Write an essay (5-7 pages) explaining how you would direct one of Beckett or Pinter's plays.  In particular, argue for your specific interpretation of the play and how you as a director would express this interpretation through acting, casting, staging, costuming, and setting in one scene or section of a scene.  The structure for this assignment is rigid, but you have a lot of creative freedom to make your case.  The main goals for this assignment are for you to formulate a clear interpretation, to support that interpretation with evidence from the play, and then to explain how you would make that interpretation manifest to the audience with your directorial choices.

In the first section of your essay, argue for your overall interpretation of the play. Pick an overall idea/point that you think the play expresses, and use evidence from the script to support your interpretation.  There are a number of possible ideas/interpreations you could choose, but pick one that interests you, and argue for why you believe the play can support the idea.

You may order the remaining sections however you wish. 

Explain who you would cast to play the parts in your scene.  You may talk about specific actors or types of actors that would play the parts and what you think they could bring to the roles.  You might talk about other parts they've played, physical characteristics that would help them express the idea you want to express, or anything that rationalizes why you would pick these actors.  Overall, explain how the choices you make would help deliver your interpretation.

Explain how you would want the actors to act in this scene to deliver the idea you're trying to deliver.  What tone of voice would they use at certain points? What emotions would be used? What would ask the actors to use for motivation? What lines would be emphasized? What expressions might they have? how would they carry themselves? When would they sit, stand, walk, etc.? What props might they use? How would they handle them? Overall, explain how the choices you make would help deliver your interpretation.

Think about costuming.  What would the actors wear? What colors would be significant? Overall, explain how the choices you make would help deliver your interpretation.

Consider the setting.  Where would you set this play? Would you stick with the contemporary scene or would you set it in a different time and place?  What would the furniture look like? What colors would be important? How would use lighting? Overall, explain how the choices you make would help deliver your interpretation.

Feel free to incorporate pictures, sound, or video in your project if that helps you explain the points you're making (you will submit your project electronically, so it's okay to have youtube clips, etc.).

Recall that if you select Beckett your essay is due 4/10, and if you select Pinter, your essay is due 4/29.