ETA process - Education Through Acting

“ETA” refers to a process characterized the collaborative writing of a script through discussions, and the rehearsal of that script leading up to a theatrical show.

A team can be formed a play director and 4-10 participants or students.

The entire process is conducted the director through discussion between participants.

ETA consists of six steps; 1 theme selection, 2 story creation, 3 script completion through lines writing, 4 rehearsal (reading), 5 rehearsal (blocking), and 6 show.

Discussions are recorded the director, and the contents are emailed to each participant after each meeting.

Having in-depth discussions is as important as writing a script. The deeper the discussion, the higher the level of the script.

The show to be created must be a commercially high-quality that can be sold immediately on the market. A short and childish skit is completely out of consideration. The goal is to prepare a show of approximately 80 minutes if conducted over 16 weeks as one session.

Depending on the period, only 1 or 1 and 2 or 1,2 and 3 of steps may be implemented.

Index

Step 1 Choosing a theme
Step 2 Creating a story
Step 3 Completing a script
Step 4-5 Rehearsal
Step 6 Show

Step 1 Choosing a theme

From the director, all participants take turns to present the theme and plot of a book, a play or a movie they have read or seen. (Each person prepares in advance before the meeting.) At this time, the theme must be expressed in one sentence. For example, “Eveything depends on how you take it.” And the reason why that theme was chosen can be explained talking about the plot.
For example,
The play I chose is King Lear of Shakespeare. The theme of this work is “If you can’t catch the truth, you’ll be in a big mess”. The plot is like this. In the old days of England, there was a king named Lear who had three daughters. When he gets old, he tries to inherit the land to his daughters. On his birthday, he asks his daughters to tell him how much they love him. So he says he will give more land to the daughter who loves him more. The first and second daughters say they love their father so much, as requested their father, but the third daughter refuses to express it. And she said love can be expressed through the words. King Lear gets angry and drives out his third daughter and inherits all the land to the first and second daughters. However, the first and second daughters are no longer loyal to their father. And in the end, they drive out their father. It is the third daughter who came to see the abandoned father. She visits her sisters to ask them to turn back, but eventually they all are killed the sisters, and they also die of each other due to infighting, and the king Lear, who reaches this place, also dies. This tragedy occured because King Lear didn’t catch what the truth is.

Instead of the above discussion, a theme may be given in advance. For example, “The root of everything is family.” In this case, each participant talks about something they have experienced, read, seen, heard, or simply thought about that may fit the theme. Of course, it should be content that can clearly express the theme.

When speaking, it must include [who, when, where, what, how, and why]. In other words, when talking, you must explain in as much detail as possible in accordance with the six-part principle.
Talk about the theme in one sentence, and then explains the plot that support the theme in accordance with the formula of who, when, where, how, and why.
The director leads the discussion. The director also records the content of the discussion. (In FLETA, the director corrects participants’ verbal mistakes.)
(especially in FLETA) If there is a director or actor among the participants and they want to conduct their own discussion, s/he can lead the whole process. At this time, the director is only in charge of correction and recording.
In particular, each one explains the characters in more detail. For example, in “The Story of King Lear,” the character named King Lear is stubborn, 70 years old, has a short temper, and is eccentric. The first daughter is 28 years old, smart, quick to calculate, excellent in character… Explain in as much detail as possible the main characters in each of the stories. If there is a person who is closely related to this person, explain that person as well.
The director records it as specifically as possible. This is because the contents of the participants can be used as material for a new story.
After all participants finish their presentation, organize the presentation, and first discuss the team in two.
The purpose of the discussion is to choose which topics are more important values in our lives. Each team chooses a topic supporting or attacking one of the published topics.
In the case of FLETA, the purpose of the discussion will be a serious discussion to train a higher level of foreign language, and in the case of ACETA, the choice will be more focused. Using all one’s experience and knowledge, we discuss with each other which values are more important in our lives and choose one of the topics presented.
Once one topic is decided through a team discussion, the entire discussion is conducted to select one topic that everyone agrees on.
This discussion is not just about what is good or bad, but about thinking deeply about a topic, talking about what you think about it, and seriously discussing it with others about an opinion.
In this discussion, it is required to explain the situation in detail what you actually experienced, knew from your surroundings, or realized through books or movies. That way, not only can you say it in depth, but the situation or characters spoken at this time can also be used again in the next process, story creation.
Whenever I talk, I always say it as specifically as possible in accordance with the 6th principle.
The topic is not necessarily ethical or moral. Of course, you don’t have to be immoral on purpose, but you don’t have to be entangled in morality.

