(Part 2) Best products from r/Theatre

So glad you've taken an interest in Shakespeare. He's the best for a reason!

The thing is, your question is almost impossibly broad. First off, what "theater movement" do you mean exactly? In the Western tradition? (I'm assuming, because you're asking about Shakespeare.) There are HUNDRES of movements in theater (Absurdism! Realism! Naturalism! Theater of the Absurd! Artaud's Theater of Cruelty! And that's just the 20th century!) And how are you defining "modern" and "pre-modern?" Pre-Victorian, maybe? Or post-Elizabethan?

Also, when you're talking about Shakespeare's influence, do you mean just from a text/language standpoint? All the words he invented? (Here's a list! http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html) Or what he did from a character development standpoint? How he played with then-existing dramatic convention? Or how the Globe and King's Men productions helped shape dramatic productions? This is an entire academic field we're talking about, people get PHDs in this subject! :)

Also, FYI, "Broadway" only refers to theaters of a certain size in New York. Not to any specific production qualities or standards. Although there is a lot of cultural baggage associating the term with musicals and big spectacles, smaller scale plays and more "experimental" works are mounted in Broadway theaters today.

BUT to answer your initial question: I think it's safe to say that there has not been a single artist with more influence on Western theater than William Shakespeare. Nearly every single other person (from Shaw to Chekov to Miller) who has shaped or formed the Western theatrical tradition had read, studied or seen a Shakespeare play. His influence is nearly impossible to quantify, and certainly not fit for one Reddit post :)

This is a fun, easy read which provides a thin but useful overview of Shakespeare's influence on the WHOLE WORLD!

Here's some other books to check out if you're interested.

http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-World-Stage-Eminent-Lives/dp/B0091LM8L8

http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-An-Illustrated-Stage-History/dp/0198123728

https://cache.kzoo.edu/handle/10920/27867

Yes and no.

There are great books about screenwriting for the feature film like Save the Cat, but the recent upsurge in longer-form television writing required for the binge services (Netflix,Amazon etc,) stretches the conventions of these books.

The lessons learned in a college level script analysis class apply to all types of media using theatre as an example, and are generally grounded in classics. Many film-hopefuls don't know that understanding these classic forms tend to make the difference between truly great stories and stories that will fade away.

Taking a screenwriting class after or in conjunction will improve your ability to write in a variety of forms that might be required by the different story ideas that you might have. The industry is evolving almost as quickly as it did during the invention of film and later television.

You will need to understand the classical structures and ideas at some point during your career as a writer, and so I would heartily recommend a script analysis class. But then again, I'm a college teacher. Who teaches script analysis. And often acts in movies when directors and writers don't understand these classic forms.

Think about the possibility of hitting a home run without ever been told to keep you eye on the ball or step into the pitch. It's possible. But it's much less likely.

Don’t read directly off the page. Look down as often as you need, but look back up to deliver the lines.

Don’t let the page in your hands prevent you from incorporating physical action into your audition. If your character is dancing or exercising or cooking dinner, go ahead and play that out instead of using the script as an excuse to stand planted in one place.

Don’t forget to respond to what you hear and what actually happens, not what you read. Make sure that you are taking the cues for your own lines and emotions from your partners, just as you would with a memorized text. Their tone and energy should be incorporated into your audition, not suppressed and reimagined as whatever you first thought when you read it on your own. The cold read part of an audition is often a chance for the director to see how two partners work together in the roles, so make sure to play the partnership.

Finally, if you know the show you are auditioning for, or if the sides are available, then it’s doesn’t have to be a cold read at all. Familiarize yourself with it to the greatest degree possible. If you are “cold reading” Arthur Miller, you should not be reading those lines for the first time in your life. If you are “cold reading” Shakespeare, you should have a very good sense of the characters, relationships, and story at least. In this case (Peter and the Starcatcher) the script is readily available. Hie thee to a library and do as much prep as you can.

Searching around a little this book looks promising: https://www.amazon.com/Lesbian-Theatrical-Legacy-Pre-Stonewall-Triangulations/dp/047206858X
I would definitely recommend poking around Amazon. Try searching different terms like "queer" "gay" "lesbian" theatre and history of. And I recommend doing the same thing over at half price books: https://www.hpb.com
Best of luck!!

Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play this is the best book I've ever read that really explains the new play development process.

Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers I have not read this book yet, but you definitely want to read something about dramaturgy

Building The Successful Theater Company this is probably the best book to read for management and arts administration

Depending on how much theatre you plan on doing, I would suggest picking up a compilation book and start working through some pieces that catch you eye. The Musical Theatre Anthology, v.1 is my personal favorite. For a guy your range, all the suggestions are good, I'd also throw in "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific, maybe "Marian the Librarian" from Music Man, or "Reviewing the Situation" if you want to show off your patter.

I like to listen to a song, see if I like it, then start working on it. Some people will have a problem with that, and raise valid concerns, but I think that there's such a wealth of knowledge and experience to tap into, that it would be a waste not to use it. All the suggestions here are great, the key is to pick something you feel like you can have fun performing. Break a leg!

Halloween? Look into Slasher - a comedy about making a low budget horror picture. It can allow for some interesting usage of video tech.

Look Research I did: http://www.pwcenter.org/fellows_voices.php?uid=472&

Read in this collection (check your library!): http://www.amazon.com/Humana-Festival-2009-Adrien-Alice-Hansel/dp/0981909930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321857560&sr=8-1

Also consider - "The Baltimore Waltz" by Vogel and "Art" by Reza. Both plays are small cast, low set and tech intense, and are far more interesting than 'Almost, Maine'. However, 'Almost' is a crowd pleaser for sure and is fairly easy to direct due the playwright not trust directors and writing stage directions for every damn line. Always consider your audience and why a play needs to be done for that particular audience. If it is just to entertain, you might as well screen a good pop-corn movie and call it day.

If you looking for a place to buy plays, Abebooks.com or the amazon used section. Check around your city for the local half-price or discount book store. Call to ask if they have a drama section.

Your best bet is to read as many plays as you can get your hands on, and find monologues you connect with. The key will be hunting down plays with male characters in your age bracket.

Colleen Wagner's The Monument opens with a great monologue by Stetko, a young man on trial for war crimes. You could probably cut a good 1.5min section out of it for a dramatic piece. The character is challenging, and might be fun for you to explore.

The character of Sparkle also has some nice little monologues in Judith Thompson's Habitat.

This has good reviews on Amazon! I would just look around there for books! You'll find some good things. Also knowing period makeup and what was popular for men and women in each decade is super helpful!

The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Film, Television, Photography, and Theatre https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240818946/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_YkEEwbMX719MH

I love the Sondheim productions from the 80s

>Sunday in the Park with George

>Into the Woods

>Sweeney Todd

But I'm also pretty fond of the Donny Osmond
> Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat

which was produced for recording, and not just a filmed stage production, but still manages to feel very theatrical.

For a bit of variety, I'll throw in
> Pippin

> Kiss Me Kate

I don't remember if Kiss Me Kate was a theatrical production or a sound-stage, I think I've seen a couple of versions of that, but it's really good.

The Great Performances recordings of productions are always fantastic, but sometimes hard to track down.

To give you a few examples of great contemporary writers :

• England : Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica, a great political play
  
  
• Sweden : Khemiri's Invasion! and I call my brothers, intelligent and funny plays.
  
  
• France : Michel Vinaver's Overboard is one of french's theatre masterpiece of the last 50 years.
  
  
• Norway : Jon Foss, for example with Autumn Dream, write poetic and understated masterpieces.
  
  
• Japan : Oriza Hirata (People of Seoul) is one of their great modern playwright, but I'm not sure he's translated into english.

There are several great books out there. There's an outdated book from about ten years ago that catalogs just about every cast recording and gives them ratings (it only goes up to about 2004, but it's fantastic for everything before that).

https://www.amazon.com/Theatermania-Guide-Musical-Theater-Recordings/dp/0823084353

Also, The Secret Life of the American Musical is an AMAZING guide to the structures of musical, and comes with recommendations for shows at the back.

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-American-Musical-Broadway/dp/0374536899/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492386029&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+viertel