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SUBJECT and GRADE
TERM 1
TOPIC
AIMS OF LESSON
RESOURCES
Dramatic Arts Grade 11
Week 2
Realism and Stanislavski
Understand the rise of realism, its conventions and impact on drama
Understand Stanislavski's unique contribution to theatre
Paper based resources
Digital resources
Via Afrika Dramatic Arts Grade 11 Learner's
book (First edition - First impression August
2012)
INTRODUCTION
Videos on the ePortal:
https://wcedeportal.co.za/eresource/125946
https://wcedeportal.co.za/eresource/125956
https://wcedeportal.co.za/eresource/125951
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Welcome to a new week and new lesson in Dramatic Arts!
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In last week's lesson we covered:
o Definition of realism
o Background and context of realism
o The well-made play
o Naturalism
o Staging conventions of realism
o The rise of the director
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This week we will continue with Topic 1: Realism and Stanislavski
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You will spend 5 hours this week on Dramatic Arts. In these 5 hours you will:
o Complete learning activities: learning the content, concepts and skills. You will do this in your
workbook. It is the evidence of the work completed and the learning achieved.
o Complete practical work and exercises
o Work towards completing your PAT assessment for the term
o Write in your journal to verbalise and put on paper your thinking about your learning
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Read through the whole lesson first so get an overview of what you need to do and achieve this
week
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CONCEPTS AND SKILLS
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Remember to use the SMART way to study. Look at last week's lesson again and follow the steps
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Remember to keep in contact with your teacher and your classmate(s) / learning buddy
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NOTE: The lesson below has many links to videos for you to watch. These videos are on the WCED
ePortal. The WCED ePortal is a zero-rated site. This means that it will not cost you any data to
watch the videos.
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Playwrights of the realist period
CAN YOU?
More recent realist playwrights
• Name and explain the themes, characters and
Stanislavski as practitioner
issues of plays and playwrights of the realist
Stanislavski's acting techniques
period
Vocal and physical warm-ups and exercises • Name and explain the themes, characters and
issues of the more recent realist plays and
playwrights
• Understand and explain Stanislavski's unique
contribution to theatre
• Name and explain Stanislavski's acting
techniques
• Learn and practice vocal and physical warmups and exercises
ACTIVITIES/ASSESSMENT 1. Vocal and physical warm-ups and exercises: Do this daily
Last week you could choose to do any of the physical and vocal warm-ups and exercises you
learned in grade 10.
For this week:
1.1. Read the section "Warming up" on page 5 and 6 of your textbook
1.2. Learn and practice the following daily this week:
1.2.1. "X to O" (page 5)
1.2.2. "Shakes and swings" (page 6)
1.2.3. "Get the blood flowing" (page 6)
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1.3. Read the section "Breathing exercises" on page 25 and 26 in your textbook
1.4. Learn and practice the following daily this week:
1.4.1. "awareness of breathing low in the body" (page 25)
1.4.2. "strengthening rib movement" (page 25)
1.4.3. "opening the back" (page 26)
1.4.4. "Diaphragm support: The train exercise" (page 26)
1.5. Read "warming up the voice" on page 27 of your textbook
1.6. Learn and practice the following daily this week:
1.6.1. "Sighing drumbeats" (on page 27)
1.6.2. "Humming" (on page 27)
2. Playwrights and plays of the Realist movement:
2.1. Read 'stage 3: Playwrights and plays of the Realist movement' (the introduction) on page 99
and 100 of the textbook
2.2. Explain the change in style and content of the following:
2.2.1. Themes and content
2.2.2. Characters
2.2.3. Language
2.2.4. Subtext
2.3. Read about Henrik Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw and Anton Chekov in the textbook on
page100 - 105
2.4. Watch the video on the ePortal: Realist playwrights and their works in focus
2.5. Use the information from the textbook and the video and do the following in your workbook:
2.5.1. Summarise the information for each of the three playwrights under the following
headings:
• Style
• Themes
• Characters
• Issues
• Other relevant information
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2.6. Use the summaries you made to compare the three playwrights.
Write down the similarities and differences in your workbook.
