THEATRE

1. PERFORMING ARTS THEATRE TECHNIQUES

2. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS UNIT ? When you are ready to begin devising your play, you will need to use different theatrical techniques. Use them to create and develop plays and characters that will be of interest to the audience. Over the coming weeks, you will experiment and learn more about these techniques by means of your practical work.

3. You will be required to keep a note of the various strategies used as evidence and proof of your understanding of their use in the theatre.

4. The Techniques Monologue Freeze Frame Path of Conscience The Hot Seat Mind Tracking Have you heardof these before? Improvisation

5. Task 1 Class Discussion What are the problems that young people face while they are growing up? Family Image Friends Workload Drugs In the following lessons, we will look atconflict within the family – between children and their parents! Extra responsibilities

6. Task 2 Group work In groups of 2 or 3, create an IMPROVISEDscene from the following scenario. A child of around your age wants to go to a Saturday night partyata friend’s house. However, there will be no adults present. The child’s parent/parents are unwilling for him/her to go. The conflict begins! REMEMBER Beginning, middle and ending to your scene Use a clear voice and suitable movements Audience location (don’t turn your back on them)

7. Improvisation In what way can dramatists and actors use IMPROVISATION? Describe in your own words what is meant by IMPROVISATION.

8. Task 3 Once you have performed your scene in front of the class, perform it again - but this time, the audience will be allowed toclapand ask you to freeze (a maximum of three times) After freezing, each character in turn will tell the audience exactly what they are thinking of at that particular time. You can discuss your character’s feelings towards another character or react to what is happening on stage. This technique is called ‘MIND TRACKING’. I’m beginning to lose it! He just doesn't listen to me! Who does she think she is? Telling me what to do!

9. Mind Tracking What is Mind Tracking? When the action of the play is frozen and the character reveals his/her feelings and thoughts out loud to the audience. The other characters cannot hear him/her. This may happen at any time within the play.

10. Mind Tracking In what way can dramatists and actors use MIND TRACKING? Describe in your own words what is meant by MIND TRACKING

11. Task 4 The character does not know what to do! Does he/she go to the party without the consent of his/her parents or does he/she stay at home? He/she needs to consider his/her options. Path of Conscience • Use your class members to form two lines facing each other. • 2) Members of one line will attempt to persuade the character to attend the party, while members of the opposite line attempt to persuade him/her to stay at home. • The character walks between the lines and everyone will need to argue their point in turn. • 4) On reaching the end of the line, the character will need to come to his/her decision.

12. Your parents will punish you for months ! PATH OF CONSCIENCE Negative arguments The character walks down the centre and listens to the arguments Positive Arguments All your friends are going !!

13. Path of Conscience In what way can dramatists and actors use The PATH OF CONSCIENCE? Describe in your own words what is meant by PATH OF CONSCIENCE.

14. Task 5 Solo work Everyone now assumes the role of a young person who sits in his/her bedroom reflecting on what his/her parents said. Write a MONOLOGUE for your character. In the monologue, your character should explore some of the arguments used in the Path of Conscience exercise. At the end of your monologue, your character should decide that he/she will attend the party !!

15. What is a MONOLOGUE? A Monologue is when a character opens up and recites his inner thoughts directly to the audience. In a monologue, the character should discuss his/her feelings and the most important things in his/her life.

16. Monologue In what way can dramatists and actors use A MONOLOGUE? Describe in your own words what is meant by a MONOLOGUE.

17. Task 6 Your character has gone to the party without his/her parents consent. However, there is trouble at the party – there is fighting and the misuse of alcohol. Your local newspaper has managed to locate a snapshot of the proceedings and there is a front page spread (including the snapshot) in the paper. Group work (5/6 pupils) 1) Form a FREEZE FRAME based on the problems at the party (using the snapshot in the front page of the newspaper) 2) Compose your own HEADLINE to illustrate the picture. Make use of creative language in your performance of the freeze frame.

18. What is a FREEZE FRAME? The actors group themselves together and use their bodies to create an image of the situation. They freeze as if in a snapshot. To create an effective freeze frame REMEMBER to use : Facialexpressions Levels Focus Depth of staging Posture anddefinitegestures

19. Freeze Frame In what way can dramatists and actors use The FREEZE FRAME? Describe in your own words what is meant by a FREEZE FRAME.

20. Task 7 HOT SEAT The Exercise You are seated (in character) in the hot seat. The audience will pose you some questions and you are required to answer these questions IN CHARACTER The Hot Seat will help you understand more about your character Thinking swiftly Focus SKILLS Information gained previously Imagination

21. The Hot Seat In what way can dramatists and actors use THE HOT SEAT? Describe in your own words what is meant by THE HOT SEAT

22. THE NEXT STAGE?? By now you have learned about the various techniques that can be used when dealing with a character and creating your own play. The next stage is to put these techniques into practise as you create your own play and its characters.