YEAR 9
DRAMA BOOKLET
(You may use the internet as a research mechanism)
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Mime
A mime is a performer who expresses them-self using body movements
and no words.
In real life no one does anything without reason. We act everyday of our
lives to get what we want or to satisfy a feeling for example, go for a
walk to improve fitness, to get out of homework, to turn on the charm
when wanting to impress a ‘friend’, thus the stage is a distilled version of
life.
Motivations are rooted in emotions, they rule our behaviour, lead us to do
things we do, hence they are the root of character. Emotions motivate
us- motivation leads to action, action generates plot and so it could be
said that emotion is also the root of all plays, stories, books and films.
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Mime Quiz
1: The word, mime comes from which early civilization?
o Greek
o Chinese
o Aztec
o Sanskrit
2: Early English mimes were known as which of these?
o Hummers
o Mimmers
o Bummers
o Mummers
3: The definition of mime is which of these?
o Telling a story with the help of cue cards.
o Story through body motion without the use of speech.
o Singing and dancing a story to the audience.
o Making people guess what you are thinking.
4: Jean-Gaspard Deburau introduced the “pantomime blanch” to the art
of mime. What is this?
o Audience
o Cane
o White face
o Music
5: which of the following was NOT a noted mime?
o Marcel Marceau
o Charlie Chaplin
o Eddie the Eagle
o Buster Keaton
6: Marcel Marceau had a famous character known worldwide. What was
the character’s name?
o Bop
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o Bup
o Bap
o Bip
7: Mime is generally performed in which of these?
o Courtroom, Police Station
o Stage, street theatre
o Hospital, dentist waiting room
o Rock festival, night club, disco
8: Although Mime originated in Greece, it generally included song and
dance. Which culture was the first recorded to present “mime” as we
know it today?
o Latin
o Greek
o Aztec
o Roman
9: At 12 years of age, Billy Krahl started studying under Jewel Walker,
who was one of America’s best stage mimes. Who did this world-famous
mime become known as?
o Dodo the Klutz
o Matthew the Mummer
o James the Jumper
o Kiko the Clown
10: Mime is know as the what language?
o Unknown
o Worldwide
o Universal
o Silent
TASK: Mime Artists:
Research either Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin or Marcel
Marceau. In your own words make reference to their
famous works, where they worked, how did they become
famous.
Include a complete bibliography. No less than 100 words.
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IMPROVISATION
To improvise means to make something up on the spot, or
figure it out as you go. Improvise comes from the Latin word
improvisus, meaning "unforeseen, unexpected." Think about
when something unexpected happens to you — you have no
choice but to react in the moment, or improvise. Another
meaning for improvise refers to acting onstage without a
script. When actors improvise scenes for an audience, they
create funny situations as they go, without having anything
pre-planned.
Improvisation Quiz
1. What is breaking character?
2. What are two scene killers?
3. What should you do if you have a few seconds prep time?
4. Does it matter who goes first when you perform improv?
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5. What is an “open ended” question?
6/7. Name two things you should NOT do when you are
performing Improv.
8/9. Name two things you should do when you are performing
Improv.
10. T/F You should try and plan what you are going to say while
someone else is talking.
11. T/F It is okay to use violence in your improv as long as no
one gets hurt.
12/13. What are TWO main things you need to establish at the
beginning of your scene?
14. What do you need to establish in the middle of your scene?
15. What is the best way to help someone on stage if you are in
the audience?
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16. How can sensory awareness help your acting?
TASK: Research and write about 2 twenty first
century improvisation artists or shows. What are the
show or person about, where have you seen them
perform, what style of acting do they make famous, do
they have a particular character. Include a complete
bibliography. Article should be 100 words for each
character or show researched.
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DRAMA VOLCABULARY
A play: Tells a story through the action of the
characters
Example: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.
The Playwright: A writer of a play
Cast of Characters: A group of actors who are playing roles
Example:
Snow White
Prince
Witch/Old Lady
Magic Mirror
Ben Symes
Louchie Thornton
Jake Lay
Daniel Harberger
Script: The written text of a play.
