OCR LEVEL 2 CAMBRIDGE TECHNICALCERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA IN

PERFORMING ARTS

PERFORMING SCRIPTED PLAYSF/502/4818

LEVEL 2 UNIT 9

GUIDED LEARNING HOURS: 60

UNIT CREDIT VALUE: 10

TECHNICALSCambridge

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PERFORMING SCRIPTED PLAYSF/502/4818

LEVEL 2 UNIT 9

AIM OF UNIT

To work successfully as a performer in the contemporary theatre requires a high level of performance skills and experience of acting in front of an audience. To give learners some experience, in preparation for a future in contemporary theatre, this unit will take them through the process of developing a role, which they will then perform. Learners will research the play and their role, take part in workshops which explore the play practically and participate in rehearsals prior to performing the role in front of an audience. Following the performance they will reflect and evaluate the performance of their role.

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Performing Scripted Plays Level 2 Unit 9

ASSESSMENT AND GRADING CRITERIA

Learning Outcome (LO)

The learner will:

Pass

The assessment criteria are the pass requirements for this unit.

The learner can:

Merit

To achieve a merit the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass criteria, the learner is able to:

Distinction

To achieve a distinction the evidence must show that, in addition to the pass and merit criteria, the learner is able to:

1 Be able to interpret a role taken from a play

P1 Develop a role and make decisions about interpretation

M1 explain research findings in relation to the selected role

2 Be able to develop a role for performance through rehearsal

P2 Attend rehearsals and performances demonstrating personal management and technical skills

3 Be able to take part in the performance of a play

P3 Perform a role with vocal and physical expression connecting with other performers most of the time

M2 perform a role demonstrating an understanding of the genre and style

D1 perform a role which demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the demands of the text

P4 Communicate intentions to the audience

4 Understand the effectiveness of the interpretation of the role

P5 Review the main strengths and weaknesses of own performance work

M3 explain improvements which could be made to the performing of the role

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TEACHING CONTENT

Be able to interpret a role taken from a play

Learners should be made aware of:

What the play is about – title of the play, writer’s conception, themes, issues, synopsis, sub plots.

How the play is realised – genre, style, shape, plot, mood, atmosphere, tension, pace, use of language, language register, style, rhythm, structure.

Where and When the play is set which furthers the understanding of Why the character behaves and responds as they do in the play, relevant geographical location, date, time, social, political, economic, religious and historical background.

Who the characters are – protagonist and antagonist ‘wants and needs’, status, development, relationships.

Be able to develop a role for performance through rehearsal

Before commencing rehearsals learners should be made aware of the demands of the rehearsal schedule, deadlines, performance venue, target audience, appropriate dress code for rehearsals.

Exploratory work – all learners as part of the ensemble should actively participate in – vocal and physical warm ups, games to increase energy levels, games to increase focus and concentration, team-building games for the whole cast, hot seating, improvised scenes ‘off text’, thought tracking, exploring the vocal and physical qualities and background of the character.

Text rehearsals – the direction of learners should include: blocking moves, annotating script, responding to feedback, physicalisation of role including posture, gesture and movement in the performance space; purpose and use of entrances and exits; use of props, costume and set; vocalisation of role including; understanding the text, voice modulation, dialect, accent, projection, facial expression.

Technical rehearsal and dress rehearsal.

Be able to take part in the performance of a play

Prior to the performance learners should be directed to participate in: vocal and physical exercises, games to energise and consolidate the ensemble.

To enable the learner to perform the role, the director should cover the following aspects of performing: focus and concentration, vocal projection, connections with and intentions for the audience, clarity of context, use of movement and voice including accent or dialect as appropriate to the character, creating ‘truth on stage’, creating truthful relationships, using technical elements to enhance performance, awareness of health and safety.

Understand the effectiveness of the interpretation of the role

Learners should be aware of how to gather and respond to feedback, preparing/writing an audience questionnaire, reviewing, analysing and evaluating their performance and demonstrating how to implement changes.

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Performing Scripted Plays Level 2 Unit 9

DELIVERY GUIDANCE

Be able to interpret a role taken from a play

The teacher/director should select a published play/s which is suited to the capabilities of the class and which allows learners to achieve to the best of their abilities within the proposed performance space and be of a length that should be sustained by the class. It is essential that the teacher has ‘a good working knowledge ‘of the play/s and the chosen genre and style. The delivery guidance should be adapted according to the genre and/or style of the play/s chosen. For example, both Stanislavski and Brecht divided scenes into units, however although the focus of the units differed this technique can be utilised for many plays of varying genre and style. Initially, there should be teacher-led reflection and discussion around the title of the chosen play/s and its implications. The text/s should be read aloud in full including all the stage directions and the teacher should ensure that all learners understand the synopsis and sub plots. A ‘mind mapping’ session could be used to instigate further discussion within the class about the themes, issues, genre and style of the play.

