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- From: scafati@incoming.med.ge.com (Victor-charles Scafati 4-6784 MR Srv)
- Subject: Re: Is there an actor on the newsgroup?
- Message-ID: <1993Jan27.202540.562@mr.med.ge.com>
- Sender: scafati@incoming (Victor-charles Scafati 4-6784 MR Srv)
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- Organization: GE Medical Systems
- References: <1993Jan13.191549.26071@cs.nott.ac.uk> <1jpkh4INNbmu@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>
- Date: Wed, 27 Jan 93 20:25:40 GMT
- Lines: 45
-
- In article <1jpkh4INNbmu@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>, rcosby@bcm.tmc.edu (Randy C. Cosby) writes:
- |> In article <1993Jan13.191549.26071@cs.nott.ac.uk>, cizrc@unicorn.nott.ac.uk (Roy Candler) writes:
- |> > An evening class in Eng Lit/Language is having a problem. The course
- |> > includes the play 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead' by Tom
- |> > Stoppard, and we are puzzled by one of the stage directions, which is
- |> > 'beat.' None of us has any theatrical experience and we are, well,
- |> > beat. Can anyone shed some light on the meaning of the word in this
- |> > context? I am assuming it is some kind of standard instruction to the
- |> > actors, such as 'pause'.
- |>
- |> I was a theatre major....
- |>
- |> Since the word "beat" was taken out of context, my guess is
- |> that it is used to cause a pause or break....
- |>
- |> as in Shakespeare, for those who know it well, there is an
- |> understood pause, or beat, midsentence, that goes hand in
- |> hand with Iambic Pentameter.
- |>
-
- This is essentially correct. However, "beat" as a stage direction is not
- used to indicate a proper cadence- an actor should be able to do that
- without instruction. It is used to indicate a comedic or dramatic pause.
-
- Example:
-
- This evening has brained the drains out of me. (beat) I am so drunk.
-
- or
-
- But why would he have killed his own brother? (beat) Unless he didn't
- know it was his brother.
-
-
- "Beat" is used by the playwright to indicate how he or she wants a line
- delivered. When presented with a beat instruction, actors usually
- think "Well, no kidding!". I'm currently doing a show that is littered
- with them, and they are all obvious.
-
- --
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- | The views expressed herein do not | Fear
- Victor-charles Scafati | necessarily represent the views of the | no
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