Achievement standard 2.1 -
Apply drama techniques in a scripted context
Apply drama techniques in a scripted context - Level 2 - Credits: 4
This achievement standard requires the application of drama techniques in a scripted context.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
• Apply drama techniques in a scripted context.
Apply drama techniques involves selecting and using voice, body, movement and use of space to convey an intention for a scripted context through interpretation of a role, relationships and situation.
Achievement with Merit
• Apply drama techniques skilfully in a scripted context.
Apply drama techniques skilfully involves selecting and using voice, body, movement, and use of space with dexterity, competence, control and a sense of purpose. It involves sustaining a credible character and situation for the duration of the performed text.
Achievement with Excellence
• Apply drama techniques effectively in a scripted context.
Apply drama techniques effectively involves selecting and using voice, body, movement, and use of space to present work with impact. It requires the use of drama techniques to enhance the performance of the scripted context. It involves a sustained, truthful, and convincing performance.
4. Conditions of Assessment related to this achievement standard can be found at http://ncea.tki.org.nz/Resources-for-Internally-Assessed-Achievement-Standards.
Student instructions
Introduction
In this assessment activity you are required to apply (select and use) drama techniques to communicate an intention for a scripted context. You will need to communicate role, relationships and situation and explore character motivation and subtext.
Option #1 David Geary's Lovelock's Dream Run
Your teacher will have introduced you to a range of ways to use drama techniques to convey the intention of a script. You will have also been introduced to the full synopsis of the play and some key ideas in 'Lovelock's Dream Run' by David Geary - like issues of homosexuality, everyday repression and striving to become who you really are, as opposed to some hero you worship. It's a play that says much about growing up as a male in a macho society.
These will prepare you for this assessment activity. You will participate in a range of development exercises that will help you interpret your chosen scene from 'Lovelock's Dream Run' before you rehearse and present your final performance.
Option #2 William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet
Your teacher will have introduced you to a range of ways to use drama techniques to convey the intention of a script. You will have also been introduced to the full synopsis of the play and some key ideas in 'Romeo & Juliet' by William Shakespeare - like the themes of jealously, loyalty, betrayal, romantic love, and male friendship.
These will prepare you for this assessment activity. You will participate in a range of development exercises that will help you interpret your chosen scene from 'Romeo & Juliet' before you rehearse and present your final performance.
Your teacher will tell you when your performance deadline is at the beginning of this process.
You will work in a group of 2-4 and your performance should be approximately 3-6 minutes in length, depending on the number of people in your presentation.
Your scene should provide the opportunity for everyone to demonstrate the application of drama techniques in a sustained, truthful and convincing manner. You will work in and out of class to develop your performance, and will present your performance to the class. Within your group, you must develop your own interpretation and independently select appropriate techniques, which means that your teacher or other student directors are not permitted to direct you in this work.
While you will need to work cooperatively to rehearse the script, you will be assessed individually on your performance
You will be assessed on your ability to select and use voice, body, movement and use of space to convey the intention of the script through the interpretation of your role, relationships and situation.
In addition to your performance you will need to submit an annotated script and a brief statement of context in order to support and clarify your application of drama techniques that convey your interpretation of the script. This documentation allows your teacher to see the intention you wish to convey and consequently it is essential to the achievement of this standard. However, this information does not constitute evidence to support attainment of higher grade levels
Preparatory activities
The following activities will support the development of your assessed performance and supporting documentation. They are not directly assessed but provide the preparation framework for the assessment. You do not need to record these activities.
Resource A will give you some ideas about variations of voice, body, movement and use of space and how these you could combine these to interpret a script and interact with others.
Choosing a scene and role
Your teacher will give you a copy of the play you are to use - from which you can select your scene and roles to create a context for performance. Make sure that your chosen scene gives enough scope for everyone in your group to achieve the standard at all grade levels. You will be trying to apply drama techniques to present your work with impact. The techniques should be used to communicate an interpretation of the script with impact, and you should endeavour to ensure your performance is sustained, truthful and convincing.
Discuss your choice of extract with your teacher. They will advise you as to the appropriateness of your selection.
You can now start learning your lines.
Interpreting the script
In order to interpret the script, you need to have a full understanding of who your character is, what drives them, what they want and what they will do to get what they want.
As your character, establish the given circumstances of your scene by answering the questions contained in Student Resource A. This information does not need to be submitted for assessment but will provide material to support the creation of your statement of context for the extract.
