I   Orientation

Orientation is a necessary beginning for Drama 20, as not all students in the class will have worked together previously. It is also important to reinforce, for all students, the need to create a supportive environment for drama experiences.

In Drama 20, students will:

• follow classroom routines and procedures
• feel secure in the classroom
• co-operate with others
• act responsibly toward other members of the class
• concentrate during drama experiences
• heighten sense awareness
• continue to develop their imaginations.

II   Group Process Abilities

As students develop greater understanding of and commitment to the dramatic process, they will want to become better able to work together within that process. They will have many opportunities to develop their abilities in group processes as they plan and participate in drama experiences.

In Drama 20, students will:

• participate comfortably and confidently in group discussions and experiences
• listen to the ideas of others
• work with increased competence in both large and small groups to plan and participate in drama experiences
• develop abilities in group decision-making and problem-solving
• reach consensus
• initiate ideas for drama experiences
• practice leadership in small and large groups
• accept the leadership of others in small and large groups
• describe and analyze the contributions of themselves and others to projects undertaken by groups of all sizes.

Teacher Information The learning objectives listed throughout this section are taken from the Foundational Objectives Development Chart.

III   Dramatic Understandings and Abilities

By Drama 20 students will have a basic understanding of the processes involved in creating works of dramatic art and will want to develop their individual abilities to work within these processes. Students will develop abilities in the following areas:

1. Improvisation

   Improvisation is a useful vehicle for the exploration of issues and situations. Students will want to further develop their abilities to create dramatic representations through the use of improvisation. They will explore the requirements of improvisation and learn to develop improvised scenes which incorporate the theatre elements.

   In Drama 20, students will:

   • sustain roles for an extended period of time
   • accept and respond to others in role
   • continue to develop commitment to their own roles and the roles of others
   • maintain focus in improvisations
   • introduce tension to improvisations
   • use contrast in improvisations
   • inject the use of symbol into improvisations
   • understand how improvisation can be used to explore characters and situations.

2. Characterization

   People, their actions and the consequences of their actions are all at the centre of every drama experience. Students will want to extend their work in role to create and sustain fully developed characters.

   In Drama 20, students will:

   • create characters from various stimuli (e.g., photographs, costume pieces, objects, literature, artworks, songs, scripts)
   • create lives for characters that extend beyond the stimuli
   • portray characters in monologues, improvisations and script scenes
   • understand what motivates the characters they portray.

3. Movement

   Movement is a basic ingredient of all drama and all acting. As students strive to express their ideas through dramatic art, they will want to develop skills in the use of movement to communicate characters, ideas and emotions.

   In Drama 20, students will:

   • express themselves confidently through movement and gesture
   • communicate character through movement and gesture
   • participate in blocking improvised or script scenes
   • understand and execute stage movement effectively
   • understand and execute stage business effectively.

4. Speech

   Speech and movement work together in the communication of characters, ideas and emotions. Students will want to develop their abilities to use their voices effectively in drama experiences.

   In Drama 20, students will:

   • develop a poised, controlled posture
   • develop breath control
   • develop resonance in speaking
   • articulate clearly
   • develop voice projection
   • communicate character through speech.

IV   Theatre Study

Students will continue to develop their understanding of the role of drama in various cultures and societies, past and present. They will experiment with various presentational, acting and staging styles based on their exploration of various periods of theatre history. They will also undertake a more in-depth study of the structure of a play and become more skilled at responding to drama experienced as audience.

In Drama 20, students will develop understanding and abilities in the following areas:

1. Analysis of Drama Experienced as Audience

   Students will continue to have opportunities to experience, as audience, the work of their classmates and that of dramatic artists in the community and on video. Through the use of a process like "Looking at Plays", they will continue to develop their abilities to respond to dramatic presentations.

   In Drama 20, students will:

   • continue to develop an understanding of how plays are made
   • continue to develop an understanding of the contribution of various dramatic artists to a theatrical production
   • continue to develop an understanding that theatre is a synthesis of the arts
   • continue to develop an understanding of how the theatre elements of focus, tension, contrast and symbol contribute to a play
   • continue to develop an understanding of how the artistic purpose of each of the artists is served by the use of theatre elements
   • understand the historical and cultural influences on a play
   • use a process such as "Looking at Plays" in oral and written responses to dramatic presentations.

2. Theatre History

   Students will continue to explore historical and cultural influences on drama experienced as audience. They will continue to discuss their own work in historical and cultural contexts and begin to explore, more formally, various periods of theatre history. The learning acquired in these explorations will influence the development of the students' own expressions of dramatic art.

   In Drama 20, students will:

   • understand that drama, past and present, can teach us about ourselves
   • understand that today's dramatic artists are influenced by various theatre traditions
   • understand that theatre reflects the society that creates it
   • understand that theatre can influence the society in which it is created
   • understand the universality of certain themes, characters and situations in dramatic expression through the ages
   • explore various presentational styles in their work (e.g., storytelling, readers' theatre, mask work)
   • explore various acting styles in their work (e.g., Greek, Shakespearean, Commedia Dell'Arte)
   • explore various staging possibilities for their work (e.g., lights, set and costume design, stage type).

3. Script Analysis

   Students will read scripts and view live performances in order to understand the role of the playwright in theatre and in society. They will also use scripts as one stimulus for developing characters.

   In Drama 20, students will:

   • understand the role of the playwright in society
   • understand the relationship of script to performance
   • understand the basic structure of a play
   • understand the basic motivation of characters in a play
   • identify the central idea of a play.