This program is part of a series of lesson ideas provided by Gill Chesney-Green from Derbyshire in the UK.  (Thanks a plenty Gill! - Kim Flintoff - Webmaster)

Paper 2 – Exploration through Drama - Six week program

Plays used: 

Aims:  Week 1- Discovering and developing a relationship

In pairs develop a relationship which is at its beginning phase and show how it operates.Using the skills learned in the Characterisation workshops make sure that the characterisation is definite and can be communicated.

Show how it has developed over a period of a year or two and how th characters have developed.

Show how it has developed over 10 years and how the characters have developed.

Each person within the couples must say what they think has happened to their partner over time  ( he is really quite selfish even though he likes to think he isn’t, she is manipulative etc)

Put the couples into different situations eg having a meal at a restaurant, at the child’s parent’s evening etc,  then the same situations with something that is an undercurrent to add to the situation ( eg she has crashed the car, he has been flirting at the office party etc)

Ask the couples to think about their expectations of each other in certain situations eg how would they each react in  a situation where one of them was sold shoddy goods, how would they react if they were kept waiting over long at the dentists, etc try these out(e)

Homework

Read Macbeth (extracts) and annotate the scripts to show clues about the characters of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth and their relationship.

Week 2

L. Macbeth receives Macbeth’s letter – how does she respond?(b,c,e)

Macbeth’s aside in Act 1 Scene 3 how does he respond to the events just experienced?

How is their first meeting after these events? What can we show of their relationship? 

Act 1 Scene 6
What can we say about their relationship this far into the play? What evidence have we got?

See video of Macbeth – Polanski

Close examination of Act1 Scene 7 – how is their relationship now? What are the sub-texts and attitudes of each character? (Given circumstances, If…, etc)

Hot seat each character at this point to find out what is happening with each of them.

Homework: 

Essay – Examine the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the film and comment on the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the development and interpretation of the characters. Be specific. Focus on two main pieces of dialogue to illustrate your answer.

Week 3

Act 2 Scene 2
A look at the language and the structure of Shakespeare ……. Does this affect the play, our understanding, our playing ?

The deed has been done but how do each of the characters respond? Who is the most in charge in this scene, how can you show this? What else would you want to show of the characters? Why?

Act 3 Scene 2 
How will you interpret this scene? Hot seat the characters when you feel you have understood the scene and then show it.

Act 3 Scene 4 
How are each of the characters in this scene? Why? What is going on underneath their facades?

Homework
Prepare the following: The Sleepwalking scene  or Macbeth’s long speeches in Act 5 Scene 5  Make notes on preparation and be prepared to explain your interpretation.
 

Week 4

Show work and ask for comments/questions from the group. What have we learned about the development of character? How much have people relied on the script and how much on themselves? What would they each say about how the character would come across as they developed the roles? What advice would they give to anyone tackling the roles?

Death of a Salesman

Look at the opening scene between Willy and Linda. What are your first impressions of the characters? Why?  What would you need to do to start to develop the roles? At the start of the play, who do you think is the stronger of the two …why?

Try out the opening scene and then show.

Can you imagine how this couple were when they were courting? Devise a scene to show something of this.

What ages are Willy and Linda? What implications might this have for how you physically prepare the role?

Homework

Imagine that you are directing the play ‘Death of a Salesman’, what introduction and advice would you give to the actors playing Willy and Linda before rehearsals begin? (Be specific as well as general)

Week 5

Taking sections of the script to show the development of the relationship between the two.  What are the traps to avoid when playing the characters? How do you overcome these?

Create an internal monologue for a particular scene you wish to work on with your partner. Work on the scene then work on the scene using the monologue.

Pick two sections of the play

And show how the section shows Linda or Willy being other than how they are with each other. Why have you chosen this section? What are you trying to show? How successful do you think you have been? What did you have to do and consider for this section?

Homework
Create a monologue of the characters to show something about their inner lives, hopes and fears.

Week 6

Show monologues then encourage questions and comment

The era of the play and the conditions which would have impinged on the characters. Examine the play for evidence of this.

Tragedy what is it and what makes tragedy? How does the word ‘tragedy’ fit the play? What elements make the play tragic? Is Macbeth tragic? Why?

What message do you feel Miller was trying to put across when he wrote this play? Has he been successful? In what way?

Start reading ‘A Dolls House’ 

Homework : complete the reading of the play

How do the characters of  come across at the start of the play? How would you characterise their relationship?  Work on the opening scene and see how you can present the characters. 

How might this couple have related when they were courting? How do you think Nora related to her father? Can you devise a scene to show something of this?

How do the characters relate to others in the play? Pick a section to work on and show.
What do you do physically to show the characters?

The final scene of the play. 

Create a monologue to show how each of the main characters might be after ten years. What can you use to develop from the play to devise this?

Homework
Discuss the contrasting roles of the characters in the plays we have studied. How might you use the ideas of Stanislavski to develop one of the roles?