Scotch College

DRAMA [Semester Unit] Year 10 — 2010

Rationale

This subject provides the opportunity for students to explore the skills of character acting while discovering how performance has developed through time to become theatre, as we know it today. Specifically, we practice the diverse range of acting and improvisation skills required to create interesting characters on stage. The transformation of one’s self to become another character; the development of dramatic elements and the application of particular theatrical styles are fundamental to this unit. These processes will take place through guided improvisation as well as through the use of chosen scripts. Year 10 Drama gives students a wide range of practical experiences in the application of these skills while developing individual and group performance skills through improvisation. Performance work will draw upon students’ own lives and experiences and will investigate different cultures and ideas as we develop our understanding of the actor’s craft.

Student Outcomes:

Aims are to develop:

• An interest and enjoyment in performing a variety of performance styles
• Specific skills in character improvisation
• An understanding of characterization and the transformation of self to become other characters
• The use of vocal and physical expressive skills
• An understanding of the use of dramatic elements and the main conventions of theatre
• An understanding of the actor/audience relationship
• An appreciation of actor’s responsibilities in performance
• Both solo and ensemble performances based on a variety of stimulus
• An understanding of the processes of working in ensemble and of the social skills
• Required when working creatively with others
• Writing skills necessary to analyse improvised and scripted performances

Course Content:

The following units will be studied:

• Creation of character through improvisation
• Creation of character from script
• Developing an ensemble performance for examination

The content will be delivered through group and individual tasks, focusing on both script and self devised work. Students will create both ensemble and solo performances.

ICT Skills

• Basic work processing for script writing
• Online research tools
• Multimedia integrated into performance

Assessment

• End of semester performance task
• Stagecraft skills
• Class performance skills
• Written tasks

Pathways to later years: This unit bears direct relevance to VCE Units 1-4 Drama in Years 11 and 12.