What are the given circumstances?

Answer 1

The given circumstances in acting are what the author or playwright have given you as an actor to work with in terms of where you are, who you are, what you are doing, and why you are doing it. For example, your character profile at the beginning of the play (where they list the characters) will tell you something about your character. In "The beauty queen of leenane" by martin McDonagh, there is quite extensive character notes. These character notes are your Characters "Given circumstances." The setting, an old cottage in county leenane are your given circumstances for WHERE you ARE. Sometimes, however, the playwright may give you no in-depth information about your character, as in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, where all he gives in the character section is "Estragon, a tramp." All you know is that Estragon is a tramp. However, throughout the play, you find out pieces of history, and this is another source of GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES. As either Stanislavsky or Strasberg once said ( I don't have my notebook on me this instant) "sometimes the inspiration for your character may not be obvious, but hidden within the line of someone else's character"

Simply put, the given circumstances are whatever you are given to work with, be it pieces of history, emotion, costumes, settings, character relationships.

Answer 2

Given circumstances is a term used when writing a story or a book. Under any given circumstances refers to in what position the character is in. If there is something blocking what he wants, that would be a given circumstance. This term can also be used outside of the writing world. It means the same thing as for the character except that the conditions someone or something is in would apply to their real position or condition.

Drama Terminology: Given Circumstances are what are provided to you by the author/playwright in the context of the script. This is used to allow the actor to peform the character the required way. Given Circumstances include:

Place (where the scene takes place)

Sensory Elements (heat, cold, looking out a window, physical handicaps, etc.)

Relationships (with other characters and to the "event" of the scene)

Period (Specific choices regarding the period of the play)