There has been some confusion in the past as to which parts of the ensemble performance assessment criteria in Unit 3 Drama relate to the development of the piece and which parts relate to the actual performance? Furthermore, exactly when do teachers assess the various criteria?

The Drama Study Design and Assessment Handbook have been updated with minor wording changes in order to make the creation and assessment of the Unit 3 ensemble performance clearer.

The Assessment Handbook for Drama now includes a rider statement for the Unit 3 ensemble performance before criteria 1 and 2, and a separate statement before criteria 3 and 4:

Develop characters for a non-naturalistic ensemble performance.

Research and creative processes used in the development of the ensemble performance: An outstanding contribution to the construction of an ensemble performance demonstrating very effective use of a wide range of processes, including researching, improvising, scripting, rehearsing and refining. Excellent use of a wide range of well-chosen play-making techniques to develop engaging and convincing character/s.

Use of non-naturalistic performance styles in the development of the ensemble performance: Highly effective use of a comprehensive range of play-making techniques giving complex dramatic form to the non-naturalistic ensemble performance. Inventive and insightful use of techniques developed by other drama practitioners to create ensemble performances which use non-naturalistic performance style/s.

Presentation of character/s for a non-naturalistic ensemble performance.

Realisation of character/s within the ensemble performance: Sophisticated and refined use of expressive skills is evident in the realisation of character/s within the ensemble performance. Portrayal of characters and roles is sustained consistently and successfully and synchronisation with other members of the ensemble is achieved. Highly sustained focus is maintained throughout the performance. A wide range of performance skills is effectively used to engage the audience’s interest in character/s and subject matter.

Use and manipulation of selected dramatic elements, theatrical conventions and stagecraft within the ensemble performance: Sophisticated understanding, use and manipulation of selected dramatic elements, theatrical conventions and stagecraft to communicate meaning and transform character, place, object and disjointed time sequences to enhance the ensemble performance.

The important thing to know about the recent change is that the focus of the first two criteria (above) is on the development of the ensemble piece, while the focus of the final two criteria is on the actual performance of the ensemble. The criteria (especially the second) have been reworded to make it clearer which parts of the ensemble they relate to.

So when does a teacher employ the various criteria?

Option A: Assess the first two criteria before the performance and assess the final two criteria during the performance.

Option B: Assess most of the first two criteria before the performance, with a small part of the criteria assessed during the performance as confirmation that the student fulfilled the requirements, and the final two criteria during the performance.

Option C: Assess all four criteria during the performance, but in relation to the first two criteria, you will need to see evidence of these criteria during the development of the piece by observation of them existing during the performance, itself.

I hope that teachers reading this post are not confused (more than before, or for the first time). For the majority of teachers, these changes will probably have no real effect on what they have been doing previously. For others, however, this amendment may confirm for them that what they have been doing in the past is OK, or make it clearer what to do from now on.

The VCAA do not mind which of the three options, above, you employ to assess this task.

Formal VCAA amendment statement.

Revised Drama Study Design (note the table on p.28 will soon be changed to include “Development and presentation of characters within an ensemble performance”.

Revised Drama Assessment Handbook (note changes to Unit 3, Outcome 1 Ensemble Performance assessment criteria, as outlined in this post, above).

If anyone has any comments they wish to share or would like further clarification, add your comment below.

Lovers of Broadway everywhere, get ready! On February 6, NBC will premiere what it hopes will be its next big hit, Smash, a television drama about the actors, theatre-makers and relationships behind a fictional Broadway musical on the life of Marilyn Monroe.

If you’re already thinking Glee, Smash will mostly showcase original tunes written for the show by the Tony Award winning collaborators of the stage musical Hairspray, Marc Shaiman (music) and Scott Wittman (lyrics), with a couple of pop covers thrown in each episode.

