Theatrel-3 c-198 1340968141788

CBSE-i
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
Central Board of
Secondary Education
CLASS-VI
PERFORMING ARTS
THEATRE
STUDENTS MANUAL
CBSE-i
Acknowledgements
Advisory
Shri Vineet Joshi, Chairman, CBSE
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Training), CBSE
Ideators VI-VIII
Ms Aditi Mishra
Ms Guneet Ohri
Ms. Sudha Ravi
Ms. Himani Asija
Ms. Neerada Suresh
Dr. Rajesh Hassija
Dr. G.P. Bagoria
Conceptual Framework
Shri G. Balasubramanian, Former Director (Acad), CBSE
Ms. Abha Adams, Consultant, Step-by-Step School, Noida
Dr. Sadhana Parashar, Director (Training), CBSE
Ms Preeti Hans
Ms Neelima Sharma
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
Ms. Urmila Guliani
Ms. Anuradha Joshi
Mrs. Sonali Sinha
Ms. Uma Sharma
Ms. Charu Maini

Dr. Usha Sharma
Prof. Chand Kiran Saluja
Dr. Meena Dhani
Ms. Vijay Laxmi Raman
Ms. Avanita Bir
Ms. Asha Singh
Ms. Malini Sridhar

Ms. Leela Raghavan
Dr. Rashmi Sethi
Ms. Seema Rawat
Ms. Suman Nath Bhalla
Prof Om Vikas
Ms. Rita Bokil
Material Production Groups: Classes VI-VIII

English :
Ms Neha Sharma
Ms Dipinder Kaur
Ms Sarita Ahuja
Ms Gayatri Khanna
Ms Preeti Hans
Ms Rachna Pandit
Ms Renu Anand
Ms Sheena Chhabra
Ms Veena Bhasin
Ms Trishya Mukherjee
Ms Neerada Suresh
Ms Sudha Ravi
Ms Ratna Lal
Ms Ritu Badia Vashisth
MsVijay Laxmi Raman
Core-Research
Ms. Renu Anand
Ms. Gayatri Khanna
Dr. N K Sehgal
Ms. Anita Sharma
Ms. Rashmi Kathuria
Ms. Neha Sharma
Ms. Neeta Rastogi
Ms. Manjushtha Bose
Ms. Varsha Manku
Dr. K L Chopra
Chemistry :
Ms. Poonam Kumar
Mendiratta
Ms. Rashmi Sharma
Ms. Kavita Kapoor
Ms. Divya Arora
Mathematics :
Dr Ram Avtar
Mr Mahendra Shankar
Ms. Deepa Gupta
Ms. Gayatri Chowhan
Ms. N Vidya
Ms. Mamta Goyal
Ms. Chhavi Raheja
Physics :
Ms. Vidhu Narayanan
Ms. Mukta Kaushik
Ms. Patarlekha Sarkar
Ms. Neelam Malik
Biology:
Mr. Saroj Kumar
Ms. Rashmi Ramsinghaney
Ms. Prerna Gosain
Ms. Seema Kapoor
Mr. Manish Panwar
Ms. Vikram Yadav
Ms. Monika Chopra
Ms. Jaspreet Kaur
Ms. Preeti Mittal
Ms. Shipra Sarcar
Ms. Leela Raghavan
Theatre:
Ms. Bindia Rajpal
Ms. Archana Sharma
Ms. Shruti Sharma
Hindi:
Mr. Akshay Kumar Dixit
Ms. Veena Sharma
Ms. Nishi Dhanjal
Ms. Kiran Soni
CORE-SEWA
Ms. Vandna
Ms. Nishtha Bharati
Ms. Seema Bhandari
Ms. Seema Chopra
Ms. Reema Arora
Ms. Neha Sharma
ICT
Mr. Yogesh Kumar
Ms. Nancy Sehgal
Ms. Purvi Srivastava
Ms. Babita Mahajan
Ms. Ritu Arora
Ms. Swati Panhani
Ms. Chanchal Chandna
Geography:
Ms Suparna Sharma
Ms Aditi Babbar
History :
Ms Leeza Dutta
Ms Kalpana Pant
Ms Ruchi Mahajan
Political Science:
Ms Kanu Chopra
Ms Shilpi Anand
Economics :
Ms. Leela Garewal
Ms Anita Yadav
CORE-Perspectives
Ms. Madhuchhanda,
RO(Innovation)
Ms. Varsha Seth, Consultant
Ms Neha Sharma
Visual Arts
Ms. Rani Bhatnagar
Ms. Anjali Anand
Shri Subroto Mallick
Ms. Renu Gupta
Ms. Minakshi
Shri Subir Mitra
Dance and Music:

Ms. Manisha Goel
Ms. Priya Srinivasan
Ms. Amrita Shiv Kumar
Ms. Deepti Sharma
Chief Co-ordinator: Dr. Srijata Das, EO
Co-ordinators
Ms. Sugandh Sharma, E O
Ms.S. Radha Mahalakshmi

E. O.
Dr Rashmi Sethi, E O
Ms. Madhuchhanda, R O (Inn)
Mr. Navin Maini, RO(Tech)
Shri Al Hilal Ahmed, AEO
Mr. R P Singh, AEO
Ms. Anjali, AEO
Ms. Neelima Sharma,

Consultant (English)
Shri R. P. Sharma,
Consultant (Science)
Ms Reema Arora,
Consultant (Chemistry)
Mr. Sanjay Sachdeva, S O
Preface
This International Curriculum initiated by Central Board of Secondary Education - (CBSE) is a
progressive step in making the educational content and methodology more sensitive and responsive
to the global needs. It signifies the emergence of a fresh thought process in imparting a curriculum
which would restore the autonomy of the learner to pursue the learning process in harmony with the
existing personal, social and cultural ethos.
The Central Board of Secondary Education has been providing support to the academic needs of the
learners worldwide. It has about 12500 schools affiliated to it and over 158 schools situated in more
than 23 countries. The Board has always been conscious of the varying needs of the learners and has
been working towards contextualizing certain elements of the learning process to the physical,
geographical, social and cultural environment in which they are engaged. The International
Curriculum being designed by CBSE-i, has been visualized and developed with these requirements
in view.
The nucleus of the entire process of constructing the curricular structure is the learner. The objective
of the curriculum is to nurture learner autonomy, given the fact that every learner is unique. The
learner has to understand, appreciate, protect and build on values, beliefs and traditional wisdom,
make the necessary modifications, improvisations and additions wherever and whenever necessary.
The recent scientific and technological advances have thrown open the gateways of knowledge at an
astonishing pace. The speed and methods of assimilating knowledge have put forth many challenges
to educators, forcing them to rethink their approaches for knowledge processing by their learners. In
this context, it has become imperative for them to incorporate those skills which will enable young
learners to become 'life long learners'. The ability to stay current, to upgrade skills with emerging
technologies, to understand the nuances involved in change management and the relevant life skills
have to be a part of the learning domains of the global learners. The CBSE-i curriculum has taken
cognizance of these requirements.
The CBSE-i aims to carry forward the basic strength of the Indian system of education while promoting
critical and creative thinking skills, effective communication skills, interpersonal and collaborative
skills along with information and media skills. There is an inbuilt flexibility in the curriculum, as it
provides a foundation and an extension curriculum, in all subject areas to cater to the different pace of
learners.
The CBSE introduced classes I and IX in the session 2010-11 as a pilot project in schools. It was further
extended to classes II,VI and X in the session 2011-12. In the seesion 2012-13, CBSE-i is going to enter
in third year with classes III, VII and XI. The focus of CBSE-i is to ensure that the learner is stress-free
and committed to active learning. The learner would be evaluated on a continuous and
comprehensive basis consequent to the mutual interactions between the teacher and the learner.
There are some non-evaluative components in the curriculum which would be commented upon by
the teachers and the school. The objective of this part or the core of the curriculum is to scaffold the
learning experiences and to relate tacit knowledge with formal knowledge. This would involve transdisciplinary linkages that would form the core of the learning process. Perspectives, SEWA (Social
Empowerment through Work and Action), Life Skills and Research would be the constituents of this
'Core'.The Core skills are the most significant aspects of a learner's holistic growth and learning curve.
The International Curriculum has been designed keeping in view the foundations of the National
Curricular Framework (NCF 2005) NCERT and the experience gathered by the Board over the last
seven decades in imparting effective learning to millions of learners, many of whom are now global
citizens.
The Board does not interpret this development as an alternative to other curricula existing at the
international level, but as an exercise in providing the much needed Indian leadership for global
education at the school level. The International Curriculum would evolve building on learning
experiences inside the classroom over a period of time. The Board while addressing the issues of
empowerment with the help of the schools' administering this system strongly recommends that
practicing teachers become skillful learners on their own and also transfer their learning
experiences to their peers through the interactive platforms provided by the Board.
I profusely thank Shri G. Balasubramanian, former Director (Academics), CBSE, Dr. Sadhana Parashar,
Director (Training) CBSE, Dr. Srijata Das, Education Officer CBSE along with all the Officers involved in
the development and implementation of this material.
The CBSE-i website enables all stakeholders to participate in this initiative through the discussion
forums provided on the portal. Any further suggestions for modifying any part of this document are
welcome.
Vineet Joshi
Chairman , CBSE
UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre
CBSE-i
THEATRE CLASS VI
UNIT - I
INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE
STUDENTS MANUAL
All the world's a stage and men and women merely

players
William Shakespeare
I roamed the streets,

I walked on the seashore,
And caught a whiff of everyday life,
It began to unfold,
The Drama of this world With smiles and laughter the curtain rose,
With tears of goodbyes I took the bow.
1

INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE
In this Unit we will explore and experience theatre. As we move from exercise to exercise the full
meaning of theatre and drama will emerge.We will be looking at the following aspects:
l
The Meaning of Theatre
The Elements of Drama
Indian Drama and People
Welcome to the world of drama!

