What concerns me with studies in drama and theatre, is that like learning a musical instrument, studying the craft of acting can take years of tuition learning the necessary skills. In senior drama classes it is often the subtleties and nuances of a student actor that make the difference between an average performer and a stunning one. These advanced skills, along with more basic performance skills, aren’t learned in the final year of high school … they are taught and carefully nurtured in junior drama classes years before.

Using a high school drama or theatre program as an example, one can create several years of curriculum from the ground up. Here in Melbourne, Australia, I start with a foundation Year 7 Drama course, keeping in mind the wide range of skills in this discipline students possess from various primary feeder schools. The Year 8 Drama curriculum builds on the skills learned in Year 7, with a few more challenges, but nothing extraordinarily difficult or threatening. These two year levels are broad teaching and learning programs, skimming the surface of many topics areas, most covered fairly briefly. Year 9 Drama starts to specialise, because in my school, this is where Drama becomes a non-compulsory elective subject for the first time. Once Year 10 Drama rolls in, as the teacher I am acutely aware of preparing many of my students for senior Drama courses, so the activities and skill sets of my Year 10 pupils must reflect this.

But you can also build six years of Drama curriculum from the top down. Starting with the end results needed in final-year internal and external assessment in Drama, each year below Year 12 can have activities in the program that prepare students for the work in their final year. If a student must perform a monologue for examination assessment in Year 12, then a monologue in a Year 11 course the year before is a “must” and probably in Year 10 as well if you can squeeze it in.

Bu the skills for any form of final year performance assessment in a drama or theatre program at high school should stem from activities in junior drama classes. No student arrives at Year 12 with amazing skills out of nowhere. Every one of my Year 12 Drama students each year have gained their skills many years before, enjoying the fun of junior drama classes, participating in more challenging and specific activities and performances in middle school drama programs in the intermediate years, then striving for success and the refinement of their skills in senior high school drama classes.

Finally, continuity is paramount. Ask any teacher who has a haphazard teaching program in drama, sometimes through no fault of their own, and you’ll hear all about frustration. Wherever possible, schools need to have the availability of some form of drama or theatre program at all levels. Students who study drama at Years 7 and 8, but have no choice to undertake it at Years 9 or 10, but then find it available to them again in Years 11 or 12, suffer from an inconsistency in skills because they have to pick up from one or two years prior with their studies in this discipline.

Whatever the teaching program, over the years I have been left with no doubt about the importance of junior drama in a high school curriculum. My experience has told me a strong junior drama program is essential for success at the senior end of high school and that a good junior drama teacher is gold!

• Dramatix: 34 Christmas play scripts of varying lengths
• Tony Palermo: Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol adaptation (script and score)
• LNW Hymns.com: A couple of free Christmas musicals
• Scruffy Plume Press: Another Christmas musical
• Sunday School Network: 27 short Christmas skits

On the eve of my senior Drama students receiving their official grades for the year (for locals in Victoria, that’s the VCE Year 12 Drama course), I have a contradiction worth sharing. I spend most of my year pushing my students to achieve the best possible grades they are capable of, and yet I openly say to them that there’s more to school than grades!

Data in my case will show over the past five or six years, I have a near 100% record of my students achieving grades above what was predicted of them in Year 12 Drama by the curriculum authority mid-year. Hey, this is one of my major aims and I’m the first to be proud of that and many of my students and their parents appreciate this also. It means as an educator I have been able, as many of you reading this blog have been too I’m sure, to suck out of my students more than what everyone believed they were capable of in their senior Drama studies.

But then you get those students who are so obsessed with grades. There’s a difference between getting 13/15 on a written task and querying afterwards ”where can I improve?” and stressing about what those 2 little marks are going to do to your end of year study score and overall Year 12 score. Students need to hear wisdom from their teachers that even if they don’t get accepted into their university course of choice, they will fall on their feet eventually … and most importantly … be happy in life.

As Drama/Theatre teachers, we know the most rewarding things our students receive from studying our courses are very rarely the grades, but rather the:

• self-confidence in everyday situations
• socialisation skills
• problem-solving and negotiation skills
• increased self-esteem and personal development
• ability to articulate to others with confidence

And then there’s memories many students cherish for years:

• their first public performance
• the high school musicals or plays
• the musical cast parties!
• the sense of achievement after a successful show

As I reflect on some of the words in ‘thank you’ cards I have received recently, it is not the grades that our students and their parents remember from Drama at school … it is the life skills Drama gave our students in and outside the classroom that helped them through high school and prepared them better for the outside world.

