CharCON Guided Play Reading
With Luc Travers
Join us for a special group reading of powerful play by one of history's great playwrights, guided by yours truly.
Monday, Nov. 11th, 9am to 2pm (with a break for lunch) at Cynthia and Neil Roeth's home. (3932 Ayrshire Place, Charlotte, NC 28210).
Cost: $40 Registration paid below. And a $10 suggested donation for lunch paid to Cynthia Roeth.
Monday, Nov. 11th, 9am to 2pm (with a break for lunch) at Cynthia and Neil Roeth's home. (3932 Ayrshire Place, Charlotte, NC 28210).
Cost: $40 Registration paid below. And a $10 suggested donation for lunch paid to Cynthia Roeth.
Registration - $40
Space is limited! Questions: email [email protected]
Plays are not meant to be read...
I've often heard that a play is like sheet music, and you need performing artists to bring it to life.
Or so I've thought for many years...
Even though I've spent years teaching plays, I would often be frustrated by reading plays on my own. (I even posted a thread on Twitter on five reasons why I found reading plays frustrating.) However, that changed this past Summer when I made it a point to teach myself how to get the most out of reading plays. And now, I can confidently say that I find *reading* plays to be a uniquely emotional experience, and reading with others, a powerful experience that makes me think of the kind of experience I have on my Touching The Art tours.
What do I mean by a "guided" play reading?
First, like other play or script readings you might have been a part of before, we'll immerse ourselves in the story by reading character parts out loud. We'll switch up parts frequently, and everyone who wants to read will have their fill! But here's the key to what will make this a "guided" reading: our analysis and discussion of the play will not come primarily after we read the play, but rather at key points while we're reading it. If you like literature, you might have listened to Leonard Peikoff's course, Eight Great Plays, where he presents in-depth analysis of some of the world's greatest works. I love this course--it taught me so much. But while I loved his profound insights, I felt like I missed out on something. My reaction was, "Oh, yeah, I see that now!" But, what I desperately wanted was to have the profound insights while I was in the middle of experiencing the drama of the story! And that is what I propose to guide our reading group to: a deeply meaningful understanding combined with the unrepeatable experience of reading a dramatic story for the first time. The goal of the guided play reading is to prepare us to have the most powerful experience of the play's climax possible. There's nothing like drama combined with deep understanding.
During a Touching The Art experience, we go in blind to face a new artwork, and through a process of asking and answering key questions, we immerse ourselves in the story, grasp the meaning, and, importantly, personally connect to the moment depicted. We'll do the same with this guided play reading, and not only will you come away with a uniquely moving art experience, you'll also come away with new techniques to get the most out of your next play reading.
Here are some of the strategies for reading plays you'll learn about:
What is the play we'll read?
It will be a play by the 20th century English playwright, Terence Rattigan. He is one of the most popular British playwrights of the last century, and, more significantly (I believe), he is considered "old fashioned" by Modernist playwrights. In other words, his plays have a plot as well as clear, insightful meaning! He is best known for The Winslow Boy. But we'll be reading one of his lesser known dramas. (There are two of his plays I'm especially excited to read with you, and I haven't yet decided which one we'll do.) One hope of mine is that the story we'll read might be completely new to you, and I recommend coming to the play reading without having done any research on Rattigan or his plays.
The text of the play will be provided for you.
I've often heard that a play is like sheet music, and you need performing artists to bring it to life.
Or so I've thought for many years...
Even though I've spent years teaching plays, I would often be frustrated by reading plays on my own. (I even posted a thread on Twitter on five reasons why I found reading plays frustrating.) However, that changed this past Summer when I made it a point to teach myself how to get the most out of reading plays. And now, I can confidently say that I find *reading* plays to be a uniquely emotional experience, and reading with others, a powerful experience that makes me think of the kind of experience I have on my Touching The Art tours.
What do I mean by a "guided" play reading?
First, like other play or script readings you might have been a part of before, we'll immerse ourselves in the story by reading character parts out loud. We'll switch up parts frequently, and everyone who wants to read will have their fill! But here's the key to what will make this a "guided" reading: our analysis and discussion of the play will not come primarily after we read the play, but rather at key points while we're reading it. If you like literature, you might have listened to Leonard Peikoff's course, Eight Great Plays, where he presents in-depth analysis of some of the world's greatest works. I love this course--it taught me so much. But while I loved his profound insights, I felt like I missed out on something. My reaction was, "Oh, yeah, I see that now!" But, what I desperately wanted was to have the profound insights while I was in the middle of experiencing the drama of the story! And that is what I propose to guide our reading group to: a deeply meaningful understanding combined with the unrepeatable experience of reading a dramatic story for the first time. The goal of the guided play reading is to prepare us to have the most powerful experience of the play's climax possible. There's nothing like drama combined with deep understanding.
During a Touching The Art experience, we go in blind to face a new artwork, and through a process of asking and answering key questions, we immerse ourselves in the story, grasp the meaning, and, importantly, personally connect to the moment depicted. We'll do the same with this guided play reading, and not only will you come away with a uniquely moving art experience, you'll also come away with new techniques to get the most out of your next play reading.
Here are some of the strategies for reading plays you'll learn about:
- How and when to visualize the setting and characters for maximum effect
- How to be on the lookout for sparks of conflict
- How to personally connect to the characters' conflicts
- How to prepare for the climax by crafting the right questions
What is the play we'll read?
It will be a play by the 20th century English playwright, Terence Rattigan. He is one of the most popular British playwrights of the last century, and, more significantly (I believe), he is considered "old fashioned" by Modernist playwrights. In other words, his plays have a plot as well as clear, insightful meaning! He is best known for The Winslow Boy. But we'll be reading one of his lesser known dramas. (There are two of his plays I'm especially excited to read with you, and I haven't yet decided which one we'll do.) One hope of mine is that the story we'll read might be completely new to you, and I recommend coming to the play reading without having done any research on Rattigan or his plays.
The text of the play will be provided for you.
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