Theatre in context

Theatre in context encourages students to examine the origins (what influences a piece of theatre and the artistic choices), the impact (what the piece of
theatre communicates and the impact this has on the audience) and the theory that informs each artistic choice. It aims to give students an understanding
that theatre does not exist in a vacuum, that it reflects the context of the theatre makers and that it is informed by theory. It develops students’ ability to
think about their own artistic intentions and the impact these have on others.
Activity
Handout CSA1: My personal context (PDF) and Handout CSA2: Influences (PDF)
1. Ask the students to complete the chart in Handout CSA1, recording key features of each of the areas of their personal context.
2. Repeat the exercise using Handout CSA2, addressing the question, “How do each of these influence the theatre I make?” at the centre of the wheel.
This exercise can be oral or written. Discuss.
3. In small groups ask students to research any local or national theatre traditions and to make a short presentation (5 minutes) discussing the
relationship of the theatre tradition, the material it deals with and its cultural context.
4. Watch a piece of theatre on film. In pairs ask the students to list what works well. Working with another pair, write a reason for each point to explain
the theatre theory that may have guided the artistic choices made. For example, “The change of scene was effective because by not using a blackout
the audience stays in the world of the play.”
Theatre processes
Theatre processes focuses on the various processes that each of the theatre makers—creator, designer, director and performer—engages with to create,
prepare and present theatre. It also focuses on the process of learning about and through theatre. It aims to give students an understanding that, although
the theatre experience is holistic and collaborative, it is made up of particular discrete artistic processes and these can be recorded in different ways.
The journal is essential for the recording of theatre and learning processes. Students should be encouraged to record their processes for each role
authentically (that is, in the way that each of the specialists might record their workings) as well as being encouraged to find their own preferred way of
recording their ideas, processes and learning.
Activity
Handout CSA3: Perspectives (PDF)
1. Complete one activity to introduce students to an aspect of the processes of each of these specialist roles.
a. Creator: Run a workshop exploring how you would use chairs to create a dynamic battle scene or work with performers to explore the idea of
isolation.
b. Director: Develop a vision for a scene from a written play or direct an improvisation ready for an audience.
 c. Designer: Design an identical costume for all performers in a play about world poverty or design the lighting for a scene from a written play.
d. Performer: Prepare a short monologue for performance or learn to juggle.
Once students have done the activity, ask them to list and reflect on the processes they employed for each of these specialist roles.
2. Look at Handout CSA3 and discuss. Add any other processes you can think of.
Presenting theatre
Presenting theatre is not only about putting on a piece of theatre to an audience, although this is a key aspect of this area. It is also about how ideas about
theatre and theatre making can be presented to others. The course requires students to present theatre and their ideas about theatre in different formats.
It aims to give students presentation skills that can also be applied in situations beyond theatre. It develops students’ presentation skills and builds their
confidence as theatre makers, as learners and as presenters.
Formats for presenting theatre
Report (HL The report is a formal written account of a student’s theatrical engagement with theatre theory and the creation of a solo piece of theatre
only) based on an aspect of theatre.
 It should focus on what was significant in the process of researching and practically exploring theatre theory and developing,
creating and presenting a piece of theatre.
 It should act as a kind of narrative of the student’s journey and his or her learning.
Notebook The notebook mainly contains the discoveries, interpretations, ideas, visions and decisions of a director engaging with a play text. It
documents information regarding the staging of a chosen play the student would be interested in directing. It documents the process of
transforming a play’s text into action.
 It should be clear, giving the reader access to the process of discovery, exploration, interpretation and staging.
Presentation The presentation is an oral presentation in which the student offers for consideration his or her inquiry into a theatre tradition and displays
the practical process of discovery, exploration and application of the skills he or she has acquired.
 It should introduce the listeners to the theatre tradition and its workings using demonstration and any other relevant resources.
 It should be informative and coherently structured, using any appropriate and necessary resources. It should be clearly and
confidently delivered.
Portfolio The portfolio is more formal than a notebook. It is the organized documentation of the student’s processes, reflections and learning in a
collaborative situation. It is also a sample of the student’s creative contributions and approaches to collaboratively creating a piece of
theatre.
 It should include text and/or diagrams.
  It should be well organized and give a taste of the process of collaboration and discovery, as well as the creation and presentation of
a piece of theatre to an audience.
 It should take into account the way the piece of theatre has been received by an audience and an evaluation of the extent to which
the student and the ensemble have met their intentions.
Video The video recording is a selection from the recording of a piece of theatre, created and staged in collaboration with the student. It is the
recording recording of a fully realized piece of theatre.
 It should demonstrate the student’s ideas in action and show the extent to which he or she has met his or her intentions.
 It should allow the student to analyse his or her artistic choices.
 It should be clear and easy to see.
Sample activities
1. Ask the students to create a short monologue and write a brief report (250 words) of the process of creation.
2. Ask the students to annotate a short piece of script with their ideas on how it could be staged using drawings, diagrams and text.
3. Ask the students to research a theatre tradition or practice and present it orally and practically to the class in 2 minutes.
4. Ask the students to create a short scene in collaboration with others. Ask them to reflect on the process of collaboration (250 words).
5. Video record the short scene students have created. Ask them to watch the video recording and to analyse one particular moment with reference to
their individual ideas and artistic choices (250 words).
THE THEATRE JOURNAL

The purpose of the journal is both artistic (a record of processes, ideas and research) and pedagogic (a reflection on learning, challenges and
discoveries).
It is both retrospective, looking at experiences that have already been encountered, and developmental, considering how things can be done
differently in the future and recording intentions for future artistic and personal development.
Use the handout to present and examine some ideas regarding different ways of recording artistic processes and learning. Use it as a starting point
to identify and discuss different ways of recording.

