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World Theatre Traditions
Workshops
Research Investigation: Preparation
20% HL
30% SL
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What is it?

Develop a really detailed understanding of a Theatre
tradition (from the list) that is underpinned by a sound
theoretical understanding of this practice – this means
RESEARCH
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Select a CONVENTION of this practice and physically and
practically explore it
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Prepare an A4 2 sided handout
Run a 20 minute workshop for your peers introducing the
tradition and then explaining and demonstrating the
convention
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Why?
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This task links to the Theatre in Context thread of the syllabus
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It’s a great chance for peer teaching and learning
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Helps develop your research skills
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It is a practice for the Research Presentation (20% HL &
35% SL: in year 12)
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So where do I start?
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1. Choose a partner
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2. Choose one of the following Theatre Traditions
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Theatre Traditions to choose from:
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Comedy and Tragedy, Ancient
Greece * No Ancient Greek
Tragedy because you know it!
Comedy and Tragedy, Ancient
Rome
Topeng Dance, Bali
Kecak, Indonesia
Wayang golek puppetry,
Indonesia
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Khayal al-zill shadow puppet,
Egypt
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English Renaissance Theatre,
England
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Victorian Melodrama, England
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Punch and Judy puppets,
England
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Restoration Comedy, England
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Wayang kulit shadow puppetry,
Indonesia
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Medieval Mystery plays,
England
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Peking opera, China
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French farce, France
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Karagozi shadow puppetry,
Greece
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Kathakali, India
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Yuan Drama, China
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More Theatre Traditions to choose
from ….
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Barong dance, Indonesia
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Talchum mask dance, Korea
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Commedia dell’arte, Italy
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Bunraku, Japan
Shadow Theatre, Taiwan &
China
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Kabuki, Japan
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Hun lakhon lek puppetry,
Thailand
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Kyogen farce, Japan
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Karagoz shadow puppetry,
Turkey
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Pantomime, United Kingdom
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Noh Theatre, Japan
Rakugo theatre, Japan
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How to Choose?
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Obviously there are a LOT of theatre traditions. Consider if
you want to choose a western or non- western tradition. Try
to make links to other aspects of the course...
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For example, perhaps you did the Butoh workshop at ISTA
and are interested in a Japanese Theatre tradition. Maybe you
have seen a pantomime in the UK and are interested in the
Punch and Judy puppets. Maybe you have very little
experience of any Asian styles and want to choose one you
have never heard of?!
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One of the criteria assesses how you connect your
workshop to you as a theatre student.
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Research!
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Acting in Person and Style, or a basic internet search is a good
place to start
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The librarians are your friends! Ask them to help you access
journal articles
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Trip to the Main Library! Again, ask the librarians to help you
access the online catalogues so you know what you’re
looking for before you go.
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Is there anyone who might be an expert? Could you email
them some questions?
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What to look for in Research …
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What is the CONTEXT of this theatre tradition? Where, when, who, why?
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What does it look like? Can you find a performance on youtube? What
do you notice?
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What is the specific terminology of the theatre practice? E.g. nava rasas
in Kathakali, lazzi in Commedia
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What is the performance space? What is the actor- audience
relationship?
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What sort of texts do the performers/productions use?
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What sort of production elements do you see? Costume,
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What are the ACTING CONVENTIONS (this is essential information for
your workshop)
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What do you notice about the
actors in performance?
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Gesture
Face
Body
Movement
Voice
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What do the experts emphasise about this theatre practice?
For example GESTURE is incredibly important in Old Greek
Tragedy, MOVEMENT is important in Commedia Dell’Arte
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Moving from theory into practice
It’s
important that you have a
sophisticated understanding of your
theatre tradition before you start
planning your workshop...and I can
tell if you don’t!
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So, I have lots of info! Now what?
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You need to focus in on a specific convention of your theatre
tradition.
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The convention needs to be physical and practical:
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􏰀 Gesture
􏰀 Face
􏰀 Body
􏰀 Movement 􏰀 Voice
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Commedia Dell’Arte example …
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Through research you have discovered the actors in traditional
Commedia used highly stylised movement, stance and gestures
specific to each of the stock characters. An audience would
know immediately who each character was just by the way that
the actor walks and stands.
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Your workshop could focus on MOVEMENT of Arlecchino (one of
the stock characters)
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Your workshop could teach the movement specific to Arlechinno
through demonstrations and practical exercises. The class would
physically experience creating the movement of Arlecchino
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In your discussion/explanation you can link this back to some of
the significant aspects of a Commedia performance. It’s very
visual, as it’s performed outdoors in a large town square;;
doesn’t need a shared language;; exaggerated and almost
grotesque stock characters; the same characters in different
shows.
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So, you’ve given the class …
1.
A practical experience of working with ONE
physical/practical conventions of this theatre practice
2.
Made links to your theoretical research
3.
Shown the class the REASON for this particular convention
+ Each Theatre style/practice will suggest a
different type of workshop
 You
need to include:
A detailed explanation of the theatre tradition *
A demonstration of the convention
Practical exercises to teach the convention to
your peers
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This can be in any order you like. You can use something
like a powerpoint to support your presentation. You should
create an A4 two sided handout to support your
presentation.
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Bibliography
 You
will need to include a bibliography of ALL the
resources that you have consulted developing your
workshop. These could include:
 Books, journal
articles, websites, primary
recources (such as an interview), youtube clips
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Criterion A: Understanding the
Theatre Tradition
 To
what extent does your presentation demonstrate
an understanding of the theatre tradition?
 Have
you chosen an effective (and practical)
convention?
 Have
you consulted a broad range of resources?
(shown in your bibliography)
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Criterion B: Practical Application
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Have you selected appropriate activities to
explain/present/demonstrate your chosen convention?
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Have your ‘students’ been given a practical experience of
gesture or face or body or movement or voice?
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Criterion C: The Presentation
Is
the workshop engaging and
suitable for your peers?
Have
you used your body and voice to
communicate your ideas?
Is
the workshop well structured?
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Criterion D: The Learner
 Have
you explained WHY this practice and your
chosen convention?
 Explain
how this practice could inform your work
as a theatre maker
 Connect
your theatre tradition with other work that
you have undertaken in the course
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Assessment
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Each criterion is marked out of 8 and you will then receive a
final individual mark out of 32.
Remember:
1-2: limited / list
3-4: Adequate / outline
5-6: Good / describe
7-8: Excellent / explain
* This presentation will be graded & commented on in your
final end of year report
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Timeline / Dates