Year 10 Drama: things to work on• Rehearsal discipline

– Listen more to each other, show respect to others– Take rehearsing process more seriously– Organise some extra rehearsals out of lesson time– Be more organised with paperwork/journals/hwk– Remember 1 hour’s rehearsal = 1 minute’s performance! So improve time management!

• Acting skills– Work on being secure on lines well before the performance is due– Improve on actor skills (detailed characterisation)– Take characters more seriously, get to know them better– Explore alternative ways of playing things– Explore being more stylised with performances

• Improvisation– Use games to create new starting points for theatre– Keeping things imaginative (avoid soap opera)– Practise keeping going if things don’t go according to plan– Make up new exercises to help with the rehearsal process

• Research– Find out about new techniques and processes to use in our own work– Find out more about your character through research– Find out more about the themes/issues being explored (devised)

Random Acts logo design competition• Logo design competition• Include colour and annotate your design

(explain why you have designed it that way)• Remember it will be printed/embroidered on

teeshirts or hoodies• Winner will get a free hoodie!

• First draft of design due in Tuesday 17th Sept

Arts Award

• Bronze/Silver/Gold levels awards• Requires you to research a new art form• Present your findings to a group• Participate in an arts activity regularly• Show arts leadership (e.g. assistant directing)• Gold award carries UCAS points.• You have to complete bronze/silver to enter for

Gold.www.artsaward.org.uk

1. Why do I want to do this additional qualification?– To earn UCAS points– To gain skills or improve my understanding that will boost my GCSE grades– To demonstrate additional skills on my CV– To develop an existing interest in an art form

2. Which art form might I want to research?– Theatre based? Masks, physical theatre, community theatre, costume design, stage combat… – Music based? – Visual arts-based?

3. How am I going to fulfil the “regular participation in an arts activity” criteria?– Assistant directing Rockpools (lunchtimes, 12.30-1.10 any day)– Assistant directing Year 7-8 production of Ubu (Mon after Oct half term 3.30-4.45pm)– Already part of an arts group out of school (e.g. Regent Academy Youth Theatre, regular Dance

class)

4. How am I going to show arts leadership?– Assistant Directing– Running workshops in lesson time– Taking responsibility for the physical warm-up in lessons for a month

Important Dates• Jan 10th Pastoral Day– performing pop-up, invisible theatre to Year 7s about

Discrimination/Diversity• School productions: 13th-14th Feb– Comedy of Errors (scripted)– Rockpools (devised)

• Unit 3 mock at the Venue, Tean– May 2014, actual date tbc in January

• Unit 2 coursework (Rainbow’s Ending?)– 4th and 5th June

Improvising and building characters• Chosen a greeting style

(handshake, fist bump etc.)• Improvise greetings with

others. What status does your character have? High (refuses to change greeting style? Low (backs down and greets the way the other person wanted)

• What kind of character have you started to develop from playing this game?

Think

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spot!

What status does your character have?

Developing CharactersTechniques: playable adjectives, status, objective/barrier• Think of one or two ADJECTIVES to describe your

character (based on your choice of greeting style). These are called PLAYABLE ADJECTIVES (e.g. formal, nervous, flustered, happy-go-lucky)

• Create a character that makes these adjectives very clear to the audience.

• A&B [C]. A is shopkeeper. B/C is customer. The shop doesn’t have what the customer wants. Improvise this scenario. Make your PLAYABLE ADJECTIVES clear in the character you play.

• Swap roles (B/C is shopkeeper, A is customer). Don’t change your character – just your role.

Complicité (working together)Ensemble (Group) Tasks1. In groups of 5 or more, move to the corners of the room. Knot yourselves

in a ridiculous position e.g. hold each others’ ankles while linking arms. Without breaking this position or contact, move across the room to the opposite corner.

2. Cross the room without losing physical contact, but only one person is allowed to move at a time.

3. Try the “Hot Air Walking” technique.4. Cross the room with two people not being allowed to touch the ground

and with the rest of the group not using their arms to carry these individuals.

5. Move together as a group without touching, so that from the outside you can’t tell who’s leading.

6. Now move in this way, but with additional specific characteristics e.g. chickens, cows, custard.

– Reflect on how easy or hard these tasks are.– Are you getting better at them as a group over time? How do you know?– Does one person tend to take the lead all the time or is it shared?

Traffic Light Ball Game

This warm-up helps us remember how to improvise scenes well by:1. Keeping the flow of lines coming (no big pauses)2. Keeping eye contact with other actors3. Listening to what people have said, respond accordingly4. Delivering lines confidently, even if you have no idea where

the scene is going.

