converging towards the same tree

TAT | Teaching Art and Theatre

3.5 THEATRE COURSE CONSOLIDATION

3.5.1 CONVERGING TOWARDS THE SAME TREE

Table 3.21 Academic Year 2014/2015 Theatre Course Vacancy Forecast26

1ST CYCLE OF STUDIES – BACHELOR DEGREE Theatre

General Regime Special Regimes

Options Numerus Clausus PSAC27 Diplomats Athletes Grant

Holders Armed Forces

East Timorese

Acting 32 3 Set & Ward. Design

20 2

Prod. Manag. 18 1

Subtotal 70 Total 6

Special Admittance Course Transfer (Internal)

Transfer

> 23

Public Higher

Education Students

Magistrates, Nurses and Educators

Holders of Higher Degree

Acting 3 4

1 1

Set & Ward. Design

1 1

Prod. Manag. 1 1

Total 70 5 6 1 1

The table above shows us the total number of vacancies approved by the

Technical-Scientific Commission of the Higher School of Theatre and Film’s The-

atre Department.

We can see there are five different situations a person can be in to be eligible

for the admission and attendance of one of the Theatre course’s Options.

The regime assessing more candidates is the one comprehending students

who have concluded Secondary Education and are now entering College or Uni-

versity.

26 VV. AA., Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema, «Previsão de Vagas Para o Curso de Teatro no Ano Lectivo de 2014/2015», (http://www.estc.ipl.pt/servicos_academicos/documentos/candi-daturas/teatro/vagas_teatro.pdf [Portuguese]), accessed 10-11-2014.

27 Portuguese-Speaking African Countries.

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Then there are special conditions such as being a diplomat or a military, being

over 23 years old or wanting to change from Film to Theatre and vice-versa, or

even from one Option to another, within the same course, which is usually more

frequent.

But this is really not the most important we need to focus on; there is a special

line in the table bearing the greatest results in admittance: the «General Regime».

For the Acting Option, there are 32 vacancies available. For Set and Wardrobe

Design and Production Management, 20 and 18, respectively. The Option to

which most candidates apply is Acting, obviously, as there has been in the last

years an out-breaking desire of becoming an actor. And far more curious is most

of the people failing to be selected in the final admittance tests also concur for

the other two Options, unwilling to risk not attending the school, whichever the

Option.

In the end, all these vacancies are eventually reaffixed, meaning the provi-

sional numerus clausus set for Acting are expanded because of the failure to fill

Set and Wardrobe Design and Production Management entirely. Translated into

real figures, the total number of actors being selected for the academic year

2014/2015 was 56 (14 more); total set and wardrobe designers were 14 (6 less)

and finally the producers made a total of 10 (8 less). The number of actors has

thusly and nearly doubled. We must add the results are even far more skyrock-

eting because of the annihilation of the Dramaturgy Option.

It is our firmest belief that, in the near future, the need to converge all of the

Options into one Theatre course will become a reality, and when that time comes,

the reformation required will turn out to be even more hardworking, probably

codenamed «Threshold». That is why we will now pick up this hypothesis and

imagine what it would be like to create a unique, polyvalent Higher Education

Theatre course, especially based on the other two specialised, polytechnic

schools in the country28, along with a special reference made to the most prestig-

ious Higher Education Theatre School in Madrid, Spain, the RESAD29.

28 Escola Superior de Música, Artes e Espectáculo – Instituto Politécnico do Porto (Higher School of Music, Arts and Spectacle – Polytechnic Institute of Porto) and Escola Superior de Artes e Design das Caldas da Rainha – Instituto Politécnico de Leiria (Higher School of Arts and Design of Caldas da Rainha – Polytechnic Institute of Leiria).

29 Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático de Extremadura – Madrid (Royal Higher School of Dramatic Art of Extremadura – Madrid).

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It is natural of Portuguese self-esteem to consider the outside world a better

place for just about anything. Obviously, Culture is an unavoidable field as far as

this issue is concerned. What is worse is it is not just a question of self-esteem.

It is plain reality. Holding that thought, what if there was only one-optioned higher

course which could embrace the essentials of current existing Options at the heir-

ess of the Royal National Conservatoire, similar to what goes on in other Portu-

guese Higher Education institutions, as well as in Spain or even the UK, just to

mention a few European references.

We must not forget, however, times are changing and technologies are at

their utmost. So, instead of just focusing on Theatre, our reformation must also

comprehend Film, thus bonding both Departments within the school in Lisbon,

which can as well be looked upon as Television, working both in Theatre and Film

Department classrooms/recording studios. This way, students being educated

here will be able to leave the school better equipped for the eventual trials and

ordeals which lay ahead of them.

This is now our proposal for a combined Dramatic Art course fit to all areas,

detailed in the following pages for a cycle of studies made of three academic

years (36 months), leading to the Bachelor Degree in Dramatic Art with Honours

(Diploma awarded), correspondent to Grau de Licenciado, in Portuguese, recog-

nised in the terms of the Bologna Process across the European Union.

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3.5.1.1 Project «Threshold»

DRAMATIC ART THEATRE

1st Year 1st Semester

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

09:00 am 11:00 am

Music I

Theory

Room 311A

Theatre Art Theory I

Homer

Room

João Mota Auditorium

Voice I

Orthophony, Discourse and

Poetics

Room 313

History of Performance and Visual

Arts I

Room João Mota Auditorium

Voice I

Singing Repertoire

Room 313

30 Minutes

11:30 am 01:30 pm

Acoustic Space I

Instrumental

Room 313

Dramaturgy I

Biblical Epics


Movement I

Body Expression

and Traditional Dancing

Room 311A

Theatre History and

Dramatic Literature I

Room


Movement I

Time, Space and People Connectivity

Room 311A

60 Minutes

02:30 pm 04:30 pm

Creative Workshop I

Actor’s Studio:

Introduction

Greco-Latin Universe

Rooms 107, 108 and 116

TUESDAY BLAST!

