Theatre       Cinema      Television

Which is more important for an actor to be successful, talent or hard work? Can a mere chance determine an actor’s career? How does the cinema influence people’s outlook on life? Are modern TV programmes good for children?

                                                          

                                          UNIT 1

applause (n) – аплодисменты Her speech drew enthusiastic applause. Let’s have a round of applause for the organizers.   thunderous / rapturous applause

applaud (v) – аплодировать The whole assembly applauded him for his speech. He was loudly applauded.

curtain (n) – занавес The curtain went up and the performance began. The curtain may go up / go down/ rise / fall / swing open / swing shut behind the curtain – за кулисами.  

curtain call (n) – вызов актера на сцену. He had three curtain calls that night.

startle (v) – испугать, встревожить, поразить. I didn’t mean to startle you. 

startled (adj) I was startled to see him there. I was startled at what I saw. He gave me a startled look.

startling (adj) – поразительный, потрясающий startling success / events / statement

dressing -room – гримерная

act (v) – играть роль, играть на сцене. Who is acting (the part of) Hamlet? She is not really crying, she is only acting.

acting (n) – актерская игра. She did a lot of acting while she was at college.

exquisite (adj) – изысканный, великолепный. She was wearing an exquisite dress.

command (n) – контроль, владение, распоряжение. She thought she was in command of her emotions. He took command of the situation. I’m at your command.

command (v) – контролировать, внушать, иметь в распоряжении I advised him to command his temper. The man commands respect. He commands a vast sum of money.

miracle (n) – чудо. It was a mere miracle that everybody survived. to work / to perform miracles – творить чудеса. It seems to have happened by miracle.

miraculous (adj) – чудотворный, чудесный, удивительный. They were surprised by the miraculous escape.

thrilling (adj) – волнующий, захватывающий. It was a thrilling and unforgettable experience.

thrill (n) – нервная дрожь, трепет, сильное волнение. He anticipated the thrill of visiting the city. Seeing the great actress in the flesh gave Jenny the biggest thrill.

spectacular – зрелищный, захватывающий, театральный. It was a spectacular jump. He enjoyed the spectacular view.

rehearse (v) – репетировать. They had been rehearsing since morning and the cast were tired.

rehearsal (n) – репетиция.

dress- rehearsal – генеральная репетиция.

stage (n) – сцена. Three hours later they left the stage

to go on the stage – стать актером

stage (v) – ставить спектакль, инсценировать / подстраивать You cannot stage a Verdi opera without a chorus. It was a carefully-staged affair.

house (n) – зал. The house was packed that night. bring the house down – вызывать гром аплодисментов.

                   From “Theatre” by S.W. Maugham

Four hours later it was all over. The play went well from the beginning; the audience, notwithstanding the season, а fashionable one, were pleased after the holidays to find themselves once morein а playhouse, and were ready to be amused. It was an auspicious beginning for the theatrical season. There had been great applause after each act and at the end а dozen curtain-calls; Julia took two by herself, and even she was startled by the warmth of her reception. She had made the little halting speech, prepared beforehand which the occasion demanded. There had been а final call of the entire company and then the orchestra had struck up the National Anthem. Julia, pleased, excited and happy, went to her dressing-room. She had never felt moresure of herself. She had never acted with greater brilliance, variety and resource. The play ended with а long tirade in which Julia castigated the flippancy, the uselessness, the immorality of the idle set into which her marriage had brought her. It was two pages long, and there was not another actress in England who could have held the attention of the audience while she delivered it. With her exquisite timing, with the modulation of her beautiful voice, with her command of the gamut of emotions, she had succeeded by а miracle of technique in making it а thrilling, almost spectacular climax to the play. А violent action could not have been more exciting. The whole cast had been excellent with the exception of Avice Crichton.

Avice's one big scene was in the second act. It was with Julia, and Michael had rehearsed it so as to give it all to the girl. This was indeed what the play demanded, and Julia, as always, had in rehearsals accepted his directions. To bring out the colour of her blue eyes and to emphasise her fair hair they had dressed Avice in pale blue. To contrast with this Julia had chosen а dress of an agreeable yellow. This she had worn at the dress-rehearsal. But she had ordered another dress at the same time, of sparkling silver, and to the surprise of Michael and the consternation of Avice it was in this that she made her entrance in the second act. Its brilliance, the way it took the light, attracted the attention of the audience. Avice's blue looked drab by comparison. When they reached the important scene they were to have together Julia produced, as а conjurer produces а rabbit from his hat, а large handkerchief of scarlet chiffon and with this she played. She waved it, she spread it as though to look at it, she screwed it up, she wiped her brow with it, she delicately blew her nose. The audience, fascinated, could not take their eyes away from the red rag. And she moved up-stage so that Avice to speak to her had to turn her back on the audience, and when they were sitting on а sofa together she took her hand, in an impulsive way that seemed to the public exquisitely natural, and sitting well back herself forced Avice to turn her profile to the house.

But her final stroke was accidental. Avice had а long speech to deliver, and Julia nervously screwed her red handkerchief into а ball; the action almost automatically suggested an expression; she looked at Avice with troubled eyes and two heavy tears rolled down her cheeks. You felt the shame with which the girl’s flippancy affected her, and you saw her pain because her poor little ideals of uprightness, her hankering for goodness were so brutally mocked. The episode lasted no more than а minute, but in that minute, by those tears and by the anguish of her look, Julia laid bare the sordid misery of the woman' s life.

