The Exam Book

The exam - how to succeed

Introduction The written examination is an essential part of your final grade, contributing 40% of your total marks. This booklet is designed to support that ​need to succeed.

The booklet covers the different areas of knowledge and expertise you need to develop.

You should work through all sections in order to achieve to your best, skipping sections will leave holes and flaws in your learning. When it comes to revision, however, you can use the sections to help target your work and polish up your weakest areas.

So what do you need in order to succeed? Well: ● ● ● ●

Knowledge - of the play, its context, genre and so on.

Knowledge - of key drama terms and vocabulary.

Ability - to express your thoughts effectively in a written form.

Exam Technique - supporting approaches to surviving the pressure of the examination.

1

Context What is context?

Context is the way we understand something, a set of factors and circumstances which define the sense of something. When things happen ‘​out of context​’​ that is when they no longer have the same sense.

Look at the following example: ‘​I couldn’t stop laughing.’

Without any context, this could have any different interpretation. We know its ​literal​​ sense, someone was laughing and couldn’t stop, but the ​context​​ defines its ​real meaning.

Compare the following situations for the sentence ​‘I couldn’t stop laughing’​ .

1) The person was being told off by a teacher.

2) The person was at a stand up comic’s performance.

What types of context are there?

As you can see the different circumstances change the sense of the sentence and when we look at a play, the same things apply. When we study work, we have to think about lots of different contexts, all of which change the way we understand the work.

Historical Context: The when of a play or a piece of work. This can apply to two different aspects, the when it was written and sometimes the when the play was set. For example the film ‘Gladiator’ was released in 2000 but set in Ancient Rome.

Social Context: The social aspects of a play or piece of work. This refers to the society into which it was released and considers the social backdrop of a play and its content. For example is it set in a particular society (perhaps a school) was it written for a specific society? A play written for the French Revolution, for instance, will make sure it supports the social ideals of the people - primarily chopping of the heads of rich people.

Cultural Context: The fashions, beliefs and trends of a play or piece of work. This considers the aspects relevant to the audience and reflects what it was that would make the piece interesting to the audience. For example, a play about chess may only have a limited appeal as it not culturally popular.

2

Context of The Government Inspector The Government Inspector was written by Nikolai Gogol and was first performed in Russia in 1836. The first performance was watched by Tsar Nicholas I who ordered it be presented and approved of it. The play is a satirical farce, centred around the premise of mistaken identity.

Gogol wrote the play as a reaction against the confusing and corrupt political systems of Russia at the time. Gogol wrote the play to represent the state of Russia and based on his life’s experience and the state of Russia at the time we can understand how this would have worked. He was quickly upset when people couldn’t fully appreciate his aims, but that’s rather the nature of the business!

Russia was corrupt, it was ruled by a Tsar who was an autocrat and only really interested in those from the upper classes. There wasn’t much money in the country and wages were poor, so most people used bribery to achieve what they wanted. As there wasn’t much in the way of money, people were more interested in ‘titles’ and people desperately tried to become something more than they were.

The control of all ‘departments’ or areas of life came under Government control, with the Tsar as the ultimate head. That meant that he could have the ultimate say in everything.

More to the point, many of the departments didn’t really have very fair or balanced views.

For example, the education ministry focussed on making sure that only well to do students made it to university.

Gogol’s play is then a political piece, which shows how messy the Russian system is through comedy. You can see the notion of bribery, corruption and the obsession with gaining titles and status. ​His Dramatic Intention​​ is to present the corruption in a comedic light so that, whilst on one hand we laugh at it, on the other we recognise the problems and (hopefully) take action.

History and location ​- These contextual factors are important and it can be argued that we need those in order for it to work, in other words the piece ​needs​​ to be set in 19th Century Russia. Yet, the play has been updated and modified to create ‘The UN Inspector’, so it could be argued the other way, in that the main aim or ​intention​​ of the play is transferable.

