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Stage blocking is one of the most basic and technical elements of play direction, but should never be taken lightly by the director. Indeed there are a few other elements of a play that are more exciting and glamorous, but blocking provides the backbone and structure needed to make those other elements a reality. Basically, blocking is the choreography of actors' movements throughout the entire play. If a character needs to exit the scene, for example, the actor must be able to move naturally towards the exit. The director's goal is to come up with a plausible means of getting that actor across the stage and through the door, window, transporter beam or whatever. The same holds true for a character delivering a monologue- should they break away from the other actors or deliver the speech in the middle of a crowd? Other considerations when block may include entrances of a character, or places for actors to go when their character has no function in the scene.
Here are some things to consider when blocking your actors in a play:
1. Let the script do most of the work for you. As a director, you may have plenty of ideas on changing the setting or the costumes or the dialogue, but leave the basic stage direction as intact as possible. You aren't trying to reinvent the wheel, just making sure your actors know where to stand and when to cross. Most scripts already contain enough staging information to allow you to form a rough idea of blocking. You should know when the characters are supposed to enter and exit, and what obstacles are in their way during their dialogue. Trust the script notes to paint the broadest strokes you will need to do basic blocking.
2. Avoid clutter- keep the audience in mind. A traditional proscenium stage should be viewed as a living painting. No artist would dare place all of his painting's elements on one side of the painting. Balance the stage movements so that the audience has a feeling of aesthetics. If a character has no interaction with others in the scene, move them to the opposite side of the stage for balance. If you have furniture on stage, avoid piling every actor on the couch center stage. You might set up more furniture on both sides of the stage to keep your actors from crowding each other. You might also consider building various levels to keep all actors in plain view. Build up different parts of the set, and when one actor moves to a different 'level', move another actor to replace them. If done subtly, the audience should not notice the continuous shift.
3. Allow the actors to improvise and contribute to the blocking process. During the rehearsal process, a director must be an benevolent dictator and democratic leader at the same time. There are some blocking directions that should be seen as immutable, such as exits, dramatic crosses and entrances. These movements need to be fixed and unchanged, so that lighting directors and other technical people can get a proper fix on actor positions. But some elements of blocking, such as internal monologues and staged arguments, can be modified through improvisation and actor input. You should listen carefully to your actors' ideas, even if you still veto them. Actors can get a feel for where their characters would want to move during a scene, so their input can be very useful indeed. During a conflict scene, you may feel that the couple would naturally move away from each other to get some emotional distance, whereas the actors involved may feel like moving in closer to increase the tension between them. Both actions seem reasonable, so see which movements improve the scene. Be prepared to adjust your original ideas accordingly- move other actors out of the scene or change the stage layout.
4. Never let the props or set do the acting. If your set has a lot of furniture or levels or props, keep their presence to a minimum. Make sure your actors' movements upstage the furniture, rather than risk the furniture upstaging the actors. Unless the stage directions call for it, do not allow actors to perform entire scenes BEHIND a prop or furniture. Keep the actors visible and clutter-free. If a prop is misplaced or a set piece is in the way of an actor's path, tell your actors to get it out of the way by any means necessary. No one should feel obligated to tip-toe around a piece of misplaced scenery. I once saw a play in which an ashtray was accidentally left on center stage while sets were being changed. It stood out as if it were a 50 foot Godzilla. The next set was a
carver's workshop, which did not call for an ashtray. The actor who was scheduled to enter the scene simply scooped up the ashtray as he came through the door, then proceeded to light a cigarette and hold the ashtray in his hand as he spoke. The prop stopped being the center of attention, and the scene was saved. Your actors should have this same flexibility when blocking problems arise.
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