This serves as a reminder to us about the power of Drama and Theatre in education and the profound impact it can truly have on the lives of young teenagers. With this comes our responsibility as Drama teachers.

Drama …. is there another subject at school that gives students so many skills? I doubt it.

My definition of sound:

Modern theatrical practice relies on sound to assist in a number of ways. It can be useful in creating atmosphere or mood. Actors and their bodies can construct effective sound in performance. Small props can also create sound effects that can be used live during a show. Other uses of sound involve the implementation of technology, such as instrumental recordings, soundscapes and sound effects on CD.

My Year 11 Drama class explored sound in performance in a classroom setting via workshopping a brief skit. Their findings below refer to any use of sound in a dramatic performance that does not rely on the use of technology:

• sound can be created via exaggerated breathing or sighing
• sound can be created via a performer interacting with objects or props
• sound can be created by using the voice to create a myriad of sounds (eg. whoosh)
• sound can be created by using the body (limbs, feet etc.) for stomping, dragging feet and more
• sound can assist in the creation of tension, mood and changes in rhythm in a performance
• sound can be used to create a setting and develop character (eg. the typical teenage yawn)
• sound can assist in the visualisation of imaginary objects and props in a performance
• a complete lack of sound (silence) can also be very effective in a drama

My definition of tension:

Tension can sometimes be used as an interchangeable term with conflict.  But where it differs, lies in the development of suspense in a performance.  As the audience anticipates certain outcomes in the plot, the tension builds.  An obvious example of rising tension is in a mystery or whodunit.  The development of tension usually parallels the advancement of the plot, leading to a crisis or climax. Tension is closely linked with timing.

After a bit of workshopiing and analytical discussion, my Drama students concluded:

• tension should preferably have the opportunity to build in the drama
• if tension builds too slowly, it will die in the middle of a scene
• if tension builds too quickly, it may appear ineffective or artificial
• pace now becomes a key factor in the development of tension
• tension can occur when performers raise their voice > shouting
• the opposite is also true, as tension can also occur with stillness and silence in the drama
• tension can be created by the unknown
• tension can be created simply by the audience following where characters look on (or off) stage
• tension can be created via heavy use of emotion/s with and between characters
• blocking (positioning of actors) can also create tension

In this case, it was in the classroom with a simple skit devised by my Year 11 Drama students.

My definition of contrast:

Without the careful use of contrast a performance is boring and lacks tension.  An obvious example of contrast is a sad scene followed by a happy one. But contrast can be created in more subtle and sophisticated ways, such as manipulating the drama to create a change in setting, use of space or rhythm. The pace of scenes can also be altered, as can various dramatic elements within one small section of a performance.

My students’ found out about contrast themselves by manipulating their drama skit to include contrast. Their conclusions follow….

Examples of Contrast

• contrast between characters
• contrast in emotions
• contrast in pace
• contrast in the use of sound
• contrast between plots and subplots
• contrast in the use of space
• contrast in movement between characters
• contrast in facial expressions used by characters
• contrast in the use of voice by characters
• contrast in mood

This is the first in a series of posts about the elements of drama. These elements are essential to all effective theatre performances, from the multi-million dollar spectacular to the classroom skit with a table, a chair and two rostrum blocks.

In recent weeks I have been workshopping various “dramatic elements” with my Year 11 Drama students, who, at the end of each workshop, discuss and record their findings … the first of which is in this post. Their discoveries, however, are just as relevant for a junior or middle school Drama class because the elements of drama are universal … crossing all cultures, skill levels and age groups.

My definition of rhythm:

Rhythm refers to the timing and pace of the drama.  It also means the beat or tempo of the performance.  As a rule, rhythm should never be the same throughout the drama, regardless of its length.  Rhythm can follow the emotional state of one or more characters or the atmosphere of the performance at particular moments.

Examples of Rhythm

• rhythm in exchanges of dialogue between characters
• rhythm in the walk of a character
• rhythm in the reactions of characters to events in the drama
• rhythm in the speech of a character
• rhythm in the repetition of words and phrases
• rhythm in stylised or synchronised character movements
• rhythm in the changes of pace in scenes
• rhythm in non-vocal sound made by an actor

Dramatic Elements

• focus
• tension
• timing
• rhythm
• contrast
• mood
• space
• language
• sound
• symbol
• conflict
• climax

Expressive Skills

• voice
• movement
• facial expression
• gesture

Performance Skills

• presence
• energy

Why is FOCUS one of the “dramatic elements” and not one of the “expressive skills”???