 

Vocabulary practice

Exercise 1

Translate the following using applause, applaud, the house, act, acting.

1. Не успели актеры выйти на сцену, как зал разразился громкими аплодисментами. 2. Поскольку они опоздали, им пришлось занять места в дальнем конце зала. 3. Сцена была настолько сильной, что аудитория всегда аплодировала стоя. 4. Хороший актер должен говорить так, чтобы каждое слово было слышно из любого конца зала. 5. Музыканты были вынуждены ждать, пока аплодисменты не стихнут.

Exercise 2

Translate the following using curtain, curtain call, dressing room, rehearsal, to rehearse.

1. Занавес поднялся, и аплодисменты стихли. 2. Не смотря на то, что актеры устали, они семь раз выходили на бис. 3. Генеральная репетиция была назначена на конец месяца, и труппа делала последние приготовления. 4. Все актеры были в своих гримерных и готовились к представлению, а исполнитель главной роли еще не появился. 5. Выйдя последний раз на бис, актеры направились в свои гримерные.

Exercise 3

Translate the following using startle, startled, startling, exquisite.

1. Он был так напуган этими новостями, что не смог сдержать эмоций. 2. Хотелось бы, чтобы она воздержалась от такого сенсационного заявления. 3. Всех развеселило испуганное выражение ее лица. 4. Он извинился за то, что напугал ее своим неожиданным появлением. 5. Элин знала, что только человек с тонким вкусом мог выбрать такую красивую вещь. 6. У этого ребенка абсолютный музыкальный слух, но ему следует много работать, чтобы добиться успеха.

Exercise 4

Translate the following using command.

1. Очень скоро команда овладела ситуацией и выиграла первый тайм. 2. Она почувствовала, что, наконец, овладела собой и была готова произнести речь. 3. Понимая, что его будет трудно убедить, она решила использовать все имеющиеся у нее средства. 4. Так как он был сиротой, он вызывал всеобщее сочувствие. 5. Экзаменатор объяснил студенту, что хотя он владеет хорошим словарным запасом, в его речи много грамматических ошибок. 6. К сожалению, мои знания английского языка были плохими, что помешало мне хорошо сдать экзамен. 7. Она не могла больше контролировать свои эмоции и расплакалась. 

Exercise 5

a) Fill in the blanks using thrilling, thrilled, spectacular.

1. I’m not very … about having to do it again. 2. It was a … and unforgettable experience. 3. We had a… view of the coastline from the plane. 4. The most … of these extraordinary fossils can be seen in the museum. 5. The … adventure helped him to overcome his depression. 6. We are … that Dan is going to join the team.

b) Translate the following using thrill, thrilling, spectacular.

1. Актеры дали по истине захватывающее и зрелищное представление. 2. Как ни странно, эти новости его сильно взволновали. 3. Эффектное появление кинозвезды взбудоражило зрителей. 4. Ребенок был так взволнован, что долго не мог заснуть. 5. Музыка была настолько пронизывающей, что Джейн расплакалась.

Exercise 6

Translate using miracle, miraculous.

1. После рассмотрения всех деталей происшествия стало ясно, что только чудом никто не пострадал. 2. Я устрою тебе встречу с этим человеком. Он может творить чудеса и обязательно тебе поможет. 3. Едва ли кто мог предсказать победу команды, однако результат был поистине удивительным.4. Стив долгое время жил в нищете, и перемены показались ему чудотворными. 5. Экономическое чудо некоторых латиноамериканских стран оказалось вовсе не «чудом».

Exercise 7

a) Rephrase the following sentences using take / leave the stage, be on stage, go on the stage, to stage.

1. The musicians didn’t come onto the stage until after ten o’clock. 2. By then they had been acting for over four hours. 3. Do you think your child will become an actor? 4. The protest was a carefully organized affair. 5. They hadn’t been able to go off the stage before they took seven curtain calls. 6. When will the play be put on?

b) Translate the following using stage.

1. Актеры долго не могли уйти со сцены. 2. Несмотря на возражения своих родителей, он решил стать актером. 3. Молодая актриса не пробыла на сцене и двадцати минут, как стало ясно, что она находка. 4. Поскольку публика не расходилась, исполнителям пришлось снова выйти на сцену. 5. Эта пьеса была поставлена давно. Она идет уже несколько лет.

Exercise 8

Work in pairs.

1. Стоя за кулисами, режиссер наблюдал за реакцией зала. 2. Мы не могли не восхищаться таким разумным решением. 3. Чтобы стать хорошим актером следует научиться контролировать свои подлинные чувства. 4. Сцена была хорошо поставлена и выглядела весьма зрелищной. 5. После этого события он все ждал, что случится нечто чудесное и волнующее. 6. Несомненно, он совершил чудо, примирив своих родственников. 7. Войдя в гримерную и увидев беспорядок, Кейт испугалась. 8. Потрясающий успех заставлял его трепетать. 9. Появление героя программы было хорошо продумано и воспринималось как чудо. 10. В тот день репетировали только часть пьесы, и не весь состав исполнителей был задействован.

