MINOR REVIEW OF VCE THEATRE STUDIES
SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO THE STUDY DESIGN
GENERAL CHANGES
A Scope of Study statement introduces the 2014–2018 VCE Theatre Studies Study Design.
This statement confirms that the focus of the study is the application of stagecraft to interpret
playscripts and their theatrical possibilities as the focus of the study. The list of stagecraft
areas has been revised and reorganised as follows:
2007-2013 Stagecraft areas
2014–18 Stagecraft areas
Acting, costume, direction, dramaturgy,
lighting, make-up, multimedia, properties,
promotion (including publicity), set, sound,
stage management
Acting
Design: costume, make-up, properties, set
and sound
Design: lighting
Direction
Theatre technologies
Production management: publicity, marketing
and stage management
These changes acknowledge the importance of design related stagecraft in the interpretation
of a playscript for performance to an audience. The stagecraft area of dramaturgy is now
incorporated into key knowledge relating to the process of interpreting playscripts. In Units
1–2 students apply any two areas of stagecraft. In Unit 3 students select two areas of
stagecraft with at least one from List A:
List A:
Acting
Direction
Design: any of costume, make-up, properties, set, sound
List B:
Publicity and marketing
Lighting
Theatre technologies
Stage management
Production management
VCE THEATRE STUDIES
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
Unit 4 Outcome 1 and the end-of-year Performance (Monologue) examination has been
renamed the Stagecraft examination and restructured to allow students to focus on either
 Acting and Direction
or
 any two of Design: costume, make-up, properties, set and sound.
Specifications and criteria for the Stagecraft examination will be published early in 2014. The
Stagecraft examination will draw on key knowledge and skills from Unit 4 Outcomes 1 and 2.
SPECIFIC CHANGES
Unit 1



In Area of Study 1 the key knowledge has been refined to focus on ‘characteristics and
features of three or more pre-modern theatre periods’ and the distinguishing features of
playscripts from this era rather than ‘three or more theatre periods from the pre-modern
era’.
Area of Study 3 now refers to ‘the use of stagecraft to support and enhance acting’ rather
than ‘acting techniques applied to a play in performance’ and ‘the use of stagecraft to
construct meaning’. Key knowledge and skills relating to theatre terminology and
expressions are also included.
The time-frames for Units 1 and 2 have been revised. Unit 1 now focuses on study of
playscripts created prior to the 1920s.
Unit 2