Stage Directions: Directions that tell characters how to act or show
their feelings.
o Describe the settings
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o In ( ) parenthesis or brackets [ ]
Example: Snow White (Smiles when she sees the shiny apples).
Those look delicious! Can I have one?
Props (Properties): Things, or items that the characters or
actors/actress may need to use as they perform their part.
Example:
Snow White:……………………….Apple
Ranita…………………………………..Golden Arrow
Curious George…………………..Banana
Charlie…………………………………..Chocolate Bar
TASK: List the 12 Elements of Drama and explain each element with an
example
.
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Quiz:
What is another word for ‘drama’?
o Play
o Story
o Poem
o Movie
What do we calla writer of a play?
o Playwright
o Author
o Poet
o Illustrator
The group of people that play certain roles in a play is called the…?
o Audience
o Cast of Characters
o Writers
o Speakers
The directions, or words, in parenthesis that show the actions or feelings,
that the characters are suppose to show. The may also give information
about the setting. These directions are called?
o Stage directions
o Plot directions
o Actor directions
o Audience directions
What do we call the part that an actor plays in a drama
o Role
o Prop
o Dialogue
o Narrator
What do we call things or items that a character may use in a play. In
Snow White the apple is called?
o Prop (Properties)
o Vegetable
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o Food
o Fruit
What do we call the written text of a play
o Script
o Paper
o Advertisement
o Note
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FILM REVIEW TERMS
1. Blurbs – When a quote from a review is used in a commercial/
advertisement (ex – “Better than the Matrix! I would see it again and
again!”)
2. Critic – A professional who publishes his opinion on a particular movie/
play/book (ex – Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper, Leonard Maltin, Pauline
Kael) 3. Mediocre – Competent but not especially outstanding (ex – “The film
wasn’t bad and it wasn’t good either, it was just mediocre” 4. Cliché – Something that’s been used so many times that it no longer
surprises or interests the audience; overexposure (ex – In a scary movie,
a black cat jumps out and scares the character, but the real danger is
RIGHT BEHIND HIM/HER!) 5. Character Driven – When the characters in a fictional work develop
over the course of the story into people you care about (ex – “Twilight”
is about vampires, but more importantly, it’s the relationship between the
characters that makes us care about the story) 6. High-Concept – When the idea behind the story is interesting enough
to get people to see the movie without knowing anything else about it ex
– A young clownfish gets kidnapped and put into an aquarium and it’s up to
his father and a misfit group of fish to save him {“Finding Nemo”}) 7. Plot – What the story is about ex – “Kung Fu Panda” is about a clumsy,
overweight panda bear who dreams of becoming the ultimate kung fu
warrior, etc... {note that a plot summary is about a paragraph long}) 8. Hype – Using different techniques to get the audience excited about
the story (ex – “Come see ‘Coraline’ in amazing 3-D! It’s like nothing
you’ve ever seen before!”) 9. Out of Context – When quotes are mixed up and changed around to
give the words a different meaning (ex – The commercial says: “Roger
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Ebert calls ‘The Big Crazy Movie’ BRILLIANT!” What Roger Ebert really said in his review was, “The Big Crazy
movie could have been BRILLIANT if the acting wasn’t so terrible.”
10. Puns – A clever play on words (ex – “Waiting to Exhale” will
take your breath away!) (ex – “Run to the theater to see “Running
Scared!”)
11. Editorial rights – When handing over a review to a publication,
the editor has the power to create a title and cut things out of the
review (ex – YOU WROTE: “This movie stunk.” The editor changes
it to: “This movie wasn’t so good.”) 12. Syndication – When the same article is published in more than
one newspaper or publication. (ex – The Associated Press takes
one article and sells it to 300 newspapers and 1000 websites across
the country) 13. Ratings system – When the critic uses a scale to show the
degree of how much they recommend the movie (ex – “thumbs up”
or “four stars”)
14. Audience demographics – When the critic recommends that
only a certain group of people should see, or not see, the film ex –
“Kids will like ‘Madagascar,’ but adults will get bored.”