1. Standing behind the curtain the director watched the reaction of the house. 2. We couldn’t help applauding that sensible decision. 3. To become a good actor one should learn to master one’s true feelings.   4. The scene was staged well and looked spectacular. 5. After that event he expected something miraculous and thrilling to happen.   6. No doubt he has worked miracles to reconcile his relatives. 7. On entering the dressing room and seeing the mess Kate was startled. 8. The startling success thrilled him.   9. The appearance of the hero of the show had been carefully staged and looked like a miracle. 10. That day some parts of the play were rehearsed so not the whole cast were engaged.

                              Reading comprehension

I Make sure you know the answers to the following.

1. Was there anything special about the first night? 2. How did Julia feel that night? 3. How did Julia manage to achieve the startling success? 4. In which way did Julia change the idea of the play? Do you agree that it was skilfully done? 5. Why was Avice’s performance ruined?

II Find the English equivalents of the following.

Это было удачное начало театрального сезона; произнести короткую речь взволнованным голосом; оркестр заиграл национальный гимн; сурово осуждать легкомыслие, никчемность и аморальность бездельников; желтое платье подходящего оттенка; платье Эвис выглядело линялой тряпкой; вы видели ее боль из-за того, что все ее идеалы, ее жажда честности, добродетельной жизни осмеивались так жестоко; показать все горести жалкой женской доли.

III Discuss the following.

What are the techniques that help an actor to influence the audience? Do you suppose anyone can master these techniques?

Do you agree that a good actor can change the idea of a play without changing a word of it?

What is the importance of acting experience? Do you believe that experience is more important than talent?

           

                              Listening Comprehension

Text 1

to get together – собираться в группу to be filmed – делать телепостановку

 

• How did the English teaching theatre come into existence?
• Has the company become popular?
• Describe the plays staged at the theatre.
• How is the educational purpose achieved?

Have your say

Do you believe theatrical performances can be helpful in teaching English to foreign students?

What is the place of the theatre in education?

Text 2

A stuntperson – каскадер

• How did Sarah begin her career?
• What was the special thing about her first part in a film?
• What was the most frightening job she had to take?

Have your say

Does the profession of a stunt person seem frightening to you?

Is the money stunt people earn worth the risk they take?

Do you believe it is rather annoying to remain in the shade of other people’s success?

What do you think about stars who prefer to do all stunt work themselves?

Project

How do theatre companies differ from each other? Is a fresh idea important for a performance to be successful? How can theatres get their names? Do directors usually have a well shaped idea of how actors should perform?

                              WE DON’T PIGEONHOLE ACTORS

Since the late 1990s, Edward Hall has risen to the front rank of British directors, and beyond. He has staged plays for the National Theatre, for the Royal Shakespeare Company, for important theatres in London’s West End and on Broadway in New York. His range goes from Shakespeare to new plays (musicals and pantomimes, too). But one thread in his career has stayed constant: his all-male Shakespeare company Propeller. With these men, he has now staged eight Shakespeare productions. Each of these productions has toured Britain and abroad.

You expect Edward Hall, as the son of a famous theatrical father and with two celebrated stepmothers to come across as a polished thespian type. But he speaks with a distinct Midlands accent and there is some boyishness in him: he is wide-eyed, energetic, enthusiastic, friendly and idealistic. I start by asking how Propeller came about, and how it got its name.

Hall: “I’d done a conversational production of Othello at the Watermill one year, but I felt dry. I felt trapped by naturalism. So I thought: “ OK, what if we tried modern aesthetic? So then we tackled Henry V, and then Comedy of Errors, in modern dress, with all men. And straightaway it released so much in the plays. Also I made sure the production had plenty of music-making. Whoever can play a music instrument, we use it on stage. And if we find that an actor has started to brush up his musical skills during a run, then we quickly adapt the music to include him that way. I’ve always enjoyed staging music in poetic drama. It works really well. And during that first Henry V we were saying that we needed a name. Jonny McGuinness, who was playing Henry’s bride Katherine, started to play around with the French he had to speak in the role: “parler” became “parlour” and that led to the “Propeller”. We liked it at once.

Edward Hall is a child of the yet more celebrated director Peter Hall. Several of Peter’s offspring have worked in theatre, but it is Edward whose career has been biggest to date. As anyone will know who has seen a number of Halls who turn up at each other’s first nights, they form a mutually supportive family. Last year, when I interviewed Peter Hall, he enthused about Edward’s work: “I burst with pride about Edward. And that’s a wonderful company of straightforward, unpretentious actors; I love the way you feel that you could just go out to the pub with all of them. Each season you never know which one is going to play the female roles. They work for very little money, too.”

I ask Hall if he feels confident about directing.

“I’m afraid of everything. I always walk into rehearsals afraid that I can’t direct the traffic. But I like that feeling: I hope I never get to the stage when I feel I know how I’m going to handle everything before I start rehearsals. That’s why I’m grateful that not all our actors have been with us since the 1990s, and that new ones have joined. They keep the style fresh. I’m terrified of becoming the victim of an idea.”

