UBERTEACH
DRAMA
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance.[1] The term comes from a
Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek: δρᾶμα, drama), which is derived from the
verb meaning "to do" or "to act" (Classical Greek: δράω, draō). The enactment of drama in
theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative
modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts,
unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and
collective reception.[2] The early modern tragedy Hamlet (1601) by Shakespeare and the
classical Athenian tragedy Oedipus the King (c. 429 BC) by Sophocles are among the
masterpieces of the art of drama.
STYLES AND THEIR MEANINGS
STYLE
MEANING
ABSTRACT
Abstract theatre is when a character or characters do something which is
not naturalistic or would not happen in an everyday life.
A devised piece of theatre usually emerges from a collaborating group of
artists, through a process of creative play, using a variety of stimulus.
Propagandist theatre whose primary aim is to instruct or teach. Most
medieval religious plays were didactic in that they instructed audiences
about the Bible or morality. Most modern didactic theatre, such as
Brecht's, is political.
Dramatic irony, in literature, a plot device in which the audience’s or
reader’s knowledge of events or individuals surpasses that of the
characters. The words and actions of the characters therefore take on a
different meaning for the audience or reader than they have for the play’s
characters. This may happen when, for example, a character reacts in an
inappropriate or foolish way or when a character lacks self-awareness
and thus acts under false assumptions.
Hot-seating is a way of developing (or deepening) character. If you are in
the hot-seat you answer questions from others in the group while you are
'in role'. The characters will seem more realistic if you feel you really
'know' them. It is easier to be spontaneous and believable if you have
carefully explored a character in your drama during the hot-seating
process.
Prepare for your acting interview by practicing a confident attitude. Do
this by practicing walking with your head up, arms at your side and a
smile on your face. Rehearse greeting the interviewers with an energetic
voice. Envision yourself answering questions with thoughtful responses
that convey self belief. Consider how to actively listen and carry on an
intelligent conversation to boost your chances of obtaining the job. Actors
must be able to handle a variety of parts, so employers are looking for
confident and interesting individuals.
The mantle of the expert is a student-centered dramatic-inquiry-based
approach to teaching and learning invented and developed by Professor
Dorothy Heathcote at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the
1980s. This approach inverts the typical teacher-to-student model of
teaching by allowing the students to dictate their learning and
educational process through creative drama. The students, rather than
the teacher, are the main communicators in this process. Mantle of the
expert re-frames the teacher and student in fictional roles in which the
students are “endowed” as experts in a specific field. Students are more
than passive receivers of knowledge rather they are the ones
constructing it. With this approach, what happens within the process of
DEVISING
DIDACTIC
DRAMATIC IRONY
HOT SEATING
INTERVIEWS
MANTLE
OF
THE EXPERT
MELODRAMA
MIME
NARRATION
RE-ENACTMENT
REPRESENTATIONAL
RITUAL
ROLE ON THE WALL
ROLE REVERSAL
the drama is what the lesson is, though it fosters critical thinking skills of
students about facts. The collective is more important than the individual
in this approach. Mantle of the expert is also referred to as “in-depth”
drama, as students and teachers are “living” the experience of being in
role. Mantle of the expert has very strong elements of naturalism, as well
as Brechtian theatre.
A melodrama is a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in
order to appeal to the emotions, often with strongly stereotyped
characters. Language, behaviour, or events which resemble melodramas
are also called melodramatic.
Mime is a form of creative dramatic self-expression that is usually
performed without the use of words. It is difficult to establish an exact
date or place for the first dramatic use of mime but there is evidence to
suggest that even the earliest human beings used mimetic actions to
express and share various cultural beliefs and experiences. Mime first
seems to have been used in organised theatrical presentations in the
East and it has remained an important part of traditional performing art
forms in Japan, India, and China. In the West, the Ancient Greeks are
thought to have introduced organised forms of mime through the dances
and farcical comedy sketches the presented during their theatre festivals.