Creative Workshop I

Actor’s Studio:

Introduction


Rooms 107, 108 and 116

Foreign Language

Castilian, English or

French

Room 310

Creative Workshop I

Actor’s Studio:

Introduction


Rooms 107, 108 and 116

15 Minutes

04:45 pm 06:30 pm

Painting and Set Design

Painting Room I

Creative Workshop I Profs. Álvaro Correia, Armando N. Rosa, Sérgio Loureiro and Miguel Cruz Profs. Francisco Salgado, Rui Pina Coelho, Marta Cordeiro and José Espada Movement I Prof. Howard Sonenklar Voice I Prof. Elsa Braga Music I Prof. António Neves da Silva Acoustic Space I Prof. José Pedro Caiado Theatre Art Theory I Prof. David Antunes Theatre History and Dram. Lit. I Prof. Rui Pina Coelho Dramaturgy I Prof. David Antunes History of Perf. And Visual Arts I Prof. Paulo Morais-Alexandre Foreign Language Profs. Maria Mendes, David Antunes and Elsa Braga Painting and Set Design Prof. Teresa Mota

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DRAMATIC ART THEATRE

1st Year 2nd Semester


09:00 am 11:00 am

Music II

Theory and Playing

Room 313

Theatre Art Theory II

From Aristotle

to Diderot


Voice II

Diction, Orthophony

and Text

Room 313

History of Performance and Visual

Arts II


Voice II

Singing Repertoire

Room 313

30 Minutes

11:30 am 01:30 pm

Acoustic Space II

Sound Editing and Recording

Technology

Rec. Studio

Dramaturgy II

Shakesp. Drama

Room


Movement II

Body Expression

and Contemp. Dancing

Room 311A

Theatre History and

Dramatic Literature II

Room


Movement II


Room 311A

60 Minutes

02:30 pm 04:30 pm

Creative Workshop II

Shakesp. Theatre

Realism

Rooms

112 and 311A

TUESDAY BLAST!


Shakesp. Theatre

Realism

Rooms

112 and 311A

Wardrobe and Makeup

Design I

Theatre

Room 219


Shakesp. Theatre

Realism

Rooms

112 and 311A

15 Minutes

04:45 pm 06:30 pm

Directing I

Theatre

Room Grand

Auditorium Creative Workshop II Profs. Pedro Matos, Rui Pina Coelho, Teresa Mota and Conceição Mendes Profs. Maria João Vicente, Armando N. Rosa, Mariana Sá Nogueira and Rita Wengorovius Movement II Prof. Howard Sonenklar Voice II Prof. Elsa Braga Music II Prof. António Neves da Silva Acoustic Space II Prof. José Pedro Caiado Theatre Art Theory II Prof. Armando Nascimento Rosa Theatre History and Dram. Lit. II Prof. Rui Pina Coelho Dramaturgy II Prof. David Antunes History of Perf. and Visual Arts II Prof. Paulo Morais-Alexandre Wardrobe and Makeup Design I Profs. Mariana Sá Nogueira and Marta Cordeiro Directing I Prof. Carlos J. Pessoa

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DRAMATIC ART FILM

2nd Year 1st Semester


09:00 am 11:00 am

Creative Workshop III

Silent Film

Romantic Comedy

Horror

Rooms

116, TV Studio30 and Grand

Aud.


Silent Film

Romantic Comedy

Horror

Rooms

116, TV Studio and Grand

Aud.

Voice III

Diction, Orthophony

and Text

Room J. M. Aud.


Silent Film

Romantic Comedy

Horror

Rooms


Aud.

Voice III

Singing Repertoire

Room

J. M. Aud.

30 Minutes

11:30 am 01:30 pm

Movement III

Body Expression on

Film and Dancing

Room 116

Movement III


Room 116

60 Minutes

02:30 pm 04:30 pm

Virtual Set Design I

Film

Room 219

TUESDAY BLAST!

Wardrobe and Makeup

Design II

Film

Room 219

Acoustic Space III

Film Set Sound

Ambience

Room 313

Dramaturgy III

Screenwriting

Room 310

15 Minutes

04:45 pm 06:30 pm

Stage Direction I

Film

Room 310

Painting I

Painting Room I

Marketing and Comm. I

Room 310

Directing II

Film

Room TV Studio

Creative Workshop III Profs. Luís Fonseca, Marta Cordeiro and José Espada (2 out of 3 possible choices) Profs. Álvaro Correia, Sérgio Loureiro and Miguel Cruz Profs. Francisco Salgado, Mariana Sá N. and JP Caiado Movement III Prof. Luca Aprea Voice III Prof. Sara Belo Acoustic Space III Prof. José Pedro Caiado Dramaturgy III Prof. Luís Fonseca Wardrobe and Makeup Design II Profs. Mariana Sá Nogueira and Marta Cordeiro Painting I Prof. Teresa Mota Virtual Set Design I Prof. António Polainas Stage Direction I Prof. Miguel Cruz Marketing and Communication I Prof. Rita Tomás Directing II Prof. Luís Fonseca

30 Film Department.

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DRAMATIC ART TELEVISION

2nd Year 2nd Semester


09:00 am 11:00 am

Creative Workshop IV

Mexican Drama

Brazilian

Soap Opera

Portuguese Telenovela

Rooms


Aud.


Mexican Drama

Brazilian

Soap Opera


Rooms


Aud.

Voice IV

Diction, Orthophony

and Text

Room J. M. Aud.


