Duis Sed Sapien

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Nunc Et Orci

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Morbi Posuere

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TTTHHHEEEAAATTTRRREEE SSSTTTUUUDDDIIIEEESSS Academic year 2011-12

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AS Year Practical Exam/ Live theatre review/

Written Exam

AUTUMN TERM DA1 20% Practical performance 60 marks Unit title: Performance workshop. For this unit you will either act in a group or contribute your chosen technical production skill to a performance from a set text and a devised piece. you will work on the ideas of two practitioners. The unit is internally marked and externally moderated.

SPRING & SUMMER TERM DA2 30% Written paper (2 hour paper) 120 marks Open text exam Unit Title: Text in Performance you will answer three questions: • One pre-1900 text from a prescribed list. • One post-1900 text from a prescribed list. • Live theatre review. The unit is externally marked.

Text Studied: The Caretaker by Harold Pinter Practitioners studied: Berkoff and Stanislanski

Texts studied: The Country Wife by William Wycherley Blue Remembered Hills by Dennis Potter

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THEATRE HISTORY

Throughout the course you will be introduced to a variety of periods in history where theatre has reflected social and cultural changes. Greek, Elizabethan, Georgian and Victorian theatre are all discussed at length, detailing the times in which plays were written and why playwrights felt the need to write them.

What is A Level Theatre Studies?

The subject aims to: • Develop your interest and enjoyment in drama and theatre both as a performer and an informed member of an audience • Foster an enthusiasm for and a critical appreciation of the subject Develop an understanding and appreciation of the significance of social, cultural and historical influences on the development of drama and theatre • Gives you a range of opportunities to develop a variety of dramatic and theatrical skills • Integrate theory and practice through your understanding of critical concepts and the discriminating use of terminology skills

Drama & Theatre

DRAMA is something that by its nature requires you to consider individual, moral, ethical, social, cultural and contemporary issues. The specification provides a framework for exploration of such issues and includes specific content through which individual courses may address these issues.

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Brecht Mid-20th century performance style used extensively today. Brechtian performance attempts to alienate and break up performance.

Gordon Craig Early 20th century spatial performance that makes the performance space controller and the actor puppet.

Stanislavski Late 19th century and early 20th century practitioner whom transformed theatre across the globe; highlighting the need to emote and realise performance.

Strindberg Late 19th century playwright with extreme views on life; a misogynistic idealiser whom brought about much controversy as a consequence of his no nonsense style(s).

Berkoff Physical hard hitting performance that deals with the later 20th century class issues that surround all of us.

Pinter Mid to late 20th century playwright whom brought with him a reactionary style that immersed the art of conversation into the most isolated territorial battles.

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Drama Throughout history there has been some kind of drama – whether for religious purpose or political gain. Strindberg and Pinter use drama to engage their audience with contemporary problems.

Comedy Comedy is used to ridicule those in charge and highlight possible issues in society. Brecht often used comedy to emphasise political nonsense.

Tragedy Tragedy has been the mainstay in performance for thousands of years, leading Stanislavksi to further study our emotional responses to performance.

This is what the subject is all about – the final performance. Most students will act at some point. You may use any of the styles we workshop throughout the year.

Acting You can design and plan your lights right down to the last gobo, alongside our technicians you will be able to fully engage with the production process.

Lighting design

If you can use a sowing machine and sketch out your initial ideas then this is for you. You can work hand in hand with the lighting designer to fully highlight your costumes effectiveness.

Costume design

For those of you who fancy governing the performance process by yourself this is the opportunity for you. Your decisions, your performance.

Directing

This allows you to visualise your own set! You can utilise the studio space and arrange it as you wish, enabling you to become more spatially aware when looking at live production.

Set designing This allows you to fully create your production from start to finish. You work as a theatre company and write, direct, design and act in your own production.

Devising

CENTRE OF CENTRE OF EXCELLENCEEXCELLENCE

The department of Drama and Theatre Studies is part of the department for Performing Arts which is a Centre of Excellence. This means that more money is used to fund projects both within the curriculum and out of it. Set, costumes and overall facility is enhanced as a consequence and the extra-curricular performance programme is outstanding.

Productions include all sorts of people and departments. Actors, set builders, musicians, lighting technicians, prop masters, assistants, hairdressers, make-up artists, finance organisers, marketing, dancers, photographers and stage managers are needed to produce our enormously successful extra-curricular shows that last year attracted 2457 people!

Are you interested?

Cronton Sixth Form college Cronton Lane Widnes, WA8 5WA 0151 424 1515 (3150) Contact: MATT PLANT (Artistic director) matthew.plant@cronton.ac.uk

Check us out at: Facebook: CSFC Performing Arts Website: www.cronton.ac.uk (Centres of Excellence) GOOGLE: A Level Performance Matters Magazine