Blocking
Explore the space and how you will use it to convey what you have interpreted about the script so far. Think about how you will use pathways, levels, your personal and general space to show your interpretation of the script.
Using some of the activities in Student Resource B, explore what cues for movement already exist in the script. Jot your decision on to your working script. These annotations will support your performance planning.
Finding the flow
You will need to think about how your performance is going to “flow”. How can your performance help the action of the scene and the journey of your character develop in a truthful and convincing way? It can be helpful to list or, draw key points in the performance or use drama techniques to explore this journey. Consider how your decisions will help the action flow, or disturb the flow in some way (see Student Resource).
Note your decisions on your working script to inform your preparation.
Rehearsal
Rehearse your scene, taking into account all of the things that you have explored in your interpretation process.
Consider how you will use, voice, body, movement and space to show your character’s successes, failures, tensions, happiness’s in key moments in the script. How will you use stage features like levels to support the communication of ideas. Do you have a prop that signifies aspects of your character or objective? How will you use it in performance to enhance the communication of your role and the scripted context?
Keep exploring the techniques in Student Resource A and check that the way you perform your role fits with what you know about your character, his/her relationships and the situation he/she is in.
Task
Part A: Statement of context
Create a single frozen image that could be photographed and put on the front cover of the Newspaper to ‘sum up’ what your performance is about. Add a newspaper headline to match it. Make it as outrageous as some of the Newspaper headlines you have seen in the tabloids. Write this as the heading for your statement of context.
Write a paragraph that explains why your newspaper heading is an appropriate reading of your performance.
Using the understanding you have developed through the preparation process answer the following questions beneath the paragraph about the newspaper heading.
· Explain who your character is; your name, age, what he/she wants and what he/she is doing to get what he/she wants
· Explain the relationships she has with the other characters in the scene
· Outline any problems your character has
· Explain how your performance ends
· Does your character get what he/she wants?
· How does the situation end for them?
· Explain what you want your audience to understand about your character and their experience within the scene.
Part B: Finalise your annotated script.
As you have prepared your performance you will have been annotating your script to help guide your final performance.
Take this opportunity to make a final check that your annotations reflect your planning for the scene and your performance.
You could include:
· Entrances, Exits or any stage directions you have been using.
· Motivation or intention for your lines. Consider both literal meaning and subtext here.
· Draw your pathways in the margins
· Mark any pauses with / or // depending on length.
· Any gestures you will use and how you will use them.
· How you will use both personal and general space to communicate meaning within your performance? You could draw these
changes down the right hand column of your script.
· Changes in pitch, pace, projection, volume and tone.
· Body movements; their pace, energy, direction and timing.
Your annotated script and statement of context must be handed in at the end of your performance
Part C: Perform your script
Perform your scene for an audience of your class mates. Apply the choices about the use of drama techniques that you have made through the preparation process. Focus on communicating a convincing, sustained performance that captures the essence of your dramatic context with impact.
STUDENT RESOURCE
Drama Techniques - Examples of voice, body, movement and use of space techniques:
Voice
pitch - the highness or lowness of a sound
pace - the rate at which words are spoken(also the overall rhythm of a scene)
pause - where sound stops, how often and for how long
projection - enables audience to hear the voice
volume - how loudly/softly the words are spoken
tone - the modulation of voice to convey meaning
listening (response to cues ) - the way the actor listens in order to build an appropriate response via pause, tone etc
phrasing - the grouping of words and how they are broken through pause or breath to convey rhythm and/or meaning
Body
posture - stance
gesture - movement of any part of the body
body language - non-verbal communication through conscious or unconscious gestures and movements
eye contact -the choice to look directly at someone or not at all in order to create a bond or refuse the potentials for one.
facial expression - using facial muscles to express emotion
recognising and maintaining focus - how you create focus on the most important person in the scene in a moment; how you remain ‘in the moment’ as an actor.
Movement
timing - when you move or respond
direction - where you are moving to
energy - how you move
Space
levels - low, medium, high
personal - own space
general - all the other space
The Given Circumstances of my scene: breakdown...
1. Who am I?
2. Where am I? ( Consider both time and place)
3. What am I doing?
4. What surrounds me?
5. What are my relationships?
6 .What do I want?