The fact it is set in Russia is helpful as there is something synonymous with corruption in Russia, largely because of its history, but even now with the way it conducts itself Internationally. It is a secretive and elusive nation, so to a Western Audience it is something other than what it might be in its own location.

IN an answer you should be able to argue at least one of these contextual points depending on which approach you are taking in your ​concept​​.

3

The Questions There are two questions that you need to answer, they are numbers ​7) & 9).

You do not need to answer any of the others, ​but​​ you must answer ​all parts​​ of those questions.

Question 7: The Government Inspector (45 marks total) This question expects you to prove your knowledge and understanding of ​The Government Inspector,​ by referring to ​an extract and the whole play​​. You will need to understand the play, its structure, its context, the characters and how to approach them as, ​an actor, a director and a designer.

It is broken down into three sections, one for each discipline: ​acting, directing, designing.​​.

7a) Acting (10 marks) This section comes in ​two parts.

7a (i) & 7a (ii)

Both parts ask for approaches to acting with explanations for your choices and their effect.

Both parts refer to approaches to acting ​in the given extract.

Both parts require the same writing structure, loosely based on the simplistic idea of ​What How & Why? Example: - One x ​What, How & Why? In this extract, I would use ________________ to show ____________________________.

I would achieve this through ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________ which would communicate/convey __________ _________________________________________________________________________ Completed this could become: In this extract I would use ​blocking​ to show t​ he Mayor’s status. ​I would achieve this through p ​ ositioning and I would have him downstage centre to dominate the action, he would also keep his distance from all other characters ​which would convey​ his sense of isolation and dominance over the town.

To find further support on Performance Skills you could consider, please refer to the Performance Skills section.

7b) Directing (21 marks) This section comes in ​two parts.

7b (i) & 7b (ii)

4

Both parts ask for a directorial focus with explanations for your choices and their effect.

Both parts refer to​ the given extract, with reference to the whole play and its context.

The first question (so far) has focussed on the use of ​production elements​​ and the second on ​delivery of a role through voice, physicality, stage directions and stage space.

The structure for these questions is not as simple as ​What and Why? ​You now need to use : M.D.I.C. M​​ ethod D ​escription I ​mpact on Audience C ​ontext

(Short - approximately one sentence) (Longest section - 3 or 4 sentences) (Medium section - 2 or 3 sentences) (Short summative section - 2 sentences)

7b (i) Begin​​ by stating which of the ​optional production elements​​ you are focussing on: As a director I will be focussing on the use of ___________________ in this extract.

Then​​ you will need to complete as many ‘​MDIC’S​​’ as you can in the time allocated to this question (13 ½ minutes).

Example: - One x ​M.D.I.C. The first p ​ rop/element​ (choose one) I would e ​ mploy/use/apply/direct/insist upon​ is ___________________. I would use this ___________________________ . By using this I would manipulate the audience response so that _________________________. This supports the context of the play as ___________________________.

Completed this could become: The first prop I would employ is the letter. I would have a large letter, folded several times and sealed with an old fashioned wax seal. The letter would be marked with rings from tea cups and about the same size as a broadsheet newspaper, with small writing written all over both sides. The letter would also have a tear in the middle to allow the cast to be seen at times through the centre. By using the letter in this way I would be able to generate comedy as the letter is unfolded, becoming increasingly large. Further to this, the scale of the letter would help to comically reinforce the idea of its importance in the play and to the characters.

These aspects support the context of the play in that the seal creates a sense of the

5

historical context and setting of the performance, written as it was in the 1830’s as a comedy.

7b (ii) Begin​​ by stating which of the ​performance skill areas​​ you are ​starting with​​: As a director I would begin by focussing on the use of ___________________ by the performer.

Then​​ you will need to complete as many ‘​MDIC’S​​’ as you can in the time allocated to this question (13 ½ minutes).

Example: - One x ​M.D.I.C. The first _ ​ _________skill​____​ I would ​employ/use/apply/direct/insist upon​ is ___________________. I would have the actor use this ___________________________ .

By using this they would manipulate the audience response to the character so that _________________________. This supports the context of the play as __________________________.

