YEAR 9

DRAMA BOOKLET(You may use the internet as a research mechanism)

Mime

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A mime is a performer who expresses them-self using body movements and no words.

In real life no one does anything without reason. We act everyday of our lives to get what we want or to satisfy a feeling for example, go for a walk to improve fitness, to get out of homework, to turn on the charm when wanting to impress a ‘friend’, thus the stage is a distilled version of life.

Motivations are rooted in emotions, they rule our behaviour, lead us to do things we do, hence they are the root of character. Emotions motivate us- motivation leads to action, action generates plot and so it could be said that emotion is also the root of all plays, stories, books and films.

Mime Quiz1: The word, mime comes from which early civilization?

o Greeko Chineseo Aztec

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o Sanskrit

2: Early English mimes were known as which of these?o Hummerso Mimmerso Bummerso Mummers

3: The definition of mime is which of these?o Telling a story with the help of cue cards.o Story through body motion without the use of speech.o Singing and dancing a story to the audience.o Making people guess what you are thinking.

4: Jean-Gaspard Deburau introduced the “pantomime blanch” to the art of mime. What is this?

o Audienceo Caneo White faceo Music

5: which of the following was NOT a noted mime?o Marcel Marceauo Charlie Chaplino Eddie the Eagleo Buster Keaton

6: Marcel Marceau had a famous character known worldwide. What was the character’s name?

o Bopo Bupo Bapo Bip

7: Mime is generally performed in which of these?o Courtroom, Police Stationo Stage, street theatreo Hospital, dentist waiting roomo Rock festival, night club, disco

8: Although Mime originated in Greece, it generally included song and dance. Which culture was the first recorded to present “mime” as we know it today?

o Latin

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o Greeko Azteco Roman

9: At 12 years of age, Billy Krahl started studying under Jewel Walker, who was one of America’s best stage mimes. Who did this world-famous mime become known as?

o Dodo the Klutzo Matthew the Mummero James the Jumpero Kiko the Clown

10: Mime is know as the what language?o Unknowno Worldwideo Universalo Silent

TASK: Mime Artists: Research either Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin or Marcel Marceau. In your own words make reference to their famous works, where they worked, how did they become famous.Include a complete bibliography. No less than 100 words.

IMPROVISATION

To improvise means to make something up on the spot, or figure it out as you go. Improvise comes from the Latin word improvisus, meaning "unforeseen, unexpected." Think about when something unexpected happens to you — you have no choice but to react in the moment, or improvise. Another meaning for improvise refers to acting onstage without a script. When actors improvise scenes for an audience, they create funny situations as they go, without having anything pre-planned.

Improvisation Quiz

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1. What is breaking character?

2. What are two scene killers?

3. What should you do if you have a few seconds prep time?

4. Does it matter who goes first when you perform improv?

5. What is an “open ended” question?

6/7. Name two things you should NOT do when you are performing Improv.

8/9. Name two things you should do when you are performing Improv.

10. T/F You should try and plan what you are going to say while someone else is talking.

11. T/F It is okay to use violence in your improv as long as no one gets hurt.

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12/13. What are TWO main things you need to establish at the beginning of your scene?

14. What do you need to establish in the middle of your scene?

15. What is the best way to help someone on stage if you are in the audience?

16. How can sensory awareness help your acting?

TASK: Research and write about 2 twenty first century improvisation artists or shows. What are the show or person about, where have you seen them perform, what style of acting do they make famous, do they have a particular character. Include a complete bibliography. Article should be 100 words for each character or show researched.

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DRAMA VOLCABULARYA play: Tells a story through the action of the characters

Example: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.

The Playwright: A writer of a play

Cast of Characters: A group of actors who are playing rolesExample:

Snow White Ben SymesPrince Louchie ThorntonWitch/Old Lady Jake LayMagic Mirror Daniel Harberger

Script: The written text of a play.

Stage Directions: Directions that tell characters how to act or show their feelings.

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o Describe the settingso In ( ) parenthesis or brackets [ ]

Example: Snow White (Smiles when she sees the shiny apples). Those look delicious! Can I have one?

Props (Properties): Things, or items that the characters or actors/actress may need to use as they perform their part. Example:

Snow White:……………………….AppleRanita…………………………………..Golden ArrowCurious George…………………..BananaCharlie…………………………………..Chocolate Bar

TASK: List the 12 Elements of Drama and explain each element with an example.

Quiz:

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What is another word for ‘drama’?o Playo Storyo Poemo Movie

What do we calla writer of a play?o Playwrighto Authoro Poeto Illustrator

The group of people that play certain roles in a play is called the…?o Audienceo Cast of Characterso Writerso Speakers

The directions, or words, in parenthesis that show the actions or feelings, that the characters are suppose to show. The may also give information about the setting. These directions are called?

o Stage directionso Plot directionso Actor directionso Audience directions

What do we call the part that an actor plays in a dramao Roleo Propo Dialogueo Narrator

What do we call things or items that a character may use in a play. In Snow White the apple is called?

o Prop (Properties)o Vegetableo Foodo Fruit

What do we call the written text of a playo Scripto Papero Advertisemento Note

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FILM REVIEW TERMS

1. Blurbs – When a quote from a review is used in a commercial/ advertisement (ex – “Better than the Matrix! I would see it again and again!”)