15. Critical bias – When the critic cannot review the film fairly
due to a personal problem with something in the film (ex – I hated
“Jaws” because I’m afraid of sharks.)
16. Spoilers – When a critic reveals secrets and plot points that
could ruin the surprise for the audience and lessen their enjoyment
of the movie. (ex – In the end of “The Big Crazy Movie,” John the
main character dies)
Note: DON’T TELL SPOILERS!!! 13
MOVIE REVIEW PROJECT! Now that you have seen a movie in class, it is your turn to be the critic.
You will write a page and a half review on any of the films.
The review must at least be two pages long – 10pts. These are things you
need to include:
• A title (headline for your review) – 5pts. • The names of the main actors and the names of their characters (top
5 actors/characters) – 10pts. • A summary of the plot of the story (without giving away the ending) 10pts. • A possible theme (or moral) of this story – 10pts. • Give the “audience demographic” or who would like this movie – 10pts. • Your opinion of the movie as a whole (include details you thought were
interesting or awful). – 10pts. • A score/rating system (other than “two thumbs up”) – 5pts. • Include a very short biography of yourself at the end – 10pts. Extra credit – If you include a clever “pun” in the TITLE OF YOUR
REVIEW, I’ll give you an extra 5pts.
- If you decide to type it, I’ll throw in another extra 5pts.
• Note: Write this review as if you were trying to convince someone who
has not seen the movie to either see it or avoid it, and NO SPOILERS!!!
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A FUN QUIZ
1: what do these actors have in common? Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer,
Adam West, George Clooney
o They all liked Spain a lot?
o All of them are actors and actresses
o They are all in love with Jennifer Lopez (in their films)
o All of them played Batman
o They don’t like films but get a lot of money from their acting.
2: which country is Jean Claude Van Damme from?
o Belgium
o France
o Italy
o Netherlands
o Switzerland
3: In which film did Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro aand Dustin Hoffman
appear together?
o Twelve monkeys
o Seven
o Seven years in Tibet
o Sleepers
o The Cell
4: Which recent famous film was set in the English city of Sheffield?
o Four Weddings and a Funeral
o In The Name of The Father
o Notting Hill
o The Full Monty
o Out of Sight
5: who directed the original version of the film Psycho?
o Brian de Palma
o Stanley Kubrick
o James Cameron
o Alfred Hitchcock
o Steven Speilberg
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6:Which film company has a mountain as its logo?
o Universal
o Paramount
o MGM
o United Artisit
o 20th Century Fox
7: Which of these films does not star Clint Eastwood
o The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
o Dirty Harry
o The Bridges of Maddison County
o The Quick and the Dead
o Space Cowboys
8: Which actor became famous after starring in Four Weddings and a
Funeral?
o Wesley Snipes
o Morgan Freeman
o Hugh Grant
o Sean Connery
o Tom Cruise
9: Which of these films did Sylvester Stallone not appear in?
o Predator
o Clffhanger
o Rocky
o First Blood
o Demolition Man
10: Who said “I’ll be back”
o Schwartzenegger
o Stallone
o Van Damme
o Antonio Banderas
o Chuck Norris
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11: Complete the film title: an Office and a
o Genius
o Girl
o Girlfriend
o Gentleman
o Geisha
12:Which monster did the makers of Independence Day resurrect?
o Godzilla
o Pokemon
o The Lost World (Jurassic Park 2)
o Jurassic Park
o Will Smith
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MELODRAMA
A Brief History and Conventions
A Brief History of Melodrama
Melodrama developed as a theatrical form in the 19th century in
France, thanks to the French playwright Rene de Pixerecourt.
Melodrama quickly became the dominant theatre form around the
Western World for the next century and thousands of plays were
written in this style. They were a mixture of violence, romance and
sentimentality, with short scenes full of action. They used
spectacular settings, music, exaggerated acting and encouraged
audience interaction to promote its popularity.