A basic dramatic narrative technique is the seemingly casual distribution
of specific information. This visual, verbal or tonal information initially
stands for itself. Characters may narrate, or a performer who is not
involved in the action can carry out the role of 'narrator'.
A restaging or recreation of an earlier event.
Presentational theater is a non-realistic style in which the audience is
forced into awareness that they are watching a play. Representational
theater, on the other hand, incorporates a more naturalistic style. The
audience is meant to intellectually and emotionally buy in to the "reality"
of the plot, setting and characters.
A ritual drama is a dramatic performance (employing story, dialogue, and
impersonation) with a plot taken from the myth of the god in whose
honour it is enacted. They are performed in public as part of the liturgy of
a festival honouring the particular deity. Originally performed at a
sanctuary sacred to that deity or a site endowed with divine importance
by the enacted story, they are later carried to other sites.
The outline of a body is drawn on a large sheet of paper, which is later
stuck onto the wall. This can be done by carefully drawing around one of
the participants. Words or phrases describing the character are then
written directly onto the drawing or stuck on with post-its. This drama
technique can be carried out as a group activity or by individuals writing
about their own character. You can include known facts such as physical
appearance, age, gender, location and occupation, as well as subjective
ideas such as likes/dislikes, friends/enemies, attitudes, motivations,
secrets and dreams.
Role reversal is one of the psychodrama techniques that demonstrate a
protagonist’s intrapersonal conflicts deeply and explicitly on the stage.
This technique is perhaps the single most important and effective
technique in psychodrama. In psychodrama, the protagonist is invited to
move out of his own position or role into the significant other’s position
and enact that role. Therefore, the auxiliary ego can observe and learn
how to play the role. For example, in a parents-children session, a
protagonist who is the child reverses role with one of his or her parents.
This technique not only helps the protagonist get more insight of a
specific role but also helps the director, the auxiliary egos, and the
SIMULATIONS
SOUND-TRACKING
STILL IMAGE
STYLES LINKED TO
SPECIFIC
PLAYWRIGHTS
THOUGHT-TRACKING
audience learn more about that specific role.
Acting out or mimicking an actual or probable real life condition, event.
Using realistic or stylised sounds to accompany an action. Can use
dialogue, voices or instruments to create a mood, the atmosphere of a
place, or paint a picture. Can also be used as sound effects for realistic
or abstract performances. The sounds can be performed live, or
presented pre-recorded. Example: Using voice and dialogue, one group
of children produce sounds of a street carnival while scenes are acted
out by another group of children.
Still images are used to explore abstract concepts such as relationships
and emotions, as well as realistic situations. This technique was
developed by Augusto Boal and is described fully in his book The
Rainbow of Desire.
How plays are written at any given time depends on many factors: the
intended audience and purpose; the playwright’s current views about the
human condition, and how the playwright perceives the truth around
him. A playwright must understand and know the established artistic and
theatrical conventions of the theatre. A playwright must appreciate the
working procedures, materials, and technical aspects of a production.
Because the script is the starting point of the theatrical production, the
process through which it comes into being is of primary importance.
There are many ways to write a play. Sometimes a playwright starts with
an idea. Another playwright may begin with a single character in mind.
Some playwrights base their work on spectacle. Plays can be tightly
structured or episodic. Regardless of the original inspiration, the work of
the playwright is not just to set forth an idea, to create characters, or tell
a story. A playwright recreates and restates the human experiences and
the universal mirror of mankind. The script is the heart of the theatrical
event.
A group makes a still image and individuals are invited to speak their
thoughts or feelings aloud - just a few words. This can be done by
tapping each person on the shoulder or holding a cardboard 'thoughtbubble' above their head. Alternatively, thought tracking (also called
thought tapping) can involve other members of the class speaking one
character's thoughts aloud for them. The technique is most often used in
conjunction with image theatre or freeze-frames. Equally, thoughttracking is useful preparation for improvisation.
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