1. Do you approve of the idea of an all-male company?

2. Do you enjoy modern versions of classical plays?

3. What’s your idea of modern aesthetic?

4. Find information about how certain theatres got their names.

5. Read the two opinions below and express your attitude to them.                    

The ambitions of modern theatre directors are as powerful as they are bewildering. They seem to be constantly seeking to invent something new and original without realizing that anything worth seeing has already been invented. Their ideas are nothing but absurd and destined for failure. Who would enjoy a Shakespeare’s play accompanied by modern music that was composed by no-one knows whom? How can the audience be amused by drab sets and a Hamlet wearing jeans? And just imagine all this with a group of rap dancers in the background! And the great point of all this is to realize the mean ambitions of some unsuccessful director. The funny thing about it is that the general public and some critics tend to show a great deal of appreciation for what they are shown. The question is what attracts them? – The answer is nothing, except the chance of being called a broad-minded person. Like the directors whose performances they pretend to enjoy these theatre fans are eager to fulfil their ambitions and be treated as good judges of everything new. Wouldn’t it be better and more useful if modern directors stopped pretending doing something special and content themselves with the traditional ways of staging classical plays? Wouldn’t they have more chances of really contributing to the development of art in case they stopped experimenting? The great Longfellow once said: “Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions”. Do you agree?

The question of whether we need new versions of classical plays is bound to the question of the aims of art. If we suggest, just for the sake of argument, that the great mission of the theatre is to reflect the changes in society, we will inevitably come to the conclusion that the theatre should change too. Plays become classical not for their form but for the problems they raise. They are all about feelings and human nature. And these notions undergo little change if any. The form of conveying the playwright’s message to the audience is totally irrelevant. Modern directors resort to so-called “absurd” ways of staging classical plays in order to attract the attention of every new generation, and thus get young people interested in what the latter call “old-fashioned stuff”. Shouldn’t the work of directors and actors comply with the expectations of their audience? Isn’t it they who make old plays actual and acute? Wasn’t Emerson right to say that “Perpetual modernness is the measure of merit in every work of art”?

Written exercises

Exercise 1

Write a summary of the extract from “Theatre” using your active vocabulary.

Exercise 2

Render the following passages.

1. В разные эпохи спектакли подготавливали по-разному. Постепенно сложилась практика репетиционного процесса, общего для театров всех стран.

Все начинается с выбора пьесы. Режиссер читает текст актерам, потом распределяет        роли, а затем проходит читка по ролям. Следующий этап –      «застольные» репетиции. Решающее слово всегда принадлежит режиссеру – актеры выполняют его указания.

Когда подготовлены декорации и костюмы, репетиции из специальной комнаты переносятся на сцену. Участники спектакля, уже в гриме и костюме, обживают       пространство сцены. Обычно спектакль готовят два-три, а иногда пять месяцев.        Монтировочные репетиции ведутся без актеров: устанавливают декорации, отрабатывают открытие и закрытие занавеса.

Наконец наступает день генеральной репетиции. Потом спектакль можно показывать публике – впереди день премьеры.

2 Дени Дидро дружил с известным английским актером Дэвидом Гарриком, и однажды за дружеским столом между ними вышел спор о том, что же является главным в творчестве      актера – разум или чувство. Гаррик вышел из комнаты, затем заглянул в нее – и на его    лице отразилась целая гамма чувств: удивление, потрясение, ужас, восторг, умиление, грусть, а затем – то же самое, но в обратном порядке. Этот случай произвел на Дидро      огромное впечатление и стал поводом для создания «парадокса об актере».

В этом трактате спорят два собеседника. Позиция самого автора объединяет точки                 зрения спорящих, хотя доводы каждого имеют существенные изъяны. Парадокс в том и заключается, что актеру, с одной стороны, необходимо иметь воображение,     без которого творчество немыслимо, а с другой – чувства актера должны управляться разумом. «Слезы актера текут из его мозга» – эти слова Дидро стали своеобразным афоризмом в актерской среде. Книга Дидро «Парадокс об актере» стала впоследствии настольной книгой практиков и теоретиков театра.

Exercise 3

Choose a statement for a composition.

1. “Art is like morality consists in drawing the line somewhere” (Chesterton).
2. “The public is the only critic whose opinion is worth anything at all” (Twain).
3. “We grow small trying to be great” (Jones).

 

                                          UNIT 2

audition (n) – прослушивание. The first audition had been successful and she was preparing for the second one.

audition (v) – устраивать прослушивание, проходить прослушивание. I decided to audition for an understudy.

chorus (n) – хор. They all spoke inchorus. She has a job in a chorus.

gallery (n) – балкон, галерея, галерка. The seats in the gallery are the cheapest. the stalls – партер, the circle – амфитеатр, the dress circle – бельэтаж, the balcony – балкон, the box – ложа, the pit (the orchestra pit) – оркестровая яма

be on the road – быть на гастролях. The band has been on the road for a month already.

delight (n) – восхищение. She stared at him with / in delight. To my delight everything was prepared. She took (a) delight in what she was doing.

delight (v) – Her voice delighted everybody.

delighted (adj) – довольный, восхищенный. He was delighted with what he saw.