There should be further teacher-led detailed textual analysis which allows opportunities for learners to express their views and opinions and ask questions. The teacher should facilitate all learners, either as an individual or as a member of a group, to undertake research into the background of the play. The teacher should instruct the learner as to how the research informs the direction and performance possibilities.

There is the potential within this type of research for cross curriculum links with other departments, i.e. History, RS, Classics. English, Art. Learners should be instructed about how the research should be recorded and presented. The teacher must instigate a method of casting the play appropriate to the needs and strengths of the group.

Be able to develop a role for performance through rehearsal

The rehearsal period should be divided into two practical sections, the first dealing with ‘off the text exploration’ and the second with more ‘traditional’ rehearsal methods. From the outset, a strong sense of health and safety should be reinforced.

The ‘off-the-text exploration’

No matter what the genre or style of the play, games and off-the-texts activities should enhance the understanding and development of the play and also be used to build a good rapport amongst the cast. However, it is important to justify the choice of games and activities and assess their value for the learner within the context of the demands of the play. For any play, the games section should start with vocal and physical warm ups followed by games that energise and promote focus and concentration and those that develop group/cast rapport.

Following the initial teacher-led ‘warm up’ session, the learner should be led through a range of activities to promote further understanding of the play and development of their role. These should be teacher-led but a flexible approach should promote opportunities for learners to share their practical work and ideas with the class. Time should be allowed after the various activities for discussion to promote individual development.

Off-the-text activities

Learners should improvise ‘off the text’ dialogue and short scenes which are implicit in the text but which the playwright has not written, including situations that are mentioned in the text but not seen on stage and improvised moments or dialogue before a scene begins.

Learners should improvise scenes from the play in their own words. The exercise should be repeated using key words or phrases, then using ‘nonsense language’ and finally using no words at all, just actions. Such exercises will help to further the learner’s understanding of the intentions and sub text.

Learners should explore the status of their character within the play using games and activities.

Learners should be further guided by the teacher in exploring the subtext and ‘world’ of their character to further develop their realisation of the role within the performance space.

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Ideas for such exploration could include:

Constructing a time line for the life of the character and a further time line for the play, hot seating, writing a stream of consciousness, letters to other characters within the play, ‘a day in the life of’, diary entries, consideration of what animal is like the character, leading to where is the character’s centre of energy and how do such decisions inform the character’s movement, pace and rhythm and how does the character perceive the world around them?

The traditional rehearsal period – working with the text, should also begin with suitable warm ups and games to energise and focus the cast.

The teacher should ensure that the learner understands all their lines. Guidance and examples should be given to the learner on how to annotate their script as an ‘aide memoir’ for rehearsals, reflection and for aiding the process of learning lines. Using the text, written examples and handouts, teachers should guide learners through the process of writing a character study using textual references.

For the initial rehearsals of many plays, Stanislavskian methods can form a good basis for character development.

Such methods should include ‘the given circumstances’, ‘the magic if’, the ‘super objective’ and ‘through line of action’, dividing the text into units and objectives and actioning the units.

Through a workshop approach, learners should be introduced to the fundamentals of semiotics and the multiple sign systems within the performance space and understand their role as the most important semiotic.

The teacher should ensure that at this stage the learner has sufficient understanding of the character to develop the role vocally, experimenting with accent or dialect, if appropriate, and projecting as necessary within the performance space. Learners should experiment with the communication and delivery of their lines.

Learners should then move on to the physical realisation of the play within the performance space, familiarising themselves with set layout and required props. The play should then be blocked and further rehearsed.

Periodic constructive feedback as appropriate should be given by teacher/peer group, discussed and scenes re-worked accordingly.

As rehearsals progress, attention should be given to the realisation of the pace, the contrast between the different production elements and the building of tension within scenes.

A sense of continuity should be provided for the learner by ‘running’ the performance several times prior to the final rehearsals.

Learners should experience a technical rehearsal and a dress rehearsal.