Mexican Drama

Brazilian

Soap Opera


Rooms


Aud.

Voice IV

Singing Repertoire

Room

J. M. Aud.

30 Minutes

11:30 am 01:30 pm

Movement IV

Body Expression on

TV and Dancing

Room 116

Movement IV


Room 116

60 Minutes

02:30 pm 04:30 pm

Virtual Set Design II

Room 219

TUESDAY BLAST!

Wardrobe and Makeup

Design III

Television

Room 219

Acoustic Space IV

TV Set Sound

Ambience

Room 313

Dramaturgy IV

Cont. TV Dram. Writings

Room 310

15 Minutes

04:45 pm 06:30 pm

Stage Direction II

Television

Room 310

Painting II

Painting Room I

Marketing and Comm. II

Room 220

Directing III

Television

Room TV Studio

Creative Workshop IV Profs. Pedro Matos, António Polainas and José Espada (2 out of 3 possible choices) Profs. Luís Fonseca, Teresa Mota and Miguel Cruz Profs. Maria João Vicente, António Lagarto and JP Caiado Movement IV Prof. Luca Aprea Voice IV Prof. Sara Belo Acoustic Space IV Prof. José Pedro Caiado Dramaturgy IV Prof. Luís Fonseca Wardrobe and Makeup Design III Profs. Mariana Sá Nogueira and Marta Cordeiro Painting II Prof. Teresa Mota Virtual Set Design II Prof. António Polainas Stage Direction II Prof. Miguel Cruz Marketing and Communication II Prof. Rita Tomás Directing III Prof. Luís Fonseca

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DRAMATIC ART THEATRE/FILM/TELEVISION

3rd Year 1st Semester


09:00 am 11:00 am

Creative Workshop V

Text

Performance

Media

Rooms 107, 108 and 112

Voice V

Singing Repertoire

Room 313

Creative Workshop V

Text

Performance

Media

Rooms 107, 108 and 112

Creative Workshop V

Text

Performance

Media

Rooms 107, 108 and 112

Creative Workshop V

Text

Performance

Media

Rooms 107, 108 and 112

30 Minutes

11:30 am 01:30 pm

Movement V

I, Myself

Room 311A

60 Minutes

02:30 pm 04:30 pm

Voice V

Diction, Projection and Text

Room 313

TUESDAY BLAST!

Audience Sociology

Room 310

15 Minutes

04:45 pm 06:30 pm

Movement V

I, the Other and the Others

Room 311A

Artistic Propaed.

Room 310

Creative Workshop V Profs. Maria Duarte, Sérgio Loureiro and José Espada (2 out of 3 possible choices) Profs. Jean Paul Bucchieri, Marta Cordeiro and Miguel Cruz Profs. Carlos J. Pessoa, Mariana Sá Nogueira and José Pedro Caiado Movement V Prof. Jean Paul Bucchieri Voice V Prof. Maria Repas Audience Sociology Prof. Maria Mendes Artistic Propaedeutics Prof. David Antunes

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DRAMATIC ART FINAL EXERCISE

3rd Year 2nd Semester


09:00 am 11:00 am

Final Report

Rooms 309 and 310

Voice VI

Final Exercise Support

Room 108

Voice VI


Room 313

30 Minutes

11:30 am 01:30 pm

Movement VI


Room 107

Movement VI


Room 311A

60 Minutes

02:30 pm 04:30 pm

Final Exercise

Rooms

107, 108, 116 and


TUESDAY BLAST!

Final Exercise

Rooms

107, 108, 116 and


Final Exercise

Rooms

107, 108, 116 and


Final Exercise

Rooms

107, 108, 116 and


04:45 pm 07:00 pm

Final Exercise Options (4 Projects) Teatro Nacional D. Maria II (Garrett and Studio Rooms) Centro Cultural de Belém (Secondary Auditorium) Film Department Movement VI Prof. Jean Paul Bucchieri Voice VI Prof. Maria Repas Final Report Nationals Profs. Maria Mendes and Rui Pina Coelho Erasmus and Mobility Prof. David Antunes

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3.5.1.2 Debriefing

3.5.1.2.1 Creative Workshop/Final Exercise

Similar to the already existent «General Workshop», in which all of Theatre’s

Options are combined and students learn to perform several specific tasks of

each of those Options, such as sound ambience, lighting or even acting, regard-

less of the students’ academic choice, Creative Workshop comprehends that

same mixture without segregation. Everyone acts, draws, builds scenery and

works on both executive (dealing with bureaucracy so as to make the spectacle

possible) and technical (stage-involved) production.

Nowadays, it is clearer than ever students leave school and build their own

societies, and there is nothing new to this, we had already witnessed it before in

this study. Taking that into account, there is only one thing to be done: prepare

actors to become polyvalent and be able to execute all the other things which

need be done to put a spectacle together. This way, whoever might feel left be-

hind for not showing their face to the public (for, as we all know, it is usually the

actors who are greatly applauded, though in the end they give hands to the team

at the régie) can learn to act as well, though sadly there are many people who do

not realise lighting, sound and video technicians, together with possible musi-

cians playing live, are also acting, but in their own way, perhaps sometimes better

than the actors themselves.

Of course, unless the régie is part of the scenery, which is turning out to be

all the more frequent, the stage cannot bear the team in full, someone has to take

care of the technical part. What is there to do is: they either write a play with shifts

between different actors playing the same characters in non-parallel turns (com-

mon in the school’s current context), thus having time to take care of lights and

music, or there are different characters throughout the play being cut off, lending

their spotlight to others. This last example is feasible, but it has to be done with

extreme caution when building the play from scratch, i.e. when typing and review-

ing it before it is considered done and ready to be memorised and rehearsed,

otherwise the investment made in time and materials will have been lost. The plot

needs to be carefully pondered upon, understanding whether it makes sense, not

just thinking from an aesthetical point of view, but especially from the spectators’

interest. We cannot please everyone, so how do come up with a story that can

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unite most opinions, ignoring those who just hate us anyway, regardless of the

quality of our work? This is one of the main questions requiring a straightforward

answer.