Drama comes from Greek words meaning "to do" or "to act."
Drama is a composition in verse or prose intended to portray life, a character or to tell a story. The story
usually involves conflicts and emotions through action and dialogue. It is typically designed for
theatrical performance. It is performed in front of an audience. Drama will help you in understanding the
world. It can help you speak about emotions and ideas. You can play a role different from your real self.
This will help you understand other people. Drama involves choosing a theme, a situation, characters
and writing a script. It also means creating costumes, props, using stage lights and background music.
Drama is fun. You can use it to learn new concepts in Science and Math through drama. How enjoyable
history would become if you could make ancient civilizations come alive in your classroom!
A Theatre is a place where a live performance is held. Actors act on stage dramatizing a
story. Emotions are played out and situations are depicted. The work of the dramatist,
the technique of a director and the acting skills of an actor create magic. People
believe what they see, as it depicts life.
Stage Design
Downstage
Upstage
Stage right
Stage left
:
:
:
:
PARTS OF A STAGE
Toward the audience

Away from the audience
Toward the actor's right (audience's left)
Toward the actor's left (audience's right)
2

Activity1. Emotional Expression
Observe and think.
l Watch people on the street or the supermarket.(You may watch a film clip with many people.
Observe their expressions and body language)
l Do they seem Happy? Busy? Hassled? Worried? Angry?
Happy: Relaxed body, shining eyes, and smile.
Worried: Knitted brow, pinched face, fidgety hands, bunched shoulders
Busy: Hurried moments, impatient look, energetic walk.
Angry: Narrowed eyes, flared nostrils, and clenched jaw.
Sad: Drooping mouth, dull eyes, slumped shoulder.
You may add your own observations to the above list.
Activity 2. Warming Up
A Group Activity
Make a circle and say a sentence expressing a feeling. The next person can speak a sentence expressing
the opposite feeling. Example- I am so so HAPPY today. The next says I am so so SAD today, the third one
says I am so so Excited about today, and so forth .
Activity 3: Mimicking People

Individual activity : Depicting Emotion & Body
Movement
Look at the given picture.
What emotion does this lady seem to be expressing anger/
frustration/elation. Difficult to guess? Why? The expressions on the
lady's face are not visible which makes it difficult to guess the emotion.
a) Now do the following activity: Stand in the same pose as the
lady and bring anger on your face. Now maintaining the pose
show frustration. Last of all bring an expression of great
happiness (elation). (Tips - To bring the desired expression
imagine something that makes you angry, frustrated or really
happy.)
Do you know that visualization changes the way we feel about
something.

Do you know that visualization changes the way we feel about something.
b) These people are in a great hurry. They are late to work. Look at their body language. Now mimic
their body language and add facial expressions. Act as if you are late for work.
In drama emotions are depicted when expressions are matched with gestures and
appropriate body language.
Let's Read
Look at the following words that depict moods and emotions:
I have not written about

hypothetical pain or
created an imaginary
world of sorrow. I am from
a middle class family and
I have seen the brutal
ways of life by keeping
my eyes open. My work
has come from within me,
as an outcome of my
observation of the world
in which I live.
Vijay Tendulkar
Playwright, Director, Teacher
(1928 - 2008)
angry
anxious
ashamed
bored
confused
confident
depressed
disgusted
embarrassed
energized
exhausted
frightened
guilty
happy
hopeful
jealous
lonely
thoughtful
mysterious
nervous
sad
surprised
shocked
shy
suspicious
sympathetic
menacing

Judge the feelings depicted on each face. Which mood and emotion do the characters display?
Choose from the emotions listed above and write the word in blank below the pictures.
Elements of Drama
l
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Voice: Volume, Clarity

Sound: Sound effects, the actor's voices, songs, and instrumental music played as
underscore in a play.
Body Movement: Pose, posture and gestures
Emotional Expression: Emotions, moods
Spectacle: Scenery, costumes, and special effects in a production.
Plot: The Story line
Characters: The People; the dramatis persona.
Theme: The main idea on which the play is based.
Language: Dialogue, monologue.
Play Writing: Creating the structure of a script with scenes, acts and stage directions.
Directing: Presenting the play on stage by using all elements.

Activity 4: Action, Reaction
A Group Activity
Pick out 4 feelings your group would like to act out.Think of a few lines that will enable you to
act out the emotion. For example,
A:
The car's missing it's gonemy God!

Somebody has stolen my car (shock).
Your team members can respond to this dialogue with a response of their own like the
dialogue given below:
B:
Don't worry let's call the cops, they'll nab the thief.(Comforting)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
C:
You have no right to speak like this to me. How dare you call me a cheat?(Anger)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
D:
I did not say so. I merely said that cheating spoils a game.(Diplomatic)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
E:
What's the use? I have lost everything in this fire? (Sadness)

_______________________________________________________________________________________
F:
Cheerup!Remember, what Edison said when his life's work got burnt down in a fire? (Motivating)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
G:
I thought you were a kind person. I am shocked by your treatment of your pet kitten.
(Disapproval)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
H:
It's only an animaldon't overreact.(Heartless)

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Drama is a depiction of various moments of a person's life.The moods and emotions of
a person are captured by a playwright on stage.

Activity 5: Depicting a situation
A Group Activity
Practice the following sequence with appropriate expressions. You do not need any props for this
activity.
Sequence 1
1 . See a mango on a tree.
2 . Step towards the tree.
3. Reach up to the mango
4. Pluck it.
5. With a small pen knife peel the mango.
6. The mango is juicy and its juice starts trickling down your hand.
7. Lick your hand and take a bite of the mango.
8. Enjoy the richness of the taste of the mango.
Sequence 2
1. See red roses in the garden.
2. Smell the roses.
3. Cut the roses with a pair of garden scissors.
4. Clip the stems a little and make an even bunch.
5. Remove a few leaves.
6. A thorn pricks you.
7. Your hand starts bleeding
8. Tie a bandage around the spot.
Now work in groups of four again to devise a sequence of your own. Show it to the other
groups who will try to guess what it is about.

Characterization
Characters
The Playwright uses the characters to
convey the theme of the play. He makes
them walk, talk and dress in their own
individual way. The characters carry the
story (the plot) of the play forward
because of the way they act.
Just like the people you see in everyday
life, the people you see in a play have
their own unique personality and
beliefs. They belong to different
backgrounds, speak differently from
each other and are from different age
groups.

Activity 6 : Creating Characters
Divide the class into groups of four. Each group will create 4 characters. These characters
can be completely contrasting.
Create your own characters.You may use the following template:
Name:
Age:
Country (of Residence):
Nationality:
Language spoken at home:
Period (eg. Contemporary, historical etc.):
Personality (Traits, temperament, likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses dreams, ambitions etc.)
Appearance:
Mannerisms:
Profession/Occupation:
Read the following lines by some of the most famous literary

characters.
Hameed What should I buy with my

three paisa, jalebi, sherbet or this
wonderful toy? No I'll buy a pair of
tongs for grandma (Ameena) My
chimta is Roostam-e-Hind.
Idgah by MunshiPremchand
Mini - O Kabuliwallah, Kabuliwallah,

what have you got in your bag?"
And he (The Kabuliwallah) would
reply, in the nasal accents of the
mountaineer: "An elephant!"
The Kabuliwallah by
Rabindranath Tagore
"If one has got to read even during holidays, I

don't see why holidays are given at all."
Swaminathan.
"It was Monday morning. Swaminathan was
reluctant to open his eyes. He considered
Monday specially unpleasant in the calendar.
After the delicious freedom of Saturday and
Sunday, it was difficult to get into the Monday
mood of work and discipline. He shuddered at
the thought of school; that dismal yellow
building; the fire-eyed Vedanayagam, his classteacher; and the headmaster with his thin, long
cane "
Swami and Friends by R.K Narayan
Invention, my dear friends, is 93%

perspiration, 6% electricity, 4%
evaporation, and 2% butterscotch
ripple
Mrs.Teevee: [as Mr.Wonka drinks the
formula] That's 105%!
Roald Dahl's Willie Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory.
10
He had discovered a great law of

human action, without knowing it
namely, that in order to make a man or
a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary
to make the thing difficult to obtain.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain
Discuss:
The most interesting characters you have read in books. (Hints- Hameed ,Mini, Swami,Tom Sawyer,
Harry Potter, Oliver Twist, Matilda, Willie Wonka, Swami)Think of their unique qualities that make them
unforgettable.Which country do they belong to? What problems do they face? How do they resolve their
problems?
Assignment 1: My Favourite Character

Create groups of 4-6 students. Research and make a slide presentation on character/s that left a mark on
you. You may choose a character from a famous novel, play, history, mythology, science or some other
field of your choice. Bring out the personality, the appearance, the clothes they wore, the period they
lived in and their famous quotes.
Let's revise
The Story of a play is called ______________.
Which part of the stage is downstage? ________________
The one who writes the play is called a ________________.
Playwright,
Towards the audience,
11
Plot
Voice
Using our voice effectively and creatively is
important not only on stage but even in our
day-to-day lives. Fortunately, it is a skill that
can easily be learnt with practice.
Voice is about how we say things rather than
what we say. To develop this skill, you must
focus on the rise and fall in the pitch of your
voice while speaking and laying stress on the
right words in order to convey the feelings and
meanings.
12

Playing out a character: Voice Practice
To act out a character you need to take
care of the following aspects:
Practise saying these lines
Sohail : Hi (Pause) I am Sohail just
1. Voice:
shifted (pause) into the neighbourhood. (Normal Voice)
a) Volume: Throw your voice so

that it fills up the room.
b) Clarity: Speak very clearly
Helloo (pause) Anyone home ?

