BREAKDOWN

My Name: Nathaniel Thomas Character:

Playwright:

Play: _____________________________

GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES

Environment

Place:

Geography (city, country, etc):

Topography (ground and elevations):

Year/Time of Day:

Date/Season:

Light/Sources:

Temperature/Humidity/Air:

Weather:

Level of Human Activity: (Draw an accurate Floorplan on the back of this page)

What are important Sensory Details/Significant Points-of-Focus in my Environment?

Sight:

Sound:

Touch:

Smell/Taste:
Activity What Activities am I/are we doing in this Environment, or what could there be here for

me/us to do?

What objects will I need to interact with?

What are important Sensory Details/Significant Points-of-Focus in my Activities?

Sight:

Sound:

Touch:

Smell/Taste:

Effect: (what do I have to measure, ensure, complete, transform in these activities?)

Physical Endowment

How am I “shaped” or “animated” physically, vocally, spiritually from inside or out?

Gender Identity:

Gender Expression:

Age:

Body usage/influence/training/ability:

Significant Clothing/Uniform:

Physical State: (drunk, tired, out-of-breath,etc.)

Occupation(s):

Faith/Religion/God/Path:

Essence:

Element (natural force or formation):

Metaphor (poetic/textual reference):

Animism (animal spirit):

Possession (substance or idea):

Ancestry (who came before me):

Relationship

What is my relationship to my partner (just the fact, not situational)?

What kinds and levels of love? (0 to 100 scale )

Philios/friendship

Storge/family

Eros/Passion

Agape/Human,Self-less

What do I owe her/him (dependence, reliance, respect, honor, vow, attention, protection, etc)?

What is my relative status?

What are my roles and sub-roles in relationship?

What is the “embedded ritual” of the scene? (family dinner, going to bed, date, etc.)

What actions can I play to build this specific relationship with my partner?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Beyonds
Spatial:
What/who is spatially just beyond the moments and space of our scene?

Significant History:
What happened in history (inner events) between us?
Immediate Before:
What just immediately happened to me/us partner before our scene?
Expected Ahead:
Where am I/are we immediately headed ahead of our scene?
Beneath:
What is beneath the moments that we both sense but can’t speak of?

Above:
What news, salvation, answer, or relief could come from beyond, god or state?
Places Beyond:
What are inner where’s I/we reference?
Objects Beyond: What are inner objects I/we reference?
Others Beyond: Who are inner others I/we reference?
Laws: What are laws of custom or culture that govern our interactions?

Mis-en-Scène
What is the supertask of this play?
How does my through-line relate to that?
What are expressive expectations of this playwright’s vision?
What are expressive expectations of my director’s vision?
How do the theatrical space/design elements of this production affect my through-line?

SCENIC ACTION
ME: What is my State of Historic Need? (personal/psychological/sociological “fuel” behind me
in this relationship…)
YOU: What is the Problem with my partner? (It must be behavioral, grave, constant and
relationship threatening…)
US: What is my Dream for us - my partner and I? (Make it relationship specific, partner
inclusive, big and perfect…)
THEREFORE: I am Fighting For… (re-stated vivid call to action: get rid of problem to get
dream and answer need)
What Actions can I play to Fight the Problem and Fight for Dream and answer my Need NOW?

Hard:

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

Soft:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

How will I know when I’ve won?

What will my partner be changed?

What are the roles and sub-roles

I assume by pursuing this Fighting For?

Who do I become in this quest?

What do I perceive to be my partner’s Fighting For?

How do our Fighting For’s and Dreams relate?

What is the Opposite of my Fighting For?

How could I…
Give up?
Give in?
Exit the relationship

Eventing

List the Scenic Events in order by title and essence:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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10.
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15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

PERSONALIZATION
How am I personalizing these Events and my partner?
How do I relate to this role?
What are the similarities?
What are the differences?
How am I politicizing my role in this scene? (How should it change whom in the world?)