In the first year, the kind of Theatre we think is best for students to practise

is the same «Theatre Workshop» we previously described in our «New Subject

Proposals». This is the right place for students to learn the basics of body-space-

time-people relationships between them, not the 3rd Year, because it is simply

out of pedagogical context.

After that, the beginning: tragedy and comedy. Many have complained about

being stuck to tragedy, teachers included. So, how can we solve this problem?

We try different authors. There are plenty of texts which can be utilised and that

for the last decade have not been recurred to. Let us get to them, then, shall we?

Then, Shakespearean Theatre. Everyone in Theatre knows the English play-

wright is the basis of modern drama. Nearly 400 years after his death, modern

playwrights still get their inspiration from him, whether rewriting his work or just

writing something new, though with clear roots in the Renaissance. However, this

does not mean we should only concern about Shakespeare solely. His contem-

poraries are also important for the renewal of dramatic literature in the Western

world, along with all the others up to Romanticism, the next phase, which gathers

a lot of influence from one of the brightest periods in History, the Enlightenment.

The second year is a combination of both Film and Television, whose Crea-

tive Workshops satisfy most students’ desires, learning to act in front of the cam-

era, thus being able to make their lives out of a friends’ society and be employed

by a media studio, not only in Portugal, but across the world.

The modules offered are just a suggestion, of course. Should this proposal

be accepted in a near future, teachers involved would have to discuss their ca-

pabilities of teaching this. There is obviously the possibility of choosing others.

Nonetheless, we should highlight the fact that, first off, Mexican Dramas (or soap

operas) are one of the most viewed TV programs in the world, especially because

of how fun they turn out to be. Brazilian Telenovelas are usually the best in the

field. They are sold not only to Europe (mainly Portugal), but also to Africa and

the rest of America. Not just that, they have won several International Emmy

Awards (the most important on TV) for Best Telenovela. SP Televisão (a Portu-

guese TV studio), in coproduction with Rede Globo (the biggest media studio in

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Brazil), has also won one award for the same category31, but it was not the only

one. Our remarks on the Portuguese Soap Operas go beyond that, however.

There are productions which seem to find it hard to convince the American acad-

emy awarding these programmes. Perhaps because the story is predictable after

years and years running this kind of media content at the same time. There are

periods in the television season in which the spectator can watch up to five dif-

ferent soaps a day in the same network. One in the end of the afternoon and the

other four in prime time, going on late night. Such a situation happens when the

season starts and the soaps from the previous season is coming to an end. In

order to get the spectators’ attention, networks broadcast everything at the same

time. It comes cheaper, anyway, rather than finishing the story earlier and having

to come up with a summer programme. Formats are hardly original and the rights

to international ideas need to be acquired.

This is the chance for students to do one of two things or both: they can point

out the ridiculous elements of soaps, improve them, or do both and therefore

make their task a bit more complete.

In the 3rd Year, it is completely free choice, though the contents learnt in the

previous two years will be mixed in the 1st Semester workshops. The Final Exer-

cise is the one in which students choose the beginning of what they will be doing

in the future as professionals.

31 Laços de Sangue, directed by Patrícia Sequeira, SP Televisão and Rede Globo for SIC, 2010.

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3.5.1.2.2 Music

There is nothing new to this subject, apart from setting things straight once

and for all; even if it takes longer than expected to go this far in the course’s

reformation, Theatre as it is now needs this change, which is providing an actual

and appropriate music content learning, bearing in mind the fact most students

have never gained contact with this language and therefore need careful sharing

without having the teacher assume they already know what he is talking about.

Even those who are already familiar with music find it sometimes hard to under-

stand the explanations.

In order to understand theory, practising is required. But it is not worth our

whiles if we did not understand how it theoretically works. It is pretty much the

same as taking driving lessons. If the instructed does not know the meaning of

traffic basic rules, markings on the ground, vertical signs or traffic wardens’ hand

signals, there is no point in going out to the street, nor taking the simulator and

play a videogame. That is why there are theoretical exercises. The same happens

in music. It is a theoretical-practical subject, so let us give the theory part some

good use, it is essential. After a few weeks have been invested in it, things will be

good to go on the field.

We must not forget as well one important aspect that has been troubling stu-

dents for years, now: the teacher in question does not understand when he is

being made fun of, finding those moments amusing, but then, when people are

actually (but rarely, nonetheless) understanding what he means and feel happy

about it, he frowns and endures a fit of temper. Quite the peculiarity.

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3.5.1.2.3 Acoustic Space

Up to this day, the teaching of this subject is very, very poor. It lasts up to

only four semesters and does not prepare the students for the richness of this

primordial means of communication. Music theory is reckless, badly addressed

and poorly taught.

Experiments in studio are nearly zero and when they do happen, the themes

chosen in the subject contents do not comply with the necessary build up the

students need. We are not teaching them how to enounce text, period. An actor

is more than that, they have to be able to produce Art based on its several

branches.

We are personal apologists of Wagner, i.e. Art does not have to focus on one

branch alone. They are combined. A single director may be in charge of all of the

spectacle’s aspects if they master them, why not?

