From Page to Stage: The Work to Bring a Character to Life
Faculty Mentor
Valerie Pye
Area of Research
Theatre
Major
Musical Theatre
Description
INTRODUCTION: As a Musical Theatre major here at LIU Post, we learn the utmost importance of having lots of tools that we can pull from in order to bring characters to life on stage. This past fall, I had the opportunity to play Irina in the Post Theatre Company’s production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters.
METHOD: In order to play Irina, I dove into researching Russian history and culture. The history of the time period greatly impacts what characters go through in pieces of theatre. I analyzed Chekhov’s script through Stanislavski and Suzuki methods of acting, as well as through the Shakespeare scoring method. I was able to use the tools that I have accumulated through my work in class to comb through the material and make tricky text read clearly on stage. I did lots of character analysis research on Irina in order to understand her relationships with the other characters in the play, as well as to be able to understand her personality better.
RESULTS: The research that I did encompasses the key elements that actors must work through in order to bring a character from a script to the stage in a way that does the work, and the character, justice. My research includes various sources including the book, Unearthing Shakespeare, written by LIU’s own Dr. Valerie Clayman Pye.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: As actors, it is our job to tell our character’s story. Doing all of the research work for a piece of theatre is what brings the actors closer to their roles, and to doing their job truthfully.
From Page to Stage: The Work to Bring a Character to Life
INTRODUCTION: As a Musical Theatre major here at LIU Post, we learn the utmost importance of having lots of tools that we can pull from in order to bring characters to life on stage. This past fall, I had the opportunity to play Irina in the Post Theatre Company’s production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters.
METHOD: In order to play Irina, I dove into researching Russian history and culture. The history of the time period greatly impacts what characters go through in pieces of theatre. I analyzed Chekhov’s script through Stanislavski and Suzuki methods of acting, as well as through the Shakespeare scoring method. I was able to use the tools that I have accumulated through my work in class to comb through the material and make tricky text read clearly on stage. I did lots of character analysis research on Irina in order to understand her relationships with the other characters in the play, as well as to be able to understand her personality better.
RESULTS: The research that I did encompasses the key elements that actors must work through in order to bring a character from a script to the stage in a way that does the work, and the character, justice. My research includes various sources including the book, Unearthing Shakespeare, written by LIU’s own Dr. Valerie Clayman Pye.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: As actors, it is our job to tell our character’s story. Doing all of the research work for a piece of theatre is what brings the actors closer to their roles, and to doing their job truthfully.