(Project your voice)
c) Speed: Speak slowly and pause

in the right places
Why (pause) are you disturbing

(pause) the ghost family (A loud
whisper answers)
Sohail : Who (pause)is that?
2. Body Movement:
Practice these techniques:
a) body toward the audience
Say no and sway your head from side

to side.Say yes and nod your head
vigorously. Say come here and
beckon with a wave of the arm.
3. Exaggerated gesture - emphasize

physical gestures to communicate
them more clearly
Smile big, frown as if angry and twist

your face in a grimace, glare hard.You
can fold your arms and thrust one
shoulder forward to appear aggressive.
4. Facial expression - use "big"

expressions that embody emotion
Aspects of Theatre
Direction
The Director presents drama in theater. He
stages the plays written by the playwright. He
works with a team coordinating research,
stagecraft, costume design, props, lighting
design, acting, set design, stage combat, and
sound design for the production.
13

Stage Lighting
Stage Props are objects used on

stage by actors to further the plot or
story line of a theatrical production.
Stage is the designated

space for performance.
Stage Crew A crew of workers who move

scenery or handle properties (props) in a
theatrical production comprises the stage crew.
Be a star on stageBorn of dream,

Inked on a page,
Played out in a theatre.
14

Brain Storming
Let's discuss the main elements of theatre we have learnt so far.
1. If I have to stand to the stage left it means that the audience can see me standing ______________.
2. While speaking on stage I must take care of the following aspects:
______________, ______________, ______________.
3. Acting involves ______________ & ______________.
4. To make my facial expression clearly visible to the audience I must ______________.
5. If I am creating a character for my play I will list her
______________, & ______________. [Any 4]
______________,
______________,
6. The objects I carry in my hand like a newspaper, a ball, a glass of water and the like are called
______________.
7. The people who move the scenery and props on stage are called ______________.
8. The characters in a play are called ______________.
15

Indian Drama and People
Brainstorming Session
List at least ten names that you associate with drama and theatre.Your list may include
names of famous theatre actors, directors, playwrights, designers, teachers,
technical assistants, choreographers etc.
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
l ________________________________
Drama is a highly specialized and topical art form. It constantly evolves itself with changing
time. Drama can be said to be an authentic reflection of the geography, history, culture,
traditions and value-system of an area. A complete art form, drama is probably as old as
civilization itself.
India has always been known for a variety of folk theatre forms. From the Swang of Haryana to
the YakshaGaan of Karnataka, the range of drama in India is as diverse as its culture and
people.
Bharata Muni is considered as the founder of the

Indian dramaturgy and he described Indian drama as
The Fifth Veda. Believed to comprise over 36,000 verses,
Natyashstrais said to be written between 2nd Century A.
D. and 2nd Century B. C. Thus, Bharata is often
acknowledged as the Father of Indian Theatrical Arts.
Bharata`s Natyashastra appears to be the first attempt to
devise and contrive the technique or rather art of drama
in a systematic manner.
Bhavai is the traditional theatre form of Gujarat. The

centers of this form are Kutch and Kathiawar. The
instruments used in Bhavai are: bhungal, tabla, flute,
pakhaawaj, rabaab, sarangi, manjeera, etc. In Bhavai,
there is a rare synthesis of devotional and romantic
sentiments.
16

Nautanki is one of the most popular folk
operatic theater performance traditions of
South Asia, particularly in northern India.
Before the advent of Bollywood (Hindi film
industry), Nautanki was the single most
popular form of entertainment in the
villages and towns of northern India.
Rooted in the rural society of pre-modern
India, this theater vibrates with lively
dancing, pulsating drumbeats, and fullthroated singing.
Jatra of Bengal depicts mythological

episodes of love and tragedy.
Legendary plays of heroism are also
popular, particularly in the rural
areas. In near past, Jatra was the
biggest means of entertainment for
the rural Bengal.
Ramlila (literally 'Rama's lila or

play') is a dramatic folk re-enactment
of the life of Lord Ram, ending up in
ten day battle between Lord Ram and
Ravan, as described in the Hindu
religious epic, the Ramayana. A
tradition that originates from the
Indian subcontinent, the play is
staged annually often over ten or
more successive nights culminating
in the Dusshera festival.
17

Assignment 2: Local Forms of Drama.
Explore the folk drama of your region. Create a scrap book with the following information.
l Theme of the folk drama.
l Music and background score.
l Costumes.
l Characters presented.
l Type of stage used.
Now let's read about some famous contemporary theatre personalities.
Barry John is an internationally renowned actor,

director, designer, writer and teacher. Born and educated
in the U.K., he has lived and worked in India since 1968.
He was the Founder-Director of Theatre Action Group
(1973-99), Delhi's most acclaimed company, and
instrumental in the success of many of its members:
Siddharth Basu, Mira Nair, Lillette Dubey, Divya Seth,
Pamela Rooks, Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpai, most
notably.
Vijay Tendulkar (7 January 1928 - 19 May 2008) was a

leading Indian playwright, movie and television writer,
literary essayist, political journalist, and social
commentator primarily in Marthi. He is best known for
his plays, Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe (1967), Ghshirm
Kotwl (1972), and Sakhrm Binder (1972). Many of
Tendulkar's plays derived inspiration from real-life
incidents or social upheavals, which provides clear light
on harsh realities. He provided his guidance to students
studying Playwright writing in US universities.
18

Ebrahim Alkazi (born 1925) is one
of the most influential Indian theatre
directors and Drama teachers in 20th
century Indian theatre. He was also
the Director of National School of
Drama, New Delhi) (19621977)
Rall Padamsee, the daughter of Alyque and Pearl Padamsee,

famous Indian theatre personalities has a fancy for producing plays
targeted at young kids. Her important plays in this category include
Alladin and his Magic Lamp, Alibaba and the Forty Thieves and
Babloo the Bear. She draws the stars mainly from her immensely
popular 'Little Actors Club'.Her plays include Aladdin', 'Aladdin
Extravaganza', 'Alibaba&Bagr the Bear', 'The Magic of Christmas',
'Oliver!', a family entertainer with a cast of 50 children and 20 adults.
'It's Showtime Folk's' The Ramayan revisited - the musicthe magic.
All the plays have a huge cast of children, drawn from the children
trained at the Ace workshops.
FAMOUS Theatre Directors

B.V. Karanth
l Macbeth in Hindi using the traditional Yakshgana
dance form
l Mudra rakshasa
Habib Tanwar
l Charandas Chor, Gaonka Naam Sasural, Mor Naam
Damad
l Kamdeoka Apna Basant Rituka Sapna.
Feroz Khan
l Tumhari Amrita, Mahatma vs. Gandhi,
l Salesman Ramlal (An adaptation of Arthur Miller's
'Death of a Salesman.')
19
Given above are pictures of some famous personalities from the world of theatre. How many of
them are you familiar with? Have you seen their work on stage or screen?
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Seema Biswas
Shabana Azmi
Morgan Freeman
Auderey Hepburn
Naseeruddin Shah
Lillete Dubey
Prithviraj Kapoor
Irfan Khan
Nafisa Ali
Surekha Sikri
Sir Lawrence Olivier
Discover yourself through drama

l Learn to speak loudly and clearly and make an impact.
l Learn to stand tall and appear confident
l Learn to face an audience and get recognized
l Learn to improvise and become smarter
20
UNIT - II : Mime and Movement
CBSE-i
THEATRE CLASS VI
UNIT - II
MIME AND MOVEMENT

STUDENTS MANUAL
21

MIME AND MOVEMENT
THE WORLD OF ILLUSION
In this Unit we will explore and experience Movements and Mime. As we progress through the
topic we will understand:
The world of actions without words
What is mime? Why mime?
How we can use body to express in an effective way.
The world of sounds
Mime facilitates to discover different ways of communication other than speech which can be used for
clear and effective communication. This basically involves expressive use of body and is the simplest
mode for the student to discover his/her own body. Body movements in general sense are based on
definite and accepted gestures. Through this approach the student has the opportunity to discover and
explore his immediate surroundings through informal movement. Physical exercises and movements
strengthen the muscular and motor coordination which help in personality development.
Starter
Below is a picture of Tribal art 'Warli' from Maharashtra, India. Study the picture carefully. Look
at the figures and make a list of actions being performed.
22

Activity 1: We are in a painting!
Group activity
Step 1: Imagine. Imagine you are a part of the painting given above and look for yourself in place of the
chosen figure.
Choose any one/part of the pictures and along with your group try to act silently. Emerge with the group
as if you are portrayed in the painting.You have five minutes to prepare the act.
Remember, paintings do not speak and create any sounds.
Step 2: Take your place. The groups now take their place in the painting and become a part of the
formation.
The game proceeds with the instructions of action/freeze given by the facilitator.
Step 3: Portray the action. Depict the scene that your group has chosen from the painting to portray
quick action and freeze in your position, be still.
You may click pictures of the depicted scene.
Discussion
l Where were you in the painting?(Draw a circle around the figure)
l What action did you do?
l Do you think you were effectively able to communicate through your action without using words?
l What did you keep in mind to make sure that the communication was effective?
23

