Download Drama - annotated exemplars level 2 AS91216 (Resource B)

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Drama - annotated exemplars level 2 AS91216
(Resource B)
Perform features of a complex drama or theatre form or period (2.4B)
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See EXEMPLAR A for this Standard
TKI Drama Assessment Resources
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Complex performance skills associated with drama or theatre form has a challenging text, or involves
features that demand an exploration of advanced physical skills, or provides opportunity for abstraction
of ideas and depictions, or any combination of these. Five student grades exemplify the levels of
achievement using the features of the Italian theatre form Commedia dell’Arte. These students have
not scripted their performance, and in the same way a travelling troupe would have done at the time,
they have plot and cue information displayed in the wings to keep track of the storyline. The student
exemplifying the low Achieved grade performs features from the Ancient Greek Drama theatre form in
an excerpt from the Greek tragedy play Antigone by Sophocles.
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Low Excellence
Commentary
Student response
For Excellence a student needs to effectively
use complex performance skills associated with
a drama or theatre form or period. This involves
presenting work convincingly, capturing the
essence of the dramatic context with impact, and
refers to using complex performance skills of the
theatre form to enhance the performance.
Student 1 page 1
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This student is playing Pulcinella (Punch) using
features of the Commedia Dell’arte theatre form.
He is wearing a dark cerise jacket, carrying a
stick and a hump is stuffed on his back.
00:00-00:25
The student uses
voice to foreshadow
the
arrival
of
the
mask.
This
establishes
anticipation in the
audience
at
a
very early stage,
1
and supports the
creation of impact.
He then presents his
mask followed by
a strong physicality
that
convincingly
communicates
the
stock character of
Punch/Pulcinella. The
body is used to
create impact by
effectively pushing
up of the shoulder to
create a hump, and
uses chin movement
to show the mask.
The detailing of his
hand enhances our
sense of the role.
He establishes the
obsession of the
character with the
line "I need to
buy me a woman."
This engages the
audience
in
an
already
absurd
situation.
The
student
enhances
the comedy of the
moment by singling
out a member of the
audience.
00:27
The
movement
becomes faster and
his voice becomes
high
pitched
on
meeting the higher
status
character
of Pantalone. This
supports the creation
of
a
convincing
status
relationship
between
the
characters. As he
exits, the student
maintains
the
connection between
the mask and the
audience until the
very last moment.
05:58
The nodding of his
head highlights the
features of the mask
and shows his low
2
status in reference
to Il Dottore, which
serves to further
draw out the essence
of
the
dramatic
context.
06:20
His
physical
adroitness
within
the
fruit
bowl
lazzi enhances the
performance. The
improvised interplay
between
Punch/
Pulcinella
and
Il
Dottore has energy
and captures the
essence of the status
relationship between
the
two.
It
is
especially effective
that Punch offered
the suggestions and
words
for
Il
Dottore. However,
the student’s body
position tends to
get
higher
and
higher
over
this
extended lazzi and
this weakens his
ability to be totally
convincing.
08:10
The student alters
the
use
of
his
voice to show his
personality trait of
viciousness
when
interacting with the
lower
status
of
Arlecchino. Thus, the
student
enhances
the
audience’s
understanding of the
hierarchy
of
the
masks, through his
convincing shift of
status when dealing
with Arlecchino as
opposed Il Dottore.
How could this reach a more secure Excellence?
The plot could have been better developed and
resolved for Punch/Pulcinella and it lost some
credibility in the latter part of the extract. This
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undermines the security of the grade. Audience
interaction could have been developed further to
secure the Excellence grade.
High Merit
Commentary
Student response
For Merit a student needs to perform features
of a complex drama/theatre form or period
skilfully. This involves working with competence,
control and a sense of purpose. It requires the
sustained use of appropriate features to support
the dramatic context of the performance.
Student 2 page 1
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The student is playing Punch/Pulcinella using
features of the Commedia Dell’arte theatre form
in a performance with only Pantalone. He is
wearing a long cerise jacket and grey shorts.
00:27
The student enters
as Punch/Pulcinella
with the dialogue
"stupid
Pantalone"
to
establish
his
role
and
gain
attention from the
audience. However,
the entrance is a
little rushed and he
does not use the
Mask to enhance
the entrance. The
dialogue directed to
the audience reflects
his
low
status,
and he foreshadows
the underhand plot
against
Pantalone.
This
shows
competence and a
thorough
understanding
of
traditional
Commedia plotlines
to then contribute
to the improvised
nature of this form.
01:18
While he is doing
"work" for Pantalone,
his posture and use
of mask is sustained,
but he does not "play
up" to the audience
behind Pantalone’s
back which would
add
the
impact
4
needed
for
an
Excellence grade.