Step 2 Creating a story

When a topic is selected, a story is created to express the topic.
When making a story, I remember a few things.

It’s much more upscale to fight between the good and the bad, not between the good and the bad
Let three teams fight rather than two
It consists of five stages: the beginning, the development crisis, the climax, and the end
There must be conflict and discovery, and in particular, reversal is the ultimate means of saving the taste of the work
It’s good to have fun in the middle and make the ending touching
The story to be created should not be short and childish, but long enough and high-quality content that anyone can accept.

If the story composition is simple or childish, you can never make a long story. The story must be high-quality and complex.
In the composition of the story, if one scene is short, continuity is insufficient, so a scene is considered to be at least 10 minutes. In other words, the story to be composed consists of a conversation of 50 minutes or more.
Each scene is titled so that everyone can clearly see the goals that must be reached in that scene.
The starting point for constructing a story in earnest is the stories that everyone has already talked about in the process of selecting a topic. It is to take a good look at them and combine them, or to create a new story extracting a person, event, or situation from the stories. Of course, you can just think of the theme and create it purely with the content that comes to your mind.
Don’t rush, calmly read all the stories, and especially find attractive characters in them. You can also create a story based on that character.
One of the things to think about in this process is whether the subject and the material match when making a story. For example, Shakespeare’s “King Lear” theme is “If you don’t know the truth properly, you will pay a great price.” However, it is the family that chose the subject to talk about this truth. In short, the subject and the subject need not necessarily match or be similar.
First, everyone creates a story and presents the story to see what kind of story you can create roughly. You should always remember the six-part principle when presenting. And it should be complex, not simple. A way to be complicated is to include conflict, discovery, and reversal. As these elements mix, the story can become complex and reach the desired length.
There should be no leap in the story and no resistance.
You can take inspiration from an event and develop the event further, or you can take inspiration from a person and create a story around that person. Anything is possible, and you literally continue to create a story presenting what you think, discussing, and developing the story.
Each participant creates and presents a story and develops it discussing the stories.
As the story progresses, when events and characters are created, the characters are organized. In particular, the main character is important.
Each character has a purpose, and collisions occur when their purpose is not the same. This leads the characters to be intertwined. Therefore, the main character is important. Because the main character is at the center of all stories.
There is a central character who is the main character, and his purpose is the same as or different from that of other characters, so there must be conflict with each other. Therefore, while constructing the story, the main character will inevitably be selected, and the story will be developed around the main character.
By assuming a character as the main character and creating characters around it, they create a story adding or revising various stories that can occur between the main character and the people around them.
As specifically as possible, the story is confirmed remembering the matters necessary for the composition of the story mentioned above according to who, when, where, how, and why. The story should be specific. Of course, it includes conflict discovery and reversal and composition dramatically.
When the story is decided to some extent, each participant decides the role to play. Of course, the role is naturally decided to some extent during the discussion. Now it is time to write a detailed story for each scene.
Participants write their own simple autobiographies of all the characters before writing a detailed story for each scene. Of course, it is a virtual autobiography. And during presentation and discussion, they decide specifically so that everyone agrees on which person should be which person.
If the entire story is decided in accordance with the six sub-principles, the role is decided, and the nature of the role is decided, the story of each scene is composed in as much detail as possible, such as who appears in each scene, what stories are told, what the situation is, and what events happen at that time.
The beginning is mainly an introduction to the character. It should show who appears in this story, who is who, and what kind of relationship they have with each other. At this time, each character’s personality and values should be conveyed to the audience.
In the development, a light story for an event to occur, a double track, or a simpler event will occur before the full-fledged event. At this time, if you set a role that is likely to cause a problem using the technique, induce the audience as if a full-fledged problem would arise, and then set the person who causes the actual event as another person, the dramatic effect of the reversal can be very large. In any case, in the development, the story literally develops and various events occur.
In a crisis, a conflict arises between these events. This makes the confrontation between the protagonist and his opponent more serious and reinforces it into an immediate situation.
The climax becomes a situation in which the sides are divided as this confrontation explodes. Literally, we didn’t know who the enemy and our friend were until now, but the explosion clearly splits the relationship between the enemy and our friend.
The ending is the process of organizing this changed relationship. It can be a relationship that is completely cut off and disappears, or a relationship that is separated due to misunderstanding can get closer again. The former will be a tragedy in general, and the latter will be a kind of melodrama. And through this change of relationship, all the characters will have something new to realize and that’s what the theme is.

