Useful Resources

Snack Pack: Non - Realism Year 9 Drama Duration: 10 weeks

Jane Gado Red [email protected] eemer Lutheran College

 This unit provides students with the opportunity to engage with a range of non-realist theatre conventions in order to understand different ways of telling stories.  Work is focused on dramatic elements such as: symbol, role, focus, mood and movement.  Students manipulate a range of dramatic conventions and performance skills appropriate to a range of Asian and physical theatre styles.  Students appreciate different ways of communicating and the rich history and culture of theatre from Eastern countries, especially Japan.

Ways of Working Knowledge and Understanding

Students are able to: • Roles, characters and relationships are interpreted to define • make decisions about arts elements, languages and cultural protocols motivation and purpose, using specific vocal and physical in relation to specific style, function, audience and purpose of arts techniques. works • Drama elements are manipulated to create tension and status, and • create and shape arts works by manipulating arts elements to express are used to express ideas. meaning in different contexts • Dramatic action and texts are created and interpreted through specific styles, including non-realism • modify and refine genre-specific arts works, using interpretive and technical skills • present arts works to particular audiences for a specific purpose, style and function, using genre-specific arts techniques, skills, processes and cultural protocols • respond by deconstructing arts works in relation to social, cultural, historical, spiritual, political, technological and economic contexts, using arts elements and languages • reflect on learning, apply new understandings and justify future applications. Assessment Details

1. Forming: Individual Practical: Student-devised movement sequence based on music (2 mins) Due week 4

2. Presenting: Group- student devised: choose a myth/legend to perform using Asian/physical theatre techniques (2-3 mins per actor) Due week 7

3. Responding: Individual Written: Peer critique of student devised performance (400 – 600 words) Due week 10

Possible Learning Experiences – Unpacked Based on 4 x 50 minute lessons a week Week 1 Introductory activities – warm-ups: . Ooshi-Booshi: Sending the energy around the circle “cha” “zap” etc. . Chay-chuk-ulay: Chant/movement game . Basic physical warm-up: Stretch/yoga, use music to focus the group . Movement patterns: Students stand in a circle. Person 1 stands in the middle of the circle, begins a movement. Person 2 enters the circle, faces the person 1, and mirrors their movement. When person 1 is satisfied person 2 has the movement perfected, they leave and resume their place in the circle. Person 2 develops/changes the original movement into something new. Another person enters the circle and the process repeats. Eventually challenge students to think about using their whole bodies, levels, different pace etc.

Activities – other: . Postcards: Students select a location and as a whole group create a 3D postcard – each person becoming a person or object etc. Allow the postcard to come alive for 10 seconds and encourage movement and sound in this time.

. Object Competition: Students work as a group to create a shape or object using their combined bodies. Split the class into 3 groups. 2 groups compete and 1 group is judge. The judging group, who works with the teacher, decides on an object they would like the 2 competing groups to make. They call it and then all count down, aloud, from 10. The judging group then chooses the work they think is most effective by pointing at it. The competing group with the most ‘votes’ wins, the other becomes the new judging group.

. Mirrors and Extended Mirrors: Students work in pairs. They mirror each other’s actions. Eventually, the lead can be transferred without having to verbally indicate so. Extended mirrors: a pair stands in the middle of the room and begin mirroring. Students arrange themselves behind either of the original players at various angles. Lovely ensemble work emerges. (See Dramactive: Book 2)

. The Wave: Developing focus and ensemble work. Students stand in a straight line at the end of the room (Depending on numbers you may have to split the class into 2 and half become observers). They find a fixed point focus at the other end of the room. As a group, they walk to the other end of the room, keeping the line as straight as possible. Create a marker so they know when to stop/turn around. At any time in subsequent waves, students can freeze in position and let the wave continue without them. They are then ‘picked up’ by the wave on its way back through. To make this activity more interesting choose characters/animals etc for students to freeze in position in, e.g. a dragon.

. Diamond movement: Students work in groups of 4, where they each become points of the diamond, or as a whole class group, there are 4 points and then other students fill inside the diamond. One point begins an action which the others copy. This can be a repeated movement, or it can change/evolve/move for a more advanced level. The other students copy the movement. Eventually a new leader is established by turning the group.

. Introduction to ritual: (See Dramactive: Book 2 for info and an explanation of the following activities) What is it? Ritual in our everyday lives? In society? . Short ritual of movement – (admire hair, clothes, shoes, kissing on either cheek) and voice (“mwah” and “darling”). . Students create their own ritual in pairs using a context they’re familiar with: e.g. shopping, soccer warm-up, Taekwondo class etc.

. Look at images of Asian theatre performances/spaces/characters. Encourage student comment and questioning of what they see.

. Journal: Establish journal writing after every lesson as ongoing reflection of class work and learning.