04:06
His change of mood
to the audience with
the line "I hate
you all" competently
supports
the
intention
for
his
stock role, but it
could be delivered
with more impact.
He develops the
plot
further
by
posing as a woman,
and the purposeful
harsh insult "stupid
old git" said as
an
aside
about
Pantalone shows the
student working with
competence, control
and a strong sense of
purpose.
06:25
The purposeful lewd
gesture to Pantalone
creates comedy as
we see his real
identity as Punch
not as a woman.
This
humorous
mood supports the
dramatic context.
06:42-07:08
Punch
"steals"
Pantalone’s money
bag with skilful use of
comic timing and this
supports his role’s
intention to ‘always
get something for
himself.’ He also
develops the plot so
that ‘he has got
one over the master.’
This
demonstrates
competence
and
control
with
the
features of this form,
creates comedy and
moves towards the
Excellence
grade
by enhancing the
performance.
5
07:10
His
exit
is
a
little
hasty
and
this diminishes the
potential impact of
the "last look" for the
audience. He doesn’t
take this opportunity
for his role to ‘revel’
in what the audience
love to see: the
servant tricking the
masters.
How could this student reach an Excellence
grade?
The student could be more convincing with
the use of status. During the time he is
"working" for Pantalone, use of head undulations,
further hunching of his back to exaggerate his
crippled posture, and movement of the chin to
create impact with his mask would enhance the
performance. When he is ‘fooling’ Pantalone, he
misses opportunities to relate and interact with
the audience to convincingly create comedy, and
to capture the essence of the "trick" over his
master. This would support an Excellence grade.
Low Merit
Commentary
Student response
This student plays Pulcinella/Punch using
features of the Commedia Dell’arte theatre form.
This role is shared.
Student 3 page 1
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The student wears a dark pink
coat. Her scenes are the 1st
Punch entrance and the 4th
Punch entrance. She fights for
Pantalone in last scene. She has
lighter brown hair, black t-shirt
with white writing and plaits in
her hair.
00:30
The student presents
the mask as she
enters the space,
supporting
the
audience’s ability to
identify with the
role. This indicates
some
competence
in
the
use
of
mask.
Her
voice
6
is whiney and has
an obsequious tone
used to show her
subservient nature
to Pantalone, but it
is not used with
sufficient variety to
confirm competent
use of the vocal
quality
of
her
stock character. This
fundamental vocal
quality is sustained
throughout
the
performance.
01:13
The student uses
the mask to relate
to
the
audience
in
a
manner
supports
controlled
execution of
mask
technique.
Although this
student does
sustain
the
appearance of
being
‘crippled’ with
a hump, the
body is not
used to create
variety
and
interest. This
indicates
a
very
basic
level
of
competence
in
terms
of
physical
characterisation.
that 01:49
The spitting lazzi is
purposefully placed
in this scene, and
gave the audience
time to realise what
7
Punch was really
like
and
added
to
the
comedy.
This supports the
dramatic context of
the
performance.
However,
the
unconscious
scratching of her
leg undermines the
students controlled
use of body. If she
had integrated this
into performance it
would have helped
to consolidate her
grade.
02:04
Her
mask
is
pronounced in the
exit
showing
a
competent use of
this feature, however
the student does not
carry on the threat
she is making, to
possibly snarl or hiss
at the audience, and
thereby misses an
opportunity to add
detail and further
support the dramatic
context.
How could this be a more secure Merit?
The role is two dimensional and does not explore
the duality of Punch. It is weakened by a limited
exploration of how the body and voice might
be used with more variety to draw out both
character and action. There is some exploration
of Lazzi but it is limited. This student needs
to explore the layers of the stock character
and its relationships in more detail in order to
consolidate the grade.
High Achieved
Commentary
Student response
For Achievement a student needs to perform
features of a complex theatre complex drama/
theatre form or period appropriately. This
involves demonstrating physical and historical
conventions used to convey the intention of the
dramatic context and support in performance.
Student 4 page 1
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8
This student plays Il Dottore using features of the
Commedia Dell’arte theatre form. She is wearing
black pants, a black cape and a black top with
white on it.
00:04
The
student’s
entrance
as
Il
Dottore
is
a
little rushed and
this undermines the
control over the use
of this feature. The
intention for the role
is
communicated
through the plot line
about the flowers
and characteristics
of babbling randomly
are realised. This
conveys
the
intention
of
the
dramatic context.
The student relies
on
the
packed
tummy more than
her own physicality
to
communicate
the stock character.
