Dramaturg's statement

From a dramaturg's prospective, a production of 'The Shape of Things' begins with understanding the setting. It is set in modern times in a small midwestern town at a liberal arts college. Once all of these facts are taken into consideration it is time to begin the real work. How do we visually show the audience where we are at? The location should not be a busy town with lots of attractions, but rather a quiet and reserved town that is set in its ways without the intent of changing with the times. Flat land, few trees, and an over all sense of an isolation should be set into the production.

Educators Packet

-The Shape of Things was written by Neil LaBute in 2001 in the english language. It has a total of four main characters consisting of two male and two female roles.

-The story centers around the main character, Adam, who is a student at a liberal arts college. His life changes dramatically when he meets a young woman named Evelyn. She is an art major working on her final project and the two quickly hit it off. With the passing of time it soon becomes apparent that Evelyn is changing Adam's appearance by using simple suggestions knowing how much he cares for her. Things get worst as Adam's best friend, Phillip, ends up hating Evelyn and her feeling the same way about Phillip. Soon Evelyn has Adam choose between his best friend Phillip and his fiancee Jenny. In the end Adam is a changed man without his friends and without his love because of his blind love that he had for Evelyn who puts fourth a fake connection with him to complete her project.

-Brief Bio Of Author- LaBute was originally a playwright. He attended Brigham Young University and took theater as his major. Many say that Pulitzer-Prize winner David Mamet was a strong influence on him. He chose to attack subjects that many don't really want to talk about and showed the way that people really talk amongst themselves. His piece entitled "Filthy Talk for Troubled Times" featured two guys just sitting around and making small talk and ridiculing homosexuals and their ways, in a manner not unlike the conversations in his In the Company of Men (1997). The play was not, unsurprisingly, a hit with the critics.After LaBute graduated from the University of Kansas and New York University, he got a scholarship to London's Royal Court Theatre in the US in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. Then he got into cinema. He made his films like his plays: just characters talking and revealing how evil, scared, ignorant, wounded, delusional, disillusioned and cynical they are.
'http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001438/bio'

-The Shape of Things opened in London in 2001. From there it went to New York and from there made its appearence in film.

-"Neil La Bute's The Shape of Things, about the cruel games a more powerful partner can play with a smitten weaker one, had a successful run in London's West End. It has arrived for a limited stay in midtown Manhattan at the Off-Broadway Promenade with the director, actors and designers in place. The main update in the credits below are the theater address and performance schedule. The story is as deliberately and disturbingly attention grabbing as ever. The performances remain outstanding. Paul Rudd is downright amazing in the things he does to make us accept his Adam as shapeless lump, the loser who doesn't ever get the pretty girl -- a shy college boy ripe to be seduced and transformed by the play's Eve, here called Evelyn. (Just in case you miss the metaphoric implications of the name, there's a scene when Eve bites into a juicy red apple). Rachel Weisz is properly chilling as the villain of the piece and her outfits, courtesy of Lynette Meyer, are the ultimate in chic à la thrift shop boutiques -- a dress and coat in clashing greens and prints being particularly memorable. Gretchen Mol and Frederick Weller are no mere secondary characters but add to the complications of relationships and issues of control and art that LaBute addresses. " - Elyse Sommer-
-www.curtainup.com-
The following game is a game that the class should play before attending this play. Take the key points in the following example and change them to modern day art. What is it? What makes it special? Is there ever a time when the artist crosses the line in how he or she presents people they may or may not know.

-Ask your teen what issues he's passionate about. Chances are there is something in his community, his nation or the world that has him fired up. It doesn't have to be world peace or funding the cure for cancer. Your teen can start small, as long as it's something which resonates with him. Maybe he's sick of getting busted for skateboarding downtown and wants to see his municipal government invest in a skate park. Instill in him that there is a way to make a difference, it just takes a bit of work. Encourage your teen to:
Find out everything she possibly can about the issue from all sides. There's no way to argue her position if she doesn't do the research. Following the skate park example, get a copy of the town budget. If she can point out that $3,000 was spent this year on repairing turf for the football field, it can be used later as leverage.
Find out the right governmental body with which to raise the issue: Is it town council? The planning commission? The mayor's office? Attend a meeting of town officials to present the issue when they open the floor to the public.
Start a petition. It may be hard-work, but it's also quite literally a hands-on lesson in the democratic process.
-http://www.freechild.org/politics.htm-

- Questions for the director-
1) What key points of the script are you trying to touch on?
2) What type of music are you looking for?
3) Are you setting it in present day or just modern times?
4) What type of clothing? T-Shirts, Jeans, shirt and tie, Athletic clothing...ect?
5) Will there be nudity?

sounds

The music choice for a modern day college university setting is a difficult task. One must consider what type of college it is because that tells one what type of individuals would attend such a university. This is a liberal arts college so the chances of a majority of the students listening to music with an artisitc coffee cafe feeling is pretty high. Below are some examples.

