; not just perform as that character.
Length: Each excerpt is 2-3 pages from different parts of the scene (some may have deleted lines to focus on specific characters). It is expected that students are aware of the whole scene and WHAT is happening, but is taking a microscopic look at a couple of characters in one part of the scene in order to make the characters and scene “come to life”.
Examples on next slides

25. Choose a number 1-7 and write it down on your piece of paper
Your number will correspond with your section of lines
When you get your section, read through the lines and MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT IS MEANT BY THOSE LINES
YOU ARE NOT TRANSLATING the text. You are providing stage notes to make the scene come alive.
Note that the examples do not contain all required elements.