Completed this could become: The first skill I would employ is the use of stage space. By having the actor playing the Inspector persistently close to Anna and Marya I would be able to communicate his sexual intentions towards them. This action would be reciprocated by the two girls, with each competing to be closest to the Inspector. Whenever other cast members are looking away I will have the actors attempt to make contact, be it kissing a hand and so on. In this way I will communicate to the audience the Inspector’s lack of respect for the Mayor and the system, further enhancing his sense of destructive influence and the foolish naivety of the townsfolk.

I would ensure that whilst contact is made, it is kept appropriate so as not to contrast the original setting and context of the performance. For example, whilst certain types of contact may increase the humour, they would not be appropriate to 1830’s society.

6

7c) Designing (14 marks) This section is just one question, but at 14 marks it expects the longest single answer response of the section. The question ask for a design focus with explanations for your choices and their effect.

The question refers to​ the given extract, ​and expects you to be able to demonstrate how your design will improve the section. This ​is not just about making it look nice!​​ You have to show that you can use design ​creatively and intelligently​​ to highlight ​key aspects of the action.

This question is only possible with a clear idea before you go into the exam of what ​your own performance would look like.

The structure here is again ‘What, How & Why?’ but there needs to be a greater depth in the description to secure the points. The description MUST refer to aspects of the extract.

For Example:

In the given extract I would use costume design to enhance the production.

The first way I would achieve this is through the use of military costume design for the Mayor. I would dress him in a jacket covered in gold braid and ceremonial ribbons, complete with epaulettes. The jacket would have numerous pockets on it, each with something protruding from it, for example, banknotes, handkerchiefs etc. He would also wear a hat with a ridiculous feather in it, but this would be removed on entering and potentially left in dangerous places, such as on chairs where it may be sat on.

I​ would design the Mayor’s costume in this way to reinforce his sense of self-importance and to support the context of the play. By presenting him as someone who dresses for a military role, even though he is only a Mayor, establishes him as a liar and a bit of a con-artist. Furthermore, by having his costume bold and elaborate, I will have this as a stark contrast to those around him. By having his costume clearly more expensive and elaborate this will reinforce the class divide essential in the play and in this extract. The large number of pockets really supports this extract as he will have the letter in one of the pockets and he will pull out all manner of incriminating items as he tries to remember which pocket it is in.

You will notice that there is detail here which supports both the whole play and the extract.

This will not always be possible, but every attempt should be made at it. Try to visualise specific ​things that would make the extract work better.

7

The Director The role of the director is to create their vision of the play on stage, taking responsibility for the action, the overall look and the delivery of the piece. They are the translator who leads all of those involved on the ‘page to stage’ journey. In short, they are responsible for ​what you do or don’t see and how you see it.

This process is best compared to reading a book and watching the film. When you read a book such as Harry Potter before the film exists, you are allowed your own ideas about the story, you effectively imagine the story in your mind’s eye. So does the film’s director and they then create their imaginative vision onstage, once that happens and you see it, it is hard to imagine the characters and settings in any other way.

They are in charge of the image, but have a team of people working with them in the form of designers and actors. All of these people have their own input, but ultimately a director must have a clear approach or ‘​concept’​​ for the performance.

The Director’s Tools: The director controls: Actors - the ​blocking​​ of actors and direction of their ​action​​ onstage. This includes Performance Skills​​ and input on how lines are delivered, when, where and so on.

Designers - the choices of how to apply ​production elements​​ to support the communication of narratives and intentions.

The concept A ​concept​​ is a way of describing the whole package of a performance. Directors choose how to present a play, often making choices about how to make it more relevant for an audience (particularly when it is an older piece of theatre). They consider the ​original context ​of the piece, the ​original playwright’s intentions​​ and the ​current contextual relevance​​ of the play.