2. Critic – A professional who publishes his opinion on a particular movie/ play/book (ex – Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper, Leonard Maltin, Pauline Kael)

3. Mediocre – Competent but not especially outstanding (ex – “The film wasn’t bad and it wasn’t good either, it was just mediocre”

4. Cliché – Something that’s been used so many times that it no longer surprises or interests the audience; overexposure (ex – In a scary movie, a black cat jumps out and scares the character, but the

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real danger is RIGHT BEHIND HIM/HER!)

5. Character Driven – When the characters in a fictional work develop over the course of the story into people you care about (ex – “Twilight” is about vampires, but more importantly, it’s the relationship between the characters that makes us care about the story)

6. High-Concept – When the idea behind the story is interesting enough to get people to see the movie without knowing anything else about it ex – A young clownfish gets kidnapped and put into an aquarium and it’s up to his father and a misfit group of fish to save him {“Finding Nemo”})

7. Plot – What the story is about ex – “Kung Fu Panda” is about a clumsy, overweight panda bear who dreams of becoming the ultimate kung fu warrior, etc... {note that a plot summary is about a paragraph long})

8. Hype – Using different techniques to get the audience excited about the story (ex – “Come see ‘Coraline’ in amazing 3-D! It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before!”)

9. Out of Context – When quotes are mixed up and changed around to give the words a different meaning (ex – The commercial says: “Roger Ebert calls ‘The Big Crazy Movie’ BRILLIANT!”

What Roger Ebert really said in his review was, “The Big Crazy movie could have been BRILLIANT if the acting wasn’t so terrible.”

10. Puns – A clever play on words (ex – “Waiting to Exhale” will take your breath away!) (ex – “Run to the theater to see “Running Scared!”)

11. Editorial rights – When handing over a review to a publication, the editor has the power to create a title and cut things out of the review (ex – YOU WROTE: “This movie stunk.” The editor changes it to: “This movie wasn’t so good.”)

12. Syndication – When the same article is published in more than one newspaper or publication. (ex – The Associated Press takes one article and sells it to 300 newspapers and 1000 websites across the country)

13. Ratings system – When the critic uses a scale to show the

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degree of how much they recommend the movie (ex – “thumbs up” or “four stars”)

14. Audience demographics – When the critic recommends that only a certain group of people should see, or not see, the film ex – “Kids will like ‘Madagascar,’ but adults will get bored.”

15. Critical bias – When the critic cannot review the film fairly due to a personal problem with something in the film (ex – I hated “Jaws” because I’m afraid of sharks.)

16. Spoilers – When a critic reveals secrets and plot points that could ruin the surprise for the audience and lessen their enjoyment of the movie. (ex – In the end of “The Big Crazy Movie,” John the main character dies)

Note: DON’T TELL SPOILERS!!!

MOVIE REVIEW PROJECT!

Now that you have seen a movie in class, it is your turn to be the critic. You will write a page and a half review on any of the films.

The review must at least be two pages long – 10pts. These are things you need to include:

• A title (headline for your review) – 5pts.

• The names of the main actors and the names of their characters (top 5 actors/characters) – 10pts.

• A summary of the plot of the story (without giving away the ending) - 10pts.

• A possible theme (or moral) of this story – 10pts.

• Give the “audience demographic” or who would like this movie – 10pts.

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• Your opinion of the movie as a whole (include details you thought were interesting or awful). – 10pts.

• A score/rating system (other than “two thumbs up”) – 5pts.

• Include a very short biography of yourself at the end – 10pts.

Extra credit – If you include a clever “pun” in the TITLE OF YOUR REVIEW, I’ll give you an extra 5pts.

- If you decide to type it, I’ll throw in another extra 5pts.

• Note: Write this review as if you were trying to convince someone who has not seen the movie to either see it or avoid it, and NO SPOILERS!!!

A FUN QUIZ1: what do these actors have in common? Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, Adam West, George Clooney

o They all liked Spain a lot?o All of them are actors and actresseso They are all in love with Jennifer Lopez (in their films)o All of them played Batmano They don’t like films but get a lot of money from their acting.

2: which country is Jean Claude Van Damme from?o Belgiumo Franceo Italyo Netherlandso Switzerland

3: In which film did Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro aand Dustin Hoffman appear together?

o Twelve monkeyso Seveno Seven years in Tibeto Sleeperso The Cell

4: Which recent famous film was set in the English city of Sheffield?o Four Weddings and a Funeralo In The Name of The Fathero Notting Hill

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o The Full Montyo Out of Sight

5: who directed the original version of the film Psycho?o Brian de Palmao Stanley Kubricko James Camerono Alfred Hitchcocko Steven Speilberg

6:Which film company has a mountain as its logo?o Universalo Paramounto MGMo United Artisito 20th Century Fox

7: Which of these films does not star Clint Eastwoodo The Good, The Bad and The Uglyo Dirty Harryo The Bridges of Maddison Countyo The Quick and the Deado Space Cowboys