Unit 2 focuses on study of playscripts from the 1920s to the present.
Unit 3
 Area of Study 1 is structured around three stages of the theatrical production process:
planning, development and presentation. The Stagecraft specifications used in the 20072013 study do not apply in the 2014–2018 study. Students may develop a ‘folio’ to
support their work as part of the production team. For example, students might use the
folio as a resource that demonstrates how they have effectively applied selected
stagecraft to interpret a playscript in performance to an audience. The folio will not be
required as a reference for the assessment task in Area of Study 2.
 Area of Study 2 requires students to document an interpretation of excerpts from a
playscript and explain how stagecraft can be applied in the interpretation. The playscript
selected for this area of study must be different from the playscript interpreted for Area
of Study 1. In the assessment task for this outcome students should document an
interpretation of excerpts from a previously unseen playscript.
Unit 4
 Area of Study 1 focuses on interpretation of a monologue from a scene from a play
through application of either Acting and Direction or any two of Design: costume, makeup, properties, set and sound. Students are also required to justify their interpretive
decisions. The key skills provide a structure for the interpretive process students
undertake in this Area of study.
 Area of Study 2 is titled ‘Scene interpretation’ and requires students to develop a
theatrical treatment of a monologue and a prescribed scene.
©VCAA October 2013
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VCE THEATRE STUDIES
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
ASSESSMENT
In Units 1 and 2 the list of assessment task types that can be used has been revised.
Unit 1
Outcome statements:
VCE THEATRE STUDIES 2007–2013
VCE THEATRE STUDIES 2014–2018
Unit 1
Area of Study 1
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to identify and describe the distinguishing
features of playscripts from the pre-modern era.
Unit 1
Area of Study 1
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to identify and describe the distinguishing
features of pre-modern theatre playscripts
Area of Study 2
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to apply acting and other stagecraft to
interpret playscripts from the pre-modern era.
Area of Study 2: unchanged
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to apply acting and other stagecraft to
interpret playscripts from the pre-modern era.
Area of Study 3
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to analyse a performance of a playscript
from, the pre-modern era in performance.
Area of Study 3
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to analyse a performance of a playscript.
Units 2
Outcome statements:
VCE THEATRE STUDIES 2007–2013
VCE THEATRE STUDIES 2014–2018
Unit 2
Area of Study 1
Unit 2
Area of Study 1
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to identify and describe the distinguishing
features of modern theatre playscripts.
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to identify and describe the distinguishing
features of playscripts from the modern era of
theatre.
Area of Study 2
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to apply stagecraft to interpret playscripts
from the modern era.
Area of Study 2: unchanged
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to apply stagecraft to interpret playscripts
from the modern era.
Area of Study 3
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to analyse and evaluate stagecraft in a
performance of a playscript from the modern era.
Area of Study 3
On completion of this unit the student should be
able to analyse and evaluate stagecraft in a
performance of a playscript.
©VCAA October 2013
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VCE THEATRE STUDIES
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
Unit 3
Outcome statements
VCE THEATRE STUDIES
2007–2013
VCE THEATRE STUDIES
2014–2018
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
interpret a playscript for
performance to an audience
and demonstrate understanding
of the stages of the production
process.
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to apply
stagecraft to interpret a
playscript for performance to
an audience.
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
analyse the use of stagecraft in
the development of a
playscript for production,
incorporating the
specifications appropriate for
each stage in the production
process.
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
document an interpretation of
excerpts from a playscript and
explain how stagecraft can be
applied in the interpretation
Outcome 3
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
analyse and evaluate ways in
which a written playscript
selected from the prescribed
playlist is interpreted in its
production to an audience.
Outcome 3
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
analyse and evaluate the
production of a written
playscript in production to an
audience.
Total marks
Marks
allocated
60
15
25
Assessment tasks
Practical application of
two areas of stqagecraft
across all stages of the
production process and
demonstration of
understanding of how
selected stagecraft can be
effectively applied to
interpret a playscript in
performance to an
audience.
Documentation that
describes how stagecraft
can be utilized to interpret
previously unseen
excerpts from a playscript.
The documentation may
be in one or a
combination of the
following formats:
 A written report
 Structured questions
 A multimedia report
An analysis and
evaluation of an
interpretation of a
prescribed playscript in
any one or a combination
of the following formats:
 A written report
 An analytical essay
 Structured questions
100
*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 3 contributes 30 per cent.
©VCAA October 2013
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VCE THEATRE STUDIES
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
Unit 4
Outcome statements
VCE THEATRE STUDIES
2007–2013
VCE THEATRE STUDIES
2014–2018
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
perform an interpretation of a
monologue from a playscript.
Outcome 1
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
interpret a monologue from a
playscript and justify their
interpretive decisions
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
develop a theatrical brief that
presents an interpretation of a
scene.
Outcome 2
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
develop a theatrical treatment
that presents an interpretation
of a monologue and its
prescribed scene.
Outcome 3
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
analyse and evaluate acting in
a production from the
prescribed playlist.
Outcome 3
On completion of this unit the
student should be able to
analyse and evaluate acting in
a production.
Marks
allocated
Assessment tasks
N/A
A theatrical treatment that
outlines an interpretation
of a monologue from a
prescribed scene. The
treatment may be in any
one or a combination of
the following formats:
 A written report
 Short responses
 Structured questions
25
25



Total marks
An analysis and
evaluation of acting and
its interrelationships to
direction and design ina
production from the
prescribed playlist in any
one or a combination of
the following formats:
A written report
Short responses
Structured questions
50
*School-assessed Coursework for Unit 4 contributes 15 per cent.
©VCAA October 2013
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