Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Introduction for parents / guardians:
Drama is not just about being a good actor!
In drama your child will be learning skills such as how to be a good communicator, how to be a
good team member as well as learning more specific drama skills whilst hopefully building up
their confidence levels.
This homework book is to give you a bit of an idea of what we are up to in class so feel free to
have a flick through and follow our progress throughout the year.
Miss May
&
Miss Wood.
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
About Me!
What do you like doing in your spare time?
What is your favourite food?
What kind of music do you like?
What are your favourite television programmes and films?
Have you done drama in school before?
Have you done drama outside of school?
What things have you done before in drama?
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
DRAMA IS NOT JUST ABOUT BEING A GOOD ACTOR!
 It is about being a good communicator and a good team member.
 Learning good communication skills will be important for you no matter
what you want to do when you are older.
Answer the following questions in the space provided.
Write down three things you can do which will make you a good communicator
and a good team member:
1. ________________________________
2. ________________________________
3. ________________________________
THE MERIT CODE
 One person speaks at a time.
 Respect each other’s views.
 Keep your hands & your feet
to yourself.
 Work in your own group.
 Be a considerate audience.
 Try your best in all the activities.
Choose one part of the merit
code and write below why it is
Important in drama:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Mime
In your own words, write a description of what mime is below:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
In class we talked about the 5 important words you need to remember when
creating an effective mime.
Write the correct word next to the letter it begins with.
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Why is it important to use SPECS when creating a mime in drama?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Movement
1) Look at the table below and fill out the missing boxes with either the correct
movement term or meaning.
Movement Term
Meaning
Messages given by the position or movement
of the body.
Facial Expression
Movement of the hand or arm which
communicates a meaning or emotion.
Eye Contact
The position of the body – How it is held.
Use of Levels
2) Using the movement terms you have learned in class, describe the following:
a) How you would change your movement to play a business man / woman who
was running late for a meeting?
________________________________________________________________
b) If you had two characters onstage, how would you show through movement
that one was more important than the other?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Voice
Link the meaning to each voice word by drawing a line between the two:
Natural flowing speech
Change of voice to express emotion
Way of speaking according to a local area or country
The stress on a word or phrase
Speed of speech
Loudness or quietness of the voice
How high or low the voice is
Clearness of the voice
A break in speaking
Using the voice words above, describe the following:
How you would change your voice to play an old man / woman?
____________________________________________________________________
How would you change your voice to play a young child?
_____________________________________________________________
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Pupil Name ____________________
Pupil Class _____________
CHARACTER CARD
Character Full Name
(First and last name)
Character Date of Birth /Age
Character Occupation
(Job)
Character Appearance
(What do they look like?)
Character Costume
(What are they wearing?)
Character Personal Props
(Some of the things they carry with
them)
Character Personality
(What kind of person they are)
Character Family Background
(Their parents & siblings and / or
their spouse and children)
Anything else significant about
your character.
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
S2 Drama
Characterisation Unit – World War One
Writing-In-Role
Writing-in-role is a characterisation technique which involves an actor writing as if
they are their character – in the ‘first person’.
In your jotter, write one of the following as a piece of writing-in-role:
 A letter from the trenches / field hospital (if your character is a soldier, doctor,
nurse etc)
OR
 A letter from the home front to the trenches / field hospital (If your character
is a friend or relative waiting at home)
OR
 A diary entry or several entries – any character could keep a diary. The diary
entries could cover as much time as you like.
Write in full sentences and try to think about how your character would write –
what kind of language would they use?
Think about how they might be feeling about the war
- What are the conditions like?
- What are their hopes for the future?
If they are writing a letter – How do they feel about the person they are writing to?
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
S2 Drama
Characterisation Unit
Evaluation Sheet
Please answer these questions in your jotter. Use full sentences and correct
terminology.
1) In your own words – What is characterisation?
2) What do you think the differences are between role-play and
characterisation?
3) What type of things do you have to take into account when creating a
character? (Think about your character card/description)
4) How did you use voice and language to portray your character?
(Discuss at least three vocal techniques)
5) How did you use movement to portray your character?
(Discuss at least three movement techniques)
6) How well do you think that you portrayed your character in the group
presentation?
Give at least two reasons for your answer.
7) Pick one other person who you think performed well in the group
presentation, they do not need to have been in your group. Why do you think
they performed well in the group presentation?
Give at least two reasons for your answer.
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Theatre Spaces
Match the correct type of staging to each of the diagrams.
AVENUE
1)
END ON
THRUST
THEATRE IN THE ROUND
2)
AUDIENCE
A
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N
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STAGE
________________________
3)
A
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N
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STAGE
___________________________
4)
AUDIENCE
A
U
D
I
E
N
C
E
S
T
A
G
E
A
U
D
I
E
N
C
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AUDIENCE
A
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N
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STAGE
A
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D
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N
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AUDIENCE
________________________
___________________________
Why is it important to make sure you always face the audience?
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Script Writing
To write a script you should remember three important things:
 To write which character is speaking.
 To write the lines which each character says.
 To write any stage directions which you think are important.
(These should go in brackets next to the line of speech which they apply to)
Script Example
John:
(Cheerfully) Hello Steve, how are you?
Steve:
I’m great thanks. Look at what I got given today (Steve takes
a letter out of his pocket and reads it aloud to John excitedly).
Below you should write a short script. Remember to include the three things
above and set it out correctly.
