Exam Prep Theory Skills Part 1 – ‘Consider a performance you have taken part in’ (10 marks) Part 2 – Responding to stimulus (30 Marks)

Drama Outline ‘Give a brief outline Drama Outline ‘Give a brief outline.’ Plot Characters Setting (time and place) Theme/Message

‘All have beginnings, roots, then are torn away “There’s a season for everything, said the old man Like plantin’ seeds, digging’ weeds, uprootin’ plants” From earthly soil, like he just passed today. I could pray, “Father for all that I’m worth Let her seek life in his body through love, Of the flesh. So that hand in hand they’ll be Longer on earth far more deserving than me.’

Types of Questions Audience Questions Characterisation Questions Rehearsal Questions Performance Concept Questions Design/Production Concept Questions Dramatic Conventions Questions Plot Questions

Character question could come up in both sections Character question could come up in both sections. If in Section 1 analyse/evaluate a character in YOUR performance – most likely your own role. If in section 2 analyse/describe the character you have created in the response to stimulus question.

E.G. Section 1 – Explain how your character role enhanced the performance (4 Marks) Section 2 – Describe the relationship this character has with ONE OTHER CHARACTER in your drama. (2 Marks) Outline a character from your drama who you want the audience to feel strongly about. Justify why you have chosen this character. (2 Marks) Choose ONE character from your drama. Outline this character’s personality and overall purpose in the drama. (4 marks)

Characterisation – Character Profiles Characterisation – Character Profiles. 1) Personality – beliefs, hopes and dreams, psychological state of mind. 2) Background – major life events. 3) Motivation – what the character hopes to achieve. 4) Theatre arts/ Production skills enhance physical description. (Costume and make-up)

Character relationships Conflict – status (one character may be a slave and one a master), motivations (one may want to steal the other’s boyfriend whilst the other wants her boyfriend to marry her), theme (Individual vs Society, John Proctor is different from the rest of the characters, costume, personality, motivation).

Dramatic Tension/ Tension Romantic tension (both characters want the same thing but can’t directly say it). Tension between characters can generally be worked out by the importance each character has to the other. E.G Abigail and Proctor are instrumental to each others’ success or failure in that they could make or break each other, if Proctor wins Abigail loses and vice-versa.

Target audience questions could come up in both sections of the paper Age group Social status (sometimes) Location

Rehearsal Techniques Questions Describe two rehearsal activities that could help establish and/or develop the relationship between two main characters in your drama. Explain fully why these activities would be helpful (4 Marks) As a director, in what ways could you help your actors understand this conflict and/or tension in rehearsal? (4 marks)

Rehearsal Techniques 1) Hotseating – explain 2) Improvisation/with starters or props – characters interact imaginatively without a script. Made up scene on the spot usually based on a stimulus (first line, object etc) 3) Role on the wall – Character profile created on a wall. 4) Diary entry – a written diary entry written from the perspective of your character. 5) Psychiatric evaluation – Interviewed about thoughts and feelings.

6) Stanislavski’s emotional memory response technique – consider a memory and your response, what feeling it creates, then consider how your character would react to that feeling. 7) Stanislavski’s ‘Magic if’ – If I were Elizabeth Proctor I would… The reaction you would have if you had the same personality as her/him. This must be based on an awareness of that character’s personality. The purpose is to make sure the actor removes his/her reactions to situations from the equation. Therefore, truly acting in role and not just mimicking their own gestures, facial expressions etc.

Levelling improvisation with chairs to create status Levelling improvisation with chairs to create status. Distance improve with chairs.

Performance Concepts Questions In what ways did you use performance concepts to develop your drama? (4 marks) Describe the performance concepts you used in your drama and the effect they had on the overall performance. (4 marks) Consider your final performance. Describe two changes you would make in relation to your contribution. If you were an actor you should include comments on performance concepts. (4 marks)

Performance Concepts Social and cultural influences on the drama. Influences of form, structure, and style on acting techniques. Acting techniques movement and voice. Characterisation/relationships

Social and cultural influences – The major political and social issues of the time period and location should have a very important effect of your performance concept as this is what your themes and messages should be based upon. e.g modern Britain Inequality between Rich and Poor. NHS reforms and the issues with our NHS, falling standards of education and the gap between rich and poor students etc.