Be able to take part in the performance of a play

Following the rehearsal period and prior to the performance, the teacher should ensure that the learner is confident with their lines and their interpretation of the role and that they are able to establish and perform their character with due regard for the physical and vocal realisation of the role in the performance space. The teacher should enable the learner to demonstrate a depth of characterisation and intentions and an understanding of the genre, style and context concurrent with their abilities. Further individual help, direction and reassurance should be offered to any learners who require further guidance prior to performance.

Teachers should ensure that learners have access and support for any technical aspects of their performance as required.

Teachers should guide learners through the process of compiling a short questionnaire for the audience. The teacher should facilitate the organisation, distribution and collection of the questionnaires. The questionnaires should be devised in such away that each character receives feedback from some audience members.

Teachers should ensure that immediately prior to the performance, learners are mentally and physically prepared through a series of warm up/relaxation exercises for the demands of the performance. The teacher should reinforce any health and safety considerations.

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Performing Scripted Plays Level 2 Unit 9

Understand the effectiveness of the interpretation of the role

The teacher should reinforce the positive aspects of reflecting and analysing a performance to promote further understanding of performing scripted plays. Learners should watch a recording of their performance and duly analyse their work. They should take feedback from a range of sources including audience questionnaires, directorial feedback and feedback from other members of the cast or technical crew. Having considered all the feedback, learners should evaluate their own performance and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their work, suggesting further ideas for the development and realisation of their role.

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SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT SCENARIOS AND GUIDANCE ON ASSESSMENTAssessment and Grading Criteria P1 M1

The learner should provide a Portfolio in the form of a notebook, log or similar, supported by apt research material. (the portfolio could be written, audio or DVD format). The first part of the Portfolio should chart the learner’s investigation into the background of the play. The second part should focus on the interpretation and development of the role. To gain M1 there should be clear evidence of the learner explaining and evaluating the research as to how it informed their choices and decisions regarding the development and playing of the role at this stage in the process.

Assessment and Grading Criteria P2

The learner should provide evidence within their Portfolio (part three) which details their further development of the role and the ‘journey’ they have taken throughout the rehearsal period. There should be some evaluation of their use and commitment to using various technical skills, e.g. voice, movement etc. in developing their role. Teacher/director to keep a register of the learner’s attendance at rehearsal and notes on their development and progress throughout the rehearsal period. Such notes should chart the learner’s achievement with regard to specific skills and techniques in relation to their role. The register and notes should be available for the moderator. Further evidence could be filmed and formatted onto DVD for the moderator showing the learner’s development of the role at strategic moments.

Assessment and Grading Criteria P3 P4 M2 D1

Part four of the learner’s Portfolio should discuss the learner’s overall intentions for the audience and detail specific intentions at moments in the script. This part of the record could be supported by annotated pages from the script. The performance should be recorded and formatted onto DVD. The quality of filming should allow the moderator to access clear evidence of achievement for all four grading criteria for all learners.

Assessment and Grading Criteria P5 M3 D2

The final section of the learner’s Portfolio should include an evaluation of their own performance. This should reference various skills and techniques developed during LO2 and further evaluate whether they fulfilled their intentions for an audience. Responding to the feedback and questionnaires from the audience, the learner should explain any improvements they would make to the playing/interpretation of the role for M3.

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Performing Scripted Plays Level 2 Unit 9

RESOURCES

Suitable rehearsal and performance space , lighting and sound facilities/ props/ set/ costumes as required

Camera for recording performance

Research material and facilities

Thinking Like a Director Michael Bloom 571 – 21456 – 8

Dramatic Events Richard Hahlo & Peter Reynolds 571 -19161 – 4

Acting John Harrop 415 – 05962 -3

Directing in the Theatre Hugh Morrison 7136 – 2596 -1

Games for Actors and Non-Actors Augusto Boal 415 – 06155 – 5

Signs of Performance Colin Counsell 415 – 10643 -5

Theatre Games Clive Barker 413 – 45380 – 4

Systems of Rehearsal Shomit Mitter 415 – 06784 – 7

Letters to George Max Stafford-Clark 1 – 85459 -317 –x

Directing a Play Michael Mccafferey 7148 – 2513 – 1

Theatre as Sign-system E. Aston & G Savona 415 – 04932 -6

About Acting Peter Barkworth 413 – 66110 -5

Actions M Caldarone & M Lloyd-Williams 1 - 85459 – 674 -8

Directors in Rehearsal S Letzler Cole 87830 – 019 -8

Making Theatre Peter Mudford 0 – 485 – 12158 -1

LINKS TO NOS

National Occupational Standard

Deliver an event or programme of events for learning and interpretation for a creative and cultural organisation

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