Performance Elements of Drama Activities Arts & Humanities (Art/Drama) Central Hardin High School K. Thompson

1. Character Motivation & Analysis An actor’s attempt to understand what motivates his or her character in order to effectively interpret and deliver lines.

Examples of Character Motivation & Analysis Actors read through the entire script to determine the following: --each character’s objective (goal or desire) --his or her strategies/tactics (what he or she uses to obtain his or her goals) --obstacles (something that gets in the character’s way) to achieving the goals. The Director may create questions for the actor to use to analyze his or her character.

Sample Character Analysis Questions What does your character want? What is your character’s obstacle? What strategies does your character use to attain the goal? How old is your character? Is your character emotionally stable? Describe your character’s behavior. What kind of education does your character have? How close to or distant from you is the character in mannerisms and thought? Is she/he rich, poor, or in between? What part of the world/country/region is he/she from? How would your character dress? What do other characters say about your character? What does the playwright tell you about your character? What kind of physical movement will you have to employ in portraying your character? What color do you think of when you picture your character? Why?

2. Empathy A primary result of drama, it’s when audience members identify with and share the feelings of the characters being presented on stage.

Examples of Empathy Can you think of a play or movie which evoked empathy in you as an audience member? Did you tear up or cry when you watched Toy Story 3? Have you laughed? Sighed? Felt angry? When watching a play or movie. List some examples.

3. Breath Control & Projection Relates to speaking on stage using effective breath control, volume, and pronunciation.

Example of Breath Control (Exercise) Place your hand on your stomach; breathe in and out. Did you hand move up and down? Try again; make your stomach balloon out (like “before” in a “before & after” diet ad). Breathe in and out, making your stomach rise and fail. Count to five; see how far you can go. If chest or shoulders move up and down, you’re breathing improperly. Singers/actors use this exercise to strengthen the diaphragm (breathing muscle at the base of the lungs).

Example of Projection (Exercise) Count to ten and grow a little louder with each number. Try to gradually increase your volume. Reverse from 10 – 1, growing softer with each count. Did you find it difficult to gradually increase or decrease your volume. Practice this to gain more vocal control.

4. Vocal Expression and Diction One of the primary ways to convey meaning to the audience, it involves the following: --Diction: degree of clarity and distinctness in speaking --Rate: how fast or slowly one speaks --Articulation: the act of producing a speech sound with vowels and consonants --Inflection: changing the pitch or tone of the voice.

Example of Expression & Diction (Exercise) Say the following phrases, using a different emotion for each one. A few emotions are suggested, but you may think of more: Emotions: joy, surprise, fear, hate, sadness, suspicion Phrases: 1. Oh. 2. What a beautiful day. 3. I didn’t do it. 4. You are supposed to be my friend.

5. Nonverbal Expression An actor’s use of nonverbal expressions to indicate emotion and character. These include facial expressions, body alignment, gestures, and basic movement.             

Examples of Nonverbal Expression (Exercise) Practice creating and holding facial expressions for particular emotions—joy, sadness, grief, anger. Observe several people in the hallway throughout the day. Be prepared to describe your observations. You could “perform” a character based on the person you observed.

Examples of Nonverbal Expression (Exercise) Take a body stance that you imagine the following “stereotypical” characters would take. 1. An old man/woman. 2. The quarterback of the football team both after a winning game and after being defeated. 3. A flighty, snobby girl. 4. A high-powered executive or the CEO of a major corporation.

6. Character Blocking & Movement The precise movement used by the character in the play. It ensures that each character has a place at all times and can be seen and heard by the audience.             

Examples of Character Blocking & Movement Areas on the stage: Downstage Right (DSR) Downstage Center (DSC) Downstage Left (DSL) Center Stage Right (CSR) Center Stage (CS) Center Stage Left (CSL) Upstage Right (USR) Upstage Center (USC) Upstage Left (USL)

Backstage Upstage Right (USR) Center (USC) Left (USL) Center Stage   Upstage Right (USR) Center (USC) Left (USL) Center Stage (CSR) (CS) (CSL) Downstage (DSR) (DSC) (DSL) Audience

The Curtain Falls—The Show is Over!