MIME - AN INTRODUCTION
Mimes must have the bodies of gymnasts, minds of actors, and hearts of poets"
-Etienne Decroux: the 'father of modern mime'
Mime is a theatrical technique of suggesting action, character, or emotion without words,

using only gesture, expression, and movement. It is the art of silence, In this art form both
the performer and the performance are called mine. It is abstract and very stylized.
In fact, mime creates a world of illusion through silent action.
Actions Speak!!!
Can we imagine a world without sounds, comprising of only gestures? Do you know some times
silence speaks more than words?
You must have been in a public meeting when the sound system fails, while the speaker is still
addressing the crowd. Or you are watching your favourite television show, the climax is approaching and
the sound goes off! Could you construct the meaning out of the action that was taking place?
24

Activity 2: A Non-Verbal Classroom
Step 1: Vow of silence
Let us take a vow of silence for five minutes. Imagine a class room scene, a classroom where we all stay
mute, but the action still goes on.
Step 2: Ideas galore

Here is a list of a few actions that can be mimed. Add to the list and create the scene in the class.
l Sleeping/eating tiffin / yawning in the class and getting caught.
l Sharing a joke with a partner and giggling.
l A mischevious student.
l A student is unable to answer a question put to him/her by
the teacher.
l A confused teacher/ student.
l ____________________________________________________
l ____________________________________________________
Step 3: Action in the mute class

It is possible to convey something without words. This is mime.
Remember: Mime is no words in any language
Discussion
l Were you able to communicate effectively without speaking?
l Which sense organ played the most important role while you were trying to communicate without
words?
l What role do our ears play when none of us speak?
Write
l What did you enjoy the most in non-verbal class room?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Imagine some funny situations which you would like to mime. Make a list.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
25

Activity 3: Transforming an Object
Step 1: Make a circle and place an object in the middle of it. The object can be anything, like a stick, Pen
etc.
Step 2: One by one the children must enter the circle and transform the object into something that it
isn't and mime using it.
Example: A stick can be used as a flute, hockey stick, and earring
The game proceeds with the facilitator's instructions - 'action', 'stop', 'next ', etc.
Discussion
Each participant of the group used the same object for mime.
How did you understand that the object is being used differently?
Were there cases where it was a little easier to make out the use of the prop than others?
What brought about this difference in perception?
Action speaks in Mime

Here is a list of cues widely practiced while learning Mime:
l On hearing the whistle: Stop, listen to the teacher.
l Freeze: You need to stay in the position that you are in.
l
Melt: You regain your normal position.
WHY MIME?
Mime can help you focus on a significant aspect of communication - Non-verbal
Communication. It is a universal feature of communication. It goes beyond language and
cultural boundaries. It comprises posture, appearance, head movements, hand
movements, eye contact and much more. Interestingly, non-verbal communication can be
intended or unintended. When your words are supplemented with facial expressions and
gestures, your message is effectively conveyed. This is where mime steps in. Mime can help
you.
l Become aware of the expressiveness of your bodies.
l Broaden your awareness of how we speak everyday
with out bodies.
l Introduce a new way of communication through
mime.
l Increase your attention span and ability to
concentrate.
l Increase performance abilities and stage presence.
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Activity 4: Imaginary Treasure Box
Step 1: Sit in a circle on the floor.Your teacher has brought an imaginary box with her/him and inside it is
something she/he always wanted.
Step 2: Observe your teacher closely.
Step 3: She/he would place the box in front of the class opening the flaps and looking inside. Watch
her/him mime slowly and clearly taking out something and seeing it for the first time. It could be
an ornament, a precious gift, her/his favourite dress or anything.
Step 4: Now come forward one by one first and then in small groups to create imaginary illusions of your
favourite things as you pick up from the imaginary box and mime it in front of the class.While you
act, your peers can raise hands and guess the name of the object.
To mime is to truly believe in imagination; creating illusions and believing in them. The more
real the illusion, the more realistic and believable it will be for the audience.
History of Mime
Mime dates back to Greek civilization. In ancient Greece, festivals and carnivals were
organized in honour of Dionysus, the Greek god of theatre. In those days, the focus of the
performance was on 'characters' rather than the 'plot.' Since mime comprises of exaggerated
body movements and facial expressions, it perfectly fitted the bill and was widely used in
Greece, Italy and France till late sixteenth and seventeenth century.
Assignment 1
a)
Divide yourselves into groups and collect information on the following topics. You may
prepare a power point presentation and share it with the class.
l Master Mimes of the world
l Indian actors of silent movies
l Father of modern Mime
l Fascinating facts about mime
l Contemporary Mime artists
b) Identify the picture and write the name:
______________________
_____________________
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____________________________

Activity 5: Mime show/ Clips from silent movies
Silent movies: A silent film is a film with no recorded sound and no spoken dialogues. The
dialogues in a silent film are transmitted through gestures, mime and title cards.While many
believe that these films were primitive and poor in quality by today's standards, the truth is
that the visual quality of silent films was very high. They are often played at wrong speed and
have deteriorated in condition due to second and third generation copying.
The first silent movie was a two-second film titled Roundhay Garden Scene created in 1888!
The era of silent movies lasted till 1929.
Charlie Chaplin whose rags to riches story still inspires actors, is perhaps the best known
actor from the silent era. The Tramp which debuted in Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914) is the
famous character immortalized by him.
Silent films in India the first full-length motion picture in India was produced by
Dadasaheb Phalke, the pioneer of Indian film industry. He brought together elements from
Sanskrit epics to produce his Raja Harishchandra (1913), a silent film in Marathi. The female
roles in the film were played by male actors. Alam Aara released on 14 March 1931 was the
first Indian talking film.
Can you now guess why the theatres / cinema halls in India were called 'Talkies' after Alam
Aara?
Explore, watch, select and add to list.

Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHdmaFJ6W6M&feature=related
Marcel Marceau: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lF0XMCssG0

Marcel Marceau Sketch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i99k7nCnVwM
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Tips for brilliant Mime
l Large movements
l Exaggerated expressions
l Use your body to talk
l Make a route map for your actions
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Talking Frames
What a gait!!!
Have you ever noticed various people walking at a different pace, in different styles, moods and
patterns? Our body acts differently when we walk on different surfaces like climbing a mountain,
walking in muddy place, when we burn our toes on a hot surface or walk on snow.
Walking indicates the

age, profession,
mood, and state of
mind of the person
Let's try
Activity 6: Walking is fun!

Entire group mimes together.
Stage 1: Warming up to walking exercises: The class must utilise the entire available space freely, walk
for a few minutes in a pattern and stop at the sound of a whistle or word Freeze.
l Walk at your normal pace, while walking do not touch anyone.
l Walk as slow as possible, while walking have eye contact with as many of the group as possible.
l Walk at a brisk pace, making eye contact with those you come across, smile at While doing a
stationary/ illusionary walk

l Keep shoulders up and back
l Keep your chest and neck erect and not puffed out.
l Don't touch, collide push or pull any one.
l Don't slouch.Each other and greet others silently.
l Relax for a minute.
While doing a stationary/

illusionary walk
l Keep shoulders up and back
Stage 2: Here are some patterns.
l Keep your chest and neck
Let's try walking each pattern for a few minutes.

l Stationary walk
erect and not puffed out.

l Don't touch, collide push or
pull any one.
l Detective walk
l Don't slouch.
l Impulse walk
l Walking in fatigue
l On various surfaces like- desert, uphill, snow, embers etc.
29

Stage 3: Try walking like
l a child who has just learned to walk
l an old man walking with difficulty
l a lady wearing high heels for the first time
l a little boy who has twisted his ankle
l a street urchin whistling and acting pompous
l Stepping down on moon
Stage 4: Animal movements

l Peacock
l Deer
l Monkey
l Tiger
l Elephant
l Any animal of choice
What are the different factors that influence the way a person walks? How was the walk of an
old man different from that of a street urchin? Do you think you walk differently in different
circumstances? Pen down your thoughts and observations.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Assignment 2
Let's design our walking patterns and try to mime in front of mirror.
l A woman carrying a pot full of water slips on the road
l You are going to a party and suddenly..
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
30

My drama diary:
Recall some people with a peculiar appearance, gestures, gait, body language and actions. Describe
them in your drama diary to their minute details with their name, age and relation.
Where did you see them? What was special about them that fascinated you? Can you imitate their style?
(The list may include your friends, relatives, teachers, co-passengers, shop keepers, hawkers or any
one.)
Activity 7: Mirror Mirror, on the wall!!

Mirror games link the players by the act of seeing. The players merely reflect what the eyes see, without
any interpretation. This game calls for spontaneity.
Work in pairs. Face each other. Amongst the two, one is the leader and the other is the follower. Imagine
as if there is mirror in between the two.
Be together, act and reflect together without touching each other.
Tips for mirror games

l Slow movement- slow motion
l No acting
l Maintain eye contact
Stage I Hands Only

The leader would gradually start the movement with his hands and
the follower will follow the action. In fact, the action would take place
so slow that both the performers seem to act together. The leader
would keep changing the action and so will the follower.
Interchange the role after a while.
Stage II Continue the mirror exercise moving from hands to head,

neck, shoulders, arms, waist etc.
31

Stage III Facial expressions
Now try this exercise with body movements as well as facial expressions. You may take ideas from the
expressions given in the following pictures.
Reflect what you see and not what you think you see! Keep the mirror between you.
Mirror games call for spontaneous reflection and not imitation.
Practice at home in front of mirror: Think of a character from history, epics, films, fairy tales, TV
or real life and try to imitate the body language in front of the mirror. Remember, no words please.
32

Activity 8: Creating Illusions
Group Activity
Mime the following sequences with appropriate body movements and facial expressions.
Sequence 1 Creating a party illusion

l Mime as if you are in a party.
l Meet and greet people.
l Enjoy snacks and drinks.
l You meet people you like and have an animated conversation with.
l Somebody grabs you by the elbow, pulls you in one direction
l You feel the pull.You take your elbow towards the pull and then move the body.
l What happens next?
Note: Try out this exercise with the variation in size of people who are pulling you for the conversation,
they can be tall, short. The content of the conversation can be funny, sad or surprising. Vary your
facial expressions accordingly.
Sequence 2 Take your dog out for a walk

l Call your dog, pat him.
l Take out the leash, tie it to your dog
l Open the door, step out and close the door
l You and your dog are out for a walk
l What do you do next?
Note: Try out this exercise with different variations. You are walking the dog when suddenly the dog
starts 'walking you'! You feel the pull of the leash, the walk gets frantic and the leash is wrapped all
around you.
Mime it in front of the peer groups. Let them try to guess your sequence of actions.
No props in mime
No scenery or props are required with mime. Actions can depict a place, thing, an
event, a mood or a state of mind.
33

Mime : Action-Reaction
Activity 9: From the games field to the stage
Group activity:
The size of the group may vary from a small one to a large one.
Step 1: Go to the basketball court and practice the following things and play a game of basketball
The Grip
Shooting
Dribbling
Dunking
Now play a game of basketball without the ball.