1- Rufus Wainwright -One Man Guy

"People will know when they see this show
The kind of a guy I am
They'll recognize just what I stand for and what I just can't stand
They'll perceive what I believe in
And what I know is true
And they'll recognize I'm a one man guy
Always was through and through"

2- Ray Lamontagne- Barfly

"BarflyJust a barfly baby,
uh-huhBarflyJust a barfly baby,
uh-huhKiss me before you goI'm going nowhere latelyBarflyJust a barfly baby,
uh-huhBarflyJust a barfly baby,
uh-huhSlow downSlow down,
you move too fastSlow downSlow down, you move too fast

3-Rufus Wainwright- Poses

"The yellow walls are lined with portraits
And I've got my new red fetching leather jacket
All these poses such beautiful poses
Makes any boy feel like picking up roses"

4-James Blunt- You're Beautiful

5-Incubus- Aqueous Transmission

Manys of these Cds are somewhat new and will cost somewhere between 17 and 25 dollars. You can go online to amazon.com or to any local music store and probably find many of these songs and more.

Space

A small midwestern street in down town
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosbystan/1519476598/




An example of a small midwestern university


http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9G_bHMCqYhInUEAPEKjzbkF/SIG=11oubl5gl/EXP=1217002114/**http%3A//flightops.aero.und.edu/campus




A field in the midwest portraying the vast fields of farm land.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9G_bI94qIhI1Z4A3hajzbkF/SIG=1270bkm8t/EXP=1217001976/**http%3A//www.flickr.com/photos/niks_pics_/1813455611/










A small town house in the midwest. This is only one of an entire street of similiar bed and breakfast style houses.
http://www.tndtownpaper.com/Volume8/midwest_masterpiece.htm

A Farm in the midwest during the 2007 drought

http://flickr.com/photos/fotoedge/1072204916/

http://prairiepathways.com/Postcards_from_Kansas/index.php

This is a country road somewhere in the midwest. What is important is the lack of civilization here.

Time

This play is set in present time at a liberal arts college in a small midwestern town in the U.S. Being set in such a location and time will have several effects on many of the characters of the play. For exapmle, Evelyn is an art major attending a liberal arts college. She is prone to be more open minded to what is seen as right and wrong in the eyes of the populace, which drives her character in her search for a way to change the world. The fact that they are all students at such a college should shape how the relationships are presented, being that they are still young adults in a learning enviroment. Phillip is a dare devil who has such a loud personality that it is bound to clash with Evelyn's artistic approach to life. The differences in these characters have a dramatic effect with how they get along. Adam is an easy going, soft spoken man who ends up meeting a woman who is the complete opposite of him. His life style of advoiding conflict and attention will change quickly with the start of his relationship with evelyn. Jenny is the constant in Adam's life that reminds him of the simple times before his intense relationship with Evelyn. Her personality is similair to his and this should be presented as such in production. The fact of the matter is most of these characters do not have personalities that compliment the others, they often clash instead and lead towards a conflict. The setting of such a small midwestern town and the type of university with these characters make for a colorful and interesting task of presenting it to an audience with the right tone.

The Facts: Characters and Casting

Adam- Male, university student studying English and working as a museum security guard, mid twenties and friends with Jenny and friend and also former roommate of Phillip.
Jenny- Female, university student, fiancee to Phillip and friend to Adam, mid twenties
Phillip- Male, university student, fiancee to Jenny and friend to Adam, mid twenties
Evelyn- Female, university student, studying Art, working on final project, mid twenties and does not know any of the characters at the beginning of the play

Non traditional casting could easily work for the play when it comes to casting any race or ethnicity. The only guide lines a casting director would have to stick to is the sex of each character. This play is very specific in how each character knows each other and their backgrounds as friends and or lovers.

the facts; basics

Title- The Shape of Things
Author- Neil LaBute
Language- English
Year of Publication- 2001
Genre- Drama/ 144 pages

Agency- Samuel French
Royalty Fees- Fee code M
Cast Breakdown-
M-Adam
M -Phillip
F -Evelyn
F -Jenny
Time and Setting- A liberal arts college in a conservative midwestern town

Brief Bio Of Author- LaBute was originally a playwright. He attended Brigham Young University and took theater as his major. Many say that Pulitzer-Prize winner David Mamet was a strong influence on him. He chose to attack subjects that many don't really want to talk about and showed the way that people really talk amongst themselves. His piece entitled "Filthy Talk for Troubled Times" featured two guys just sitting around and making small talk and ridiculing homosexuals and their ways, in a manner not unlike the conversations in his In the Company of Men (1997). The play was not, unsurprisingly, a hit with the critics.After LaBute graduated from the University of Kansas and New York University, he got a scholarship to London's Royal Court Theatre in the US in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City. Then he got into cinema. He made his films like his plays: just characters talking and revealing how evil, scared, ignorant, wounded, delusional, disillusioned and cynical they are. 'http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001438/bio'