Step 3 Completing a script (Writing lines)

The lines are written in units of scenes, and the characters in each scene sit around and become the person according to the situation. When you exchange conversations with each other, that becomes a line. Each person can speak, the director can write the lines, and modify them on the spot.
One of the key points when writing lines is that the character’s personality must be consistent. Don’t just say what comes to mind, but always be your role and speak consistently.
The lines that were completed at that time are emailed to everyone. All participants view the content, study it, revise it if necessary the next day, and continue writing the lines.
In general, the director can modify and refine the script written every day, but if there is a separate script manager, the script manager can do the process. In other words, when a script is written through a discussion, it can be edited and organized itself after that, and if necessary, the scene can be inserted or deleted. Anyway, make the necessary modifications to read the revised content at the next meeting, revise it again if necessary, and proceed to the next step.
One thing the actor will think about is “what if I were.” If I were “this person,” what would I do in this situation? Just think about it and say it.
Lines should not be childish and should not use profanity as much as possible. Childhood may seem fun, but writing like that is not good in many ways, including the level of the work.
If you write the lines like this, you will be almost done memorizing them.
Finally, the script is finished the director.
When the line is completed, that is, when the script is completed, we now move on to practice.

Step 4 & 5 Rehearsal (Reading and Blocking)

The beginning of the practice is memorization. Perhaps you are almost done memorizing the script when it is complete. And memorization not only memorizes your own lines, but also the entire possible scripted line. For example, a 60-minute script would memorize approximately 1,500 sentences.
Practice is not just memorization. Practice is not the work of assembling something already set the director. Each participant has his or her own opinion, and if there is a disagreement, that disagreement must be resolved through dialogue. The process of coordinating those various disagreements is practice.
Practice focuses strictly on the work. It means focusing on the production and performance of thoroughly outstanding works. Participants must be transformed into true actors. Through this practice process, the participants aim to produce performances that are good enough to be paid and sold immediately.
The first thing to think about is that expression is one of the human instincts. In other words, it means that every human being can become an actor. Therefore, you must work actively with confidence.
One of the techniques to think about even at this stage is “what if I were.” This is the first step in acting skills, commonly known as Magic If.
First, we start with reading. Reading is usually the practice of sitting down and reading a script. After that, it is blocking. After memorizing the script, it is a full-fledged practice performed while moving around.
The time to move from reading to blocking or the time to continue reading is determined the director.
Who does the acting? The actor does it. In other words, the actor first takes care of what line and how. Of course, it must be done according to the nature of the role you play.
The role of the director? You set the direction. The actor first decides and acts on his own how to hit the lines, how to act, and what gestures to use. The director decides how to move such actors in the overall progress and how to develop according to the five-tiered composition of the starting and developing crisis.
Actors need individual practice, including memorization, before practice. Practice is to match what an individual has achieved with the other actor in practice time. If there is something inconsistent or lacking, the director intervenes. In this way, the practice proceeds while continuing to discuss between the actors and the director. Of course, the final decision is made the director. If there is a part where opinions are not unified with each other until the end, it is the actor who must accept it.
In particular, since the practice proceeds in the same way as a professional theater company, the demand for directing will increase, and basic movements and taboo postures in the play must be made as required the directing.
At the same time as the actors practice, works for other performances must also be carried out at the same time. There are largely stage design, lighting, costumes, makeup music, etc. In addition to acting, each participant can be in charge, which is also discussed during the practice. (The professional theater company is in charge of the Creative team separately.)
If there is a participant who can make music or songs, a musical may be possible. Or you will be able to produce your own effects, music, and sound. If it is produced as a musical, a composer and a choreographer are needed.
In all of these processes, all participants may have to modify their behavior through discussion with their counterparts, and all of these processes depend on the final decision of the director.
Practice consists of numerous unexpected discussions, demands, and harmony in the field as well as memorization.

Step 6 Show

The performance is held in a professional theater, and the other team becomes the audience.
The performers are in charge of operating the lighting and sound required for the performance.
The performance is also open to the outside, so outsiders can watch it, and if you want, you can invite the audience.
Performances are basically paid for.
After the performance, you can have a discussion with the audience.
Professional theater companies can perform maintaining the existing methods unless otherwise necessary.