The director will invariably focus in on ​the themes​​ of the play and see which of those are still ​relevant in a contemporary context.​​ In this way they can make the play more ​relevant and appealing​​ to a modern audience. Interestingly, ‘​The Government Inspector’​ has been adapted to create ​‘The UN Inspector’​

8

Performance Skills The ​Performance Skills​​ are essential for smooth and timely responses, by knowing them and understanding their use in performance, you will be able to create effective answers.

Verbal/Vocal Performance Skill

Description/Definition

Pace Pitch Tone Dynamic Emphasis Accent Pause/Silence Breathing

Nonverbal Communication Performance Skill

Description/Definition

P/S

Proxemics Levels Gesture Posture/Stance Facial

9

Expression Movement Energy Levels/ Tension States Eye Contact Circles of Attention Blocking Multi-Roling Appearance -Costume Appearance Makeup

Writing About Performance Skills When the question asks you how you would use ​Performance Skills​​ to communicate a character, you must stick to the same ideas as the question structure requires.

You will normally find them specifically referred to in ​7 a)​​ where you need to consider the What, How & Why. You will also find them buried in question ​7 b)​​, in which the director needs to consider performance in terms of ​voice, physicality and stage directions/stage space.​​ Here you will need to employ them under the ​MDIC s​ tructure.

10

Production Elements DESIGNERS - Set & Props, Lighting, Sound & Costume If the actors are the artists of the stage, then the ​Technical Designers​​ are the craftsmen.

Whatever the performers create is then treated by the designers who all aim to ​highlight aspects and ​help to embellish the narrative​​ through their art form.

The designers work alongside the ​directors​​ and they are expected to deliver what the director ​wants. However, in this examination you must be ​both, director and designer​​. For that you need to understand the process of design and have your own version of that process completed.

The Process The director is responsible for deciding what they will do with the script in performance, this will have a direct impact on what the ​designers​​ can do. If, for example, they decide to set the production in space, then the ​designers​​ have to create the setting and costumes to support this idea, cue space rockets and space-suits. In other words, whatever the ​director wants, the designers have to make.

The Design The designs have to ​support ​ the story and ​the audience understanding or response. ​If a play is performed in an empty space in plain black costumes, then it is ​minimalist​​ and it is up to the audience to work out much of the information.

11

If, on the other hand, the set and costumes are really detailed and accurate then it is a naturalistic​​ setting and the audience have less imagining to do!

It is possible to use ​symbolism and visual cues​​ to help create responses in an audience.

By doing so, you can exaggerate key elements of the scenery or costume etc to draw their eye and essentially ‘highlight’ a key theme. You might do this with; a large letter, a picture of the leader on the wall, a throne in the middle of the room, etc. For example, in the image below from ‘Into the Woods’ the clock gains increased power and also creates a moon.

12

Preparing for the Design Question You need to spend time looking at a range of images online using sources such as Google Images to help improve your own ideas.

By typing in searches such as: Stage set Government Inspector, design, costume design for Government Inspector, Gogol design You will find excellent ideas that you can use.

Set Design: There is a range of designs, from the naturalistic or traditional through to the more symbolic.

As you can see below there is no right or wrong, so you need to ​create your own design.

Costume Design: Just as with the set, you will find a range of costume designs with several useful ideas to borrow, not least the idea of dressing Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky in the same outfits!

13

Lighting Design Perhaps the most technically demanding of the three, particularly in terms of the vocabulary, lighting is another way of creating a sense of mood or occasion. It can be used naturalistically or stylistically to highlight key features or create a natural sense of passing time and so on.

NB - It is ​not enough​​ to just talk about colours!

Lighting design works in terms of the following: ● ● ● ●

Type - Spotlight, wash, punch, LED, moving head Colour - any from a full range, but each has a different impact or effect.

Angle - where is it coming from? Uplighting, downlighting, side lighting, High or Low? - This is really important as it has a massive impact on shadows.

Size - Large or small? How much of the stage is lit?

