Drama Production and Performance

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Drama Production and Performance

• Ling Liang Church M H Lau Secondary School
• Ms. Caroline Fung

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The Drama Process

• Drama is a process involving
• thinking, feeling, responding, talking,
  listening, role play, movement, writing and
  reading.
• It is an on-going and extended effort to make a
  message clear (one practice or rehearsal can
  seldom achieve the best product).

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Drama as a Process

• The actor needs time and opportunity to think
  about and create, (alone or with others), the
  sequence and actions of a performance.
• The skills of cooperative decision making are
  involved at the beginning, during and after when
  it is revised effectively.
• Finally, the actors can have confidence to
  present to the intended audience with the
  expectation of a positive response.

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Stages in the Drama Process
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Stage 1 Mastering the basics

• Stimulate students in the module and develop
  vocabulary building strategies.
• ( use of films and reader theatres to develop
  awareness to the basic element of the play)
• Introduce the Comic and Tragic Triangle in the
  plot study
• Practise the use of stress and intonation.

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Part 2 Script Writing

• Teach students the different elements of a
  script. Transform a famous folk tale into script
  and introduce simple stage directions.
• Practice writing a simple script.
• Learn the assessment criteria of script writing.

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Free download of scripts

• Whootie Owls Free Fairytale Play Scripts
  www.storiestogrowby.com
• English Teaching Plays http//home13.inet.tele.dk
  /dramakaj/language.html
• Lazy Bee Scripts www.lazybeescripts.co.uk

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Role-Play of a Short Scene

• Role Play a short scene in the group and reflect
  on ones own performance.
• Evaluate the group members performance using a
  set of criteria
• Role-play feedback form

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Questions before Role Playing

• Should you speak from memory or hold the script?
• How fast should you speak?
• How should you handle the stress and intonation?
• How can the voice be made clear and interesting?
• How can eye contact be used?
• How can facial expression be used?
• How can gesture be used?

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Role-play Feedback Form
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Writing Short Scenes

• To create short dramatic episodes based on a
  given situation.
• To practice role-playing a short scene before the
  class.
• To reflect on ones own performance

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Actors Experience

• To enrich actors experience, brainstorm with
  students the verbal and non verbal cues which
  showing emotions, feelings and motivation.
• (tips using video clips to identify different
  emotions, feelings or motivations with students)

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Process Writing and Cooperative Learning Approach

• To identify purposes, roles and context for
  different scenes of a drama and rewrite the scene
  in order to effectively convey the emotions,
  feelings and motivations of the characters
  involved in the scene.
• Act out the scene and evaluate the group
  performance of the scene using the Rehearsal and
  Performance Feedback.

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To do list for writing a script and putting on a
play

• As a group
• Select a story
• Write a skeleton of the story
• Write the first draft of the script
• Give and get feedback on the script using the
  Script Feedback Form
• Rewrite the script as many times as it takes to
  get it right.
• Give everyone a speaking part in the play
• Role delegation
• Carry out rehearsals
• Give and get feedback on the rehearsals
• Carry out a dress rehearsal
• Give the performance
• Get feedback from your audience
• Evaluate your performance and what you have
  learned

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Script Feedback Form
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Overall Script Feedback

• What did you enjoy about the script?
• What other areas could be improved on?

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Stage 3 Performing a Play

• To understand and identify purpose, audience,
  roles and context for developing a script.
• To practise completing a script by using
  appropriate linguistic, structural and rhetorical
  devices, a variety of structures and vocabulary
  and imaginative ideas.
• To draft, revise and edit a script using a set of
  criteria both independently and collaboratively.

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Casting and Rehearsal

• Discuss the roles and responsibility of the group
  members and assign each one a speaking part.
• Each group create a portfolio of the drafts of
  their script culminating with the final drafts to
  be submitted to the teacher for assessment.

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Performance and Evaluation

• Students learn to participate with others in
  planning, organizing and carrying a drama
  performance.
• Students also learn to respond to the characters,
  events and issues in a drama text through putting
  oneself in the imaginary roles and situations in
  the story and participating in dramatic
  presentations.
• Students evaluate their own and others rehearsal
  using a set of criteria.

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Rehearsal and Performance Feedback Form

• Give feedback on own or others performances.
• Lines are memorised.
• Pace and Stress are correct
• Pronunciation is accurate
• Body movement
• Physical interactions are natural and
  appropriate.
• Good flow of actions between the actors
• Convey meaning and feeling through the correct
  use of intonation and stress
• Eye contact
• Facial expressions
• Props and Costumes
• Makeup

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Drama is a reflective learning

• To improve acting skills, actors should reflect
  on their acting through peer decision making,
  revising, rehearsing and performing finally to an
  audience.
• Brainstorming is an important venue to discuss
  the actual topic. Decide on things as charades,
  debate, poem or play.
• Discuss the style include fairy tale, drama,
  comedy, fantasy and science fiction.

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Difficulties encountered

• Time-constraints
• Resources include enough space for rehearsals,
  financial set up include make up, props and
  costumes.
• Sustain junior students interests as quality
  drama involve great effort and energy as well as
  commitment and devotion

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Resolutions

• Start planning early
• Seek professional support
• Keep things simple and basis
• Cultivate a positive and threat-free learning
  environment.
• Tailor the tasks for learners ability
• Teachers are also reflective learners