Artists may academically specialise in courses such as Theatre – Acting or

Popular Music (Bachelor of Arts with Honours). Sure, they have their own con-

tents. The latter should comprise, which is quite the ideal, a dynamic programme

which develops students’ musical creativity, critical analysis and recording skills,

giving them the opportunity to become fully equipped musicians for the 21st cen-

tury. The programme equips students with the full 360 degree skill set to allow

them to become creative music practitioners in the current environment.

It should also provide the skills and understanding to work in a range of areas

within the music and media industries, as well as in the teaching profession and

other related areas, unless of course they intend to leave the country and aim

high on their skills somewhere else where they can become cherished and

praised for the quality of their work.

However, when someone becomes a successful musician (a more eclectic

vocable than singer), that person develops, on the grounds of music skills:

A) Their voice;

B) Their instrument ability;

C) Their composing.

Yet there are other issues most people do not really think of:

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1) Dress Code/Wardrobe

This means a clothing style is adopted, whether it already exists, or it has to

do with the Music style they play, or it is yet to be invented in a creative process

of Music style mixdowns. We do not have to go and search mainstream in order

to find stuff like this, especially because mainstream is just that, flawed with the

same since the mid-90s up to the first decade of the 2000s and still ongoing,

though there are a few exceptions. Take New Zealand’s Kimbra, for instance. As far as we are concerned, this

question is excellent for debating in a classroom: what would we say her style is?

Back when she was 15 in 2005 and released «Deep for You» and «Simply on My

Lips», that was just acoustic pop. Nonetheless, she found out she could do dif-

ferent. Now, since the mixing of debut album Vows, released when she was 21,

her style is a completely new definition composed by juxtaposition, i.e. electronic-

scat-jazz-R&B-synthpop-soul.

Aussie Gabriella Cilmi first stirred in jazzistic-soul-pop. We believe she later

regretted most of her second record because of what it brought her, a sex-sym-

bol-based fame she never wanted. Now that The Sting32 has come by the hands,

tracks and faders of an indie label, things are completely different.

As a final example, let us consider Armenian-American System of a Down

frontman Serj Tankian. The man is heavy, he is plain hard rock, speed metal,

even. But is he only focused on it? Of course not. His solo career, concretely

beginning in 2007 when the band went to studio hiatus, is the best way to see

that.

After hard rock début album Elect the Dead, we were gifted with Elect the

Dead Symphony33, live from Auckland, New Zealand. And after that, Imperfect

Harmonies34, not to mention, after Harakiri (a bit more connected to his musical

origins, but not in full), Orca35 and Jazz-Is-Christ36.

32 CILMI, Gabriella, The Sting, Audio CD, Sweetness Tunes, 2013. 33 TANKIAN, Serj, Elect the Dead Symphony, Audio CD, Auckland: Reprise/Warner

Bros./Serjical Strike, 2010. 34 TANKIAN, Serj, Imperfect Harmonies, Audio CD, Reprise/Serjical Strike, 2010. 35 TANKIAN, Serj, Orca Symphony No. 1, Audio CD, Reprise/Serjical Strike, 2013. 36 JAZZ-IS-CHRIST, Jazz-Is-Christ, Audio CD, Serjical Strike, 2013.

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This means that when developing a new style in music, it has impact on the

way they dress.

2) Musicians are Actors

They perform both in Film and live in Concerts. When they shoot their singles’

video clips, they deal with a lot of stuff actors are used to in the industry. There

are professionals for every sector; that is what makes a good team, notwithstand-

ing real artists are not dumb. That is their way of learning how to do their own hair

and make-up (Kiss are undeniably masters at this), knowing what costume to

choose for the appropriate situation pictured in the storyboard, and that has eve-

rything to do with technical aspects such as lighting, photography, sound mixture,

etc. and even directing, like French house-synthpop duo Daft Punk37 or American

rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers38 in «Dani California», from their 2006 double

album Stadium Arcadium39, or the revolutionary use of video game stylised

graphics in «Californication», very close to the theme present in the Rockstar

Games Grand Theft Auto videogame franchise.

The best example, however, is that the concept of both music video shooting

and elaborated concert acting grew with the «King of Pop» himself, Michael Jack-

son. From a time span comprehended between Thriller40 and the solely recorded

rehearsals of «This Is It» at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, art walked side

by side once more and helped create MTv41.

In short, actors are no better performers than musicians, with the exception

of one single aspect we must not forget to mention: diction. In order to attribute

something special of their own to intonation, musicians often disregard the correct

pronunciation of syllables, left by the middle.

Together with this, they dance and go crazy, creating a trend. Some of them

go or have gone even farther, destroying the instruments on stage. The best

37 French electronic music duo formed in 1993, based in Paris, France. One of the elements, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, is of Portuguese ascendance.

38 American alternative and funk rock and funk metal band formed in 1983, based in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

39 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Stadium Arcadium, Audio CD, Los Angeles, CA: Warner Bros. Records, 2006.

40 JACKSON, Michael, Thriller, Audio CD, West Hollywood, CA: Epic, 1982. 41 Music Television, American satellite TV network named as such from 1981 to 2010.

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known artists to do or having done so are e.g. The Who42, The Clash43, Deep

Purple44, Muse45 and Nirvana46.

42 British rock band formed in 1964, based in London, England. 43 British punk rock band formed in 1976 during the first wave of the genre in the UK. They

disbanded in 1986, after 10 years of activity. 44 British multi-genre (though rock influenced) band formed in 1968, original from Hertford,

England. 45 British multi-genre (though rock influenced) band formed in 1994, original from Teign-

mouth, Devon, England. 46 American alternative rock/grunge band formed in 1987, original from Aberdeen, Washing-

ton, USA. They disbanded in 1994 following the suicidal death of frontman Kurt Cobain, still looked upon as having been a controversial event.