delightful (adj) – восхитительный, очаровательный a delightful voice / room

review (n) – рецензия, критический обзор, исследование. A review of the problem is needed. undertake / conduct a review. The magazine published a review of the new play. Rave reviews – прекрасные отзывы.

review (v) – проводить исследование, просматривать, писать критический обзор. A special commission was asked to review the progress of the children.

find (n) – находка, открытие. The review said the actress was a find.

understudy (n) – дублер. She wished she could be an understudy.

understudy (v) – дублировать.

matinee (n) – дневное представление.

hand in (phr v) – вручить, отдать в руки. The teacher asked the students to hand in their papers.

pace (n) – шаг, походка, скорость, темп. He took a cautious pace forward. The pace of life in the village is slow.

pace (v) – шагать, ходить взад вперед по комнате. She kept pacing (about / around) the room.

the wings – кулисы. Standing in the wings he watched the actors closely.

gesture (n) – жест. She made a dramatic gesture and burst into tears.

gesture (v) – сделать жест, показать жестом. He gestured for us to come in. She gestured towards / at / in the direction of the shore.

 

How I went on the Stage

                                          (from “Don’t Fall off the Mountain” by Shirley MacLaine)

       1954 happened to be a landmark for me. Early in 1954 it was announced that “The Pajama Game”, a musical based on Richard Bissel’s novel was to be staged a few weeks later. When the show was being rehearsed, Steve, my husband encouraged me to audition for a place in the chorus. Director George Abbot said he hired me because whenever I opened my mouth on stage they could hear every breath in the peanut gallery.

       Even when the show was still on the road, it was obvious that it would be a hit, and equally obvious that it would give Broadway a new star, Carol Haney. The critics couldn’t find words sufficient to express their delight in her sense of comedy and in her songs and dances.

       The night before the New York opening, I was made Carol’s understudy. I had never had a rehearsal, but as the producer, Hal Prince, said, “It doesn’t really matter. Carol is one person who would go on with a broken neck.”

       On May 9, 1954, The Pajama Game opened in New York to rave reviews both for the show and for Carol. The public rushed to the stage door, hoping for a glimpse of the brilliant performer they had discovered “overnight’. She was singled out as the musical-comedy find of the decade.

       It looked very much as though I, on the other hand, would be chorus girl of the century. Four nights passed. I still hadn’t had an understudy rehearsal, but whenever I wasn’t onstage I watched Carol from the wings, trying to learn the part even though I doubted I would ever need to know it.

       After the first Wednesday matinee I went back to the apartment to fix dinner for Steve. While we were eating I had a phone call from one of the producers of Can-Can, which had been running about two years. He offered me a job as an understudy to his lead dancer.

       “We know you must realize,” he said, “that nothing will ever keep Haney from going on in Pajama Game, and our girl is out every now and then.”

       I asked him to let me think that over.

       While we finished eating, I discussed it with Steve, who felt that if being in another long run was more than I could take, then I should leave Pajama Game immediately. I agreed, and before leaving for the theatre I wrote my notice, intending to hand it in that night. Running late, I rushed for the subway and would have done better walking. The train got stuck in its tunnel, and I arrived at the theatre panting, half an hour late.

       Hal Prince and his co-producer were pacing the sidewalk at the stage-door entrance, wringing their hands.

       “Where have you been?” they asked.

       “I’m awfully sorry. The subway got stuck, but I’ll hurry. Anyway I don’t go on till the middle of the first act.’

       “That’s what you think. Haney broke her ankle this afternoon and you’re on right now!”

       I was carrying my notice in my hand. I put it back into my purse. I had watched Carol do the part four times. A horrible thought jumped into my mind and kept running: I know I’ll drop the derby in the song-and-dance number.

       They pushed me into Carol’s dressing room. I asked someone to call Steve. I shook so hard that someone else had to put make up on my face. A wardrobe woman zipped up my first-act costume and it fitted. Relief. Then came the shoes. Disaster. Her size four wasn’t even big enough for my toe. I rushed to the basement where I always dressed and found a pair of my own black tennis shoes. They didn’t go with the costume, but if the audience were looking at my feet I was in big trouble anyway.

       Above me I heard the audience stamping, impatient because the curtain hadn’t gone up.

       John Raitt, the leading man, was learning the words to my songs in case I forgot them.

       I waited in the wings as the stage manager walked out before the curtain and gestured for attention.

       “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “The management regrets to announce that Miss Carol Haney will not be performing tonight. Her part will be performed by a young lady named Shirley MacLaine. W hope you will enjoy the show.

        His last words were drowned out as the audience set up a terrific boo. Many people rose and made straight for the box office to get their money back. Chaos. Hall Hastings, the conductor, stared up from the pit, a shaken man. He had no idea what key I sang in, or even if I sang at all, but resolutely he raised his baton. The musicians struck up the overture.

       In the middle of the overture, Steve rushed in. He reached for my hand. “This should teach you patience,” he said. “And remember – most people don’t get this break in a whole life-time, so, for everybody who waits, make the most of it.”

       Then, muttering the actors “good luck”, he went out to join the audience.

       The overture ended. The curtain went up.