8: Which actor became famous after starring in Four Weddings and a Funeral?

o Wesley Snipeso Morgan Freemano Hugh Granto Sean Conneryo Tom Cruise

9: Which of these films did Sylvester Stallone not appear in?o Predatoro Clffhangero Rockyo First Bloodo Demolition Man

10: Who said “I’ll be back”o Schwartzeneggero Stalloneo Van Dammeo Antonio Banderaso Chuck Norris

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11: Complete the film title: an Office and ao Geniuso Girlo Girlfriendo Gentlemano Geisha

12:Which monster did the makers of Independence Day resurrect?o Godzillao Pokemono The Lost World (Jurassic Park 2)o Jurassic Parko Will Smith

MELODRAMA A Brief History and Conventions

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A Brief History of Melodrama

Melodrama developed as a theatrical form in the 19th century in France, thanks to the French playwright Rene de Pixerecourt. Melodrama quickly became the dominant theatre form around the Western World for the next century and thousands of plays were written in this style. They were a mixture of violence, romance and sentimentality, with short scenes full of action. They used spectacular settings, music, exaggerated acting and encouraged audience interaction to promote its popularity.

Conventions of Melodrama1. Plot and Structure

Melodramas always have simple moral plots, where the story would show a struggle between good and evil and would conclude with the restoration of a morally correct and just society. Each play relied on extreme opposites, to captivate the audience attention and ignite reactions, such as justice vs. revenge, honesty vs. dishonesty, or innocence vs. corruptionA traditional melodrama plot would include the following three elements:

- Provocation: the initial cause for setting action into motion – jealousy or greed forces an evil character to plan an offence.

- Pangs: the consequential sufferings of the good and innocent characters who are caught up in the evil plot.

- Penalty: in a last minute twist of fate, the wicked character has their plans foiled and receives a punishment for his/her evil actions.

2. Stock Characters

Melodrama characters were not meant to be particularly life-like, rather they were meant to have identifiable types of personalities – these types were referred to as ‘stock characters’ and are known as:

- A hero. Handsome, strong, brave, honest and reliable. Status: Middle class or higher.

- A heroine. Beautiful, courageous, innocent and vulnerable. Status: Middle class or higher.

- A villain. Cunning, without morals, dishonest, cruel and evil. Status: Middle class or higher.

- A villain’s accomplice. Usually provides comic relief because he is a bumbling sidekick. Status: Lower class.

- A faithful servant. Also provides comic relief, and also does the dirty work. He usually discovers evidence against the villain. Status: Lower class.

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- A maid servant. A female character who is lively and who flirts with the faithful servant. Status: Lower class.

3. Acting Style - Exaggeration: This acting style requires strong facial

expressions, large movements and gestures, and clear and well-projected delivery of lines. Melodrama actors concentrated more on showing emotions rather than feeling them. Actor also over emphasized words or syllables they thought important to their character.

- Audience interaction: Actors encourage audience interaction by improvising lines and telling topical jokes, and would encourage the audience to boo or hiss at the villain.

- Asides: an aside is where any character speaks directly to the audience to reveal a thought or plan that is kept secret from the rest of the other characters. The actor’s delivery of the aside should instil a feeling of secrecy and draw the audiences focus away from the other action and onto their ‘secret’.

4. Staging

Melodrama’s used spectacular settings, stage effects (such as earthquakes, volcano’s or fires), elaborate costumes and music to increase their impact and appeal. The plays were always accompanied by music – hence its name “melo” – melody or music – to heighten the emotional impact on the audience or to signal a particular response.

Answer the following questions in full sentences:

1. In which century did melodrama develop?

2. Why is it called ‘melodrama’?

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3. Why was melodrama so popular?

4. List the three (3) segments of a standard melodrama plot. What action does each segment involve?

5. What are some conflicting themes a melodrama would usually explore?

6. Are the characters in melodrama life-like or stereotyped?

7. List three (3) stock characters and describe each of their personal qualities.

8. What is the difference between the faithful servant and a maid servant?

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9. What is an ‘aside’?

MELODRAMA SHORT SCRIPTA: Now I have you! You will work for me and make me rich, You have no choice..

B: You said you would pay me. Where are my wages?

A: You won’t need those: I’ll hang on to them for you...

B: But...

A: Don’t argue! Or it will be the worse for you again!

(Enter C)

C: What’s going on here? This is in human...

B: I need help!

A: Keep out of my business.

C: (toB) You’re coming with me.

A: But that’s my livelihood!

C: Come a long!

B: Thank you, you’ve saved me...

A: Come back! You’ll make us both rich...

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YOUR TASK

Create a piece of melodrama using the train track story:

o Hero and Damsel are in loveo Villain kidnaps damsel and ties her to a train tracko Hero goes to save hero Hero is tricked into going the wrong way by the trickstero Hero finds Damsel and saves hero Hero defeats Villain

FINAL TASK: you have a script chosen on the 13th October. Rehearse to perform in front of an audience of your peers by the first week of November. This booklet is due by 5 th November.

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