Let's play badminton. Practice the following skills. Play a game of badminton (singles or double.)
34
Step 2: Now play the game of badminton without the shuttle.

Step 3: Experiment in large groups playing cricket, football, hockey or any other without any props.
Mime lets you go where your imagination takes you. You will find your body
reacting naturally to the illusion if you are convinced that it's real.
Take care while working in group

For better coordination and effective mime:
l Make mental notes of your actions and reactions.
l Take directions from peers while focussing and concentrating on the activity
l Move the body with the rhythm of others
l Work together and make decision within the group.
35

Activity 10: Feel the force (Invisible Tug of War)
Group activity:
The whole group/ class can mime this activity together
Step 1: Divide the class in two groups and set up a tug of War
Step 2: Practice the game for a few minutes using the real rope
Step 3: Remove the rope and perform the same action. Remember: There has to be space in the closed
hands for the rope.
Challenge: It is expected that the teams, pulling or being pulled, winner or loser, happy or sad
whatever the expression reflected should be the same on the entire team in silent way.
36

The World of Sounds
Our ears are busy all the time entertaining sounds, a variety of noise keeps pouring into our ears. Do we
acknowledge all the sounds?
Let's pay attention to each and every sound around us for a while.
Activity 11: Tune in

The activity may take place in classroom / open area / under the shade of a tree.
Step 1: Sit in a relaxed posture and close your eyes.

Listen to the sounds all around you.
The sound of silence. The sounds coming from nature. The chirping of birds. The sound of breeze. The
sound of rustling of the leaves. The sound of someone's footsteps.
Step 2: Your teacher / facilitator plays some pre-recorded sounds for a few seconds each, such as
l Various musical instruments played one by one.
l Sounds of nature.
l Sounds of machines.
l Prelude / tunes of some very familiar songs.
Step 3: Identifying sounds

Take a few minutes and make a list of sounds identified by you in step 2 of this activity.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
37

Activity 12: Listen and imitate
Group activity:
Step 1: The groups will be given a theme and they will try to create sounds related to the theme given.
Given below are the topics for the groups.
l Sounds from the jungle
l We are on a crowded city road / railway station / airport
l Recess period in school
l Wind storm followed by a heavy downpour
l Sounds in a horror film.
The groups will try to create their share of sounds.
Step 2: Presentation
The groups one by one come forward and present their sounds. Other groups try to imitate.
Activity 13: Weave a Story

Group activity
Step 1: Take a topic of your choice / a story from your language or historical text / mythology / important
ritual of your culture.
Step 2: Prepare a one-minute presentation with a sequence of events.

Step 3: Mime in front of the class.
Step 4: Evaluation and suggestions by the peer groups keeping in mind the theme, action, participation
and presentation.
38

Conducting a peer group analysis of the presented scenes
While one group performs the others will analyse and assess their performance using the below given
format.
Group
Selection of
theme
Creativity in
presentation
Facial
expressions
39
Innovative use
of body language
Teamwork
UNIT - III : Learning Skills of Drama
CBSE-i
THEATRE CLASS VI
UNIT - III
LEARNING SKILLS OF DRAMA

STUDENTS MANUAL
Something spoke to me in my ear,

A tale as old as man,
But seeming fresh as of today,
Madness got me in its grip,
And I began to write and sing.
40
In this unit we will create our own beautiful world of imagination

that will take us into the heart of drama. We will be learning the
skills of drama and looking at the following aspects:
l Enacting a story.
l Features of different characters.
l Use of simple props.
l Appreciation of Drama.
1. LANGUAGE
Activity1: Creating dialogues
This exercise will help you create words to enact a situation.
What are these people doing? Write down what they are thinking or saying in a few lines and act
them out. Use suitable props.
(a) __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(b) __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
41
(c) __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(d) __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(e) __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
(f)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
42

2. Improvisation
Activity2:
Group Activity
Create a 5 minute scene in small groups.
1. You are to play an important tennis match that will help you to get selected in the school team.
2. Your mother receives a call saying that one of your neighbours is a secret agent.
3. You are shopping for clothes and you try out articles of clothing. As you put on a shirt you feel you
have been transported to another place.
4. You are in a car on the highway and the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
5. You are participating in a dance show and the judges are grading your performance.
6. You are late for school and will be questioned by the Principal.
Conducting a peer group analysis of the presented scenes

While one group performs the others will analyse and assess their performance using the below given
format.
Group #
Dramatic use of
dialogue(5)
Effective use of
space(5)
Interesting
presentation(5)
Acting
Skills(5)
Total(20)
1
2
3
4
5
A Prop is an object / material used by an actor on stage :

Hand Props: Small props to be held by the actor, such as a bunch of flowers, a glass of water.
Dress Props: Props that are not worn but add to the costume, such as a walking stick, a brief
case.
Rehearsal Props: Props used in rehearsals.The actual prop could be under construction. It
might also show wear and tear if used through out rehearsal.
Set Prop: A large prop such as furniture
43

3. Contrasting characters
Drama is like life where you see different people who have their own unique personalities.
Activity 3:
Create the following personalities and play them out by creating a few lines to be spoken by each
character.
Contrasting Characters:
l A serious person, who never jokes and does not enjoy life
l A happy person, cheerful at all times, smiles through the dull and bright moments.
l A Couch Potato.
l A Sportsman.
l An old man, weary and anxious
l A young man, enjoying life.
44

4. Drama is Expression
An actor expresses himself through facial expressions, gestures and body movement.
Activity 4: Role Play and Thought Tracking

Group Activity
1. A cab driver who carries various passengers in his cab from time to time.
Situation - 1
a)
Two tourists take his cab.While one passenger is a tourist who is very happy to see the city, another
is on a fault finding mission. Let the grumpy tourist and the happy tourist have a conversation with
the cab driver listening to the conversation. The cab driver must pretend to be driving quietly
unconcerned about the conversation, but his thoughts are running through his head. Have an off
stage voice speak his thoughts. For example: (On hearing his city criticized) Where do you think
you come from, Mr Nose Up- in the Air.
To perform this role play you need a group of 4 students:
1. The happy tourist
2. The grumpy tourist
3. The cab driver
4. A voice for thought tracking the cab driver
b)
The cab driver drops off the two tourists and picks up two more passengers who are friends, a
shopkeeper and a painter. Let the two have a conversation on the importance of money
(Shopkeeper) and the importance of art (the painter). Let them have an argument that gets more
and more heated. Do the thought tracking for the cab driver.
To perform this role play you need a group of 4 students:
1. A Cab driver
2. The Shopkeeper (Passenger)
3. The Painter(Passenger)
4. The Voice for thought tracking of the cab driver
45

Thought tracking
A technique that lets you understand the thoughts of a character
on stage, which may not show in his dialogue and expressions.
2. Create more Situations

Create two more situations of your own. You could choose a waiter in a restaurant, a shop assistant, a
librarian to create situations like the ones given above.
46

5. Writing a play
An exercise designed to get you started.
Activity 5: Characterization
Group activity
In groups of four do the following exercise which will help you to understand how a play is written.
Characterisation
(a)
(d)
(b)
(c)
(e)
(f)
47

A. Choose one or a combination of the following characters:
l An aristocratic old man
l A ghost woman
l Arich lady
l A little boy
l An Indian farmer
l A Western farmer
l A Scientist
l An Archeologist
l A Camel Rearer
l A pack of thieves
l A group of backpackers
Use this template from Unit 1

Name:
Age:
Country: (of Residence)
Nationality:
Language spoken at home:
Period: (contemporary, historical etc.)
Personality Traits: (temperament, likes, dislikes,
strengths, weaknesses, dreams, ambitions etc.)
Appearance:
Mannerisms:
Profession/Occupation:
B.Setting
48
49

Choose a setting from the list below or create your own setting
l Deep woods with wild flowers and butterflies.
l A Beautiful stone castle cut off from the world.
l Any exotic location.
l A farmer's cottage at the end of the woods
l A gushing river
l The sea
l An unearthly place
l A bustling city
C. Scenarios: Decide on a scenario

l Someone living secretly away from people's eyes.
l A farmer living in a simple cottage encounters a sudden complication.
l A storm at sea
l A supernatural occurrence
l Some one gets lost in the wild.
l A day when strange things begin to happen
l A Birthday Party which surprises everyone
50