For example, looking at the picture above, you can see that there are two different colour washes, the stage is divided into areas upstage and downstage with lighting to create a greater divide between the characters, there is a spotlight with a gobo that is downlighting on the Mayor. On top of this, there is a low positioned uplight from DSC which creates large shadows on the back wall to emphasise his power. This striking and stylised lighting approach emphasises the effect of the final tableau to heighten the sense of impending doom.

You will need to master this ability if you intend to write about it in the exam.

14

Revision Guide Let’s assume that you have worked your way through this guide book and understood it all and that you took any questions you had along the way to your teacher for clarity. If that is the case the table below should help you arrange your revision.

TASK

DETAIL

Character Sheets (7a & 7b)

Use the example sheet (Character Planner Sheet) as a guide to create your own character sheets. They should be filled in for Verbal and Non-Verbal performance skills. Knowing how you will play characters with clear examples will really support you in questions 7(a) & (b).

Re-read the play & know the characters.

Only by knowing the play inside out will you have the knowledge you need to respond quickly to the given extract and get writing. To help - use the Character breakdown sheets to plot each character

Create a concept

Have your own idea for how to present the play, this will be in terms of; casting, design & stage action.

Design Research

Use Google Image to look at images of the play analyse them for the way they have used design and acting skills to create an effect and audience response.

Practice Questions

Work your way through practice questions, using a timer and the given structures to help you out.

ASK!

When there is something you are missing, email or ask your teacher directly. As time goes on more of the problem areas will be identified and covered, but only with your help.

Practice your writing

You need to write neatly at speed, sadly the only way to improve this is by doing it. Develop the muscles in your fingers - type nothing - write everything.

✔

15

Character Planner Sheets (​​An Example​) Character:

Mayor

Description of Intentions:​​ Needs to be seen as self-important and pompous. He needs to be extreme in his actions to help create humour and his journey through the play needs to see him rise to a frantic peak and then collapse when the Inspector is revealed as a fake. He needs to be frenetic, high paced and appear unhinged.

TECHNIQUE (WHAT)

EXAMPLE (HOW)

PURPOSE/INTENTION (WHY)

Proxemics

I would ensure that the Mayor is always keeping his distance from the others. If people get too close he moves, usually accompanied with a look of disgust on his face (eyes squinting, mouth tightened and head lent at an angle) and even a gesture of revulsion (pulling both hands in to his chest)

This would demonstrate to the audience the way that the Mayor holds himself as better than everyone else.

Levels

I would ensure that the Mayor is always higher up than the other characters. I would achieve this through the movement of all actors in the cast, with the exception of the Inspector. All actors will actively seek to have their eyes lower than the Mayors, so that when he sits, they must too, or instead kneel or bow etc. I would also support this by having the Mayor seeking out objects to stand on such as his desk.

This would demonstrate the Mayor’s superiority, but also create humour, particularly when it is difficult for others to get lower than the Mayor, for instance if he chooses to lie down on on the chaise longue. This will further create a significant contrast when the Inspector arrives as he will be the only person who does not know or follow the rule.

This will increase the sense that the Mayor is giving up even more in an attempt to flatter the Inspector and it significantly increases the Inspector’s status, creating even more humour at the climax when it is revealed that he is an imposter.

Vocal Tone

I would have the Mayor use a high pitched and strained voice to reveal his tension. His voice would often rise in tone to high levels when talking to his colleagues, but remain falsely calm, placid and deep when talking to the Inspector. Occasionally I would also have this front slip and break, allowing his high tone to creep in in front of the INspector, particularly towards the end.

This would show the tension and pressure that the Mayor is under.

He would look out of control and highly stressed and his fake tone with the Inspector would reinforce the idea that he has something to hide. The occasional breaking of his voice would create humour and reveal his inner state at appropriate moments.

16

Drama Dictionary WORD

Definition

Action

Actioning

The movement or development of the plot or story.

The act of working through your script, breaking it down into ​units and applying an actioning word to each unit/line to clarify its subtext, meaning and delivery.

Antagonist

The second main character of a play, commonly the villain (but not always).

Apron

The area between the front of the curtain and the edge of the stage.

Articulation

The clarity of speech.