Brief Plot Summary- How far would you go for love? For art? What concessions would you make? What price would you be willing to pay? Such are the painful questions explored by Neil LaBute in, The Shape of Things. A modern day retelling of the fall of man. After a chance meeting in a museum, Evelyn, a sexy, aggressive artist, and Adam, a shy, insecure student, become embroiled in an intense affair. Before long, it veers into the kind of dangerous, seductive territory that LaBute does best, as Adam, under Evelyn's steady influence, goes to unimaginable lengths to improve his appearance and character. Only in the final and shocking exhibition, which challenges our most deeply entrenched ideas about art and love, does Evelyn reveal her true intentions. This volume contains the original stage script for the play, which was also the basis for the film.
'http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/6452'

graduate degree programs

1- Roosevelt CollegeMasters in Directing/Dramaturgy
(Two/Three Year Program)
Chicago 430 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 341-3500

2-York UniversityToronto, Ontario
MFA in Dance Dramaturgy
2 year program including Choreography thesis and Dance Dramaturgy thesis

3-The University of Ottawa Ottawa Ontario Canada
MA Theatre Theory & Dramaturgy
2 years

4-Mary Baldwin CollegeStaunton, VA
MFA Emphasis in Dramaturgy
Two Years

5-University of Hull United Kingdom
Master’s in Performance Translation and Dramaturgy
Two Years

6-University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
MFA in Theater Arts with a focus in Dramaturgy
61-69 hrs

7-

dramaturgy as a profession

1- Utah Shakespearean FestivalLORT Classification- B+, C-Location- Cedar City, UT-Name of Dramaturg- Michael Flachmann-Specific Title- Dramaturg

2- Indiana Repertory Theatre-LORT Classification- C-Location- Indianapolis , IN-Name of Dramaturg- Richard Roberts-Specific Title- Resident Dramaturg

3-American Conservatory Theater-Classification A D,Theater -30 Grant Ave, 6th Fl , San Francisco , CA - Michael Paller, Dramaturg

4-Actors Theatre of Louisville- Classified B D, Louisville KY-Julie Felise Dubiner- Resident Dramaturg

5. The Wilma Theater-Lort C-Philadelphia- PA-Walter Bilderback, Dramaturg/Literary Manager

6-Alliance Theatre at WoodruffLort D,B-Atlanta, GA-Carlyn Aquiliane-Literary Manger/Dramaturg

7-Lark Play Development Center-Lort D-New York,NY-Suzy Fay-Dramaturgy

8-Centerstage, Lort B&C- Baltimore, MD,-Gavin Witt- Dramaturg

9-Peoples Light & Theatre company- Literary Manager -ALDA Cortese Lort D- Malvern, PA.

10-McCarter Theatre Center- Lort classification B+, B-Princeton , NJ- Carrie Hughes-Literary Manager

What is dramaturgy?

1- 'the art or technique of dramatic composition and theatrical representation.'-'http://www.usq.edu.au/performancecentre/schoolresources/fivewomen/dramaturgy.htm'

2-The craft or the techniques of dramatic composition -'onlinedictionary.com'

3- Dramaturgy is a unique area of theatre which is often misunderstood by theatre professionals and often unknown to theatre patrons. 'https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/32241/1/CompleteThesis.pdf'

4- The English ―dramaturg‖came from the German ―dramaturg,‖which evolved as a term and profession from Gotthold Ephraim Lessings work at the Hamburg National Theatre in the late 1700s Lessings successors in Germany function as ―resident theatre critics‖under the name ―dramaturg‖The Greek etymology of the word further complicates the definition of ―dramaturgy‖ from ―drame,‖meaning ―action or doing,‖and ―-urgy‖meaning ―process of working,‖the word comes to mean one who works or creates action, or rather dramas. This etymology has come to clutter the meaning of ―dramaturgy‖as the creating of plays. In fact, the French ―dramaturge‖means playwright 'https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/32241/1/CompleteThesis.pdf'

5- Here is a list offering a broad area of responsibilities of a dramaturg'

1. Make a vocabulary list and define any ambiguous phrases or allusions.
2. Find character name meanings and research historical or real people.
3. Read reviews and pertinent criticism and theory of previous performances. When possible and appropriate, communicate with the playwright.
4. Put together a timeline of important events related to the setting of the play.
5. Put together a timeline of important events realted to the period when the play was written.
6. Make a list of images and complete an appropriate structural analysis.
7. Make translations.
8. Write or find an appropriate playwright biography.
9. Find sensory media, artifacts or objects that help define the world of the play.
10. Prepare packets of information, online reference pages, and a presentation for the cast and crew.
11.Be prepared to answer any and all questions.
http://www.geocities.com/amylynnhess76/whatsadramaturg.html

1. Identified as researches and historians.
2-Represent the playwrites intentions.
3-Liase with with director and the playwright to help insure that the play receives the best production possible.
http://www.joesalvatore.com/a-dramaturgy.html