This is a recipe for easy to play characters that can change and grow
Izzo identifies seven elements of character creation that will ensure characters which are identifiable and believable, from the audience’s point of view, and present potential for dramatic action (are playable), from the perspective of the actor. Omly 5 of these are essential to identify the attitude and actions that create a simple role for educational processes. The most profitable strategy is to focus on the role’s function or its occupation. Both attitude and actions flow from this function as passion and primary needs (which relate to attitude) and occupational and primary activities (which relate to action) flow from the occupation.
· The occupation of the character refers to a collection of related activities. These related activities do not necessarily indicate the ‘job’ of the character, but rather his role, or function, e.g. gunfighter, schoolmarm or rich widow. For the occupation to be playable it must involve interaction with people. A lone ranger riding on his horse hardly invites dramatic action until he meets the villain or the damsel in distress. Characters must also be archetypal. The reason is that such characters are easily playable by actors, but more importantly, immediately recognisable by the audience. The occupation must fit within the environment and support the subject and its themes. This is to create unity between the elements inside the temenos.
· The related activities are called occupational activities. It is important to find as many occupational activities as possible to provide a wide range of options for the actor. (Izzo,1997: 73-86)
· The character chooses its occupation out of passion – a desire that motivates his activities. The passion is a singular choice and will simplify the character enough to make it playable, yet provide sufficient depth to make him intriguing. Fulfilment of the passion will bring final happiness to the character, although fulfilment never occurs in performance, since that will eliminate the character’s motivation. The passion creates the character’s needs and the needs are met by performing the occupational activities. The passion should be a broad and obvious choice, it may even be unoriginal e.g. a need to be revered (Schoolmarm) or to be worthy of true love (Saloon girl). The passion has a ‘back story’, a reason for its coming into being and although it is something the audience never sees, it motivates the character’s actions emotionally.
· Primary Needs are those needs that most directly serve the attainment of the passion. A good primary need in terms of playability is one that calls to mind many occupational activities that could lead to its fulfilment. The primary needs are all connected to the passion, which is the core desire. So, for instance, if the passion is recognition, primary needs may be wealth, the need to be seen with the right people and the need for achievement on some level. Such was the profile of the gangster’s sidekick in the sports day scenario. (1997: 98-100)
· The last element flows directly from primary needs: primary activities. They are the activities that reveal the primary needs. What would a gangster do on sports day at the school if wealth, or just appearing rich, was a primary need? There should be several primary activities for each primary need. Primary activities are occupational activities that best reveal the character in terms of foibles and virtues. They allow for the most playable action. (1997: 100)
If your process allows, you may like to play with the other two ingredients for playable characters: foible and virtue
· One of the blocks that hinder the character’s fulfilment of his passion is his foible (Izzo, 1997: 92-97): a defect or ugliness that is not painful or destructive to the character but works against the attainment of the passion. The foible too has a ‘back story’ of how it came into being for the character.
· To counteract and redeem the foible, the character has a virtue (1997: 97-98). Interestingly the virtue should not be confused with moral or just behaviour. For instance, if a character’s occupation is ‘thief’, ‘honesty’ may be considered a foible not a virtue.
What follows is a comparison between Izzo’s characters and some other characters which are equally useful for creating characters that can become aware of their own values and change.