Asides

Lines delivered directly to the audience.

Backlight

Light straight from the rear.

Batten

A long row of lights all wired together, these are normally used to colour the cyclorama.

Black Box

A single room theatre or acting space - the drama studio.

Blocking

Business

The process of placing actors upon the stage in specific locations, deciding on entrances and exits, movement, etc.

A piece of unscripted or improvised action, often comic in intention, used to establish a character, fill a pause in dialogue, or to establish a scene. An author may simply suggest 'business' to indicate the need for some action at that point in the play.

The feeling of release for the audience as their emotions are Catharsis released. This is an involuntary reaction or response.

The point about which a character's focus is derived, it can shift and Centering/Character in simple terms defines the movement and reactions of the character, Centres for example: stomach centre = hungry or nervous (butterflies).

Characterisation Choreography

Chorus

How a performer uses body, voice and thought to develop and portray a character.

The movement of performers and/or dancers to music in a play A group of performers who sing, dance or recite in unison; originating in Ancient Greek theatre the chorus were those who also danced between episodes, narrated off-stage action and commented on events.

17

Climax

The highest point of drama or the most intense moment of a play/on stage.

Clocking

A term usually applied in ​maskwork​​ in which the performer looks deliberately towards the audience.

Concentration

The performer's focus, also called ​centering​​; focusing on the work at hand, being in character or being in the moment.

Conscience Alley

A technique in which the inner thoughts or the words heard by a character are repeated at them by characters/actors on the stage.

Contemporary

A word meaning 'modern' or 'of this current time' - contemporary theatre counts as that within living memory.

Cross-cutting

Denouement

Presenting scenes in a non-chronological order The rear wall of the stage is often referred to as the cyclorama, although it is technically a gently curved cloth hung on the back wall, often used for projections or starcloth.

The moment when the plot of a piece of drama is explained or revealed. This can be over a longer period of time and does not have to be one instant.

Dialogue Direct Audience Address - or - The Aside

Spoken conversation between characters.

A device in which the actor delivers dialogue directly to the audience.

This can be either conscious or subconscious, i.e. They can 'know' that the audience are there, or not.

Downlight

Light straight down from above.

Dramatic Irony

Where the audience knows something that at least one character on stage does not.

Duologue

A scene for two people.

Dynamic

The range of energy or changes in physical movement or the range of differences in levels of sound (volume)

Emotion Memory

The use of our own emotional experiences from our own lives to help create the correct response in a character on stage.

End On Energy Levels/Tension States

A traditional audience layout, in which the audience sit looking straight into the stage space.

A scale running from 1-7 to define the amount of energy applied in performance. Level 1 is so low it is barely moving and interestingly level 7 is the same but at the other end of the scale!

Ensemble

A French word meaning 'together' it is used to refer to a group of performers working together as one.

Cyclorama

18

Farce

The part of the play that introduces themes, characters and circumstances - it traditionally comes at the outset, but more contemporary approaches have seen this changed.

An extreme form of comedy reliant on a quick tempo and perfect timing. They invariably contain unlikely scenarios and chance coincidences to create humour.

Flash Forward

A non-linear technique which enables the plot to go forward in time.

Exposition

Flashback

A non-linear technique which enables the plot to go back in time.

The elements which make up a play, these include the means by which it is presented to an audience, such as through; mime, physical Form (Drama Forms) theatre, Commedia Dell Arte, Improvisation Fourth Wall

The concept of the invisible wall between the world of the stage and that of the audience.

Gesture

Any movement of the performer's head, shoulder, arm, hand, leg or foot to convey meaning.

Gravitas

Imaging

A sense of weight or solemnity in subject matter, or event. A sense of gravitas essentially means that it is very serious and formal.

A technique which allows performers to slow down and focus individually on an issue. The performers, sitting quietly with eyes closed, allow pictures to form in their minds. Thes images may be motivated by bits of narration, music, sounds, smells etc. (Using your imagination)

Improvisation

The art of improvisation in theatre in which dialogue, scenes and action are created spontaneously by the performers.