7. What is my obstacle?
8. What are the steps I take to get what I want?
Supportive development activities
Identifying the action cues in the text.
1. Stand facing one another, what makes your character want to turn their back on the other? Which line makes them turn back around to face the others? Which lines drive them to literally stand above the rest or create distance between themselves and the others? Where does the energy seem to lower? Does your character need to sit? Where does the energy of the lines seem to build? Do you need to stand, move or take action as a result of this? Jot your findings in pencil on your annotated script.
2. Consider the action behind your lines, what are you doing when you say them? For example: When an actor says ‘ You are always right’, depending on what is happening in the scene, they can be admitting defeat, admiring the other person, sulking, arguing...What is it you are doing when you say your lines? Think of this as an active verb. Put it in a short phrase ‘I... (challenge, retreat, beg, praise)’Try noting this down on your working script. Then try running your scene with your group. However, instead of saying your lines just use your ‘I’ statements. Does this flow logically and make sense? Are there points where your understanding of what is going on clashes with other cast members? Negotiate until you all have a shared understanding of what is going on between you. Check this understanding against the intention for the drama as a whole? Note these understandings on your annotated script, using the active verbs to show your intention for the lines you are delivering.
Clarifying the ‘flow’ of the scene
1. Create a series of tableaux that show ‘snapshots’ of key moments in the progression of the scene. Consider how the scene moves from snap shot to snap shot. Discuss with your group where you need to create build or lower the energy between the snapshots in order to communicate the scene.
2. Draw a Treasure map with 4 or 5 different islands on it. Mark the treasure with an X. Put a small drawing beside the X that gives a clue as to what the treasure is; it is the thing your character wants most in this performance.
If all of the islands are places they have to stop along the way in order to get what they want, how are these represented as islands on your treasure map? Name the islands according to the ‘stops’ they take on their journey through your script.
Shark infested waters are dangerous to treasure seekers; identify the dangerous parts of the journey on your map; what is stopping them in getting what they want?
What are the 5 most important tools they use to get through their conquest; even if they don’t succeed? Name these in the top right hand corner of your map.
Once you have all of the destinations on your treasure map, draw your character’s journey on it so that you can track how they progress through your performance.
Share your treasure maps with the other members of the group to see where your wants align to create goals in common or where they cross to create moments of tension.
This achievement standard requires the application of drama techniques in a scripted context.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
• Apply drama techniques in a scripted context.
Apply drama techniques involves selecting and using voice, body, movement and use of space to convey an intention for a scripted context through interpretation of a role, relationships and situation.
Achievement with Merit
• Apply drama techniques skilfully in a scripted context.
Apply drama techniques skilfully involves selecting and using voice, body, movement, and use of space with dexterity, competence, control and a sense of purpose. It involves sustaining a credible character and situation for the duration of the performed text.
Achievement with Excellence
• Apply drama techniques effectively in a scripted context.
Apply drama techniques effectively involves selecting and using voice, body, movement, and use of space to present work with impact. It requires the use of drama techniques to enhance the performance of the scripted context. It involves a sustained, truthful, and convincing performance.
4. Conditions of Assessment related to this achievement standard can be found at http://ncea.tki.org.nz/Resources-for-Internally-Assessed-Achievement-Standards.
Student instructions
Introduction
In this assessment activity you are required to apply (select and use) drama techniques to communicate an intention for a scripted context. You will need to communicate role, relationships and situation and explore character motivation and subtext.
Option #1 David Geary's Lovelock's Dream Run
Your teacher will have introduced you to a range of ways to use drama techniques to convey the intention of a script. You will have also been introduced to the full synopsis of the play and some key ideas in 'Lovelock's Dream Run' by David Geary - like issues of homosexuality, everyday repression and striving to become who you really are, as opposed to some hero you worship. It's a play that says much about growing up as a male in a macho society.
These will prepare you for this assessment activity. You will participate in a range of development exercises that will help you interpret your chosen scene from 'Lovelock's Dream Run' before you rehearse and present your final performance.
Option #2 William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet
Your teacher will have introduced you to a range of ways to use drama techniques to convey the intention of a script. You will have also been introduced to the full synopsis of the play and some key ideas in 'Romeo & Juliet' by William Shakespeare - like the themes of jealously, loyalty, betrayal, romantic love, and male friendship.
These will prepare you for this assessment activity. You will participate in a range of development exercises that will help you interpret your chosen scene from 'Romeo & Juliet' before you rehearse and present your final performance.
