Theatre PPP - Section 3?

[xenlya]

For my Theatre Practical Performance Proposal Section 3:

"HL students should write a report of 1,000-1,500 words which should comprise of a commentary on any of the following aspects of the proposed performance:

- Philosophical Rationale

- Socio-historical influences

- Traditional/cultural influences

- Possible impacts and resonances"

Now, we're doing just a practice one of these (I'm in IB1) and our stimulus is THE GUEST HOUSE.

Here's a brief summary to what we're doing:

It's all naturalism (based off of Stanislavski) and each student has taken on a new identity - for example, I play Clara Phillips, a rich heiress who suffers from OCD and severe paranoia. We've made it so that the performance is interactive and basically improvised - so the audience is involved in finding out what is going on in this guest house (it's basically like a hotel). The big mystery is that one character has gone missing, and they need to find out why through clues that the actors give them and other things.

The big issue is that I don't know how to write this essay. I know this is quite a personal essay to write, because it's about my own development with this, but if anyone could help me give a brief outline as to which things I can include? I was thinking of choosing Philosophical Rationale, but then again, I'm not entirely certain how to structure this essay. THANKS!

(sorry if this is long..!)

[pigsonthewing]

"the philosophical rational seeks to clarify and link the performance choices to the work of a theatre philosopher".

You described the piece as Stanislavskian, so I would suggest you dedicate your section 3 of the PPP to an essay exploring how you plan to, in a Stanslavki-type manner, develop your character (Clara Phillips). Once you have done some research into his system and the various acting techniques he proposes the actor uses in rehearsal and performance this shouldn't be a problem

[Tom-Matthews]

I have a question. I'm working on my PPP right now, and was hoping to do my Section 3 as a philosophical rational about the Theatre of Cruelty and Antonin Artaud (as the play I proposed uses elements from this). However, I'm also using Artauds Theatre of Cruelty in my Extended Essay. Would I still be able to use it for my PPP?

[ro_1293x]

For my Theatre Practical Performance Proposal Section 3:

"HL students should write a report of 1,000-1,500 words which should comprise of a commentary on any of the following aspects of the proposed performance:

- Philosophical Rationale

- Socio-historical influences

- Traditional/cultural influences

- Possible impacts and resonances"

Now, we're doing just a practice one of these (I'm in IB1) and our stimulus is THE GUEST HOUSE.

Here's a brief summary to what we're doing:

It's all naturalism (based off of Stanislavski) and each student has taken on a new identity - for example, I play Clara Phillips, a rich heiress who suffers from OCD and severe paranoia. We've made it so that the performance is interactive and basically improvised - so the audience is involved in finding out what is going on in this guest house (it's basically like a hotel). The big mystery is that one character has gone missing, and they need to find out why through clues that the actors give them and other things.

The big issue is that I don't know how to write this essay. I know this is quite a personal essay to write, because it's about my own development with this, but if anyone could help me give a brief outline as to which things I can include? I was thinking of choosing Philosophical Rationale, but then again, I'm not entirely certain how to structure this essay. THANKS!

(sorry if this is long..!)

So I figure you have probably finished your practice ppp for class but for future reference I hope this helps

Well I wouldn't say its that personal. Obviously the reasoning behind your entire proposal should be personal to you as it should be something original, unique and yes in some way a part of you will be in this piece but that does not mean that your entire essay is simply you pouring out your deep feelings about OCD or paranoia or whatever else seems releveant to your peice. Instead the rationale is merely what the name says: your reasoning for doing what you are doing.

You will realize that writing the Pitch in section 1 is also a little difficult as you should be spot on in just 250 words, you are not only introducing your idea but you are trying to capture your audience so that they will want to actually see what you have put together. So your pitch is a brief look into the total production you have devised, while the rationale is the final justification for every choice you made. Honestly those ideas they give you for the type of rationale is more of a guideline - you don't strictly have to choose just one. What you are expected to do is delve into the ideas behind this performance, what drove you to choose such characters and such a stage and such lighting techniques? And how did all of these ideas stem from the main practitioner/style/genre(s) that you chose to work off of? See for example, my PPP was based on a stimulus of an old Japanese folktale called the Crane Wife, from that I got the idea to devise a play around typical modern uppermiddle/higher class society and their actions being driven by their greed and lust as essentially being their downfall. I mainly got my techniques and stylistic tools from Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty so based on alot of research and my final decision I put together a philosophicale rationale. I spoke about how greed is contagious and it plague's humanity hence my choice of etc etc etc to show blah blah blah as taken from Artaud's ideas of using dramatically large sculptures/masks etc and moving characters rather than actual staging and props... lots of dramatic lighting to attack the senses etc etc etc. It's really easy to write if you have thought your entire proposal through. It took me days to finally finish the supporting material, but one night to get the most of my rationale done because by that point I was really clear about my thoughts.

And as for your class activity, it doesn't seem like your teacher is strictly keepin you guys to an actual PPP type of activity else you wouldn't be actually acting it out and I don't think you would work together or at least not as one character each since the PPP is about devising a total performance from characters, to plot, to set, to music etc. So maybe that's why you are finding it a little more difficult to come up with this essay?

[ro_1293x]

I have a question. I'm working on my PPP right now, and was hoping to do my Section 3 as a philosophical rational about the Theatre of Cruelty and Antonin Artaud (as the play I proposed uses elements from this). However, I'm also using Artauds Theatre of Cruelty in my Extended Essay. Would I still be able to use it for my PPP?

yes you definitely can. Only the RI requires you to strictly cover an area you have not yet explored.

but if at all possible you could try to link in some other styles or practitioners? just to give yourself some variety.

Edited May 19, 2012 by ro_1293x