Download Performance - Newstead Wood School

Newstead Wood School
Sixth Form
September 2016
A.S AND A
LEVEL DRAMA.
H
Welcome to subject at AS
“We are such stuff as dreams are made of”
The Tempest Act 4, scene 1
Meet the Team
Mike Stokes; “I have always had a passion for drama
and acting from when I was very young. I have a B.A in
Drama and English from Reading University and did my
teacher training at Goldsmiths College. I have worked in
drama therapy with young adults with special needs and
I have been the Head of Drama at Newstead Wood
School for over 25 years, making me the longest serving
member of staff! I Have produced and directed many,
many school productions over the years including;
“Oliver”, “Grease”, “Joseph”, “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream”, “The Crucible”, “Peter Pan”, “Zigger Zagger”,
“The House of Bernada Alba “and an original devised
science fiction play; “The Convent”. (Next year we will be
staging a whole school production of “The Lion, The
Witch, and The Wardrobe”).”
Linda Frost;” I have always been interested in Drama, in
particular scripting and exploring different drama forms.
I have a B.ED. In Drama and English and initially worked
as an English teacher in Surrey, becoming Head of
Department. After having my family, I worked teaching
adults at Orpington College and then teaching Drama
and Performing Arts at Darrick Wood. I have been
teaching at Newstead for 12 years as Drama teacher at
all key stages. I have worked as Wardrobe Manager for
many school productions and I have directed several
productions for The School Shakespeare Festival.
(I am also an old pupil back in the days when the school
was called Orpington Girls Grammar!)
SCHOOL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL AT LOCAL
THEATRES.
Mrs. Frost.
DRAMA A.S LEVEL (EXAM BOARD EDEXCEL)
1. PERFORMANCE.
Students will create, develop, rehearse and
perform a group performance of an extract from
one play.
Group Performance of “The Tempest” by William
Shakespeare.
Students will choose to create, develop, rehearse
and perform a monologue or a duologue from a
contrasting second play.
Emma in monologue
From ”A kind of
Alaska” by Harold Pinter.
Magdalena in a
Monologue from “The Day in the death of Joe Egg”
by Peter Nichols.
Francesca in a Monologue from “Medea” By
Euripides.
2.
Students practically study a set play which is
assessed through a written examination. Lessons
consist of practical workshops on the form, style,
characterisation, staging, language and design
elements of the text
In the examination you will be given an extract
of the play and asked two questions from the
perspective of a performer or designer.
For example;
1. As a PERFORMER, discuss how you might
interpret and portray one of the key roles in
the extract.
2. As a DESIGNER, discuss how you would use
theatrical elements to create mood and
atmosphere.
3. Live Theatre.
We will visit the theatre at least three times during
the year and we will discuss, evaluate and analyse
performances of plays. You will make notes on all
the performance and design elements.
In the written examination you will be asked to
answer one question from a choice of two on one
of the productions you have seen.
For example; 1. Analyse and evaluate the
contribution of THE COSTUME DESIGNER and their
use of colour in the performance you have seen.
OR
3. Analyse and evaluate how stage space was
used to create impact in the performance you
have seen.
So the questions will be related to
performance space, acting skills, directing and
design elements( set/ costume/ properties/
lighting and/ or sound).
COURSE AT A GLANCE.
Module 1; Performance- section A- GROUP
PERFORMANCE/ section B- MONOLOGUE OR
DUOLOGUE- assessed by a visiting examiner.
Module2; Section A- PAGE TO STAGE-PRACTICAL
STUDY OF A PLAY- assessed by written
examination( approx.. 55 minute question)
Section B- Live Theatre- assessed written
examination (approx... 55 minute).
Exam Paper- 1 hour 45 minutes total.
Overview of the year
Dates
Half Term 1
Practicals/ examinations/ visits
 Bridging unitPerformance of 2 minute
Monologue prepared
over Summer Break.
 Practical study of play,
 Live theatre visit 1.
 Practical study of play
 Live theatre visit 2.
Half Term 2
 Preparation for Group
Performance.
Half Term 3
 Preparation for
Monologue or Duologue.
 Mock examination Paper
on studied play and live
theatre.
Half Term 4
 Preparation for Group
Performance.
 Preparation for
Monologue or
Duologue.
 Performance of Group Play
to an audience.
Half Term 5
 Performance of Monologue
or Duologue to an audience.
 Induction to A level Drama
course.
Half Term 6
 Devising theatre.
 Study of play 2.
August
AS Results
A LEVEL DRAMA YEAR 13.
1. Students devise an original piece of
theatre in a particular style and form not
studied at A.S. The stimulus will be taken
from an extract from a play text.
Students have to show how their work has
been inspired by a particular director or
theatre company.
A LEVEL DEVISED PIECE 2016, “Immigrants got talent”theme was the refugee crisis influenced by Brecht and
Frantic Assembly Theatre Company.
