Exam tute one Year twelve Drama Exam structure Answering section one Leah Stewart MSC

Exam Structure You will have three sections First section deals with an unseen text that you need to analyse and develop answers for. Second section deals with your Australian Set Text. Third section deals with you World Set Text.

Study help Study the elements of drama, your stage types and geography. Study the theorists that you have looked at Study the roles you have undertaken – Designer, Dramaturg, Playwright, Actor will be in the exam. Study the texts you have looked at – you need to have a character you know, a scene you know, and you need to know a relationship. You need context for both texts.

(the central event, theme, issue, problem of the drama) Elements. Know them. The Human Context (Situation/role/relationships in the drama) Dramatic Tension (The Engine that drives the drama. The conflict of relationships, task, surprise and mystery) Focus (the central event, theme, issue, problem of the drama) Place (Where? – location, inner and wider worlds of the play) Time (time the play is set, day, year, season, time of day) Also links to Dramaturgical reasearch Dramatic Structure (The framework – linear/non linear narrative. Realism/non realism) Language (verbal and non verbal communication choices) Symbol (What is used that is symbolic or indicative?) Mood (How does the scene feel?) Dramatic Meaning (All the elements of drama combined create the dramatic meaning) Audience Engagement (How the performer has manipulated the conventions of drama to achieve a particular response)

Answering section one Section one is short answer. Dot points are fine. Section one will need sketches. Bring pencils, eraser and make sure you sketch. Differences between a sketch and a diagram – following slide.

Diagrams Sketches Graphic organisers Picture form Drawn Cue sheets Budgets Venn diagram for comparison Fishbone diagram for rank and order Picture form In colour Costume design Set design Lighting rig as if on roof Drawn Imparts information Can get you extra marks if done well Needs justification and annotation Needs labelling

Answering section one Actor question will come up, sometimes linked with another role. Read carefully. Know what you need to do to prepare a character. Vocal choices rely on the elements of voice Non-verbal choices rely on the elements of movement If looking at multiple characters (examiners often ask for two characters and your approaches for both), what do you need to know???

Vocal choices Used to be known as Verbal communication. Terms have changed. You need to change too. Pace, pitch, pause, tone, clarity, emphasis, volume, dynamics. Why not projection????

Non-verbal communication choices No terminology has changed here. Gesture, facial expressions, proxemics, gait (walk), posture, levels (status). Make sure you link movement to emotion and objective. More of what is understood is shown, not said.

Answering question one Non-actor question – Possibilities are likely to be… Need to know what makes up the non actor roles, particularly those of designer – costume and set, dramaturge, and director, and how to write a vision for all of these roles. If you know these three roles well, and are familiar with the others, you will find you can answer a section one question well.

Exam tute two Next week we have our second exam tute. Next week’s tute runs till 4.55pm. We will be looking at checking out a section one from the year twelve TEE exam so you get a further idea. Please revise what we have looked at today so that you can answer next week’s section one. Please bring your exam booklet – the one with EXAM down the side in block letters.