One might argue it’s all semantics and why worry? But, if like me, you’re in the middle of a prescribed curriculum that mandates terminology in the course, questions such as this I believe, are important. It seems to me FOCUS would belong more happily as a fifth expressive skill in our Drama course….you know…focus, voice, movement, facial expression and gesture.

I understand a student actor is not necessarily “expressing” his/her focus in performance, but without focus, the quality of his/her four expressive skills is very poor indeed! On the flip side, strong focus will allow the four expressive skills of voice, movement, facial expressions and gesture to be powerful, believable and convincing in performance.  So why doesn’t focus belong in this category?

Here is my definition of focus I give my students:

Focus is often used interchangeably with the terms concentration and engagement, assisting the performer in the portrayal of believable characters. This also implies memorisation of text (including word, moves and gestures).  Furthermore, focus requires the channeling (focusing) of all the performer’s energies into achieving the given goals or objectives of a character in a scene (otherwise known as ‘wants’).

Now to me, not only does focus appear to lie awkwardly among its other cousins under the “dramatic elements” category of terms, but it also belongs more comfortably in the family of “expressive skills”. The “dramatic elements” are not necessarily linked to the student actor. They are elements of theatre that, when manipulated, create effective drama – such as contrast and mood in performance. But focus, on the other hand, seems to be directly associated with the individual performer, and should therefore be an “expressive skill”, not a “dramatic element”.

I’d be interested in hearing other people’s thoughts on this……

A couple of weeks ago I read an interesting article quoting a Hollywood film director complaining that too many of our movies today are simply full of noise. One may only have to watch The Bourne Ultimatum to be convinced. I just threw in the DVD of this fantastic movie, closed my eyes and laid back and listened to 10 minutes of … you guessed it …noise … and loud, continuous noise, at that.

This all got me thinking of the value of silence … in drama, of course. Silence is often forgotten in student performances, but when used wisely, its effects can be profound.

When performing solo performances or monologues, in particular, I often encourage many of my students to begin with silence (not to be confused with the silence of getting into character, I mean the first 15 or 20 seconds of the performance, itself). Silence at the start of a performance can set the required tone or mood from the outset. Silence draws the audience in, resulting in a tightly focused image of a sole actor. Add stage lighting and the visual picture can be impressive.

Often accompanying silence in performance is stillness. These two elements sometimes go hand in hand and complement each other. Stillness and silence can create effective dramatic tension in performance. The silence can be continued just long enough to increase the tension, but if you draw it out too long your intentions may fail. Like stretching a rubber band until the second before it breaks, stillness and silence in performance need to be carefully calculated to create the required mood and tension.

Of course, silence does not necessarily need to occur at the beginning of the drama. It can be anywhere the actor or director wants it. Stillness and silence occurring suddenly, or soon after scenes full of activity and noise, can result in effective contrast in performance. It is this example of light and shade that can turn good drama into great drama.

We all love it when a moment of silence is so “loud” in performance, you can hear a pin drop in the house. These are moments of magic when the audience is entirely focused on the stage action, completely immersed in the events occurring before them.

Last week my Year 12 Drama students performed an evening of 7-minute solo character performances at school for parents and friends. While everyone may well remember the hilarity and laughter resulting from the more comic performances on the program, as their Drama teacher, it was those few moments of deliberate stillness and silence in the more serious performances that I remembered most.

OK, so I’m in this fortunate position. I don’t direct the school musical and I replaced the biennial senior play with VCE Drama nights three years ago.

If you teach in a large Drama/Theatre department, this may also be your situation. Perhaps you assist one of your colleagues with one aspect of the school production, but not actively direct an entire full-scale production yourself. Alternatively, you may have no involvement at all.

But chances are, if you’re in small Drama department or are running solo as the only Drama teacher in your school or on your campus, then you’ll no doubt be expected to direct a major play or musical.

I’ve often wondered just why, as Drama teachers, we are expected to direct plays or musicals as part of our teaching load? I’m coming from a high school perspective here, where Drama teachers the world over direct entire two act plays, three hour musicals and five act Shakespeare productions every year.

I understand the many benefits of directing a production at high school. I’ve been there myself over the years and if the truth be known I sort of miss it in a way because directing was my true love in my uni days and I believe it is one of my strongest skills as a Drama teacher.