Improvisation game using instant “pace” charactersPlay the improvisation game your team has been given, but whenever you are required to act, make sure you are playing the character you created from the “pace” exercise. You know this character’s name, age, what their treasured possession is, where they were going, at what pace they like to move and what kind of bag they carry.

improvisation

Polish up your improvised scene

Good improv techniques• Good flow of lines (no big pauses)• Clear non-verbal communication

(e.g. eye contact) with other actors• Listen to others, respond accordingly• Deliver lines confidentlyWe learned these from playing this game well.

improvisation

1. Keep the pace characters distinct2. Keep to the rules of your improvisation game3. Implement good improv techniques

Hwk – due for Thurs 3rd Oct

• Final design of Random Acts logo (on computer)

A1 A2 A3 A4 A5B1 B2 B3 B4 B5C1 C2 C3 C4 C5D1 D2 D3 D4 D5E1 E2 E3 E4 E5

Choose five squares…

?

Find a way of connecting these 5 images in this order to make a story.

Devising a scene or series of scenesUse the 5 images you chose at random to make a story. Perform this story using as many different dramatic techniques as you can.Rules:1. the images have to stay in the order they appear

on the sheet2. the images should be interpreted SYMBOLICALLY

e.g. a footprint could represent a journey.

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

Improvise a brief scene in pairs where person A is trying to persuade person B to give them something (e.g. a share of a piece of cake, a go on a computer game).

Person A can’t just keep repeating “Please…” and person B can’t just keep saying “No.”

How many ways can person A try to get what they want? Bribery, guilt, threats? How does Person B respond to these different approaches?

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Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

Whole group makes a ‘computer game death noise’ and a ‘revive’ noise.

Watch the improvisations, but if we think the persuasion attempt has failed, we make the ‘computer game death noise’.

Person A then ‘dies’ at this point, then audience makes the ‘revive’ noise. Person A gets up and tries a different approach to get what they want.

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Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Discuss…

Why are these impros engaging for an audience to watch?

What is the impact of the repetition?

What is the impact of the computer “death” and “revive” noise?

What if life was actually like a computer game? How would it be different to real life?

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Why are these impros engaging? Unusual structure, seems naturalistic, then suddenly non-naturalistic.

What is the impact of the repetition? When most things stay the same, you notice the details that have changed.

What is the impact of the computer “death” and “revive” noise? Makes it clear that they are pretending to be in a computer game.

What if life was actually like a computer game? How would it be different to real life? In real life you can ‘learn by your mistakes’, but you never get to turn back time and actually try the same situation twice. In computer games you get more chances to get things right, to get to the next level. Your actions matter less in a computer game because you always get a second chance. In life you don’t.

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Helmet (Roddy) Sal14-17 years old. Obsessed with computer games. Pale, horrible haircut (hood). Idolises Sal. Life stinks because he has poor social skills (because of games), no money (spends it all on games), vacant “zoned-out” demeanour, glazed eyes, often goes off on a tangent, avoids tricky questions, uses computer games to escape from reality, slouchy, doesn’t finish sentences, hyperactive speech, anti-social, does notice details, nosey about Sal (e.g. where Bindi is). Aim in Level 1 is to stay in the shop to play a game.

25. Indian. Born and lived in Scotland all his life. Has an “acid tongue”. Speaks slang/Punjabi. Hates teenagers who loiter and don’t spend money. Very suspicious at teenagers. Owns computer shop, his last chance to prove to his father that he can be as much of a success as his younger brother “Junior.” Jealous of younger brother who has gained success early on in life. Short fuse, hot temper. Has money problems. Feels like a failure, his dad tells him he is a failure. Paranoid his wife Bindi is having an affair with his brother “Junior”. Aim in Level 1 is to get Roddy out of the shop, to get Bindi back with the keys so he can lock up.

Hot-seating

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Discuss what key plot details are revealed in EITHERLevel One OR Level Two.

Have quotations ready (either lines or stage directions) to back up your statements.

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Level ONE Level TWO

Location established (“The Zone”, Sal’s computer shop). Sal’s irritation/jealousy that Junior is more successful than him. (p.21-22) Meet both characters by p.23. Know that “The Zone” is closing down (p.21) Know Roddy is persistent, doesn’t listen to Sal and Sal dislikes/irritated by Roddy. Learn that Roddy is obsessed by computer games. (p21-22) Hint that Bindi might be having an affair (p.25) Helmet hopes to work at “The Zone” when he’s older (p.26). In denial the shop is closing. Sal is short-tempered and sarcastic towards Roddy (p.26-28). Sal doesn’t seem to trust Bindi, discovered from the phonecall to Junior. Also Sal starts with “prank call” to Junior (p.28) Roddy gets upset by Sal’s “acid tongue” (p29)

Sal is increasingly annoyed with Roddy’s presence (p.30) Sal enjoys being complemented by Roddy as his ‘hero’ (p.33) Sal is trying to deflect the blame of the shop shutting away from himself (p.35) Roddy is in denial that “The Zone” is closing (p.37). Roddy reveals he has some money but gives conflicting explanations as to how he got the money (p.37)

Plot summary

• What do you notice about the differences/similarities between the storylines of level 1 and level 2?

