TECHNIQUES

PERFORMING ARTS

When you are ready to begin devising your play, you will need to use different theatrical techniques. Use them to create and develop plays and characters that will be of interest to the audience.

Over the coming weeks, you will experiment and learn more about these techniques by means of your practical work.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS UNIT ?

You will be required to keep a note of the various strategies used as evidence and proof of your understanding of their use in the theatre.

NAME OF TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE

USE WITHIN THE THEATRE

The Techniques

Freeze Frame

Monologue

Mind TrackingThe Hot Seat

Path of Conscience

Have you heardofthese before?

Improvisation

Task 1Class Discussion

What are the problems that young people face while they are growing up?

FamilyFriends

Image

WorkloadDrugs

Extra

responsibilitiesIn the followinglessons, we will lookatconflict within the family –between children and their parents!

Task 2Group workIn groups of 2 or 3, create an IMPROVISEDscene from the following scenario.

A child of around your age wants to go to a Saturday night partyata friend’s house. However, there will be no adults present. The child’s parent/parents are unwilling for him/her to go. The conflict begins!

REMEMBERBeginning, middle and ending to your sceneUse a clear voice and suitable movements

Audience location (don’t turn your back on them)

NAME OF TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE

USE WITHIN THE THEATRE

Improvisation

Describe in your own words what is

meant by IMPROVISATION.

In what way can dramatists and

actors use IMPROVISATION?

Task 3Once you have performed your scene in front of the class, perform it again - but this time, the audience will be allowed toclapand ask you to freeze (a maximum of three times)

After freezing, each character in turn will tell the audience exactly what they are thinking of at that particular time. You can discuss your character’s feelings towards another character or react to what is happening on stage.

This technique is called ‘MIND TRACKING’.

Who does she think she is? Telling me what to

do!

I’m beginning to lose it! He just

doesn't listen to me!

Mind Tracking

When the action of the play is frozen and the characterreveals his/her feelings and thoughts out loud to theaudience.

The other characters cannot hear him/her.

This may happen at any time within the play.

What is Mind Tracking?

NAME OF TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE

USE WITHIN THE THEATRE

MindTracking

Describe in your own words what

is meant byMIND

TRACKING

In what way can dramatists and

actors use MIND

TRACKING?

Path of

Conscience

The character does not know what to do!Does he/she go to the party without the consent of his/her parents or does he/she stay at home? He/she needs to consider his/her options.

1) Use your class members to form two lines facing each other.

2) Members of one line will attempt to persuade the character to attend the party, while members of the opposite line attempt to persuade him/her to stay at home.

3) The character walks between the lines and everyone will need to argue their point in turn.

4) On reaching the end of the line, the character will need to come to his/her decision.

Task 4

Negative arguments

Positive Arguments

The character walks down the centre

and listens to the arguments

PATH OF CONSCIENCE

All your friends are

going !!

Your parents will punish you

for months !

NAME OF TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE

USE WITHIN THE THEATRE

Path ofConscience

Describe in your own words what is meant by PATH OF CONSCIENCE.

In what way can dramatists and

actors use The

PATH OFCONSCIENCE?

Task 5Solo work

Everyone now assumes the role of a young personwho sits in his/her bedroom reflecting on what his/her parents said. Write a MONOLOGUE for your character.

In the monologue, your character should explore some of the arguments used in the Path of Conscience exercise.

At the end of your monologue, your character shoulddecide that he/she will attend the party !!

A Monologue is when a character opens up and recites his inner thoughts directly to the audience.

In a monologue, the character should discuss his/her feelings and the most important things in his/her life.

What is a MONOLOGUE?

NAME OF TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE

USE WITHIN THE THEATRE

Monologue

Describe in your own words whatis meant by a MONOLOGUE.

In what way can dramatists and

actors use A

MONOLOGUE?

Task 6

Your character has gone to the party without his/her parents consent. However, there is trouble at the party – there is fighting and the misuse of alcohol. Your local newspaper has managed to locate a snapshot of the proceedings and there is a front page spread (including the snapshot) in the paper.

Group work (5/6 pupils)

1) Form a FREEZE FRAME based on the problems at the party (using the snapshot in the front page of the newspaper)

2) Compose your own HEADLINE to illustrate the picture. Make use of creative language in your performance of the freeze frame.

The actors group themselves together and use their bodies to create an image of the situation. They freeze as if in a snapshot.

To create an effective freeze frame REMEMBER to use :

Levels

Depth of staging

Focus

Posture anddefinitegestures

Facialexpressions

What is a FREEZE FRAME?

NAME OF TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE

USE WITHIN THE THEATRE

Freeze Frame

Describe in your own words what

is meant by aFREEZE FRAME.

In what way can dramatists and

actors use The

FREEZE FRAME?

HOT SEAT

The Hot Seat will help you understand more about your character

The ExerciseYou are seated (in character) in the hot seat. The audience will pose you some questions and you are required to answer these questions IN CHARACTER

SKILLS

Focus

Imagination

Thinking swiftly

Information gained previously

Task 7

NAME OF TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNIQUE

USE WITHIN THE THEATRE

The Hot Seat

Describe in your own words what

is meant by THE HOT

SEAT

In what way can dramatists and

actors use THE HOT SEAT?

THE NEXT STAGE??

By now you have learned about the various techniques that can be used when dealing with a character and creating your own play.

The next stage is to put these techniques into practise as you create your own play and its characters.