Week 2 . Revisit any week 1 warm-ups and activities as necessary. . Research lesson – Japanese theatre - book students into computer lab, working individually or in teams. Provide a list of websites for students to visit through your school’s online learning page. Provide focus questions or areas: origin/costume + make-up/staging/play content/characters etc. Students could create a PowerPoint presentation of their findings to share and compare. Each student is then provided with a copy of all the information. . Asian Drama – Fan Language (see handout): Using fans, go through basic fan etiquette and then explore the language of the fan. Students can create their own ‘fan conversations’ based on these ritualised movements. Students have fun trying to work out what is happening in the conversation!

. Voice work: basic vocal warm-up techniques, experiment with pitch, devising soundscapes, animalistic sound, play with nursery rhymes and play with different ways of vocalising lines/words etc.

. Japanese Haiku (see handout): Students work in groups of 4 or 5 to create a short performance piece using a Haiku as the stimulus. Students devise freeze-frames, transitions, voice and props such as fans, mask, material etc. Focus should be on the physical work.

. Reflective activity based on Haiku performances: either informally in class discussion and/or formally in a written homework task, students evaluate one group’s use of specified theatre convention/s and element/s of drama.

Week 3 . Devising with music: play a piece of music that inspires the imagination, preferably no lyrics (Drama Qld Physical Theatre CD Rom or Sonic Loom CD). Students write down in stream of consciousness (i.e. don’t censor self) ideas/images/feelings/characters/story – anything that comes to mind is okay. Students share their ideas in groups. They then choose one idea and drawing on the skills and conventions explored so far, create this in a series of freeze- frames, which can be connected through creative transition. Repeat this activity with a new piece of music. Students present their idea/story individually this time.

. Students prepare for Forming task.

Week 4 Forming tasks due . Students prepare and practise Forming tasks. . Forming tasks are presented to the class. Week 5 . Revisit any week 1 warm-ups and activities as necessary. . Bamboo sticks: Using sticks that are approximately 50cm in length. Begin with a demonstration – teacher + one student. Approach the stick, which is lying on the floor, slowly, so that both people get to the stick at the same time. Bend and pick up the stick (again in unison – encourage ensemble skill and focus), so that it rests between the pointer finger of both people. The pair is then free to explore the space, considering levels, angles, shape, space. If the stick falls, place it on the ground and start again. Music to underscore this activity can add a lot of focus. Develop this activity so that a pair then becomes a group of 4 with 3 sticks; a group of 8 with 7 sticks.

. Ritual Group Performances: (Activity from Dramactive: Book 2) Share the story of ‘Nightfall’ with students. Discuss considerations for performing this ritual (characters, points of action, how to express feeling). Students create a performance based on this story. . Musical Instruments: Use drums, triangles, maracas, voice etc to underscore the ‘Nightfall’ ritual.

. Chinese Ghosts: Using the Chinese legend, create a performance using symbolic movement, gesture, ensemble work, props and musical instruments. If possible record these for student reflection

. Reflective Activity based on Chinese Ghosts: Set an informal Responding task based on these performances, evaluating the groups’ use of conventions and specified elements of drama.

. Students begin work on their group Presenting tasks.

Week 6 . Revisit any week 1 warm-ups and activities as necessary. . Students work in groups to rehearse their Presenting tasks.

Week 7 Presenting tasks due . Presenting tasks: if the group desire an audience other than classmates, find a class from a younger grade who may be exploring Asia / Japan within their curriculum. . Debrief Presenting tasks/rehearsal process through class discussion, informal written response.

Week 8 . Hand out Responding tasks and deconstruct. . Scaffolding and model response(s) may be appropriate. . Watch performances, students take notes.

Week 9 . Student drafting time / teacher consultation.

Week 10 Responding tasks due . Student drafting time. . Unit reflection. USEFUL RESOURCES:

 Large pieces of material (black, white, multi-coloured)

 Fans (ordered through OXLADES)

 Neutral masks (OXLADES)

 Bamboo sticks ($1.50 for a bag purchased from my local garden shop)

 Musical instruments (borrow from music dept.!)

Tech  CD player

 CDs (Drama Queensland Physical Theatre Performance and Pretext (CD Rom)), (Collery, B & Megarrity, D. Sonic Loom: Weaving Music and Performance: Volume 1)

 Video camera and projector/TV for playback

 Stinson, M. & Wall, D. (2005) Dramactive: Book 2. NSW. McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd.

Research:

 http://www.theatrehistory.com/asian/kabuki001.html

 http://www.theatrehistory.com/asian/japanese002.html

 http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/nohgaku.html

 http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/stage/stage_s.html

YouTube: Search: Noh Theatre, Noh Performance, Kabuki/Noh Theatre, Kabuki Theatre, Kabuki Theatre - UNESCO

Workshops

Redeemer has used the Queensland Theatre Company Artist in Residence Program for full day student workshops.