Conventions of Melodrama
1. Plot and Structure
Melodramas always have simple moral plots, where the story would show a
struggle between good and evil and would conclude with the restoration
of a morally correct and just society. Each play relied on extreme
opposites, to captivate the audience attention and ignite reactions, such
as justice vs. revenge, honesty vs. dishonesty, or innocence vs. corruption
A traditional melodrama plot would include the following three elements:
- Provocation: the initial cause for setting action into motion –
jealousy or greed forces an evil character to plan an offence.
-
Pangs: the consequential sufferings of the good and innocent
characters who are caught up in the evil plot.
-
Penalty: in a last minute twist of fate, the wicked character has
their plans foiled and receives a punishment for his/her evil
actions.
2. Stock Characters
Melodrama characters were not meant to be particularly life-like, rather
they were meant to have identifiable types of personalities – these types
were referred to as ‘stock characters’ and are known as:
- A hero. Handsome, strong, brave, honest and reliable. Status:
Middle class or higher.
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-
A heroine. Beautiful, courageous, innocent and vulnerable. Status:
Middle class or higher.
-
A villain. Cunning, without morals, dishonest, cruel and evil. Status:
Middle class or higher.
-
A villain’s accomplice. Usually provides comic relief because he is a
bumbling sidekick. Status: Lower class.
-
A faithful servant. Also provides comic relief, and also does the
dirty work. He usually discovers evidence against the villain.
Status: Lower class.
-
A maid servant. A female character who is lively and who flirts
with the faithful servant. Status: Lower class.
3. Acting Style
-
Exaggeration: This acting style requires strong facial expressions,
large movements and gestures, and clear and well-projected
delivery of lines. Melodrama actors concentrated more on showing
emotions rather than feeling them. Actor also over emphasized
words or syllables they thought important to their character.
-
Audience interaction: Actors encourage audience interaction by
improvising lines and telling topical jokes, and would encourage the
audience to boo or hiss at the villain.
-
Asides: an aside is where any character speaks directly to the
audience to reveal a thought or plan that is kept secret from the
rest of the other characters. The actor’s delivery of the aside
should instil a feeling of secrecy and draw the audiences focus
away from the other action and onto their ‘secret’.
4. Staging
Melodrama’s used spectacular settings, stage effects (such as
earthquakes, volcano’s or fires), elaborate costumes and music to
increase their impact and appeal. The plays were always
accompanied by music – hence its name “melo” – melody or music –
to heighten the emotional impact on the audience or to signal a
particular response.
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Answer the following questions in full
sentences:
1. In which century did melodrama develop?
2. Why is it called ‘melodrama’?
3. Why was melodrama so popular?
4. List the three (3) segments of a standard melodrama plot. What
action does each segment involve?
5. What are some conflicting themes a melodrama would usually
explore?
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6. Are the characters in melodrama life-like or stereotyped?
7. List three (3) stock characters and describe each of their personal
qualities.
8. What is the difference between the faithful servant and a maid
servant?
9. What is an ‘aside’?
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MELODRAMA SHORT SCRIPT
A: Now I have you! You will work for me and make me rich, You have no choice..
B: You said you would pay me. Where are my wages?
A: You won’t need those: I’ll hang on to them for you...
B: But...
A: Don’t argue! Or it will be the worse for you again!
(Enter C)
C: What’s going on here? This is in human...
B: I need help!
A: Keep out of my business.
C: (toB) You’re coming with me.
A: But that’s my livelihood!
C: Come a long!
B: Thank you, you’ve saved me...
A: Come back! You’ll make us both rich...
YOUR TASK
Create a piece of melodrama using the train track story:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Hero and Damsel are in love
Villain kidnaps damsel and ties her to a train track
Hero goes to save her
Hero is tricked into going the wrong way by the trickster
Hero finds Damsel and saves her
Hero defeats Villain
FINAL TASK: you have a script chosen on the 13th October. Rehearse to
perform in front of an audience of your peers by the first week of
November. This booklet is due by 5th November.
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