Your teacher will tell you when your performance deadline is at the beginning of this process.
You will work in a group of 2-4 and your performance should be approximately 3-6 minutes in length, depending on the number of people in your presentation.
Your scene should provide the opportunity for everyone to demonstrate the application of drama techniques in a sustained, truthful and convincing manner. You will work in and out of class to develop your performance, and will present your performance to the class. Within your group, you must develop your own interpretation and independently select appropriate techniques, which means that your teacher or other student directors are not permitted to direct you in this work.
While you will need to work cooperatively to rehearse the script, you will be assessed individually on your performance
You will be assessed on your ability to select and use voice, body, movement and use of space to convey the intention of the script through the interpretation of your role, relationships and situation.
In addition to your performance you will need to submit an annotated script and a brief statement of context in order to support and clarify your application of drama techniques that convey your interpretation of the script. This documentation allows your teacher to see the intention you wish to convey and consequently it is essential to the achievement of this standard. However, this information does not constitute evidence to support attainment of higher grade levels
Preparatory activities
The following activities will support the development of your assessed performance and supporting documentation. They are not directly assessed but provide the preparation framework for the assessment. You do not need to record these activities.
Resource A will give you some ideas about variations of voice, body, movement and use of space and how these you could combine these to interpret a script and interact with others.
Choosing a scene and role
Your teacher will give you a copy of the play you are to use - from which you can select your scene and roles to create a context for performance. Make sure that your chosen scene gives enough scope for everyone in your group to achieve the standard at all grade levels. You will be trying to apply drama techniques to present your work with impact. The techniques should be used to communicate an interpretation of the script with impact, and you should endeavour to ensure your performance is sustained, truthful and convincing.
Discuss your choice of extract with your teacher. They will advise you as to the appropriateness of your selection.
You can now start learning your lines.
Interpreting the script
In order to interpret the script, you need to have a full understanding of who your character is, what drives them, what they want and what they will do to get what they want.
As your character, establish the given circumstances of your scene by answering the questions contained in Student Resource A. This information does not need to be submitted for assessment but will provide material to support the creation of your statement of context for the extract.
Blocking
Explore the space and how you will use it to convey what you have interpreted about the script so far. Think about how you will use pathways, levels, your personal and general space to show your interpretation of the script.
Using some of the activities in Student Resource B, explore what cues for movement already exist in the script. Jot your decision on to your working script. These annotations will support your performance planning.
Finding the flow
You will need to think about how your performance is going to “flow”. How can your performance help the action of the scene and the journey of your character develop in a truthful and convincing way? It can be helpful to list or, draw key points in the performance or use drama techniques to explore this journey. Consider how your decisions will help the action flow, or disturb the flow in some way (see Student Resource).
Note your decisions on your working script to inform your preparation.
Rehearsal
Rehearse your scene, taking into account all of the things that you have explored in your interpretation process.
Consider how you will use, voice, body, movement and space to show your character’s successes, failures, tensions, happiness’s in key moments in the script. How will you use stage features like levels to support the communication of ideas. Do you have a prop that signifies aspects of your character or objective? How will you use it in performance to enhance the communication of your role and the scripted context?
Keep exploring the techniques in Student Resource A and check that the way you perform your role fits with what you know about your character, his/her relationships and the situation he/she is in.
Task
Part A: Statement of context
Create a single frozen image that could be photographed and put on the front cover of the Newspaper to ‘sum up’ what your performance is about. Add a newspaper headline to match it. Make it as outrageous as some of the Newspaper headlines you have seen in the tabloids. Write this as the heading for your statement of context.
Write a paragraph that explains why your newspaper heading is an appropriate reading of your performance.
Using the understanding you have developed through the preparation process answer the following questions beneath the paragraph about the newspaper heading.
· Explain who your character is; your name, age, what he/she wants and what he/she is doing to get what he/she wants
· Explain the relationships she has with the other characters in the scene
· Outline any problems your character has
· Explain how your performance ends
· Does your character get what he/she wants?
· How does the situation end for them?
· Explain what you want your audience to understand about your character and their experience within the scene.
Part B: Finalise your annotated script.
As you have prepared your performance you will have been annotating your script to help guide your final performance.
Take this opportunity to make a final check that your annotations reflect your planning for the scene and your performance.