Handout J1: Theatre journal ideas (PDF)

Sample activities
Students often need to be encouraged to experiment with different ways of recording their discoveries and experiences before they settle into a preferred
style for the journal. Their styles will often vary depending on the particular area of work they are engaged in or the particular specialist role they have
adopted. The following activities may be useful in helping students to develop their recording skills.

Activity 1: Recording ideas and artistic process

Handout J2: How do I record? (PDF)
Examine the different roles of creator, designer, director and performer and suggest what they record and how they record their artistic processes and
ideas. Use the theatre journal ideas sheet (Handout J1) as a guide.

Activity 2: Retrospective reflection

HandoutJ3: What is reflection? (PDF)
Students often find the concept of reflection difficult to understand and are confused by what is required when they are asked to “reflect”. The exercise in
the handout focuses on retrospective reflection, reflecting on experiences you have already had. It helps to begin to analyze what reflective writing entails.

Activity 3: Developmental reflection

This activity encourages you to look ahead. It is an essential part of learning as it provides with the opportunity to identify and record some guidelines for
your future development. It also encourages you to think about how you will apply your learning in future.
Once you have completed a project, record your responses and intentions guided by the following four areas.
Type of reflection Possible reflection activity
Retrospective reflection Think back to some key learning you have experienced. Why do you think it was so significant for you?
Intentional reflection List two or three things you intend to do with the skills you have acquired or the discoveries you have made. List two or three
areas that you want to research or examine further.
Evaluative reflection What worked well? What was challenging? How did you solve the problem? What did this teach you?
Action points List things to remember for the future or things to do next. Treat this as artistic advice to your future self from your present self.

Activity 4: Recording ideas visually

Look at the sketchbooks and journals of different artists. Consider the different ways artists have recorded their ideas and think about how these might be
useful.
 “Drawn In: A Peek Inside Favorite Artists’ Private Sketchbooks”
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/06/07/julia-rothman-drawn-in/. Accessed 1 February 2014.
 “Moleskine Detour: Inside Beloved Creative Icons’ Notebooks”
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/12/06/moleskine-detour-book/. Accessed 1 February 2014.
 Approaches to planning
The following table is an example of how a teacher might choose to structure the SL theatre course.
Year one Year two
1  Practical introduction to the course, exploring theatre in context, theatre  Overview of the assessment tasks, calendar and deadlines
processes and presenting theatre  Approaches to assessments
 Developing group dynamics
 Introduction to the theatre journal External assessment tasks
 How to source work in theatre  Task 2: Director’s notebook
 Responding to live theatre as a spectator  Task 3: Research presentation
 Exploring contexts and practical approaches to research Internal assessment tasks
 What is my context?  Task 4: Collaborative project
2  World theatre workshops: Around the world in 80 minutes
 Practical tour of the history of theatre, identifying key milestones
 Specialist roles: The performer (paired monologue project)
 How do you transform words into action?
 The role of the mentor
 Developing performer skills (body, face, gesture, movement and voice)
 Working with various theatre styles/genres and traditions
3  Specialist roles: The creator
 Techniques for gathering ideas and materials in theatre
 Exploring the process of transforming ideas into an original piece of theatre
 Examining a professional theatre company’s approach as a whole class
 Collaboratively creating original theatre (mock project from a starting point
given by the teacher)
 Leading a talkback session
4  Specialist roles: The director
 Exploring contrasting approaches to directing
 Deconstructing the work of a professional
 Working with play texts: Approaches to reading and visualizing texts  Preparing assessment materials for submission
  Exploring theatrical styles  Selecting footage from the collaborative project
 Recording an artistic response and formulating a directorial vision from a
play text
 Specialist roles: The designer (creating an impact through environment
project)
 What resources are available to a designer?
 Creating an impact on an audience through design
5  Working with play texts (mock project directing moments of theatre from a
selected play text)
 Practically exploring the transformation of text into action
 Rehearsing and preparing for a live presentation
 Bringing together all of the explored roles and skills from the course so far
 Presenting and performing moments of directed play texts to an audience
 Recording, responding and reflecting
6  Examining world theatre traditions: Researching and examining various
contexts of a world theatre tradition
 Practically examining performance conventions
 Revisiting performer skills (body, face, gesture, movement and voice)
 Working with a specific tradition
 Presenting a moment of theatre to others to demonstrate a performance
convention
 Exploring techniques for engaging an audience through a spoken
presentation
The following table is an example of how a teacher might choose to structure the additional hours of the HL theatre course.
The following table is an example of how a teacher might choose to structure the additional hours of the HL theatre course.

Year one Year two

1  Approaches to practical research and recording sources  Overview of the assessment task, calendar and deadlines
 Approaches to assessments
 What is a theatre theorist? External assessment task
 Small research project  Task 1: Solo theatre piece (HL only)
2  Workshops on a specific theorist and one of his or her theories led by
the teacher
 Adapting material for use in performance
3  Approaches to rehearsal and developing theories into practice
 Presenting explorations to an audience
 Approaches to design
4  Workshops to explore how intentions can be fulfilled when  Preparing assessment materials for submission
transforming theory into practice
5  Creating theatre based on theory (mock project working 

collaboratively)
6  Evaluating work and measuring success
 Setting personal targets for development
 Setting HL research task in preparation for assessment task in year
two