Not magic but work

An ethnographic account of a rehearsal process

By: Gay McAuley, Maria M. Delgado (Editor), Maggie B. Gale (Editor), Peter Lichtenfels (Editor)

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Hardcover | 31 May 2012

At a Glance

Hardcover
256 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.6 x 13.8 x 1.5

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This is a detailed description of the intensive work process involved in the making of Toy Symphony, a new play by Michael Gow, directed by Neil Armfield and brought to the stage for the first time in December 2007 by Company B at the Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney. Drawing on years of research McAuley rejects simplistic notions of playwright or director as 'auteur'. Her account makes possible a more nuanced understanding of the real artistry involved in what it is that the director does and what the playwright contributes to the process.

The book is in two parts. The first describes the work process and the complex relations between participants noted by McAuley during her intensive observation of the rehearsal period throughout the run of the production. The second part consists of a number of essays reflecting on aspects of the work observed, and providing a theoretical framework for deeper understanding of the rehearsal practices described. McAuley concludes that contemporary theatre constitutes a highly effective model of group creativity that could be applied in many different institutional contexts. -- .

Industry Reviews

'A welcome contribution to the field'
P. Solomon Lennox, Studies in Theatre and Performance, 2013|Gay McAuley's modest summary of her project as 'an attempt to describe a single rehearsal process' (p. 2) does not do justice to the significance of this volume in furthering our understanding of 'how a group of artists with very different skills, working in a range of different media, come together for an intensive period and produce a single work of art' (p. 4), and in exemplifying the value of rehearsal observation in revealing the 'profoundly collaborative nature of theatrical creation' (p. 4). As a forensic account of Belvoir Street Theatre's staging of Michael Gow's Toy Symphony (2007), this study affirms the international significance of this theatre company to a readership outside of Australia., Alex Mermikides, Kingston University, Contemporary Theatre Review, 30 April 2015

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List of figures	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. xi
Writing about rehearsal: some preliminary observations	p. 1
The Toy Symphony rehearsals
Toy Symphony	p. 33
The starting point: Michael's text	p. 35
The first day (2 October 2007)	p. 42
Establishing the chronology (Day 2)	p. 60
The stop/start reading (Days 2-4)	p. 64
Scene work (Days 4-14)	p. 75
The sign systems come together (Days 15-19)	p. 95
Runs and notes (Days 20-27)	p. 115
Creating The Play	p. 123
Technical production: a parallel universe	p. 131
In the theatre at last (Days 28-35)	p. 139
Reflections after the event
Fact and fiction and the space between	p. 151
Neil's play, Michael's play and Richard's play	p. 163
The director's process	p. 186
Rehearsal and interaction ritual	p. 213
Works cited	p. 232
Index	p. 237
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Not magic but work

An ethnographic account of a rehearsal process

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

Other Editions and Formats

Paperback

More in Theatre Direction & Production

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Signature Pedagogies for the Playwriting Classroom

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Great North American Stage Directors Volume 6

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Directing New Plays

Tools for Art and Collaboration

Radical Realisms in Contemporary British Theatre

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The theatrical orchestra

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The Anti-Theatrical Prejudice

New Edition

Schechner Plays

Playtext

Youth, Power, Performance

Applied Theatre with Systemically Marginalized Youth

Theatrical Genre and Style

A Guide for Designers, Directors, and Performers

Action

The Art of Excitement for Screen, Page, and Game

Collaborative Performance for Social Justice

In Classrooms, on Campuses, and with Communities

A History of Intimacy Professionals in Entertainment

An Inside Look at a Movement

A History of Intimacy Professionals in Entertainment

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Centre Stage

Lessons from Actors on the Art of Charisma

Dramaturgy and Anatomy of Dramatic Structures

Focus on Dramaturgy

Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training

Teaching and Learning for Neuro and Physical Diversity

Staging Systemic Violence

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