The spontaneous use of movement and/or speech to create a character or object in a particular situation; acting done without a script.

Inflection

A change in pitch or volume in the voice.

interaction

Actions or relationships between two or more characters.

Invisible theatre

A technique created by Augusto Boal in which performances happen to an unsuspecting audience.

Isolation

Control of isolated body parts; the ability to control or move one part of the body independently of the rest.

Improv

Kinaesthetic

Language

Resulting from the sensation of bodily position, presence, or movement.

In drama this refers to the particular manner of verbal expression, the diction or style of writing, or the speech or phrasing that suggests a class or profession or type of character..

19

Legs Levels

Magic If mannerism

Legs are long curtains which hang either side of the stage to ​mask the ​wings​​ from view.

The use of height to portray status.

The act of asking yourself the simple question 'If it were me....' as a means to working out the correct psychological process for your character.

Masks

A unique peculiarity of speech or behaviour.

Masks are used in theatre for a range of reasons, the most commonly used in schools are the Trestle Masks which create a sense of character

Mime

Acting or interacting with invisible objects, using only actions to indicate the activity or item. (It is NOT simply 'acting without words')

Mirroring

Copying the movement and/or expression of someone else exactly.

Monologue

A speech for one person

Motivation

Movement Narration

The reason for a character's behaviour, an incentive or reason for further action. It is the BECAUSE to the WHY? Stage blocking or the movements of the performers onstage during performance; it also refers to the action of the play as it moves from event to event.

The process of telling the story or delivering the narrative of a play, the role can be taken on by one or more ​narrators.

naturalism

A theatrical movement started in 1850 which made everything as accurate as possible

Naturalism

A style of theatre in which everything is as accurate as possible.

Naturalistic

A style of theatre in which everything is as accurate as possible.

Non-naturalistic

Any form of theatre which ignores the rules of Naturalism The goal of a character within a scene or play is called their objective, there is no limit as to how many objectives a character can have and they will change as scenes progress.

Objective Pace

Parody

The rate of movement or speed of action.

A mocking piece which often copies aspects of a play or story but 'sends it up' and creates and alternative humourous and satirical piece.

20

Performance Elements

The sense of tragedy surrounding a character which brings out an emotional response from the audience.

These include ​acting, character motivation, empathy, speaking, breath control, vocal expression, projection, inflection, speaking style, diction, nonverbal expression, gestures, body alignment, facial expression, character blocking, movement etc.

Personal Props/Hand Props

Items used to support the play which can be carried by and on the actor, e.g. guns, hip flasks, handbags.

Pitch

The particular level of a voice, instrument or tune in terms of point on the scale from high pitched (treble) sounds to low (bass).

Pathos

Plot

Posture

The events of a play.

The ​Physical Alignment ​of the performer's body or a stance taken by the performer which conveys information about the character e.g. 'squaring up for a fight'.

Projection (1)

How well the voice carries to the audience.

Projection (2)

The use of technology to present image (still or moving) to an audience.

Promenade

A performance in which the audience walk or move around the performance space.

Proscenium Arch

A large arch or frame which separates the stage from the audience.

Protagonist

The main character in a play.

proxemics

The use of distance to portray relationships.

Resolution

How problems or conflict are solved in drama.

Ritual

A drama form with rules or ceremony.

Role

Role Playing

The character taken on by the actor.

Improvising movement and dialogue to put oneself in another's place in a particular situation, often to examine the peroson and/or situation being improvised.

Satire

A play in which sarcasm, irony and ridicule are used to show issues and problems in society.

Scene

A section of the main play.

21

Scenography

The artistic process of creating settings for a scene using the production elements of theatre​​, such as light, sound, costume, set etc.

Set

The scenery and physical surroundings on stage which provide a setting​​ for the play.

Setting

When and where the action of a play takes place.

Sidelight

Sightlines

Light straight on from the side An invisible line imagined upon the space which mark the edges of what the audience can see. Awareness of sightlines is important when 'off' so as not to be seen, as well as when performing to ensure that you can be seen.