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3.5.1.2.4 Theatre Art Theory

There is a time when an era must come to an end, nothing lasts forever. It

might not be clear to students at face value what the purpose of reading an entire

epic for a whole semester is. However, everything aims towards something.

A few pages ago we stated epos, the Bible included, were built from oral

traditions, especially because of illiteracy, which was quite common among the

Egyptian civilisation. That is the reason why there were scribes, people special-

ised in the drawing of hieroglyphs. Later on, when the people (specifically from

Lower Egypt) began to be ruled under the Ptolemaic Empire47, Greek was added

as an official language spoken in the country. When Ptolemy V48 became king of

the empire’s Egyptian province, a decree was issued on the commissioned Ro-

setta stone49, through which ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs were decoded across

the 19th century.

So Moses, who is believed to have lived between 1500 BC and 1300 BC,

was the one beginning the collection of stories not only contemporary to him, but

also from earlier times, including the supposed six days of the advent of Creation,

included in the first book of five on god’s law in the Torah (or Pentateuch), the

«Book of Genesis», which are the same five included in the Bible’s Old Testa-

ment. He became, as we know, the leader of the Children of Israel, the first He-

brew Messiah/Prophet, freeing the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery through

the Passover across the Red Sea. Taking Yahweh’s information given to him by

Yahweh in Midian (on the Eastern bank of the Red Sea, nowadays’ Saudi Arabia),

47 This was a kingdom which lasted from 305 BC to 30 BC, when the Roman Empire ex-panded to North Africa and gained control of the Egyptian province belonging to the Ptolemaic house, as well as the other kingdoms part of the Empire led by other families in Macedonia, Trace Asia Minor and Mesopotamia. Its capital was Alexandria. Despite the title of Queen, Cleopatra VII (69 BC – 30 BC) was the last Egyptian pharaoh, poisoning herself with a desert snake’s bite.

48 Ptolemy V Epiphanes (reigning from 204 BC to 181 BC) was one of the kings for the Egyptian province of the Ptolemaic Empire and consequently a pharaoh. He gained control of the kingdom only at the age of five, which obviously required a few regents until he reached the age of majority, though nothing too visible was done in the meantime. Only as an adult did he reacti-vate his province. He was also the one commissioning the Rosetta Stone, in which a decree was inscribed, allowing the decoding of the Egyptian hieroglyphs.

49 Commissioned in 196 BC, the granodiorite stele was created for the publication of the Memphis (Egypt) Decree, by which the people ought to praise the new leader in cult. Three dif-ferent writings were used for the understanding of everyone concerned: Ancient Egyptian hiero-glyphs, Demotic script (a form of popular Egyptian) and Ancient Greek. The last one was the key for the deciphering of the hieroglyphs, started by Jean-François Champollion in 1799, when it was rediscovered, shortly before Napoleon’s troops were defeated in that country in 1801 by the Brit-ish in the Capitulation of Alexandria. The stone was then taken to England.

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who assumed the shape of a burning bush, Moses started to write the story of

the beginning of the world, if not the universe, as there was nothing at all before

god, thus goes the theory of Creationism. If we were to take a look at the begin-

ning of this study, hundreds of pages back, the same question would come

through: «but what about the dinosaurs?».

Anyway, this is when it all began. About 50 years after Jesus’s death, real or

not, the Christian Bible was complete with the New Testament. This is how the

epic tradition gained life, though in Europe, by the time Homer is supposed to

have lived, religious fanaticism, if not fantasy, was pretty much consistent with

what was happening in Egypt at the time, possibly in the 12th century BC (ac-

cording to Pseudo-Herodotus50), shortly after the end of the Trojan War, which is

believed to have taken place in 1270 BC, all because the belief that several dei-

ties, including titans, gods, muses, nymphs and so on meddled with human af-

fairs. Of course, in Egypt, the political system was always the same until the end

of the Ptolemaic Era, as there was a pharaoh who represented divine power on

earth and ruled both Egyptian provinces, Higher and Lower. In Greece, all natives

were regarded as Greek, though each polis was a different state that dealt with

different affairs from the others. Even the kind of government was varied between

them. Most cities began by appointing someone with king’s duties, though today

this person would be no more powerful than a mayor. Afterwards, Athens, spe-

cifically, fell into the oligarchy system, in which the aristocrats spent their lives

after appointment ruling or inheriting power and control over the city, first as indi-

viduals, then decentralising, but only for it to remain in that social class, a situation

somehow close to Middle Ages’ Italic Peninsula. We must not forget Florence

and the several families who ruled and served as patrons for the arts. If the Mafia

were to be considered a legal form of government, the «families» would regain

control of each major city once more.

However, if we consider the real Herodotus’s51 vision, we will immediately find

out his idea was somewhat different. It was his stressed belief Homer had not

lived before the 9th century BC, which would place him in the 800s BC. No one

knows whether Homer was indeed real, so how can we suppose what time he

50 Unknown author of Homer’s biography titled Life of Homer, whose real authorship is still questioned by present-day scholars.

51 The well-known Greek historian (Halicarnassus, c. 484 BC – c. 425 BC).

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lived in? It is extremely difficult and probably it will not be confirmed any time

soon. In that case, we have to consider the facts we have got in front of us. Sto-

rytelling in an oral tradition does not last that much time, as memory is not always

the same for everyone and there are plenty of details that start missing. Obvi-

ously, there is no divine inspiration whatsoever, though still in Classical Antiquity

this is what the Greeks believed. Our question is even simpler than that: how do

we maintain the accuracy of an epic narrative in every aspect such as speech

and chronological order of events after hundreds of years have gone by? We do

not. So if the so claimed evidence that Homer might have lived about 170 years

after the end of the Trojan War is substantial, then this is the most obvious bet to

take. Unless, however, the deception theory proves right. In that case, arguing

both the Iliad and the Odyssey were necessarily produced by the same author

because of style similarities is actually fallacious. The Bible is a compilation of

stories. The Homeric poems are too, taking place, nonetheless, in a determined

time span. If several authors were to have compiled both epics, they could have

perfectly set a single style for every moment or canto. Also, the Trojan War itself

has not been proven. Archaeological evidence has been found that actually hap-

pened, but that is not enough.

