THE 109

a physical pursuance of a specific goal

main building block that you can do consistently onstage

1. be physically capable of being done.
2. be fun to do
3. be specific
4. have its test in the other person
5. not be an errand
6. not presuppose any physical or emotional state
7. not be manipulative
8. have a "cap"
9. be in line with the intentions of the playwright

you notice you have successfully completed doing an action
(Being given a friend's forgiveness is a cap)
(Maintaining someone's interest isn't)
You may not always achieve that cap but you must always have an end to work to

1. What is the character literally doing?
2. What is the essential action of what the character is doing in this scene?
3. What is that action like to me? It's as if...

1. Oedipus is getting people to help him fulfill his final responsibilities in Thebes
2. Making sure loved ones will be taken care of.
3. Making sure my family is in a good place before going to college.

Theatrical realism

being

internal psychology

natural

a goal

selfless

the characters' objective in a scene

the characters' objective throughout the play

1. what did I just do?
2. what am I doing?
3. what is my first objective?

Any piece of information or activity written into the script or demanded by the director comprising the imaginary framework within which an action is performed.

how would you react and behave if you were in the same situation as the character?

facial expressions, posture, gestures, movement

tempo/rate, pitch, tone/quality, volume