Although
there
is the occasional
demonstration
of
appropriate
upper
body movement to
show the personality
of her character,
the student needs
to be stronger on
her feet to create
comical movement
as part of the posture
to show competence
and control.
00:50-01:44
She
speaks
at
a
good
pace
and her interaction
playing to the low
status character of
Arlecchino conveys
the intention of her
role to support the
dramatic
context.
This
could
be
more competent and
purposeful if her
stock
trait
of
9
"pompousness"
is
played even harder.
01:44
The student exits
much too fast and
she needs to take
time to allow the
impact
of
mask
and body to be
fully
appreciated.
This
shows
lack
of competence and
control required for a
Merit grade.
How could this student reach a Merit grade?
The student needs to apply more confidence
and competence with body and voice. The
lower body needs to be slightly stronger, and
voice more consistent in a pompous tone.
Her entrances and exits are too quick and
lack competence and control. With greater
connection between the body and mask, the
impact of mask could also be greater. Status
is held but generally the physical aspects of
the role need to be strengthened to gain a
Merit.
Low Achieved
Commentary
Student response
This student plays Antigone in the opening scene
of "Antigone" by Sophocles. She is first on stage
and wears a burgundy sash. The theatre form
that is being performed is Greek Drama.
00:00
The student’s
entrance
is
rushed
and
too
naturalistic.
This does not
demonstrate
the
heightened
reality
required
for
the form.
00:08-00:12
The student’s
vocal quality
and
gesture
are
heightened.
There is a
gestural
reference to
Student 5 page 1
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10
the
Gods
that support
the intention
of the text/
dialogue.
00:26
Using
presentational
mode
and
gesture
the
student
addresses the
audience
as
the city. This
supports the
didactic
nature
of
Greek theatre.
00:34-00:48
The
student
maintains
pose
and
position, thus
supporting the
notion
of
ritual and also
supporting the
focus
on
Ismene in a
manner that is
appropriate to
performance
in a Greek
amphitheatre.
However,
she
drops
her
head
for extended
periods, thus
closing off the
mask to the
audience. This
shows
that
she
is
not
considering
the demands
of an Ancient
Greek
amphitheatre
at
these
points.
01:10
Student uses
heightened
gesture
to
emphasise
"pain"
and
11
"ignominy."
However, this
is weakened
by
her
decision
to
close
her
body
and
mask from the
audience and
this
undermines
the quality of
her
performance
of
physical
conventions of
the
Greek
form.
01:36-01:41
The
student
uses
heightened
gesture
to
refer to all
of the parties
in this conflict,
thereby
creating
the
location
of
the
Chorus,
and Creon on
the "skene."
This supports
the historical
conventions of
the form.
How could this student reach a
more secure Achieved?
The grade would be more secure
if the student worked more
consistently within the mask,
keeping her head up and more
fully utilising presentational mode
to connect with the audience in
a manner more suited to the
Greek Amphitheatre. If Antigone’s
entrance and her interactions with
Ismene were less naturalistic, this
would have further secured the
grade.
12
High Not Achieved
Commentary
Student response
This student plays Il Dottore using features of the
Commedia Dell’arte theatre form. – She wears a
black cape, has light brown hair and enters when
"Brighella" is lying on ground.
02:02
The student enters
appropriately
costumed
as
Il
Dottore but she does
not create the stock
physicalisation of the
role. The underhand
plotting is created
and the dialogue
does support the
dramatic
context
at a fundamental
level,
but
this
is not developed.
No awareness of
the
need
to
present the mask
is
demonstrated
adequately.
Movement
is
naturalistic and lacks
any variety.
02:56
The student does
not follow the ritual
of exiting to create
comic effect or to
show the intention
of the role to the
audience. She even
begins to take the
mask
off
before
being fully off the
stage.
03:25
The student does
not
demonstrate
sufficient vocal or
physical
characterisation to
support the creation
of role or situation.
Her
performance
is naturalistic and
uncommitted,
to
the
point
that
it is questionable
as to whether or
not she can be
deemed to have
Student 6 page 1
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13
"performed."
She
does not observe
the rituals of mask
or the conventions
of the form at an
appropriate level.
How could
Achieved?
this
student
reach
an
Some effort with voice and body is made
to establish Il Dottore’s role but much
greater exaggeration is needed. The dialogue
shows the character’s intention but the
"pompous bumbling" professor character
through movement and body communicates
little to support the dramatic context.
Comedy of role needs to be more evident.
The mask needs to be enhanced by body
and movement adequately to convey the
intention of the dramatic context. The
awareness of physical impact and interaction
with the audience needs to be developed
further. The student’s supporting evidence
needs to meet the requirements of EN 4 of the
standard.
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