6. Read and understand
Read the following story. It is a famous tale from the collection of Indian fables called The
Panchantantra tales. As you read the story imagine you are on stage.
Once upon a time, there was a flock of doves that lived in the middle of a thick forest. (Setting) This flock
was governed by their king, who was kind and good. He was also intelligent and wise. Everyday the flock
of doves would fly in a formation in search of food. One particular day was a difficult one. Despite flying
for a great distance they could not find any food. Hungry and tired they had almost given up but their
King gave them hope. He said, You must believe that you will get what you are looking for.(Dialogue)
Believe strongly and food will appear. So the flock collectively decided that they would not give up. Sure
enough after flying for a couple of miles the birds spotted some grains of rice and a variety of seeds
scattered in the middle of a clearing in the forest.
Characters of the story & the setting introduced in the beginning (Exposition)
All the doves were happy to find the food and happily descended to the ground. As soon as they began to
eat the grains, they felt a huge dragnet cover them and all of them got trapped. The doves fluttered their
wings desperately trying to come out, but it was of no avail. Just then, they saw the hunter coming towards
them menacingly. He rubbed his hands in excitement on seeing such a rich haul. The whole flock
quivered in terror on seeing the hunter stride determinedly towards them
Tension builds up as a crisis arises (Rising action)

However, the king of doves was a true leader who remained calm in a crisis and retained his presence of
mind. He did some quick thinking and told the flock,Come on friends let's hold the net in our beaks and
fly away together before the hunter gets us. But the birds were unsure whether they could manage that
so he said encouragingly, We can do this if we are in this together. We will decide our next course of
action later. Now, come on and let's fly away to safety.
Dialogue brings out the personality and character of the King Dove
Thus spurred on by the king, each dove picked up a portion of the huge net and they flew up together,
carrying the net with them which was quite heavy but did not feel so much of a burden as every bird was
sharing the weight. The hunter was surprised to see the birds flying, along with the huge net. He ran
after the birds, shouting madly, but could not catch them. Soon, they flew high over hills and valleys and
were soon out of the hunter's reach
"What are we to do now? said the birds This is a catch-22 situation, we have saved ourselves from the
hunter but we are trapped in this dragnet.
The King replied,There is a solution to every problem.When the going get's tough the tough get going.
I have a little friend, the mouse who lives on a hill. Let's all fly to his hole and ask for help. So the birds all
flew to the mouse's dwelling. "
The mouse was in the middle of a delicious meal of a piece of cheese it had picked up from a nearby
cottage. He heard a strange noise of what seemed like something a strong gust of wind. Peering
51

cautiously from the hole he was surprised to see so many birds caught in a net .He leapt in joy when he
heard his name being called out by a familiar voice. Coming out into the open he understood the
miserable plight of the birds. The birds stood there in silent dignity while the King spoke, Help us dear
friend. Only you can save us now.
In the middle of the story the action becomes intense. This is the climax.
The mouse set to task immediately. He wanted to free the King first but the noble leader asked that his
flock be freed first. Praising the king for being true and selfless the mouse immediately set to task
gnawing away the net bit by bit till all the birds were free.
The falling action is that part of the story in which the main part (the climax)
is over.
The birds were jubilant at their escape and praised the king for taking the right decision and the mouse
for his kindness and help.
They thanked the mouse for his effort and flew away together happily to their destination.
Resolution (Conflict resolved, release of tension and excitement)
52

7. Dramatizing a Story
Activity 6
Group Activity: After reading the above story.Write a play based on it.
Certain golden rules for writing a play
l Setting: Where does the story take place
l Characters: Who are the characters?
l Conflict: What do the characters want? Do the desires of the characters create conflict in the
play? (For example the hunter wants to catch the birds while the birds want to eat the grain and
seeds in peace.)
l Tension: Build up the pressure on the characters to act (For example: The birds must quickly fly
away in order to escape capture at the hands of the hunter.What will they do after that? They are
still trapped in the net? Will they die or will a miracle happen?
l Falling Action: After the climax things return to normal.
l Resolution: Conflict resolved, release of tension
l Dialogue: Bring out the character traits through dialogues. Let the actions of the characters
reveal their qualities.

l Theme: What do you wish to say through the play?
You may use the following format
The Cast of Characters

Scene1:
Scene2:
Scene 3:
Now enact the play you have written. Use hand props, dress props and stage furniture to add visual
appeal to your play.
53

8. A Workout for the Voice
Activity 7:Voice Practice
To develop your voice, practice reading the following poems aloud. You can read with a partner
each reading a line.You can also read in a group much like the Chorus in Greek plays who sang in
between scenes of a play.You may improvise and play out harmonies (a higher and lower note) or
set this to music and perform before the others in the class. You may also use props.
My Song
The wind goes a singing',
Like an angel softly whispering-
Keep the following things

in mind:
Into my ears it goes pouring,

Notes of mysterious utterings
That urge me to go on treading,
Steadfastly and strong in my dealing,
Of matters small but big in the making,

l
I dream of tomorrow,
Though I was born of yesterday,

But I choose to be a child of this day.
So I'll go all a dreaming

Yet I'll be all awake
And I'll go all a swirling,
In this world that's always whirling
To create by own merry song
54
Articulation- Clear
pronunciation of words.
Clarity- Clearness of voice
Emphasis- stress on a word or a
phrase
Fluency- Natural flowing speech
Intonation- Rising and falling of
voice in speech
Pace- The right speed of speech
for audience understanding

The Goddess Particle
A little dreaming never hurts
(An Ode to Goddess Durga)

I want a little sunshine in my dreary life,
O Goddess with many hands,
A cottage in the hills,
Flaming eyes and streaming hair,
And a villa by the sea,
All alive and engaged,
A boat to go cruising down the river,
Beautifully leonine in your rage.

You go crushing the demons,
Living in my heart,
All the horrible monsters,
A pretty private plane,

A limousine well fitted,
And a chef at my beck and call.
Gnawing away my soul.
I am a really simple person ,
With flowers they adorn you,
My needs just a few,
Rich garments doll you up,
Don't call me frivolous, don't call me corrupt,
With laughter do they welcome,
I am simply imagining, with Math on my desk,
With tears let you depart.
If a little dreaming can help me,
Do you live in the heaven
To face my day's task,
Or down here with all of us?
Don't begrudge me this liberty ,
The Goddess particle,
To dream I have it all.
Alive in every human heart.
{Poems by BindiaRajpal}
Voice Exercises:
To help you develop a stage voice these exercises will come in handy. They will get the circulation going
in your jaw, throat and facial muscles. Your voice is like a musical instrument. You need to tune this
instrument before you start saying your dialogues. Breathe properly as you say these lines and say each
word clearly.
Sir Ben Kinsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji)An English Actor who won the Oscar for the
film Gandhi has worked on stagein Musicals.
Amrish Puri had a rich baritone voice.

Sahitya Academy winner-1979
55

Activity 8: Let's practice vocal warm- ups
Say these slowly and clearly saying each word and sound properly.
1. Yaks . Ah-blah, alligator; blah-blah, anticipator
2. Beckoned Becky, boasted Bobby, believed babbling Brooke.
3. Can't David Eat Fish, Gail?
4. Honduras has horrible hamburgers.
5.
In Jeffrey Kemp's last meeting, no one presentation remained solid.
6. Trust the tongue twisters to tickle that tongue.

7. Ugly vampires wear extraordinarily yellow zippers.
8. Alligators - Baboons - Cats - Dogs - Elephants - Fish
9. Gorillas - Horses - Iguanas - Jaguars - Kangaroos
10. Llamas - Monkeys - Newts - Octopus - Porcupines
11. Quail - Rabbits - Snakes - Turtles - Unicorns - Zebra
(Source : Free Vocal Warm Ups)
Some more Vocal Warm Ups

l Mashed Potato. Smashed Tomato.
l Baked Tomato. Burned Potato.
l Lunch with Potatoes. Dinner with Tomatoes.
l Potato, Tomato. Tomatoes, Potato
56

9. Knowledge and Drama
A Group Activity
Read this extract from the Economics Textbook on the Barter System
The barter system was one of the earliest forms of trading. It facilitated eachange of goods
and services, as money was not invented in those times. The history of barter system can be
traced back to 6000 B.C. It is believed that barter system was introduced by the tribes of
Mesopotamia. This system was then adopted by the Phoenicians, who bartered their goods
to people in other cities located across the oceans. An improved system of barter was
developed in Babylonia. People used to exchange their goods for weapons, tea, spices, and
good items. Sometimes, even human skulls were used for barter. Another popular item used
for exchange was salt. Salt was so valuable at that time, that the salary of Roman soldiers was
paid in salt. The main drawback of this system was that there were no standard criteria to
deermine the value of goods and services, and this resulted in disputes and clashes. These
problems were sorted out with the invention of money, but the barter system continued to
exist in some form or another.
57

Activity 9 (a)
Create a scene depicting the barter system in ancient times.You may create a market with goods
on display. Improvise costumes. Research on the attire people wore in the period of history. You
may use appropriate background score that is pre- recorded or play live music.
Read this extract from the Geography Student's Manual.