Site-specific

A form of production which is set at and performed in a specific location - e.g. within a country house.

Sound

The effects an audience hears during a performance to communicate character, context, or environment.

Sound Elements

Music, sound effects, performer's voices

Soundscape

The use of sounds to create an audio backdrop to a performance.

These can be naturalistic or non-naturalistic.

Space

The final frontier - and the defined area for a performance.

Spatial Awareness

This is the old name for ​proxemics.

A theatrical device in which the two sides of the stage can represent different spaces, or in which a conversation can be split between two sides to enable both sides to speak out at the audience.

Split Stage Stage Furniture Stage Presence Staging

Large items of the scenery which can be used/moved but cannot be defined as ​personal props/hand props​​ e.g. tables and chairs The level of comfort, commitment and energy a performer appears to have on stage.

Staging

The process of taking a play from page to stage.

Similarly to ​blocking​​, this term refers to the specific allocation of where people stand, move to and so on. It is about the presentation of relationships and plot through interesting stage imagery and takes into account ALL features of the scene, such as set, props, lighting etc.

Starcloth

A large curtain dotted with small lights to create a star effect on the back wall.

22

Stock Characters

Structure

Style Stylisation/Stylised

Characters who represent particular personality types or characteristics of human behaviour. Stock characters are immediately recognisable and appear throughout the history of theatre, particularly in the Commedia Dell Arte.

The arrangement of and relationship between the parts of a play.

This can be ​linear or non-linear​​ and usually follows the ideas of 'prologue, exposition, climax, denouement'.

The choice of how to present a play in performance. This will be defined by the context of the piece and the choices of those involved in creating it.

The art of approaching work from a deliberately non-realistic manner.

This can be in terms of ​performance or production elements.

Subtext

The meaning that lies beneath the words that are actually said. This is what is implied rather than said.

Super-Objective

The ultimate goal of a character in the whole play.

Suspense

A sense of uncertainty as to the outcome.

Symbolism

Tableau Tempo

Tension

The use of language, images, colours etc to communicate more ideas and emotions.

A tableau is often thought of as a freeze frame and whilst this is the case, tableau or tableaux (plural) ARE THE ONLY CORRECT FORM IN THEATRE. The relative speed or rate of movement in pace over time. This can apply to music, speech, action - etc The atmosphere created by unresolved, disquieting, or inharmonious situations that human beings feel compelled to address; the state of anxiety the audience feels because of a threat to a character in a play.

An acting area or stage which is surrounded on all sides by the Theatre in the round audience.

A range of elements are covered here, from the basic idea of the play, the idea, viewpoint or perception. Themes are aspects which repeat throughout the play, e.g. Romeo and Juliet has themes of love Theme and violence.

Thought Tracking

Thrust Stage

A technique in which we hear the mental thoughts of characters A stage formation which literally 'thrusts' out into the audience creating a leading edge which reaches into the auditorium and results in an audience on three sides.

Timbre

The distinctive character or quality of a musical or vocal sound apart from its pitch or intensity, e.g. 'nasal' or 'gravelly' (for the last think

23

'Barry White' Tragedy

All drama which has a basis on human suffering.

Traverse

A staging formation in which the audience sit on two sides of the central stage, facing each other - similar to a catwalk.

Units

The moment of climax in a story from which the outcome is derived or decided.

A portion of script which is contained by the same subtext. A conversation is made up of units, with each change of topic or direction being the start of a new unit.

Uplight

Light straight up from the floor.

Upstage (To - verb)

Whilst this is a part of the stage, the verb means to deliberately draw the audience's attention away from another actor.

Vocal Expression

How a performer uses their voice to convey character.

Voices Off

A theatrical term used to describe noises from the ​wings

Turning Point

Voices Off

The combination of vocal qualities used by the performer, such as articulation, phrasing and pronunciation.

Wings

The areas to the side of the stage - they are 'unseen' areas normally masked by legs.

24