       Taking a deep breath, I made it safely to center stage. From the corner of my eye I could see the cast lined up in the wings, watching. A hush came over the audience. They seemed to understand how I felt. The most important people were out there. They had come to see Carol Haney, but I was on stage instead. I took another breath and spoke the first line. It was supposed to get a laugh. It didn’t. Just as I began the second speech, they laughed at the first one. I hadn’t waited long enough, hadn’t given them time. Just because I was ready didn’t mean they were. I slowed the tempo and soon we were on the same beat. I felt them relax, and I did too. There is nothing worse than the audience that’s afraid for a performer. Suddenly the flow of communication that I had longed for all my life was there. It wasn’t the applause and the laughter that fulfilled me; it was the magnetism, the current, moving from one human being to the others and back again, I was in time with the audience.

                              ……………………………………………….

The performance was over. The curtain went down and then up again for the curtain calls. The audience stood. They cheered and threw kisses. The cast around me applauded. I knew I could be myself any time I wanted to now, and from then on I would have to devote all of me to developing that self the best way I knew how. A higher level of hard work and struggle was necessary now. Talent was nothing but sweat.

I returned to my dressing room. Steve was waiting.

“You were great,” he said.

“Was I really?”

“To them, yes. But you still have a long way to go,’ he added.

I remembered the notice in my purse. What would have happened if I had handed it in the night before?

 

                              Vocabulary practice

Exercise 1

Translate using audition, review, find, understudy, matinee.

1. Первое прослушивание прошло успешно, и Джейн с нетерпением ждала второго тура. 2. Я бы предпочла дневной спектакль, несмотря на то, что, скорее всего, главную роль будет играть дублер.3. Авторы критических отзывов хором заявляли, что молодая актриса – настоящая находка. 4. Из-за болезни актрисы, играющей главную роль, молодая и неопытная дублерша была вынуждена впервые выйти на сцену. 5. Если бы я писал критический обзор этого дневного спектакля, я бы упомянул имя молодого человека, исполняющего роль слуги.

Exercise 2

Match the following words and their definitions.

The stalls   The circle   The gallery   The wings   The dress circle   The balcony   The box   The pit

A small enclosed space with seats separate from where the rest of the audience are sitting. Seats in front of the stage, in the lowest level of a theatre or a cinema.   An upper floor in a theatre or a cinema that sticks out over the main floor.   The place in front of a stage where the orchestra sits.   The upper floor of a theatre or cinema.     The highest level of a theatre, cinema where the least expensive seats are.   The right or left side of a stage that you cannot see if you are in the audience.   The seats in the front part of the upper floor in a theatre.

 

Exercise 3

Translate using to be on the road, to hand in.

1. Труппа гастролировала уже два месяца, и все актеры устали. 2. Некоторые музыканты считают разъезды наиболее привлекательной стороной профессии. 3. Ему ничего не оставалось, как вручить заявление об увольнении. 4. Прежде чем сдать эссе, Марк тщательно проверил каждое слово. 5. Управляющий гостиницы настаивал на том, чтобы перед выходом постояльцы сдавали ключи администратору.

Exercise 4

a) Fill in the gaps with prepositions.

1. Frank discovered … his delight that the gun was real. 2. Try to avoid friends who take delight … breaking bad news. 3. That was when I first discovered the delight … the city. 4. Delirious … delight the child rushed to his parents. 5. The delight he takes … such activities surprises me.

a) Fill in the gaps with delighted, delightful.

1. He is a … companion, who is both very intelligent and good-mannered. 2. Michael heard some … screams coming from the nursery. 3. I can’t even express how … I was to meet them again. 4. It was a … room decorated in blue and lilac. 5 Unexpectedly he turned out to be absolutely … with his achievements.

b) Translate using delight delighted, delightful.

1. Хотя комната была плохо меблирована, вид из окна радовал взгляд. 2. Он не мог не восхищаться способностями этого человека. 2. Мысль о поездке ни радовала, ни огорчала Элис. 3. К нашему великому удивлению она согласилась с предложением. 4. Казалось, он получал особое удовольствие от неловкой ситуации, в которой мы все оказались. 5. Родители были счастливы, что молодые люди, наконец, решили пожениться. 6. Именно этот очаровательный садик заставил ее согласиться на покупку дома. 7. Мы крайне рады ответу на наше предложение.

 

Exercise 5

a) Match the expressions and their definitions.

the pace of change to slow/quicken your pace to keep pace with at your own pace to take a few paces to pace the platform

to make some steps the speed at which things happen as slowly or quickly as you like to walk up and down to progress at the same rate as something else to change the speed at which you move

b) Translate using pace.

1. Ты не можешь игнорировать перемены и должен идти в ногу со временем, чтобы чего-нибудь добиться. 2. В ярости она ходила по комнате, пытаясь что-нибудь предпринять. 3. Было бы разумно позволить ему делать работу так быстро, как ему удобно. 4. В нескольких шагах от двери он неожиданно остановился. 5. Толпа сделала несколько шагов вперед, чтобы лучше разглядеть, что произошло. 6. Ребенку приходилось бежать, чтобы не отставать от взрослых. 7. Так как спортсмен получил травму, ему было трудно поддерживать темп игры.

Exercise 6

a) Translate using gesture.