Smash will feature several actors who have not only starred in television and film, but have also made careers treading the boards. The pack will be led by Will and Grace Emmy Award winner, Debra Messing, and veteran actor Angelica Houston. The cast also includes Jack Davenport (The Pirates of the Caribbean), actress and singer Katharine McPhee, plus a number of both new and regular Broadway performers.

The show was originally conceived by Steven Spielberg. US viewers can watch the full pilot episode, below, until February 6.

Known for his work across a range of mediums, Rush is already in the rare position of owning an Oscar, a Tony and an Emmy.

In recent years, Rush has starred in The Pirates Of The Caribbean films, Eugene Ionesco’s play Exit The King and the film The King’s Speech.

Rush won an Oscar for his role in the 1996 film Shine and a Tony for his performance in Exit The King at Broadway’s Barrymore Theatre in 2009.

Geoffrey Rush lives in Melbourne (the home of The Drama Teacher) and regularly performs on stage for The Melbourne Theatre Company.

One of the best compliments I have ever received from a student after attending the theatre was when a 17 year-old said to me the show we had just seen was better than any of the films she had seen in the past year. That’s a big call from a teenager! Television, computers and film seem to offer so much more than live theatre to the youth of today who often seem to be programmed only to enjoy seeing something if it is on a screen.

I tell my students that as good as film can be, it is a dead art. What they see has been filmed out of sequence in multiple locations over many weeks, months ago, and chopped up in the editing room. Actors receive an opportunity for many takes at various scenes, perfecting it until the content is acceptable. But the theatre is a living art. What a young person sees is alive on a stage only metres away in the same space. The actors must get it right on the night for the audience and there is no greater pressure and challenge than that.

In the theatre, audience members all have a slightly different perspective of the same action from different seats in the house. Some can see only parts of a stage set, while others may see lighting instruments as well and everyone has a different view. If one is fortunate to see the same show more than once (I’m no fanatic, but I’ll happily admit I saw the stage version of the musical Hairspray four times), then the joy is in understanding how no one stage performance is exactly the same .. but that reel of film is identical across the globe.

Drama students can gain so much valuable knowledge from attending live theatre, either with their teacher, parents or friends. The company is not important, it is the experience that matters most. A young person can only receive so much from reading about the theatre in a book, listening to their teacher in the classroom or even reading a play. There is no substitute for attending the theatre and no better method for a student to learn about the wonderful craft we teach.

Patrick Healy from The New York Times takes a behind the scenes look at some of the ups and downs of the year that was.

Of significance for Australian drama teachers is that this conference will take place inside the school holiday break in all states and territories, with the exception of Queensland, where these dates represent the first school week of Term 3. So, for most drama and theatre teachers in Australia thinking of attending this fantastic event, hopefully your decision will be made a bit easier if you can disappear in school holidays. However, if you are in a position to sneak a bit of your Long Service Leave, hey its Paris, so this should be a no-brainer!

I have attended two IDEA World Congresses in the past – Bergen, Norway in 2001 and Ottawa, Canada in 2007. I can honestly say an IDEA World Congress is without question the best professional learning experience a drama/theatre teacher can have. To be in workshops and listen to speakers in drama education from across the globe is mind-blowing. As with most good conferences, networking opportunities in and around official sessions are just as valuable, so imagine making a bunch of international contacts in drama education!

Remember:

1. The portion of your trip used for the conference is tax deductible (check with your taxation agent)
2. If planning on using some school time to attend, let your employer know ASAP – you can always withdraw your leave application if you change your mind later
3. The conference is 18 months away, so start saving for your trip now!

VCE High Achievers By School

Note: data reflects only students who granted the VCAA permission to publish study scores.

Just wondering how teachers went with their students’ grades this year? The solo performance exam in Drama is always a tricky beast in which to predict or anticipate grades and often causes confusion among the drama teaching fraternity. Of course, students always want to do well in this task, also. Add to this what I have learned in recent years in particular … never underestimate the power of the written exam and its contribution to a student’s final study score in both these subjects, regardless of its published weighting.

If your students did well, here’s the spot to tell the world (no names or schools, please)!