Influences of Form – The way you choose to perform your play/scenes will be part of your overall performance concept. You should always consider WHY you are using a particular form i.e physical theatre because it is not the characterisation that matters during your scene it is the events in the plot and physical theatre can be representational in that ensemble movements will portray a story to an audience by giving them a picture of the most important events and will simplify key events.

Influences of style – melodrama, naturalism/realism, classicism Influences of style – melodrama, naturalism/realism, classicism. Explain the style you used and then comment on how it enhanced the drama. e.g why did naturalism enhance your drama as oppose to Brechtian style?

Structure Flashback – As an actor you may well have had to act like the character would in the past – younger perhaps, or a certain way before a change in a character’s life e.g. drug addiction. You would have to explain how you used acting techniques to convey this. Climax – Acting techniques you would use to convey a sense of climax (depends on the climax). Linear – character might learn something which changes them – acting techniques used.

Characterisation is a performance concept in that a director will have a concept of the characters that will be portrayed. You should comment on the design of a stylised character and how they contributed to the performance. You could comment on… Status Motivation Relationships Conflict Tension

Character Relationships – again you should explain the relationship and comment on how this relationship contributed to your performance. When describing relationships you should always be considering DRAMATIC TENSION (a relationship should always create tension in some way) tension is usually created through conflict, sometimes through opposite motivations or different status etc.

Acting Techniques Movement – body language, facial expressions, gestures, pace, posture, levelling, eye contact, distance Voice – Pronunciation and diction, accent, projection, pitch, tone, emphasis, pause, rhythm.

Performance concepts are different from Dramatic Conventions Performance concepts are different from Dramatic Conventions. Conventions are techniques used within the performance to enhance it in some way. 1. Monologue – Character speaks his/her thoughts out loud on stage. 2. Soliloquy – Character speaks thoughts aloud whilst other actors are present but usually don’t hear them. 3. Aside – Character speaks directly to the audience quickly to update them on events or hidden feelings.

Narrator – Someone (out of character) gives background information on the storyline. Dramatic Irony – The audience are made aware of what will happen before the character/s Plot twist – An event happens that changes the expected direction of events. Tableau – Characters on stage freeze at important moments and usually there is an explanation of emotions.

Freeze Frame – All characters freeze, usually at the end of a scene to highlight an important moment.

Design Concepts Mood and atmosphere Social and cultural influences Genre, form, structure, style Time and place Staging Setting Characterisation

Created by Lighting Sound Set design Costume Make-up Mood and Atmosphere – the feeling that surrounds the performance. E.g Romantic, sorrowful, dangerous, sinister Created by Lighting Sound Set design Costume Make-up

Lighting Colours symbolising feelings Positioning creating shadows Effects chase, fading, blackout Gobos creating effects Type of lantern e.g. spotlight, Fresnel, flood light Barn doors creating different beams

Sound Music Recorded sound Soundscape Live sounds FX

Set design/staging Type of stage Set design/staging Type of stage* Scenery Backcloth Curtains Furniture Fabrics Objects Off stage world

Costume Colours Fitting style Fabric Embellishments

Make-up and hair Special effects Products Colouring

Example Questions and Answers Name two conventions you would use in your drama and, for each one, explain the advantage of using it. (4) I would use a monologue during the last scene when the main character who is about to commit suicide would stand centre stage and express her mixed up emotions. I think this would create a sense of pity from the audience as they would be given the chance to understand how bad her psychological state of mind has become due to the events of the plot and character relationship with her Mother.

I would also use dramatic irony and make sure the audience were aware from the offset that she would eventually deteriorate towards suicide by using a narrator at the beginning of the performance who explains the outline of the story in a factual way, this would help establish the genre of tragedy and prepare the audience for the inevitable outcome.

As an actor, consider a character in your drama who you think would be a challenge to portray and explain why. (2) The main character Lucy would be difficult to portray because her psychological state of mind is so far removed from someone who could be considered normal. The actor playing the character would have to do extensive research on psychological illnesses in order to use the correct movement and voice skills but in a subtle way to begin with then progressively become more exaggerated in order to convey Lucy’s deteriorating state to the audience.

Describe the relationship this character has with one other character in your drama. (2) The relationship between Lucy and her mother is one of conflict which creates tension due to their opposite motivations. Lucy wants to see her dad again but her Mother does everything she can to hide her away from the world and him because she is so afraid of losing her.