1. Должно быть, это был благородный жест, но я бы не стал на него полагаться. У него часто меняется настроение. 2. Она жестом попросила меня подождать.3. Она беспомощно взмахнула руками и села. 4. Сэм жестом указал другу на нужный дом и отступил, чтобы дать ему пройти. 5. Мы видели, как Джон показывал нам что-то жестами, но так и не поняли, что он имел в виду. 6. Он сопровождал свою речь жестами, что выглядело довольно театрально. 7. Смит не сомневался, что это был жест доброй воли, хотя никто с ним не соглашался.

Exercise 7

Work in pairs.

Публика в партере вела себя весьма сдержанно, но на галерке люди уже свистели и топали ногами. Она всегда мечтала петь в хоре, и была счастлива, когда ее пригласили на прослушивание. Постановка получила отличные отзывы, главным образом, благодаря молодой актрисе, которую критики сочли находкой. Джоан даже не мечтала о роли, а рассчитывала лишь на то, что ей позволят дублировать молодую актрису, задействованную в спектакле. Почти все билеты на дневной спектакль были распроданы, и Клэр пришлось довольствоваться местами на последнем ряду балкона. Неожиданно Фрэнк перестал жестикулировать и замедлил шаг. Музыкант провел половину жизни на гастролях, но в последнее время уже не может поддерживать такой темп и все чаще отказывается от поездок. Маргарет провела ночь, ходя взад-вперед по комнате, но так и не решила, стоит ли подавать заявление об увольнении. Вместо ответа он указал на бумаги, лежащие на столе. Профессор потребовал сдать все эссе в начале апреля.

In the stalls the audience were rather reserved, but the people in the gallery had already started making catcalls and stepping their feet. She had always been dreaming of singing in a chorus and was delighted to have been invited for an audition. The performance got rave reviews mainly due to the young actress whom the critics considered to be a find. Joan didn’t even dream of a part but counted on being let to understudy the young actress engaged in the performance.   Almost all tickets for the matinee had been sold and Clair had to be content with a seat in the back row of the balcony. Suddenly Frank stopped making gestures and slowed his pace. The musician spent half of his life on the road but hasn’t been able to stand the pace lately and often refuses to take trips. Margaret had spent the night pacing the room but didn’t decide whether to hand in her notice or not.   Instead of answering he gestured at the papers lying on the table. The professor demanded that all essays should be handed early in April.

                              Reading comprehension

I Make sure you know the answers to the following.

1. How did Shirley MacLaine begin her career? Was the job of an understudy something she was eager for? 2. What made her think of a job in another company? 3. Why didn’t she hand in her notice as she had planned? 4. Describe the atmosphere in the hall before the performance. Do you believe the actress was discouraged on seeing some people leaving the hall? 5. What made the performance successful? 6. What kind of communication with the audience did Shirley mean? 7. How do you understand Shirley’s words that she had a long way to go?

II Find the English equivalents of the following.

Случай стал поворотным событием; надеяться мельком увидеть; нервно заламывать руки; я проиграю эту схватку; публика принялась громко свистеть; он понятия не имел, в какой тональности я пою; он поднял дирижерскую палочку; скоро мы настроились на одну волну.

III Discuss the following.

 What do you think about the importance of a chance in the life of an actor?

 How do you understand Steve’s words “… for everybody who waits, make the most of it.”

 Comment on the idea that “there is nothing worse than the audience that’s afraid for a performer”.

 Why do you believe it is important for the actor to be on the same beat with the audience?

 How can you tell a talented actor from a genius? What makes a genius?

                                          Listening Comprehension

Text 1

X-certificate films (Br E x-rated) – фильмы содержащие сцены насилия и секса. vulnerable – уязвимый mayhem – нанесение увечья gore – пролившаяся кровь footage – отснятый материал

                                          Have your say

What problem does the text deal with?

Do you agree that there are rather few good films for children? Define the notions “a good film” and “a bad film”.

Do you agree that bad films can influence a child’s development and psyche? Why are such films made?

Do you believe parents should be particularly selective in their children’s television watching?

Do you suppose the situation with programmes for children is changing for the better?

 

 

Text 2

allotted period – допустимое количество времени coach potatoes – человек, проводящий много времени перед телевизором gadget –  бытовая техника

• What kind of coded electrical device is described in the text?
• Are parents pleased with it? Why?

                              Have your say

Do you believe a piece of special equipment can prevent children from watching TV?

Do you believe computer games and the internet are as dangerous?

What can be done to divert children from these occupations?

 

                              Project

Can a film change people’s values and their lives? Is the main task of the cinema to draw viewers’ attention to vital problems or to entertain them? How do cinematography and history correlate?

Film settles account for forgotten war veterans

                  From Charles Bremmer in Paris

       A new film which describes the suffering of France’s Arab and African troops in the Second World War has moved President Chirac to restore full pensions to the 80,000 surviving veterans.

       M Chirac is expected to announce the measure, which will cost the state more than 100 million pounds (148 million euros), after the opening tomorrow of Indigenes, a prize-winning feature on the little known story of the colonial forces that fought in France, Italy and Germany in 1944-1945.

       The excitement over the film, entitled Days of Glory in English, is part of a general review in France of its conduct towards its former colonials and the failure to assimilate their descendants, some of whom rioted last year on their ghetto-like housing estates.