• Why has the playwright Maxwell done this?

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Level THREE Level FOUR

We want an explanation about where Roddy got the money from (revealed at end of Level 2). Fewer flashback/repeats in level 3, suggesting the characters are getting the hang of the game, fewer mistakes. Two main issues about Impact of Computer Gaming on people raised. Computer games make young people violent…but Roddy questions this…how come older people had two world wars without computer games. (p.40) Sal raises the issue that constant updates and improvements of games mean people are never happy with what they have (p.41-42.) Explanation about the money: Roddy has punched a woman and stolen her bag (p.43), then tries to cover this up. Hook into next level = what happened to Roddy’s little brother.

A monologue from Roddy. NO action. Direct address. Relates everything to computer games – his only reference point. A way to comfort himself. Doesn’t know how to process or deal with the emotions of his brother’s death. Disjointed lines when he is revealing what happened.Loss – of computer games, of his brother, seen as equal in Roddy’s eyes.Buys games to remind him of his brother, even though he no longer has the consoles.“But sometimes the computer games just decides to win. It just decides you’re going to die and there’s nothing you can do about it.” (p.49) “Sometimes when you have no lives left you play better.” (p.49)”Overriding mood is POIGNANT.

Plot summary

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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POIGNANT lines from Level 4“On the second night Dad didn’t come back.”“All your lives are gone at once. It’s not fair and there’s nothing you can do about it.”“It was funny because Mum and Dad were there, but not in a nice way.”“I sat in the car and thought about Gran Turismo.”“Dad got in trouble with the police for being sad.”“Dad never really spoke to Charlie, but he still tried to go into the fire to get him out.”“I had more room on the way back but it took longer.”

POIGNANT because…Roddy has very simple language (vocabulary) but the audience can see him struggling to communicate much more complicated ideas and emotions such as marital breakdown, mental breakdowns, depression, death, guilt, remorse…

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Reading Task: Read Level FIVE of Helmet (from p.50-61)

Written Task 1 Select SAL or RODDY. In your book write a monologue (character speaking to the audience) that reveals as much detail about the character to the audience as possible. You must not change any of the details given in the script, but you can invent more of your own if you think they are appropriate to the character. Be prepared to deliver this monologue next lesson (doesn’t have to be learned, but could be if you felt able). Use information from ANYWHERE in the script (levels 1-5). Written Task 2: Annotating your own monologueGo through your monologue and every time you have referred to a fact about the character that you got from the script, write in the margin (or nearby) which page number gave you that information about the character. This should show that you have a very detailed understanding of either SAL or RODDY, and that you have got this information from a thorough reading of the whole playtext.

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Homework for Monday 21st October

Learn your character’s monologue off by heart so you are able to perform it to the class.

Ensure you have finished annotating the monologue with page numbers showing where in the play you got your information from.

SalObjective: lock up and go home

RoddyObjective: stay and play games

Early 20s, owns the failing computer shop, bitter, irritable, sarcastic, jealous of Junior, angry, occasionally sorry for Roddy, struggling with a lack of self-esteem

Teenager, obsessed with computer games, easily distracted, naïve, lack of self-awareness, no moral compass, idolises Sal, unable to fully process big emotional events

For homework you wrote for a monologue as either Sal or Roddy.

You have 10 minutes to learn OFF BY HEART at least 5 of your best phrases from your monologue. You will perform with other actors playing the same role.

Remember: use ACTOR SKILLS to create the CHARACTERS. Remember always what the character’s OBJECTIVE is.

Knowing your character’s objective gives everything you do a PURPOSE, and helps you SUSTAIN your character.

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Helmet by Douglas MaxwellPerforming monologues effectively

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Discuss and Evaluate!• What did the actors do to make Sal or Roddy

credible characters? Give specific examples referring to the actors’ characterisation (actor skills)

• Why do you think so many plays use monologue? What impact can a good monologue have on the audience?

Explore Reported Action from HelmetTechniques: flashback, characterisation, computer game structure

• In groups, take as your STIMULUS a line from Helmet that refers to reported action (scenes that have already happened, but that we never see).

• Improvise these reported action scenes. Use flashback and characterisation (you will need to create other characters such as Junior, Bindi, Roddy’s mum etc).

• Aim also to try to use the structure of computer game where you can repeat action if you make a mistake and try a different tactic to explore what these scenes might look like. (the ‘Y’ shaped scene)

Benefits of doing this practical exploration? By taking a character out of the script (out of context), it tests how well you know that character as you have to think and speak like them without the support of a script.

