Standard Grade Revision

1. Standard Grade Revision Drama

2. Drama Process: • Responding to a stimulus • Offering ideas • Discussing and selecting ideas for situation and roles • Agreeing form, structure and devices (conventions) • Setting up the space • Rehearsing • Reviewing • Adding theatre arts • Presenting to an audience • Evaluating

3. Responding to a stimulus: • A Stimulus can be anything that gives you ideas, for example a photograph, a quote, a song. • Write down the stimulus you chose for your practical performance. • What interested you about this stimulus? • Why did you discard the others?

4. It is important to choose ideas that will work for your task and timescale. They have to be practical and workable from a drama point of view. Ten helicopters landing or, a tidal wave, could be very difficult to show in your drama space. • Task: Next to the three ideas you have noted, write why you discarded them or kept them. Offering Ideas Discussing and selecting ideas for situation and roles • When you are working from a stimulus, you will be sharing ideas and trying these out in a group. • Task: Note down three ideas your group suggested when responding to a stimulus. At least one of these ideas have to be yours.

5. Form: Form is the overall style of the drama. • A play, scripted, improvised • Dance drama • Mime • Monologue • Movement • Musical • Pantomime • Comedy • Tragedy • Docu-drama • Forum Theatre Task: Note down what form your drama is. Make notes about the forms that you have performed previously. Evaluate your experience of the form.

6. Structure Is the way in which time, place and action are sequenced. • In a linear, or chronological, structure the action unfolds from the beginning to end. • In a non-linear structure the action unfolds through shifts in time (flashback/flashforward) and or/place.

7. Conventions Conventions are alternative ways of presenting part(s) a drama Freeze frame Narration Voice Over Flash-forward Mime Flashback Aside Movement Slow motion Monologue Tableau Soliloquy

8. Task:Structure and Conventions • What structure do you use in your drama? • Why did you choose this structure? • Make notes about a time you used the other structure during your drama course. • What conventions do you use in your drama? Why did you choose these? • What conventions could you have used to enhance your performance, give examples. • Make notes about a time in your drama course you used each of the conventions.

9. Example exam answers: Describe a time you used a convention successfully during your drama course: • “We used slow motion to heighten tension during a drama that involved a car crash. It was effective as at the moment the car began to brake we used slow motion to accentuate each of our movements and facial expressions to portray the fear of the characters involved. The moment the car stopped moving everyone returned to fast pace to show the panic, this contrast in pace helped convey the shock of this moment and draw the audience into the experience of the characters.” • 3 marks out of 3 Why did you choose this structure? • “We chose a linear structure as it allowed our story to develop over time. This suited our plot as a character changed as the play developed. Their attitude towards a situation changed as they learnt new pieces of information that caused them to question their beliefs, so the linear structure placed the audience in the same position as this character learning new information over the course of the play. Allowing them to relate to the character and their experience and have a greater impact on the audience.” • 3 marks out of 3

10. Setting up the space • You have to consider which type of staging to use. • Staging is the position of the acting area relative to the audience. • Types of staging are • End on • Theatre in the round • Thrust • Proscenium Arch • Avenue • Promenade For more information on staging, refer to the Staging PowerPoint. • You need to consider the set that is relevant for your performance. • A ground plan is a bird’s eye view of the set, showing furniture, entrances/exits and the position of the audience. • Task: Create a ground plan for your drama. For more information of how to create a ground plan, refer to the Ground Plan PowerPoint

11. Rehearsing • When you are rehearsing you will be covering many different areas of drama: • Characterisation • Purpose, message, target audience • Acting Techniques • Mood and atmosphere • Theatre Arts • Directing

12. Characterisation Characterisation is the investigation and portrayal of a specific character. It can build on role-play by adding individual physical and vocal characteristics. Further development may include the exploration of emotions, attitudes and motivation. The theatre arts of costume, make-up and props may be used to develop and present a character.

13. Characterisation techniques • Character cards • Improvisation • Role-play • Hot-seating • Voices in the head • Writing in role • Thought tracking • Thought tunnel

14. Purpose, Message and Target Audience • The purpose, purposes, of a drama must be established in order to communicate meaning. • This focus will identify key moments or scenes, key characters, key relationships and/or key events within a drama. • A target audience is an identifiable group of people at whom a drama is aimed. This relates to both purpose and focus. A drama can be used for the following purposes, singly, or in combination to: • Communicate a message • Entertain • Tell a story • Educate • Explore a theme or issue • Explore and experience (through audience participation, forum/theatre)

15. Characterisation Task: Purpose, Message and Target Audience Task: What is your purpose/purposes of your drama? Identify a key moment in your performance. Why is this a key moment? Who are the key characters? Why? What is your message? Who is your target audience? Why does this drama appeal to you? • Complete at least two characterisation techniques before your presentation. This will improve your knowledge and performance of the character.

16. Mood and atmosphere • Mood and atmosphere concern the feelings and emotions aroused by a drama and therefore involve an audience response to what is being seen heard. • There is a link between mood and atmosphere, and tension. • Tension is the driving force of drama. It caused others to want to know what happens next and sustains interest and momentum. It creates challenge and prevents the drama from becoming boring.

17. Dramatic Tension • Tension can be created through: • Movement • Shock or surprise • Silence • Action • Conflict and confrontation • Mystery • Relationships and status • Threat or pressure • Dramatic irony Task: Think about your drama course and a time you effectively created tension in your drama, what did you use to do this?

18. Acting Techniques • Acting techniques can be used to heighten tension and create mood and atmosphere, through: • Movement • Pace • Pause • Silence • Voice • Eye contact • Moves • Physical contact • Contrast • Positioning • Timing