       Indigenes, directed by Rachid Bouchareb and starring Jamel Debbouze, a popular comedy actor, exposes the way that 250,000 colonial servicemen were used as frontline cannon fodder, suffering a quarter of all French losses between 1939 and 1945. They were neglected after the withdrawals from Africa, including Algeria in the 1950s and early 1960s. Their pensions were frozen in 1959 and the surviving 80,000 receive no more than one third of the 310 euros a month that white ex-servicemen receive.

       Successive governments have promised to make amends, but the high costs have deterred from more than minor gestures. M Chirac is said to have been moved when he watched Indigenes last week.

       The film shows how the colonial troops were abused and humiliated by white officers as they defended France, which most had never visited before. The five male stars collectively won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film festival in May.

       M Bouchareb, who has Algerian origins, said that his aim was “to open a forgotten chapter in the history of France”.

       M Chirac’s decision is the latest to make amends for what campaigners, immigrant groups and left-wing historians see as the shameful conduct of France towards its colonial citizens. After an outcry from race campaigners, M Chirac repealed a new law last year that required teachers to emphasize the ‘positive role in the French presence overseas”. (The Times)

1. Do you believe films describing historical events are always historically truthful?

2. Find information about a film that caused great changes in society or determined the ideology of a nation.

3. Can you think of a film that influenced your outlook?

4. Read the two opinions below and comment on them.

 

It is shameful that directors and actors never hesitate to use their authority in order to influence people who trust them. Who said that their opinion is worth more than the opinion of a doctor, or a driver, or a housewife? Yet, we are never too quick to let “common people” intrude on our way of thinking and personal freedom. People of art seldom create anything for their own pleasure. They go to all lengths to convey their masterpieces to large audiences and consequently impose their views on anyone who would care to see their extraordinary creations. And it is hard to deny that the power of their great masterpieces is often destructive. Why should they be allowed to spend vast sums of money to exercise their influence? Why should “common people” be brainwashed by the elite? Isn’t it immoral? Can’t we all develop our own outlook? The great Chesterton once said “Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere”. Didn’t he mean the same?

It has long been known that both aesthetic ideals and ethical standards are laid down by some concrete individuals. These individuals have a precious ability to feel and understand things better and deeper than anyone else. And they are talented enough to depict our life in its variety. Aren’t they our superiors? Is it totally wrong that our views on what is right and beautiful are largely formed by them? Besides, a person with a developed ability to think would never take things for granted, but would be rather critical of what he hears and sees. And those who are just too lazy or cowardly to think independently should not complain about being manipulated. It’s evidently an overstatement that film directors impose their views on the audience. They use their art to convince us and very often succeed in doing that no matter how absurd or immoral their views may seem. John Kennedy was right to say “If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.”

       Written exercises

Exercise 1

Write a summary of the extract from “How I went on the stage” using your active vocabulary.

Exercise 2

Render the following passages.

1. На рубеже XIX и XX столетий европейские зрители восхищались итальянской трагической актрисой Элеонорой Дузе. На сцене Дузе появлялась всегда как-то незаметно – хрупкая, не привлекающая внимания, совсем не похожая на примадонну. Однако проходило мгновение – и зал забывал обо всем. Даже самую слабую пьесу Дузе умела наполнить такой глубиной чувства, что произведение начинало казаться значительным. Ее героиня – женщина, страдающая от окружающей пошлости и жестокости, обманутая, любящая, способная к самопожертвованию. Дузе всегда находила в облике героини черты, вызывающие сострадание. Она была тончайшей психологической актрисой, искусство которой казалось нечто большим, чем искусство перевоплощения. Актриса всегда искала в пьесе подтекст и стремилась донести его до зрителя. Необыкновенная одаренность сочеталась в ней с высочайшим профессионализмом: истинные переживания, настоящие слезы и вместе с тем полный контроль над эмоциями.

2. Сценарий фильма – это не роман, не повесть и не рассказ, хотя часто в его основе лежит прозаическое произведение. Сценарий строится по законам драматургии, цель которых привлечь и удерживать внимание зрителя. Читая книгу, мы можем ее отложить и внимательно обдумать сложный монолог героя, а через два дня снова приняться за чтение. Но даже просматривая запись фильма у себя дома, вряд ли кто-то станет выключать видеомагнитофон или DVD проигрыватель, чтобы осмыслить одну из сцен. Тем более нельзя это сделать в зрительном зале. Человек, пришедший посмотреть картину, тратит два часа собственной жизни. Чтобы удержать его внимание, необходимо знание законов психологии.

Все знаменитые голливудские фильмы строятся по одной и той же схеме. В первой части фильма – экспозиции – показывают героя и окружающий его мир. Следующий момент первой части сценария называется поворотным пунктом, или вспышкой интереса.

Затем следует вторая часть фильма – усложнение, когда герою следует найти выход из сложной ситуации. К концу второй части картины препятствия, возникшие перед героем, становятся почти непреодолимыми. Наконец у героя уже нет пути назад. Эта часть действия называется обязательной сценой.

Далее следует кульминация. В этой части действия эмоции героев, а вместе с ними и эмоции зрителей достигают предела.

В финале фильма, который следует за кульминацией, герой освобождается от всех своих проблем. Счастливый конец можно