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Explore Reported Action from HelmetTechniques: flashback, characterisation, computer game structure

1. Title: Exploring Reported Action from Helmet2. Write the lines from Helmet (and page numbers)

that refers to the reported action you have been improvising.

3. Write the characters that appear in your improvisation (Junior, Bindi, Roddy’s parents etc).

4. What events does your improvisation show?5. Why did you choose to show these events?

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Extreme Computer Gaming: Research• Share the research you completed on the impact of extreme

computer gaming. Could be a blog, online forum, newspaper article, YouTube clip….

• In groups, find ways of turning your research into moments of performance, and cross-cut these with moments from Helmet.

• The result should be that the audience have a greater understanding of the character of Roddy/Helmet and the issues that the play as a whole is discussing.

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Write up: Extreme Computer Gaming: Research taskDue Thurs 28th Nov

• Glue in the research you did on extreme computer gaming.• Which moments of Helmet did you stage?• Describe the moments of performance your group created

that was inspired from this research and explain how you cross-cut these with moments from Helmet.

• Explain how this task improved you understanding of the character of Roddy and the issues that the play as a whole is discussing.

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Design a new practical task that will help us explore the playWe have already done 3 practical exploring tasks

1. Monologues to explore the main characters of Roddy and Sal2. Improvising reported action to give us a deeper understanding of why the characters

behave as they do3. Cross-cutting moments from the play with improvised action inspired from Computer

Gaming Addiction research to understand one of the main issues that the play is exploring.

• Plan a NEW practical task that will help us explore OTHER features of the play Helmet. Remember your practical tasks need to use at least ONE quotation from the actual script to be valid.

• Use a WIDE RANGE of DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES (e.g. forum theatre).• Design 1-2 powerpoint slides that will instruct the actors how to complete your

practical task. • Make it clear how your task will improve their understanding of the play?

Unit 2: Exploring ScriptsHelmet by Douglas Maxwell

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Where will Sal and Roddy be in 10 years time ?Use FLASHFORWARD, CHARACTERISATION and any other DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES you feel will help to explore this question.Find and use evidence from the script to justify your flashforward ideas, and think about where you are setting your scenes. E.g.• Sal and Junior are visiting their Dad in hospital who is seriously ill. • Roddy’s mum, dad or even older brother Philip is visiting Roddy

who is in prison• Roddy is a now a counsellor trying to help another young boy who

has a gaming addiction.

Fear and Misery of the Third ReichPerformance Date: 10th Jan 2014

Hwk in planners: learn lines and/or plan workshop activities for Year 7 related to the scene. Remember the theme is “discrimination.”

Scene Actors Workshop facilitatorA Case of Betrayal Carolyn Beddows (Woman)

Joshua Moult (Man) Brittany Cartwright

The Box

Paige Latham (Child)Liz Sharrock (Mother)Caitlin Everill (Wife)

Oliver Clarke (Worker)Lewis Davies (SA Man)

Esther Buchanan

The Jewish Wife

Hannah Walker (Wife)Hannah Newman (Wife)

Katie Nutt (Wife)Ruth Sutton (Wife)

Sam (Husband)

Emily Hall

By the end of this hour aim to be able to perform the scene pretty much off script…and fix the blocking. I will sort costume/props for you.

Fear and Misery of the Third ReichPerformance Date: 10th Jan 2014

Scene Actors Workshop facilitatorA Case of Betrayal Carolyn Beddows (Woman)

Joshua Moult (Man) Brittany Cartwright

The Box

Paige Latham (Child)Liz Sharrock (Mother)Caitlin Everill (Wife)

Oliver Clarke (Worker)Lewis Davies (SA Man)

Esther Buchanan

The Jewish Wife

Hannah Walker (Wife)Hannah Newman (Wife)

Katie Nutt (Wife)Ruth Sutton (Wife)

Sam (Husband)

Emily Hall

By the end of this hour perform the scene perfectly off script, with blocking and props organised. Once you have proved you can do this you can choose your costume. Workshop facilitators: You must have planned and communicated the workshop activities to your actors.

Planning the Fear and Misery “discrimination” projectFear and Misery of the Third Reich by Bertolt Brecht

Part A: The project’s creative purpose

• What the project’s aims were• Who the participants were• What your role was within the project• What skills did you need to use to fulfil

your role successfully?• How did you make sure your

performance/workshop was appropriate for Year 7s?

Part B: Planning practical issues

• What preparations did you need to make for the performance and the workshop?

• e.g. Line learning, costumes, props, music, asking History department for advice on how much prior knowledge Year 7s were likely to have, finding out more about 1930s Germany ourselves so we could answer hot-seating questions accurately and in detail.)

• What resources did you need to make? (laminates, powerpoint, props etc)

• Say how we left 5 minutes of note-taking time for the Year 7s at the end so they could remember what they had learned. This feedback went into booklets that they made at the end of the day.