There are numerous positives in directing productions … from skills to collegiality … for both students and staff. But if we would only stop and take stock for a moment to remind ourselves most of these shows were written to be directed, choreographed, acted, sung and danced by professionals on Broadway and the West End … not students in Year 10 … for a reason.

I honestly believe the school production, while often a wonderful and rewarding experience for our students, is unnecessarily stressful for the Drama teacher who directs or coordinates it. On top of a full teaching load and rehearsals for any number of other activities at the same time, why are we expected to direct a full-scale show as well?

Perhaps we should question more often whether the benefits of directing a school play or musical outweigh the disadvantages that come with the same package?

I remember back in 2004 shocking my Deputy Principal by openly admitting to her I wouldn’t be planning a single lesson in the week of the senior play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I just said it as it was … I’ll be ‘winging’ every lesson that week off the top of my head, using the 6 Step Approach To Teaching … planning my lessons in the last six steps as I enter the classroom.

Such is the nature of the beast. If only more of our colleagues understood how it all works. We can’t of course, necessarily expect them to know the finer details of a Drama teacher’s job, so perhaps it is our duty to politely inform people what it’s like from time to time.

Drama teachers preparing school productions don’t just have lesson planning problems, but sleepless nights, endless hours (sometimes in the dark) up at school building sets, constructing costumes, rehearsing with students, printing programmes, rigging stage lights … the list goes on. We become unnecessarily stressed and anxious, so much so we sometimes find it THE most difficult time of the year in all aspects of our life, be it personal or professional.

There are of course side issues to directing the school production. Am I receiving an appropriate time allowance from my employer? Will I be getting remuneration? Or perhaps, why am I receiving neither money nor time?!? There is also the issue of whether the school production should be ‘expected’ of the Drama teacher, or simply be voluntary?

But the central issue in my eyes is why are we doing it in the first place?

Today I have other extra curricular activities to fill my plate, from VCE showcases to creative arts festivals. But these are spread in numerous timelines over nearly the entire academic year with no single activity requiring the all-consuming commitment and pressure that directing a school production does.

I recall back in the early 80s, a wonderful young American tennis player Andrea Jaeger, who officially retired from tennis with a shoulder injury at the tender age of just 19, after being ranked as high as No.2 in the world. It was clear she was simply burnt out because she started her tennis career at such an early age. These days,  the Womens Tennis Association protect young girls from similar circumstances by not allowing them to participate in professional tournaments until they reach 14.

Just like Jaeger, young Drama teachers today are suffering burnout on a regular basis because they are directing school productions as early as their first year of teaching. Where is their protection? We should be looking after our young Drama teachers and nurturing them, not assisting their early burnout. Perhaps this is yet another reason why so many young educators are disillusioned with teaching, leaving our profession a few years into their new career.

After three years of not directing the high school production with my current employer, I have come to realise that for the first time in my career, I can focus almost exclusively on the quality of teaching and learning in the Drama classroom. Granted, I look back on the challenges of yesteryear where I practised the craft of directing with musicals and plays, but today these skills still occur in smaller chunks in any standard Drama class.

Directing the school show is such a mammoth task for Drama teachers. Many of us reach dizzying heights of success with slickly polished shows and talented students of all ages on stage. Meantime, our colleagues down the street are quietly struggling with a job so demanding and difficult, they begin to question its worth.

In reality, it really doesn’t matter too much about the quality of the show produced. At the end of the day, if our motives are genuine, we are directing school productions for the students, not our egos. But after all that hard effort by students and staff, we can’t ignore the fact that it’s nice to see a top quality product at the end of the road, if we can. After all, we are rightly proud of our efforts.

So now we delve into the dangerous territory where regardless of the quantity of work for all involved in a high school show, should we just be leaving them to the realms of professional theatre? Are many musicals and plays simply too difficult for some Drama teachers, particularly the inexperienced (though of course one can argue it is the number of not-so-brilliant productions in a row that make us better directors in the long run … hopefully).

Is directing the school production a natural extension of our face-to-face Drama teaching load i.e. performance? Are they the single, most time-consuming activity on the academic calendar, yet an add-on we are not even getting paid for? Are plays and musicals of the Broadway variety too difficult for high schools and should we be producing sub-standard shows? Are they a major distraction from our primary function as Drama teachers … to teach Drama/Theatre in the classroom?

Or is directing the school play or musical simply the best activity there is for both ourselves and our Drama students and well worth all the time and effort that goes into it?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bagging or dissing the school production.

I’m not even calling for change.

But I am calling for a discussion………………