The Theatre Company of Saugus held another successful summer educational workshop series, the seventh annual. In the summer of 2010 the title was Basic Principles of Play Directing. Areas covered included play analysis, stage composition, stage movement, stage business, rhythm and tempo, and other topics. Lectures and discussions were presented by Professor Emeritus Leo Nickole, who teaches theatre courses at Emerson College. Professor Nickole has directed over 125 productions for community, college and summer theatres. He is one of the founders of the Theatre Company of Saugus, now in its 42nd season.
There were six sessions, on two Wednesdays of each three months: June 16 and 23, July 7 and 21, and August 11 and 25, 2010. The main topics of the six sessions were: (1) The Unity of Production. (2) Play Analysis. (3)Stage Composition. (4) Stage Movement. (5) Stage Business (6) Rhythm and Tempo.
The Theatre Company of Saugus takes seriously its mission to educate the community about the rich variety of theatrical styles. Basic Principles of Play Directing is one of a continuing series of summer workshops presented by the Theatre Company of Saugus. In previous years the Theatre Company presented workshops on Shakespeare; Ancient Greek Drama; the French Neo-Classical Period of Theatrical Comedy; the development of American Musical Theatre; the development of Realism in drama in the 19th and 20th centuries; and last summer’s Children’s Theatre Workshop.
These were followed by winter productions inspired by each workshop, including, respectively: “Evenings With Shakespeare”, a presentation of shortened versions of two comedies, Midsummer Nights Dream and Taming of the Shrew; the Greek tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis, by Euripides; two one-act comedies by Moliere, The Imaginary Cuckold, and The Forced Marriage; a comprehensive musical revue, From Broadway to Hollywood; the Anton Chekhov drama The Cherry Orchard; and the family musical The Wizard of Oz.
Theatre Company of Saugus 