Preparation for Performance National Qualification 5

This is evidence of the preparation you have carried out for your final performance. Your Prep For Performance is worth 10 marks! This has to be completed before your final performance and is marked by the visiting assessor.

Your Prep For Performance should include the following four areas of information : - Research findings on your chosen text. Description of your acting or production role. Initial thoughts and ideas for the proposed performance. How you have developed these ideas for the performance.

Introduction – Paragraph one The script title The play wright Briefly explain what the play is about. Two/Three sentences is enough

Paragraph two - Research Research – What did you find out about your play to help you play your character better? The place and the time period The playwright What inspired the playwright Mention in some detail where and when the play is set, any themes and issues the play covers e.g. racism, friendship, love etc Describe what the scene or scenes you are performing are about, the background of what has happened in previous scenes that affect the characters. For example in ‘Tally’s Blood,’ by Ann Marie Di Mambro, the characters are living in poverty stricken Scotland during World War Two. Telling the love affair story of a young Scottish boy and an Italian girl. In this scene Bridget is confronting Mrs Pedreschi about Franco’s death and her pregnancy and abortion. This shows the impact of the war and relationships in this particular scene. Did you have to look anything up to help your character? Did you talk to anyone to help play your character? Did you watch versions of your play on DVD/Iplayer/Youtube etc or see it live? Have you seen any past exam performances of your play?

Paragraph Three – Description of character Describe your character:- Who are they? How old are they? What is their status? What is their main motivation? What is their most important relationship? What other important information do you have? What is your character’s personality. This will include the characters role and purpose in the play. For example, I have taken on an acting role in the play ‘Men Should Weep’. I play the role of Jenny Morrision, an 18 year old who works at a fruit and veg shop at the beginning of the play. She is ashamed of her home life and is ambitious to better her circumstances. It is my responsibility as an actor to convey this to the audience.

Paragraph Four – Perform as the character/Initial Ideas How are you going to perform as the character? How will you move? How will you use your voice? Justify each of these movement/voice decisions. Say WHY you are doing them. How will you use performance skills to show: personality, behaviour, emotions etc of the character. (Refer to Characterisation techniques) How will you show the relationship between the characters? Use a range of performance concepts when answering. e.g. planned use of voice, movement, body language, character relationships, actor/audience relationship, staging, proxemics (distance on stage between characters to show status, relationship, feelings) Your overall interpretation of the character in the performance. (How yours differs from the original? For example think of The Joker, Batman) Use the correct terminology. 

Paragraph Five – Prepare for the role How did you prepare for the role? What did you do during rehearsal to develop your character/ production skill? Character cards, writing in role, role on the wall, spontaneous improvisation, research into time period, experimenting with gels, setting, hot seating, thought tracking etc. Your characters motivation in the scenes(s) What problems, challenges, did you have and how did you solve theses? e.g. peers being absent, difficult language Use correct terminology.

Paragraph Six – Conclusion Write one sentence to round off your short report:- ‘It is through the research, rehearsal activities and development of my acting that I have come to portray Annie as a vicious, bitter and twisted orphan interested in nothing more than social climbing.’

The report should be approximately 400 words. Marking criteria 10 marks Based on you providing evidence of those four points. 1. Your research findings on your chosen text. 2. A description of your acting or production role 3. Your thoughts and ideas for the proposed performance 4. How you developed these for performance

First draft due 27/2/18! ahendon@calderglen.s-lanark.sch.uk Write your Preparation for Performance Report in your booklet or typed. First draft due 27/2/18! We will be typing the final draft up in class on Tuesday 6/3/18, under exam conditions as an open book. ahendon@calderglen.s-lanark.sch.uk