Timberlake Wertenbaker
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A Level Drama and Theatre Studies Set Text Prompt Copy Our Country’s Good Timberlake Wertenbaker NAME__________________________________________________ How to use this Prompt Copy: For each scene of the play: you need to complete the scene details to enable you to shape your ideas for Acting, Directing and Designing the play. You should include drama/design vocabulary (see the glossaries in the back of this prompt copy for support) Remember- your creative decisions should be consonant with the play as a whole: although it is episodic: there should still be an overall vision/style for the piece. Draw sketches with detail and label them/ use colour to help memorise your design ideas. Still have spare space around the margins of a page? Add in words that summarise the feeling of this scene or quotations from Wertenbaker/Clarke or critics about the play/key quotations from the scene. Use the additional revision sheets/crib sheets/ practice question builder to extend your revision. You must know the play well! Use your peers for creative ideas, look at images from designers/directors on the Internet, use YouTube for inspiration and most of all- think about how you would present the play practically: as an actor: as a director or working on/with a design. Your Staging Configuration is: ______________________________________________________________ Your composite design is: (draw it below!) NOTE: you may want to draw this on paper first and have your teacher check it so you know it is a viable idea. REMEMBER: Label the audience on your design Label exits and entrances on your design Label levels in ascending numerical order on your design Can use shapes to represent set items- just ensure they are labelled clearly Think about sight lines and audience blocking! COMPOSITE= Design does not change throughout production. If your set design will be completed altered for different scenes or for different Acts: it is not composite. QUICK CHARACTER SUMMARIES For each character: fill the box with intentions for role/facts/ things to remember about that character as a quick prompt guide. THE OFFICERS (in rank order) GOVERNOR ARTHUR PHILLIP Royal Navy (Military Rank= Captain) MAJOR ROBBIE ROSS Royal Marines (Highest military rank in Colony) CAPTAIN DAVID COLLINS Royal Marines (Colony’s Judge) CAPTAIN WATKIN TENCH Royal Marines CAPTAIN JEMMY CAMPBELL Royal Marines LIEUTENANT WILLIAM DAWES Royal Marines LIEUTENANT GEORGE JOHNSTON Royal Marines SECOND LIEUTENANT RALPH CLARK Royal Marines SECOND LIEUTENANT WILLIAM FADDY Royal Marines MIDSHIPMAN HARRY BREWER Royal Marines REVEREND RICHARD JOHNSON First Clergyman on the Colony Colour each character’s box in: red for against the play/ green for the play and leave white if they remain neutral. THE CONVICTS For each character: fill the box with intentions for role/facts/ things to remember about that character as a quick prompt guide. JOHN ARSCOTT Transported for: Burglary. Cornishman. JAMES ‘KETCH’ FREEMAN Transported for: Involvement in the Killing of a Sailor and naming-names of those involved Made to be the hangman in the colony: he is told “hang or be hanged” JOHN WISEHAMMER BLACK CAESAR Transported for: Stealing Snuff: he claims he is innocent. Originally from Madagascar. Jewish ROBERT SIDEWAY A London Pickpocket MARY BRENHAM Transported for: stole clothing from employer DABBY BRYANT Transported for: attacking a woman and stealing money from her From Devon/Cornwall DUCKLING SMITH Transported for: Theft and Prostitution. Keneally lists her name as Ann in the novel, but no Ann or Duckling are found in first colony list. LIZ MORDEN In Keneally’s novel her name is Nancy Turner. Neither name appears in first colony list. Trasnported for: Pickpocketing and whoring. MEG LONG (SHITTY MEG) The Colony’s ‘Madam’: only makes one, appearance. The Natives ABORIGINE Who changes the most through the play amongst the convicts? Rank order the convicts based on who changes the most and give reasons why/examples that are evident of this change. KEY REMINDERS Wertenbaker’s key 10 key messages/themes are: Historical/Social/Cultural links to make are: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) The style you have chosen will be seen through what techniques? ACT ONE, SCENE ONE: THE VOYAGE OUT CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? LIGHTING? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORC ED? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE TWO: A LONE ABORIGINAL CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE THREE: PUNISHMENT CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE FOUR: THE LONLINESS OF MEN CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE FIVE: AN AUDITION CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE SIX: THE AUTHORITIES DISCUSS THE MERITS OF THE THEATRE CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? LIGHTING? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? ACT ONE, SCENE SEVEN: HARRY AND DUCKLING GO ROWING CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE EIGHT: THE WOMEN LEARN THEIR LINES CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE NINE: RALPH CLARK TRIES TO KISS HIS DEAR WIFE’S PICTURE CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE TEN: JOHN WISEHAMMER AND MARY BRENHAM EXCHANGE WORDS CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? LIGHTING? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: SOUND? COMMENTS ON SCENE/DIRECTION: ACT ONE, SCENE ELEVEN: THE FIRST REHEARSAL CHARACTERS AND INTENTIONS: LIGHTING? WHAT SHOULD THIS SCENE SHOW? WHAT KEY MESSAGES ARE BEING REINFORCED? CONTEXT LINKS IN THIS SCENE? DRAW YOUR SET FOR THIS SCENE SOUND? And MARK ON CHARACTER POSITIONS: ACT ONE: QUESTIONS Answer all parts of this question. You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of Our Country’s Good in your answers and ensure that your interpretive ideas are appropriate to the play as a whole. ACT ONE, SCENE ELEVEN Explain and Justify how you would direct the performers from “Sideway has dropped to his knees” until “but the audience won’t see my face” in order to show your interpretation of the moment. As a performer, explain and justify how you would perform the role of Dabby from “we’re ladies now” until “There won’t be a first scene” in order to show your interpretation of the role. As a designer, outline your ideas for set or costume for this extract. Explain and justify how these would help to create the appropriate period and production style at this point in the play. ACT ONE, SCENE SIX Explain and Justify how you would direct the performers from “Ross: Constellations. Plays!...” until “Campbell: Wilde. Wilde” in order to show your interpretation of this moment. As a performer, explain and justify how you would perform the role of Ralph from “and why not?” until “England” in order to show his defence of the play to the Officers. As a designer, outline your ideas for set or costume for the scene. Explain and justify how these would help to create the appropriate mood or atmosphere for this point in the play. ACT ONE, SCENE EIGHT Explain and Justify how you would direct the performers from “Mary: Are you remembering your lines Dabby?” until “Dabby: Do you want me to learn these lines or not?” in order to show the treatment of women convicts. As a performer, explain and justify how you would perform the role of Liz from “you can’t do the play without me…” until “Stick to your ropes my little galler…” in order to reveal your interpretation of the role As a designer, outline your ideas for costume or set design for the scene. Explain and justify how these would help to create the appropriate mood or atmosphere for this point in the play. ACT ONE, SCENE FIVE Explain and Justify how you would direct the performers from “Meg: We heard you were looking for some women” until “Meg: … old Shitty Meg” in order to show your interpretation of the moment. As a performer, explain and justify how you would perform the role of Sideway from “top of my profession, Mr Clark” until “Sideway scuttles off” in order to reveal your interpretation of the role As a designer, outline your ideas for lighting or set design for the scene.