Nature of a mountainous region
l Mountains are generally less preferable for human habitation than lowlands; the weather is often
harsher, have rugged terrain and therefore, little level land is available for agriculture.
l Many mountains and mountain ranges throughout the world have been left in their natural state,
and are today primarily used for recreation, while others are used for logging, mining, grazing etc.
Mountains that support heavy recreational use (especially downhill skiing) are often the locations
of mountain resorts.
l Tall mountains are consequently subject to glaciation, and erosion through frost action. Such
processes produce peak like shape. Mountains can be eroded and weathered, altering their
characteristics over time.
l Mountains are generally colder than their surrounding lowlands due to the way that the sun heats
the surface of the Earth.

l Tall mountains have different climatic conditions at the top than at the base, and thus have
altitudinal zonation of ecosystems. At the highest elevations, trees cannot grow, and whatever
life may be present will be of the alpine type, resembling tundra. Just below the tree line, one may
find subalpine forests of needle leaf trees, which can withstand cold, dry conditions. In regions
with dry climates, the tendency of mountains to have higher precipitation as well as lower
temperatures also provides for varying conditions, which in turn leads to differing flora and fauna.
Some plants and animals found
in these zones tend to become
isolated since the conditions
above and below a particular
zone will be inhospitable and
thus constrain their movements
or dispersal. On the other hand,
birds, being capable of flight,
may take advantage of mountain
habitats and migrate into a
region that would otherwise not
provide appropriate habitat.
T hese isolated ecological
systems, or microclimates, are
known as sky islands.
58

Activity 9 (b)
Based on the extract given above create a scene with trekkers on a mountain expressing wonder
at the geographical facts they have observed. Wear appropriate costumes. Create multi functional props such wooden sticks that may be used as logs of wood at one time and a pair of skis
at another.
Drama teaches you to

l Be more interesting in your speech.
l
Be clear and articulate.
l To receive more attention from others when you speak

l Let people be affected by the emotion you are conveying.
l Understand people by getting into their skin.
59
UNIT - IV : Puppetry and Theatre
CBSE-i
THEATRE CLASS VI
UNIT - IV
PUPPETRY AND THEATRE

STUDENTS MANUAL
60

PUPPETRY AND THEATRE
In this unit we will explore and experience. As we progress through the topic we will learn:
l What are puppets
l Puppet traditions in India
l How to create 'My own world of puppets'
l To manipulate puppets into action
A puppet is an animated toy that performs for an audience. Puppetry is a unique art, which imbibes
elements of visual, performing and literary art forms such as painting, sculpture, music, dance, drama
and literature and enables students to cultivate their creative abilities. Undoubtedly, puppetry is an
inexpensive and trusted medium of entertainment while transmitting knowledge and education as well.
Welcome to the World of Puppets
According to folklore, Lord Shiva and his wife Goddess Parvati are known to be the patron
gods of puppets. One day, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati visited a toymakers shop. Upon
catching sight of the dolls, Parvati was so fascinated that she requested Lord, please make
them alive. I want to see them dance.
The toymaker, who had been watching the entire scene, could not believe his eyes, he felt as if
he was dreaming. This inspired him to make the dolls dance again. He tied strings to limbs of
the wooden toys and thus string puppets were born.
61

PUPPETS - AN INTRODUCTION
Activity 1: Just Imagine
Imagine you are a puppet, a wooden toy.
Your head, arms, torso, legs are carved out of wood.
Your eyes, neck, hands and feet are stiff! Immovable! Lifeless!
Suddenly, a spell begins A miracle happens!!
The puppet has come to life!! You start breathing. (Breathe
deeply a few times)
Your eyes start rotating. Clockwise1.2.3.
Anticlockwise1.2.3.
Your eyebrows move .. up down. shrink..
expand...
You rise from your seat. Slowly, very slowly.
Your hands steadily move up up up..up
Someone is pulling your string up upup. Gradually, you lift your heels
up and get taller and taller till you are standing on your toes.
You feel your whole body is being stretched right - up to the sky!
Suddenly, the puppeteer drops the strings and LO!!! You fall on the
earth..
You get hurt and cry in pain, shout for help
Before help pours in, you become lifeless.
The spell ends here and you are back to your normal self.
Discussion
l What is the manipulator called in a puppet show?
l Have you ever been to a puppet show?
l What do you like and dislike about puppets?
l Do you remember the largest puppet you have ever seen?
62

Write your experience when you got
into the skin of a puppet.
Draw the puppet you just imagined.
63
Puppet is an inanimate doll whose movements are controlled by someone through strings,
rods, or hand, to give it an appearance of life.
The term puppet comes from the French Poupee or the Latin Pupa: both meaning dolls. In
Sanskrit puppets are termed as Putraka, Putrika or Puttalika, all are derived from the root
Putta equivalent of Putra or son.
Puppetry is a unique and exciting form of performing art. A puppeteer can breathe life into a
puppet through improvised action and expression. Through a puppet, intangible ideas can
be presented in a tangible form. Puppetry is the most trusted medium of entertainment for
children, transporting them to a world hitherto unknown. Puppetry is mostly about the clever
art of story-telling. With a little skill, imagination, practice and art, we all can become great
puppeteers!
Activity 2:Viewing a puppet show (Live/Recorded)

It is always fun to watch a movie/play/ puppet show or any of your favorite programs with your loved
ones. Often we get so engrossed while viewing, that we relate to the characters and start sharing the
similar emotions. This kind of relative emotional enjoyment is called bhava- rasa in Indian Literature.
Website references: Recommended puppet shows
Explore, watch, select and add to list.
l Indian Shadow Puppet Animation - by Gul Ramani:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vsHxJ160Fk
l Puppet Show, Paava Natakam, Folk art Kerala:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeoaB29bsJg
l Recall songs shot in the form of puppet shows in various Indian films like-
Paheli(2005), Chala Murari Hero Banne(1977), Chori Chori(1956) etc.
Discussion
When was the last time you watched a live puppet show and where?
What kind of puppets have you seen?
How is a puppet show different from a stage show of any other form of performing arts?
64

The Story of Puppets
Puppets have existed in this world since man first tried to entertain and convey an idea.
Therefore, puppets predate written history and historians find it difficult to say when exactly
the first puppets were made.
Dating back to 2500 BC, the ancient civilization of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, spread over
thousands of kilometers, has revealed a variety of archaeological relics includes a terracotta
bull with detachable head that can be manipulated by a string; thus achieving limited
animation. A terracotta monkey that slides up and down a stick, creating a vertical movement,
is another fascinating figure having a semblance of a puppet.
Excavations in ancient Rome revealed dolls with holes on the top of the head, made for
passing wires. Ancient Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates were fascinated by
marionettes (string puppets). China too has a long history of puppetry and is said to be the
home of shadow puppets.
Thus, the puppet has always been there and will continue to exist till the end of humanity.
Let's observe
Brainstorming
l Can you identify the difference between the puppets shown in the above pictures?
l Who moves the puppets?
l How do you think these various puppets are manipulated?
65

Assignment 1
Explore and collect information on the following topics. You may prepare a scrap book or a powerpoint presentation.
1. Pictures of various puppets as animals, birds, human figures and various characters.
2. Puppet traditions in India.
3. Puppets of my region
Writing Task: Find out about a Puppet Theatre Group/Centre in your area and write a letter to your
principal requesting him/her to arrange a live puppet show in your school.
PUPPET TRADITIONS IN INDIA

Puppetry in India
India is said to be the home of puppets, but it is yet to awaken to its unlimited possibilities. The
earliest reference to the art of puppetry is found in Tamil classic 'Silappadikaaram' written
around the 1st or 2nd century B.C. Ancient Hindu philosophers have paid the greatest tribute
to puppeteers. They have likened God Almighty to a puppeteer and the entire universe to a
puppet stage. Srimad Bhagavata, the great epic depicting the story of Lord Krishna in his
childhood say that with three strings-Satta, Raja and Tama, the God manipulates each object
in the universe as a marionette.
Natyashastra, the masterly treatise on dramaturgy written sometime during 2nd century BC
to 2nd century AD., does not refer to the art of puppetry However the producer-cum-director
of the human theatre has been termed as 'Sutradhar' meaning the holder of strings. The word
might have found its place in theatre-terminology long before Natyashastra was written but it
would have come from marionette theatre. Puppetry, therefore, must have originated in India
more than 500 years before Christ.
Let's know more about puppets

Fill in the blanks
l The person who moves the puppets is called a___________________.
l Ancient Greek philosophers like _______________ and ______________ were fascinated
with string puppets.

l The history of puppets is old as ________________________.
l Shadow puppets are said to have originated in ________________.
66

Types of Puppets
Glove Puppet One of the most common puppets used in India is the
glove puppet. It is quite small in size, comprising of a head, arms and a
long skirt. It is attached to a glove which acts as the costume and is
worn by the puppeteer on his hand. The head and arm movements are
controlled by the puppeteer with his/her fingers. This is found mostly
in Uttar Pradesh, Orissa,West Bengal and Kerala
Rod puppets come in various shapes and sizes. These puppets are
made to act by the support of attached rods held by the puppeteer.
One end of the rod is attached to hands of the puppeteer; the main rod
of the puppet is concealed in its costume. This form of puppetry is
found mostly in West Bengal and Orissa.
Shadow puppets have a flat two-dimensional figure made out of

animal skin. They function from behind a tightly stretched white cloth
screen. Light is directed on the screen from behind, in a way that the
shadow of the puppet falls on it. The puppets cut-outs have cane sticks
attached vertically to them, for handling and manipulation. India has
the richest variety of types and styles of shadow puppets. This tradition
of shadow puppets survives in Orissa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
String Puppets The dolls are attached to long strings that are
manipulated to move hands, legs, head etc. String puppets operate
from above. India has a rich and ancient tradition of string puppets.
Their jointed limbs controlled by strings allow far greater flexibility
and are, therefore, the most articulate of the puppets. Rajasthan, Orissa,
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are some of the regions where this form of
puppetry has flourished.
67

Fill in the blank. Refer to the Map and fill in States. Find out what a puppet is called in each
corresponding state.
Traditional Puppets in India

State
Puppet Name
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Rajasthan
Kathaputli
West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh Bommalatta
Karnataka
Gombeyatta
Assam
Orissa
Ravanchaya
Kerala
Gombeyatta
Bommalattam
Ravanachhaya
68
Putul Nautch

Activity 3: Presentation by children/teacher on Assignment 1.
While one group makes the presentation, the others would observe and make
suggestion post the presentation.
My Own World of Puppets