Think about what the letter Steve reads out says. Now write a script for the
conversation they have after the letter has been read.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Denny High School – S2 Drama
Structural Devices Evaluation
Answer the following questions in your jotter.
1) In this unit you have learned about the following structural devices. Cope out
and give a definition of each of the following structural devices:
FREEZE-FRAME
NARRATOR
FLASHFORWARD / FLASHBACK
SLOW MOTION
VOICE OVER
MONOLOGUE
SOLILOQUY
Reflecting on your work – Write in full sentences please.
2) What structural devices did your group use when working on the script
extract?
3) What did this add to the presentation / what effect did this device have?
(eg/ it helped the audience understand how the character was feeling)
4) What devices did your group use in the rehearsed improvisation?
5) What did these add to the overall effectiveness of the presentation? Why do
you think this?
6) How could you and your group have improved your work?
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Antigone Role-Play Unit
Homework: End of Unit Evaluation
Answer the following questions in sentences in your jotter:
(Remember to number your answers.)
1) List details of one role that you have played in this unit.
(eg/ ANTIGONE, CREON, ISMENE, HAEMON, TIRESIAS).
Describe this role – What kind of person are they?
2) Give details of your attitude and or feelings as that character during the roleplay.
3) In that role-play, pick one other character in the scene and describe your
character’s feelings or attitudes towards that particular character.
4) Describe the meaning of the word status in drama or role-play.
5) Identify the status of your character.
6) In your opinion, how well did you perform in the role-play unit?
Give at least two reasons for your answer.
7) Pick one other person that you think performed well in the role-play unit. Why
do you think so?
Give at least two reasons for your answer.
8) Set yourself a target for the next unit in Drama.
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
DIRECTOR INFORMATION SHEET
In the theatre, Directors are in charge of the whole production – The rehearsal
period and the performance itself.
They decide upon the following:
-
Which actors will play which part (casting the play)
When and where the production will be set (time and location)
What main themes or issues will be highlighted (eg/ crime and punishment)
What message will be communicated to the audience (eg/ Don’t do drugs)
What style the production will be (eg/ realistic (trying to make it look like
real life) or stylised)
- What mood and atmosphere is to be created (eg/ Sad and angry
atmosphere)
Directors must also make sure that all the other people working on the production
(actors, set designers, costume designers, etc) are working towards supporting the
director’s ideas. For instance, if the director wants to create a sad atmosphere, a
bright orange set would not be correct.
One of the most important tasks which the Director must complete is the blocking
of the production. This is where the Director suggests to the actors where and
when they should enter and exit. The director will also give notes – instructions
about when and how the actor may move and say particular lines of dialogue.
It is up to the Director how the production looks and sounds and what effect it has
upon the audience.
The Director must also ensure that the production is good enough to perform in
front of a paying audience.
Your teacher will now demonstrate the blocking of a short, simple scene.
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Areas of the stage: Complete the grid below to show all nine areas of the stage.
Please include abbreviations and full names of all the areas.
USL
Up-Stage-Left
CSR
Centre-Stage-Right
DSC
Down-Stage-Centre
Use the Directors Information Sheet to help you answer the following questions:
Name four things the director decides on:
1)
2)
3)
4)
What is BLOCKING?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
What are NOTES to the actors?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
What responsibility does the director have towards the AUDIENCE?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
S1/S2 DRAMA TERMINOLOGY
Freeze-frame:
When the action onstage is frozen in time like a
photograph.
Stimulus:
A starting point for a piece of drama
Eg/ A line of dialogue, a poem, photograph, etc.
Stage positioning:
The positioning of the characters onstage in relation to
one another
Facial expression:
An emotional state or mood conveyed by the use of the
facial features.
Body Language:
Communicating meaning/emotions through the use of the
body.
Gesture:
A movement of the hand or arm which communicates a
meaning or emotion.
Rehearsed improvisation:
A form of drama where no script is used.
The drama will be developed and rehearsed before it is
presented to an audience.
Drama form:
The overall style of a drama, such as mime, musical, docudrama, etc.
Mime:
A stylised form of movement which creates an illusion of
reality.
All mimes should be:
Simple, Precise, Exaggerated, Clear, Slow.
Volume:
How loud or quiet the voice is.
Projection:
Directing/”pushing” speech towards the audience.
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Drama Homework Booklet.
Denny High School.
Pace:
The speed of speech.
Tone:
The emotion, mood or attitude conveyed by the voice.
Clarity:
The clearness of speech.
Emphasis:
Stressing a word, sound or phrase in a sentence to make a
point.
Pitch:
The height or depth of the voice.
Accent:
A way of speaking from a local area or country.
Structural Devices:
A storytelling tool used to present a small part of the
action to the audience. You can use it to enhance the
effectiveness of your improvisation and to help tell the
story/give the audience more information.
Narrator:
An actor (onstage) giving information directly to the
audience to help them understand the storyline.
Monologue:
One character delivering an extended speech either to the
audience or to another character. This gives the audience
more information about the situation and/or the
character’s feelings.
Soliloquy:
One character delivering an extended speech. However,
this is never responded to and is only heard by the
audience.
Flashback:
Acting out an event in the past.
Flashforward:
Acting out a future or imagined event.
Tableau (x)
A freeze-frame that communicates a deeper level of
meaning to the audience. It is not just a ‘freeze’ but has
been consciously choreographed (staged) to make
something clear.
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