By now we could ask another question: what was the point of all these stories

on the Torah, the Bible and the Homeric poems? We have another simple an-

swer. This is what Theatre Art Theory should be about. These are the roots of

oral tradition, of storytelling, of what would eventually lead to Theatre and the

union of the Grecian people from several city-states. Making a circumference on

the floor, sitting down on a pillow with crossed legs, in which each student men-

tions a few moments of the narrative is a complete waste of time and does not

make students worth their while. Most of them will start skipping class only in the

first half of the semester.

In addition to that, let us think for a moment. Why should we revive the prac-

tices associated to Greek bards and rhapsodes, anyway? Are we not studying to

become actors? Or, on the other hand, are we drifting towards poetry reciting?

We do not need to live this specific epoch in History in order to find Theatre’s

roots. We just need to understand what happened, names and events. Bringing

a pillow to school and sitting on the floor is indeed pedagogical, but in kindergar-

ten, perhaps.

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3.5.1.2.5 Theatre History and Dramatic Literature

Again, combining both subjects as it already happens in Set and Wardrobe

Design leaves us room to fit other important subjects without risking learning ob-

jectives from each of the curricular units in separate.

Along with the logistics advantage, there is the opportunity to reflect upon

specific moments in Theatre History by reading appropriate plays, instead of just

memorising special traces relating to a relevant time stamp, nothing simpler.

3.5.1.2.6 History of Performance and Visual Arts

We have previously criticised the History of Art subject because of its poor

presentation methodology, which, unlike the statements present in the subject’s

original syllabus, is clearly not the most efficient way of addressing bored stu-

dents. So, what is there to do? Instead of the typical PowerPoint presentations

and name-dropping, perhaps the use of other materials listed in the syllabus but

not so very much recurred to, such as spectacle-viewing or film adaptations of

certain works of art, which is basically the rebuilding of the original, is it not?

Besides, spreading the approach to Performance Arts, which is, nothing

more, nothing less than what students are there to study, might be a better way

of convincing them to go to class and be enthusiastic about it.

3.5.1.2.7 Dramaturgy

If we suggested the return of the Dramaturgy Option to the Theatre Course,

the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon would not even make an effort to listen to the

proposal. Many criticise the fact the Institute’s concern is purely income and not

the pedagogical and scientific aspects of education. Of course, it is a bit too rad-

ical to go there just like that. The fact is, in order to offer decent education to

future professionals, resources are required.

Though the size of the school is quite small for the number of students in it,

nearing 400 individuals (which somewhere else would be just a small portion),

there are still enough rooms in the Theatre Department to shelter more and bigger

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classes. The number of rooms could be a bit more broadened, however the pre-

dominant Option is Acting and those are the students taking advantage, as they

are the most physical of the school and therefore need space.

There is something else we can do, nonetheless. Instead of bringing back the

Dramaturgy Option, why not introduce a few dramaturgical modules? Whether

with the course divided or united, these artists need to know a bit more of their

art’s ancestry. Even if they do not find that in formation to be useful in the future,

at least they will know and will be prepared, should the devil drive. It is of the

utmost importance to be cultured and nourish a taste not only for what is beautiful

or delicious to the eye, but for everything else and that comprehends understand-

ing a bit of just about everything concerning this domain.

The power to criticise, as we are all taught when we are children, does not

mean tearing down neither other people’s nor our own pieces of work in the most

negative way possible. That is something that has got to do with egocentrism,

which we will assess in a while. Nevertheless, instead of pointing out only what

is wrong, why not try understanding what there is good about what we saw, heard

or did? That is the right path for an art student.

Not even painters have to work alone, they can recur to other people, not just

for modelling in a portrait, but also to paint with them, and naturally we are just

talking about the usual, classical canvas on an easel. Across the 20th century,

especially, painting began to gain other shapes and contents. One of the most

common today is graffiti, still looked at as an act of vandalism. This is both a well-

supported and not so clearly reasoned argument as far as this modern kind of

painting is concerned. On the one hand, graffiti artists do not have where to paint

and show their skills, therefore taking advantage of nocturne hours so as to pre-

vent being spotted by the police while taking care of their business out on the

street, sometimes and unfortunately on public heritage monuments. On the other,

however, there is nowhere else to paint and make their pictures public, unless, of

course, the city they live in or travel by is run by a mayor who actually cares about

the culturing of the citizens and thus promotes the building of specific walls for

graffiti. Problem is conservative people will not take it so lightly and will probably

demand a better use of public funds for things far more important such as edu-

cation, health or safety. There is dramaturgy everywhere, not only in drama, and

people need know theirs.

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3.5.1.2.8 Foreign Language

Some may question the need for a Modern Foreign Language in a course

such as this, which apparently has nothing to do with any other language but

Portuguese, together with both an appropriate diction and projection. That would

be a big mistake to make, if not narrow-minded.

Most teachers in the school from both Departments suggest the reading of

supporting documents for their lessons which they need to get from the sta-

tioner’s. Plenty of those are written in a non-native language, specifically English,

but there is also room for a few texts in French and Castilian. Italian teachers may

also suggest in their bibliographies a few suggestions in their mother tongue.