Students are assessed on their final
performance of their play to an audience
and through a written record of their
research, devising and rehearsal log and
evaluation.
2. Students study a second play text,
different in style and form from the one
studied at A.S. They study the play practically
through the work and techniques of a
particular theatre practitioner/director/ or
theatre company.
Students are assessed on the play through
a final written examination and have to
suggest a performance concept for the play.
EXTRA CURRICULAR
OPPORTUNITIES IN DRAMA.
1. “The school play”.
The school play this year will be a
whole school production of “The
Lion, the Witch and the Wardobe”
as performed by the Royal
Shakespeare Company.
Auditions will be in early
September and you could audition
for a part, train to be an assistant
director, train to be a stage
manager, train to be a technician,
train to be a wardrobe manager,
train to be a make up supervisor or
train to be part of the front of
house team. The play is a
wonderful opportunity to really
get involved with school life, build
your team and leadership skills
and work with students form all
years and other members of staff.
“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”- next
years school production- will you be in it ?
2. Drama club; you and a friend
could start up and run a drama
club for year 7, 8 or 9 at lunchtime.
You could do imrov. Workshops,
play drama games, explore scripts
or even work towards a
performance for parents. Past
drama clubs have performed
Christmas devised plays and one
year a club put on “The Secret
Diary of Adrian Mole”- it depends
how ambitious you re but the girls
love drama !
3. Shadowing and Teaching- we
could give you the opportunity to
shadow us as teachers on your
study periods and eventually team
teach with us if you would like the
challenge.
4.The Drama Festival. In the
Summer term all years from 7 to 9
will be performing plays and you
could help act as a supervisor to a
form and /or help out for the
Drama Festival evening when
plays will be performed to an
audience of friends and familythere are always plenty of jobs to
get involved in from serving
refreshments to filming or taking
photographs, form technical
support to stage management.
The Drama festival has been at Newstead
since 1957- above are two entries from year 9
and year 7- “The Rocky Horror Show” and
“Grease”.
DRAMA BRIDGING UNIT.
 I would like you to prepare a 2 minute
monologue of your choice in the first week
back in the autumn term.
 The monologue can be from any play written
for the stage- sorry - no films or T.V
speeches.
 The monologue needs to be from a play you
have read. It can be from a text you have
studied or one you have seen, or a play you
have heard about.
 If you choose your monologue from a
monologue or speech book make sure it
comes from a full published play and then
make sure you read the play.
 You need to have; read the play, learnt the
lines for your monologue, and rehearsed it
with speech and movement.
 You will also need a costume - this can be as
detailed or naturalistic as you want it to be –
depending on the style of the play.
 Your monologue can include properties if you
want and can include stage furniture, e.g.
tables/ chairs.
 You will have two lessons to rehearse the
monologue in the drama studio- but you will
be expected to know the lines and to have
done some
Rehearsal work beforehand.
 The monologue will be performed under stage
lighting and you can let me know what kind
of lighting you want e.g colours, strobe etc.
 You may use recorded sound or music – but
please make sure this is on a c.d or memory
stick.
 The monologue can be from any play written
from the early days of ancient Greek theatre
to present day. (e.g. “Medea” by Euripides to
“Harry Potter and The Cursed Child “by J.K
Rowling.
 You can cut and edit your speech but make
sure it makes sense and do not add any lines.
 The monologue could be: Shakespeare,
Modern, Comedy, Fantasy, Pantomime,
Physical theatre, Surreal, Melodrama,
Children’s theatre, Musical Theatre,
Naturalism- any style at all. ( Dorothy from
“The Wizard of Oz” to Lady Macbeth/ / Toad
in “Wind in the Willows” to Malvolio in
“Twelfth Night”
 I want you to choose something that tells me
something about you - something you are
interested in or that suits your personality or
acting skills- a play that you watched which
you loved or inspired you or something you
can relate to.
 The text can be any gender.
 You can research your text and interpret it in
any way you want.
 This is not an audition, but – it must show you
at your best- so do not choose something last
minute.
 You will also need to accompany your
performance with a 2 minute presentation
to the rest of the class about the play- its
context, why you chose it, your ideas for
staging.
 You will also need to hand in a 500 word
performance concept to me a day before
you perform- including, context, analysis,
rehearsal process and staging ideas.
 SO TO CONCLUDE;
A TWO MINUTGE MONOLOGUE OF
ANY PLAY PERFORMED UNDER STAGE
LIGHTING AND IN COSTUME TO THE
REST OF THE CLASS/ A 500 WORD
CONCEPT HANDED IN TO ME A DAY
BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE AT THE
LATEST AND A TWO MINUTE
PERFORMANCE PRESENTAION BEFORE
YOU DO YOUR MONOLOGUE WHICH
CAN INCLUDE POWER POINT, VIDEOS,
PHOTOGRAPHS ETC.
You can email me with any questions on
[email protected].
Good luck Thespians,
Mike Stokes.