You could include:
· Entrances, Exits or any stage directions you have been using.
· Motivation or intention for your lines. Consider both literal meaning and subtext here.
· Draw your pathways in the margins
· Mark any pauses with / or // depending on length.
· Any gestures you will use and how you will use them.
· How you will use both personal and general space to communicate meaning within your performance? You could draw these
changes down the right hand column of your script.
· Changes in pitch, pace, projection, volume and tone.
· Body movements; their pace, energy, direction and timing.
Your annotated script and statement of context must be handed in at the end of your performance
Part C: Perform your script
Perform your scene for an audience of your class mates. Apply the choices about the use of drama techniques that you have made through the preparation process. Focus on communicating a convincing, sustained performance that captures the essence of your dramatic context with impact.
STUDENT RESOURCE
Drama Techniques - Examples of voice, body, movement and use of space techniques:
Voice
pitch - the highness or lowness of a sound
pace - the rate at which words are spoken(also the overall rhythm of a scene)
pause - where sound stops, how often and for how long
projection - enables audience to hear the voice
volume - how loudly/softly the words are spoken
tone - the modulation of voice to convey meaning
listening (response to cues ) - the way the actor listens in order to build an appropriate response via pause, tone etc
phrasing - the grouping of words and how they are broken through pause or breath to convey rhythm and/or meaning
Body
posture - stance
gesture - movement of any part of the body
body language - non-verbal communication through conscious or unconscious gestures and movements
eye contact -the choice to look directly at someone or not at all in order to create a bond or refuse the potentials for one.
facial expression - using facial muscles to express emotion
recognising and maintaining focus - how you create focus on the most important person in the scene in a moment; how you remain ‘in the moment’ as an actor.
Movement
timing - when you move or respond
direction - where you are moving to
energy - how you move
Space
levels - low, medium, high
personal - own space
general - all the other space
The Given Circumstances of my scene: breakdown...
1. Who am I?
2. Where am I? ( Consider both time and place)
3. What am I doing?
4. What surrounds me?
5. What are my relationships?
6 .What do I want?
7. What is my obstacle?
8. What are the steps I take to get what I want?
Supportive development activities
Identifying the action cues in the text.
1. Stand facing one another, what makes your character want to turn their back on the other? Which line makes them turn back around to face the others? Which lines drive them to literally stand above the rest or create distance between themselves and the others? Where does the energy seem to lower? Does your character need to sit? Where does the energy of the lines seem to build? Do you need to stand, move or take action as a result of this? Jot your findings in pencil on your annotated script.
2. Consider the action behind your lines, what are you doing when you say them? For example: When an actor says ‘ You are always right’, depending on what is happening in the scene, they can be admitting defeat, admiring the other person, sulking, arguing...What is it you are doing when you say your lines? Think of this as an active verb. Put it in a short phrase ‘I... (challenge, retreat, beg, praise)’Try noting this down on your working script. Then try running your scene with your group. However, instead of saying your lines just use your ‘I’ statements. Does this flow logically and make sense? Are there points where your understanding of what is going on clashes with other cast members? Negotiate until you all have a shared understanding of what is going on between you. Check this understanding against the intention for the drama as a whole? Note these understandings on your annotated script, using the active verbs to show your intention for the lines you are delivering.
Clarifying the ‘flow’ of the scene
1. Create a series of tableaux that show ‘snapshots’ of key moments in the progression of the scene. Consider how the scene moves from snap shot to snap shot. Discuss with your group where you need to create build or lower the energy between the snapshots in order to communicate the scene.
2. Draw a Treasure map with 4 or 5 different islands on it. Mark the treasure with an X. Put a small drawing beside the X that gives a clue as to what the treasure is; it is the thing your character wants most in this performance.
If all of the islands are places they have to stop along the way in order to get what they want, how are these represented as islands on your treasure map? Name the islands according to the ‘stops’ they take on their journey through your script.
Shark infested waters are dangerous to treasure seekers; identify the dangerous parts of the journey on your map; what is stopping them in getting what they want?
What are the 5 most important tools they use to get through their conquest; even if they don’t succeed? Name these in the top right hand corner of your map.
Once you have all of the destinations on your treasure map, draw your character’s journey on it so that you can track how they progress through your performance.
Share your treasure maps with the other members of the group to see where your wants align to create goals in common or where they cross to create moments of tension.