Nowadays, with children having the possibility of learning English since Pri-

mary School, they attend at least 11 years in lessons. Not only that, there has

been a proliferation of so many accessible language institutes since the 90s that

youngsters have all they need to speak an MFL. However, not just everybody can

handle languages. English is the easiest in the world, especially because of its

grammar, but it may turn out to be difficult for some.

So how can we provide students in this school gain access to intelligence

they are not comfortable with? We teach MFLs. The three appointed teachers in

the timetable proposal for the conjoined Options into one have the capability of

teaching the tongues we chose them for. Mr. Antunes alone could teach all three

of them.

However, it is not just the school context, it is also professional life. A Theatre

company may write texts of their own, just as much they can require a translation.

In the last few years, the work of 19th century authors such as Oscar Wilde or a

bit more contemporary like Tennessee Williams has been very much translated

for the Portuguese audience and, in order to unlimitedly stage world-renowned

plays, it is crucial that people master the essential of an MFL at least in their field.

If one is not successful in their home country, then they will probably have to

emigrate and deal with linguistic difficulties.

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3.5.1.2.9 Painting and Set Design

Like we have previously mentioned, the objective is to make artist-students

polyvalent. If they can learn how to plan their staging and directing, adapting the

plastic conception to the space they will be at and building their own set, then

there is no need to pay extra members, unless of course there is a theatrical epic

to put in place and a lot of people are required on stage.

If, however, the whole set is virtual, learning how to deal with a computer or

Macintosh and virtually designing videos or Adobe Flash, etc. might become use-

ful. Technology literacy always is. Besides, there is more to it than just designing

cool stuff for the spectacle. Promotion and audio design are important aspects,

too, and for the latter, Acoustic Space really counts.

3.5.1.2.10 Wardrobe and Makeup Design

It is really not important whether students can or cannot sow. Should new

costumes be created with pieces of fabric yet to design, cut and mend, a tailor or

a seamstress can take care of it. There is also a Wardrobe Mistress in school

who can do it.

What is important is knowing how to fit the dramaturgy of the chosen ward-

robe in the kind of spectacle being staged, especially the meaning it might bring

to the audience’s eyes and not necessarily ours. We should mind Audience So-

ciology to help with that matter.

Also, in these days, it is not only women who need know how to put on some

makeup, because it is not necessarily gala-stylised, but rather character-related.

Depending on the aesthetics chosen for the spectacle or the text’s genre, different

kinds of makeup may be required in order to generate a more appropriate cam-

ouflage or blend in, or, on the other hand, a complete standout like a sore thumb

from either the wardrobe, the set or even the other elements on stage, actors or

plain objects.

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3.5.1.2.11 Directing/Stage Directing

At first sight, one subject and the other might not seem to be related to each

other, because directing is supposed to be the director’s job, no question about

that, just as much as stage directing is related to producers, who guide the ten-

sion grid52 operators on their tasks, lowering cable-hung scenery, dropping other

kinds of objects on stage or making noise, just to point out a few examples.

Though we made separate subjects, especially because of the different se-

mester modules, we can talk about them conjointly on this page, for one person

can do both jobs, and that is actually quite frequent when in the role of an Acting

teacher without technical support from other specialised professors. There are

two options as far as this issue is concerned, in fact. Students performing in a

spectacle can also take care of a few stage directions if the use of audio or ground

projectors is included in the aesthetics chosen, or the teacher can take care of

everything, basic elements especially, such as media and lighting. It may seem

professors cannot pay much attention because of their concern about handling

technological instruments, but that is really not true. Besides, there is a whole

module to figure out whether each one did good or not that good, and that is quite

enough.

Before we got here, we talked about the ability for people to execute several

functions in Theatre without having to be specialised in one area alone. After all,

that is what merging all three Theatre Options is about, polyvalence. Attending

both subjects can turn out to be useful so as to learn specific curricular contents,

after which students may choose to focus on their preferences by taking the cor-

respondent Master’s Degrees (Directing and Production Management).

This is, of course, a way of preparing students for either situation.

52 This is the area above the stage in a regular theatre building which may be visible or invisible to the audience and to which light projectors can be hung for the lighting of a spectacle, as well as audio speakers, curtains and cycloramas for the projection of media and/or lighting for shadow games, not only in that specific branch of Theatre, but any other kind.

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3.5.1.2.12 Marketing and Communication

Another polyvalence case which requires modern technology literacy, not

only for spectacle promotion, theatrical post release digital design, postcards, il-

lustrated e-mails or printing size for all of this.

Planning a budget for the solving of the spectacle-involved costs is very im-

portant before money is spent on something not that relevant and which might

stop the spectacle itself from proceeding. Funds do not last forever, especially in

independent companies run by recently graduated students who have to seek out

support from patrons or sponsors willing to inject amounts of cash for the con-

cretisation of a project.

In order to convince those patrons53, the proposal made must not be a mere

school draft. It needs to be well written, formatted and both appropriately and

officially presented, whether in person, via traditional post or yet e-mail, hence

the importance of acquiring skills or both marketing and communication. There

are a lot of questions on which to rely, and those are, for instance, the use of

appealing colours, which we mentioned in the first part, the choice of vocabulary

according to the target-audience and the general appearance of everything third-

parties will be in contact with.

If the proponents fail to comply with some pre-established sociological rules,

which have turned out to somehow be based on neurobiological laws, their ob-

jectives might not be entirely fulfilled, therefore being required to try over and over

again to get somewhere.

It may look like going back to Primary School, learning how to talk and write

all over again, but it is obviously not like that. There is specific language to be

learnt and practised, especially in a language such as Portuguese, in which the

formalities of style and addressing are plain in titles.

53 Of which we can highlight the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Direcção-Geral das Artes (Portuguese Government) or any company from different sectors as examples.

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