Style and Staging. Aspectual Variations of Mise-en-Scène in Aaron Sorkin’s Television Serials

Abstract

This study explores the matrices of serial style present in Aaron Sorkin's dramaturgical writing for television serials. The focus is on the way in which teams of directors associated with Sorkin’s productions employ solutions for the staging of these works, thereby establishing their recognizable styles. The analysis values the heuristic uses of the concept of “style”, in disciplines of art history and literature studies, aiming to understand the dynamics under which television serials results from creative encounters between dramaturgy and mise-en-scène. As proving grounds of this examination, we analyse the works of two directors of Aaron Sorkin’s show, The West Wing, evaluating the diversified manners in which these two propose solutions for the staging of Sorkin’s writing.

Keywords

• aaron sorkin
• mise-en-scène
• style
• staging