In “Writing for the Theater, Writing for the Screen- A Lecture by Sir Ronald Harwood,” Ronald Harwood discusses some key points regarding writing style, character development, emotion, setting, direction, and tone. He explains that for a performance to be truly effective- one that touches the heart, soul and spirit all of these components must work together.
He also emphasizes the importance of dialogue in theater and film. He believes that the characters words have a lot of power and can greatly impact the audiences experience. Dialogue is the lifeblood that courses through the veins of production in theater, carrying emotion, conflict, and meaning.” The author claims, to effectively convey the essence of the characters and the story being told, it must be carefully crafted. Ronald Harwood underlines the importance of building complex, sympathetic characters while talking about character development. His justification is that “Characters must have depth and complexity, similar to the difficulties of actual life. They ought to arouse feelings in the audience and strike an emotional connection with them, engaging them in the characters’ adventures. In order to better understand their characters’ ambitions, dreams, weaknesses, and anxieties, he advises writers to establish a connection between the reader and the story being delivered, he advises authors to explore the dreams, weaknesses, and fears of their characters.
According to Sir Ronald Harwood, theater and film both have the capacity to elicit a variety of emotions in the audience. In his words, “Whether it’s laughter, tears, anger, or joy, the goal is to stir the audience’s emotions and leave a lasting impact.” He mentions how crucial it is to provide intense emotional moments that stay with the audience long after the performance or film is over. When talking about the setting, Sir Ronald Harwood believes that in order to improve storytelling the environment should be engaging and vivid. The setting should ought to serve the characters in a way that its distinct while giving the audience a sense of time, place and environment.
In both theater and film, Sir Ronald Harwood discusses the importance of having a director that brings the written word in paper to life. Directors are responsible of guiding the actors in the play, building the scenes and eventually determining the productions overall tone. In relation to tone, Sir Ronald Harwood considers it to be a crucial component that must be carefully constructed and upheld throughout a production. He continues, “Tone determines how the audience interprets and interacts with the narrative by establishing the tone and atmosphere of a story. It must be constant in order to assist the viewers have a seamless experience. Sir Ronald Harwood uses his personal dialogue from a made-up play as an example to show how these aspects can be used to produce a potent and emotionally evocative production. He portrays a situation in which two persons are speaking, and the conversation shows their desires, fears, and conflicting feelings. He illustrates how the interaction of conversation, character, emotion, setting, direction, and tone can work together to affect the heart, soul, and spirit of a person through this example.
In conclusion, in “Writing for the Theater, Writing for the Screen- A Lecture by Sir Ronald Harwood,”Sir Ronald Harwood’s highlights the significance of a skillfully created approach to writing in both theater and film. For a production to have a lasting impact on the audience, he emphasizes the importance of character development, emotion, setting, direction, and tone. His words serve as a beacon for budding authors, motivating them to craft tales that have an enduring effect on the hearts and minds of those who read them.