So what is "blocking" anyway?

Since some of you may not be as familiar with the theatre as others, we thought you might like to know what exactly, "blocking" is in the theatre.

According to Wikipedia.com blocking is:

a theatre term which refers to the precise movement and positioning of actors on
a stage in order to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, or opera.

The director usually determines blocking during rehearsal, telling actors where they should move for the proper dramatic effect and to ensure sight lines for the audience.

Each scene in a play is usually 'blocked' as a unit, after which the director will move onto the next scene. The positioning of actors on stage in one scene will usually affect the possibilities for subsequent positioning unless the stage is cleared between scenes. Once all the blocking is completed a play is said to be 'fully blocked' and then the process of 'polishing' or refinement begins.

During the blocking rehearsal usually the assistant director or the stage manager (or both) take notes about where actors are positioned and their movement patterns on stage.

It is especially important for the stage manager to note the actors' positions, as a director is not usually present for each performance of a play and it becomes the stage manager's job to ensure that actors follow the assigned blocking from night to night.

We also thought you might like to see how blocking is represented. The Director for this show, Dr. Oney, prepares "blocking plots," which are drawings of the floorplan of the set, with arrows and writing to explain where the actors move on stage. In rehersal he then explains the movements to the actors.

Dr. Oney has allowed us to reproduce some of his blocking plots here on the blog:

That's all for now! Stay tuned.