Guidelines for Production Response Papers – Extra Credit
You will use these Guidelines for your Production Response Paper. Please make sure you are actually using the Outline/Bullet points as presented so I know that YOU know what you are talking about. Remember, this is an OPINION/RESPONSE paper. You do not need to write, “In my opinion” – the whole paper is your opinion.
This paper needs to be 2-3 pages long; 12 point font (NOT CALIBRI); “Normal” spacing in Microsoft Word. Save as a .pdf or .docx to upload to Blackboard. Papers are worth a possible 50 points.
(The only unacceptable answers here are “I don’t know” “I don’t care” or “I’m not qualified to have an opinion” – YOU MUST HAVE AN OPINION!)
v Choice of Material: (5 pts)
Ø What show is this? Written by whom?
Ø How do you, specifically, connect with this story? (There must be something in the play/musical you can relate to…Relationships? Setting? Themes?
v Acting: (20 pts)
Ø Pick an actor that you thought was really successful/you really liked. Explain why you liked their acting. Use the person’s name.
· What made this acting “good”?
· What was their relationship with the other character(s)?
· What was their objective, do you think?
· What interesting physical choices did they make?
· What stage business did they have?
· What could have been better? Clearer?
Ø Pick an actor that you thought was less successful/you did not like. Explain why you didn’t like their acting. Use the person’s name.
· What made this acting “bad”?
· What was their relationship with the other character(s)?
· What was their objective, do you think?
· What interesting physical choices could they have made?
· What stage business did they have?
· What could have been better? Clearer?
·
v Technical Elements: (I understand that you might not be a designer; that’s ok. Give it your best guess.) (20 pts)
Ø Costumes:
§ Pick 2 Costumes from the show
· Describe each costume – color, materials, accessories.
· How did this costume help tell the character’s story?
Ø Set
§ What really stuck out to you about the set? Think about the different settings for each character. What did you notice about where they lived?
§ How did the set help tell this story?
Ø Props
§ Pick 2 Props from the show
· Describe each prop – color, texture, size.
· How did this prop help tell the character’s story?
Ø Lights
§ Was there a memorable moment of lighting from the show?
§ How so? What happened? Why was it memorable?
Ø Sound
§ Was there a memorable moment of sound in the show? (Song/pre-show music, incidental music, sound effect)
§ How so? What happened? Why was it memorable?
v Overall: (5 pts)
Ø Did you like the production as a whole? Why or why not?
Ø What sticks out in your mind?
Ø What challenged you?
Ø Based on the ending, did the story resolve the way you wanted? Why or why not?
Ø Was this piece worth doing? Why or why not?
