Essay Drama Revision Guide

Contents Page Number
MOVEMENT 3
ROLE-PLAY 4
CHARACTERISATION 5
PURPOSE 6
FORM and STRUCTURE 7
CONVENTIONS 8
MOOD and ATMOSPHERE 9
MOOD and ATMOSPHERE cont’d 10
Technical Aspects 11
THE ACTING AREA 12
SCRIPT 15
DIRECTING 16
LANGUAGE and VOICE

Definition

Language and voice are dependent on situation, role and purpose.

Language is what we say and/or write (word choice and order).
Voice is how we communicate verbally (meaning and expression).

Content

Voice is given meaning and expression through the use of:

accent pace volume

clarity emphasis pause pitch tone

articulation fluency intonation register NOTES:

MOVEMENT

Definition

Movement is a way of exploring and expressing ideas, emotions and relationships. It can be naturalistic, as in its use as an aid to characterisation, or stylised, expressing abstract ideas as in dance drama, mime, dance and mask work. Improvised movement may provide opportunities for a personal response. Rehearsed movement may allow for the development of ideas or of more stylised movement.

Content

Naturalistic movement, as in characterisation, involves:

body language facial expression gesture eye contact posture use of space

Stylised movement, as in expressing abstract ideas, involves:

balance speed timing

positioning use of levels use of space

rhythm stance use of direction

Mime

Mime is a stylised form of movement which creates an illusion of reality. To be effective, mimed movement should be:
-simple precise exaggerated clear slow

NOTES:
ROLE-PLAY

Definition

Role-play is a means of exploring attitudes and beliefs.

It is an activity in which participants investigate and develop an imaginary situation either as themselves or from the point of view of someone else. Participants are simply representing a point of view, which may or may not reflect their personal opinion.

Role-play is open-ended with no pre-determined course or outcome, but both the starting point and purpose should be clear.

Role-play is essentially a language based activity which allows participants to use language appropriate to simulated situations.

NOTES:

CHARACTERISATION

Definition

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.

Content

A variety of techniques can be used in the investigation of characterisation. These may include:

character cards improvisation role-play

hot-seating voices in the head writing in role

thought tracking thought tunnel

In characterisation, consideration should be given to the:

- relationships with other characters in the drama
- portrayal in terms of language, voice and movement
- status, and changes in status, of the characters involved
- social, economic and cultural background of the character

NOTES:

PURPOSE

Definition

The purpose, or purposes, of a drama must be established in order to communicate meaning.

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.

Content

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

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