3. Realism in a modern context:
3.1. Read 'stage 5: Realism in its modern context' on page 114 - 117 in the textbook
3.2. Watch the video: Realist plays of the 20th and 21st centuries in focus
3.3. Use the information from the textbook and the video and do the following in your workbook:
3.3.1. Explain how theatre buildings and stages evolved
3.3.2. Define the anti-hero
3.3.3. Explain why the anti-hero was a more appropriate protagonist for realist plays after
1950
3.3.4. Explain how other theatre movements influenced New Realism
3.3.5. Compare the themes and issues explored by Ibsen, Chekov and Shaw to the themes
and issues explored by playwrights after 1950
3.4. Imagine that you have been appointed as a spokesperson for contemporary Realist
playwrights.
Write a press release (about 250 words) outlining the intentions of the playwrights you
represent and the reasons you believe audiences should attend Realist plays.
4. Stanislavski and Realist acting:
4.1. Read 'Stanislavski and Realist acting' on page 110 and 111 in your textbook
4.2. Read 'The System' in your textbook on page 111 - 113
4.3. Watch the video: Konstantin Stanislavski and the Moscow Arts Company
4.4. Complete the following in your workbook:
4.4.1. Briefly summarise what acting and actors were like around the time Stanislavski started
acting in 1877
4.4.2. Stanislavski "made a unique contribution to theatre". Motivate why this statement is
true.
4.4.3. Explain what motivated Stanislavski to create the guidelines for the training of actors
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4.4.4. Should there be rules and guidelines for acting and training of actors in your opinion?
Explain and motivate your answer in a well-structured paragraph of approximately 150
words.
Refer to your own knowledge and experience of acting and performing.
5. The Stanislavski system:
Although Stanislavski never referred to his work as a "system", his clear and structured guidelines
are often referred to as the Stanislavski system.
5.1. Read the section from the textbook and watch the video again.
Textbook page 111 - 113: "the System"
Video: Konstantin Stanislavski and the Moscow Arts Company
5.2. Use the information from the videos and the section from the textbook to do the following in
your workbook:
Write down what you have learned and understand of The System under the headings
below:
• Action
• Magic if
• Given circumstances
• The imagination
• Circles of attention
• Units and objectives
• The super-objective and the thought-line of action
• Emotion memory
• Tempo-rhythm in movement
• The method of physical action
5.3. Think about the performances you completed last year in grade 10.
In a short essay (about 300 words), evaluate how a system like this may help improve your
preparation and performance.
Give examples from the system and refer to your own knowledge and experience
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6. PAT performance section: Individual dramatic item
This term you will be performing a monologue from a realist play as the performance for your PAT
Instructions:
• You must choose and perform a monologue from a realist play
• Your monologue must be between 2 and 3 minutes long
• Read the monologue out loud at performance pace to make sure of the length when
performed
• You MUST read the play that the monologue comes from
• You may use a monologue from a realist play that you have studied before or will study this
year or any other realist play
• Your teacher will help and guide you in your choice of a monologue for performance
• Use this week to find and decide on a monologue you will perform
By the end of this week you must have chosen a monologue to perform for PAT 1 performance
You must have a copy of your monologue for next week's lesson to work with
7. Your journal:
This week you will write your second journal entry for the year
Remember to use Bloom's taxonomy to guide and structure your journal entry
Refer back to the image and explanation in last week's lesson to refresh your memory
Make sure that you show in your writing that you:
• Remember and understand what you did and learned. Remember to include the HOW
and WHY.
• Can analyse what you have learned and apply your knowledge, the concepts and skills
to your work in theory and practical sections
• Evaluate the content, concepts and skills and can reflect on your learning and your own
experience and can create new possibilities, actions and develop in your learning and
thinking.
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CONSOLIDATION
Revise what you have done in this week.
Make sure that you have learned and understood the following:
• Name and explain the themes, characters and issues of plays and playwrights of the realist
period
• Name and explain the themes, characters and issues of the more recent realist plays and
playwrights
• Understand and explain Stanislavski's unique contribution to theatre
• Name and explain Stanislavski's acting techniques
• Learn and practice vocal and physical warm-ups and exercises
If you answer "no" to any of the points above, please go back to that section of the lesson.
Congratulations on completing and achieving the learning and activities for this week!
VALUES
Commitment to achieving excellence by working consistently
Self-discipline to complete the task at hand
Appreciation of the broader context of society in current and and historical times
Respect and commitment for and to development of skills of vocal and physical proficiency