Art reflects life. Observe, remember and create!
Stage1: Preparation
PUPPETRY A Complete Art Form

Puppetry is a combination of all art forms. It imbibes the elements of literature, painting,
sculpture, music, dance, drama and enables us to explore and develop our creative abilities.
Puppets can sing, dance, cry, laugh, speak, talk, narrate, complain and reflect many moods. In
fact puppets can become mischievous the moment they get into the hands of the puppeteers.
Such is the magic of this art that lifeless objects cast a spell on the audience.
Would you like to hear them talk?
69

Activity 4. TALKING FINGERS
Step I Draw faces on your finger tips with colored pens.
Step II What are the fingers saying to each other? Let's listen to their conversation.
(Your finger is the puppet and you are the voice of your puppet. Let's try working our hands and tongue in
coordination.)
Discussion
l What roles can a puppet play?
Puppets
Puppets
Look at the puppets and make Look at the puppets and make
a list of material used.
a list of material used.
Let's create puppets
from waste
l Old greeting cards,
small paper bags.
l Left out pieces:
wool, cloth, laces,
card board and
colored sheet
l Used material: Ice
cream sticks, paper
cups, Paper plates,
Aluminum
Foil,
buttons, gloves
70

Assignment 2
Create a power point presentation on
l Easy to make puppets
l Paper puppets
l Finger puppets
l Glove puppets
l Rod puppets
My Own World of Puppets

Stage2: Creation
How about creating our own treasure of Puppets!

Creating a simple rod or finger puppet is a fairly simple task and can be done by anyone over
five years of age. A puppet can be created in a matter of minutes using material which is
readily available around us. Make your own puppets, write your own stories and transport
those around you to a magical fairyland where trees walk and animals talk!
71

LET'S DO IT!!!
Activity 5: Creating rod puppets
Here's what you need for
making rod puppets
l Bamboo sticks
l Felt for face
l Polyfill/cotton to stuff the
face
l Buttons for eyes
l Fur or wool for hair
l Needle
l Thread
l Scissors
l Glue
l Cloth, laces, beads etc. for
dresses and accessories
l Colored marker if
required.
Step 1:
l Be in a small group and make sure you have all the necessary material to create desired puppets.
l Discuss and make a list of puppets that you would like to see in your puppet treasure box.
Step 2: Let's do the face

l For face: Cut the felt in a circle.
l Start stitching around periphery of the circle.
l Complete the circle and slowly pull the thread.
l While pulling the thread, keep filling the cotton until it looks like a potato
l Take a rod and tie it with the head.
l Tie a small stick for shoulders.
l For the nose :Make a small ball by folding felt and stich it to the face.
72

l Hair: Use fur / wool for hair (braid, ponytail, high bun, short hair
etc. Give your puppet a hairstyle of your choice)

l Stick eyebrows, eyes and lips.
Step 3: Let's dress up and decorate

l Dress up your puppet the way you want.
l Imagining a character at this stage would help you in your puppet
show.
73

Activity 6: Flaunt your puppet
Move around and flaunt/exhibit your puppet, get acquainted with the puppets made by your friends of
other groups. Introduce them to each other. Feel that there are only puppets in the room.
(Now make your puppet move and talk. What is its name? Where does he/she live? What does it like?
What does it dislike? What does it like to eat? What games does it like to play? Does it have something it
really cares about- a person, an issue, a problem, a joyful event? Share it!)
74

Activity 7: Paper Bag Hand Puppets
Take a paper bag and add a few decorations to make an easy hand puppet.
Step 1: Draw
Here's what you need
Draw the pattern on a piece of paper.

Choose the puppets that you want to make.
l White computer paper

l Lunch-size paper bags
Step 2: Colour
Colour the patterns drawn by you (optional) and cut according to
the size.
Alternately, you may colour directly on the paper bag.
You can also use a combination of cut-outs and colouring, like use
cut-out eyes and a drawn nose.
l Scissors
l Glue
l Crayons, coloured
pencils or markers
l Optional: Coloured
paper, yarn and fake

fur.
Step 3: Cut
Prepare the puppet cut-outs.
Step 4: Glue
Glue the cut-outs onto the bag. For the nose to have a 3D look, fold it in half and fold the glue tabs in. Apply
glue on tabs.
Step 5: Finish
Add any additional decorations with yarn or fake fur and cloth.
Step 6: Operate
To operate a puppet, slip your hand into the bag and put four fingers in the flap. Open and close your
hand to move the flap.
Tip: Some paper bag puppets are designed to open their mouth and others are designed to open and
close their eyes.
75

Step 7: Let's display:
Create a collage of Finger, rod and paper bag puppets. Look at the puppets created by other groups.
Do not forget to click pictures of your puppet family.
Step 8: Compose a few lines on your puppets and write in the lines given below.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Personality Sketch
Like people, puppets possess certain elements in their character. Some of these elements slowly
emerge through use and interaction; others, like the puppets' name, are given to them immediately and
constitute an important part of their total character. The teacher can inspire the students to imagine
characters from real life, mythology, fiction, and fairy tales or even from their text book to create puppets
for their show.
76

Activity 8: Creating Characters
To illustrate how these elements can define a puppet's communications role, a sample "Personality
sketch" is outlined below.
Sample Personality Sketch

Name: Nakhrili Naani
Nakhrili Naani
Point of View: I know everything.

Taste in Clothing: Nakhrili Naani dresses in red and wears pop-top
neck jewelry.
Taste in Food: Nakhrili Naani prefers fried spicy Indian food and
jalebi is her favourite sweet.
Mithu Mia and
Maina
Habits: Nakhrili Naani "coughs" at funny jokes.

Friends: Mithu Mia and Maina are buddies.
Interests: Loves to read religious texts and quotes freely from them.
Job/ Pastime: Talking to children and travelling.
Pet Phrases: "Those were the times"
Look at the sample template given above and create a personality sketch for your puppet the way
you want to see them walk talk giggle or act.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
77

Puppets in Action
Learning to manipulate puppets
Puppets are inanimate objects that are made to come to life by a person, a puppeteer.
No construction of a puppet is complete without dramatic action.
Tips for an effective presentation:

l The puppeteers/manipulators hide
themselves, only the puppets are

visible to the audience.
l Plan how you will hide yourself when
you are in a classroom (behind the

table, closet or curtain)
l Talking puppets behind a window/
door is not a bad idea!

l Of course we can stretch a bed-
sheet, a saree, a dupatta or piece of

fabric to set the stage and for the
puppeteers to hide themselves.
l It would become a memorable
experience for all if we could add

some music to it, could be folk tunes,
popular tunes or foot-tapping beats.
78

Activity 9: Action Time!!!
Step 1: By now, all of you should have a puppet in your hands. With puppets in your hands, start moving
in a rhythmic manner and sing along and recite your own lines/ or any other lines. Let the action
change simultaneously.
Step 2: Pick a poem, a dialogue from any story or a short story you have read and enact with peer
puppets.
79

Getting ready for a puppet show
Rehearsal time!!!
Step 3: Preparation for the show
l Divide yourselves into groups of six.
l Create lines in the form of a poem or dialogue to present a short puppet show.
l Weave a story around the puppets already created by your group members.
l Make sure that you give a name and distinctive characteristics to each of your puppet character.
l Remember that the same puppet can play different characters in the same show after a slight
modification in costume or headgear.

l The same person can use his/her voice for different characters.
80

PROJECT WORK- Do it Yourself
You have read about various river-valley civilizations in your history books. Divide yourselves into small
groups and write the script for a puppet show in which your characters go into a time machine and land
up in one of the civilizations studied by you. Take ideas from your history lessons in order to get the
correct facts about the costumes, culture and lifestyle of the people who lived during that period.
Present puppet shows for the entire class in presence of your history teacher for help and feedback.
My Drama Diary
Keep a record of the poems and scripts written for your puppet shows in your drama diary.
81
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CBSE-i

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Ms. Charu Maini

Ms. Malini Sridhar

Material Production Groups: Classes VI-VIII

Dance and Music:

Ms.S. Radha Mahalakshmi

Ms. Madhuchhanda, R O (Inn)

Mr. Navin Maini, RO(Tech)

Shri Al Hilal Ahmed, AEO

Mr. R P Singh, AEO

Ms. Anjali, AEO

Ms. Neelima Sharma,

Mr. Sanjay Sachdeva, S O

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

All the world's a stage and men and women merely

I roamed the streets,

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

The Meaning of Theatre

The Elements of Drama

Indian Drama and People

Welcome to the world of drama!

Toward the audience

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

Activity 3: Mimicking People

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

I have not written about

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

Voice: Volume, Clarity

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

The car's missing it's gonemy God!

What's the use? I have lost everything in this fire? (Sadness)

It's only an animaldon't overreact.(Heartless)

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

Read the following lines by some of the most famous literary

Hameed What should I buy with my

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

Mini - O Kabuliwallah, Kabuliwallah,

"If one has got to read even during holidays, I

Invention, my dear friends, is 93%

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

He had discovered a great law of

Assignment 1: My Favourite Character

Towards the audience,

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre

Practise saying these lines

Sohail : Hi (Pause) I am Sohail just

shifted (pause) into the neighbourhood. (Normal Voice)

a) Volume: Throw your voice so

Helloo (pause) Anyone home ?

c) Speed: Speak slowly and pause

Why (pause) are you disturbing

Sohail : Who (pause)is that?

Practice these techniques:

a) body toward the audience

Say no and sway your head from side

3. Exaggerated gesture - emphasize

Smile big, frown as if angry and twist

4. Facial expression - use "big"

UNIT - I : Introduction to Theatre