The End of Course Examination: 40% of final GCSE Grade GCSE DRAMA

COMPONENT 1: Understanding Drama REVISION SHEET

Section A – Theatre Roles and Terminology
Section B – Study of a Set Play ‘The Crucible’ – Arthur Miller Here are some key elements that will So what’s KEY?!
Section C – Live Theatre Production Analysis aid you on your journey to BOSSIN’ In order to get the most from
your exams. your GCSE and achieve your
Key Elements to Revise: full potential, it is vital that all
Section A of your answers have detail,
• Key Roles within Theatre and what their job roles are. (In the depth and reasons. Justify
NOTE: your Points with Evidence
exam this will present itself by multiple choice)
• E.G. ‘Who is responsible for writing the script including dialogue GCSE REVISION and Explanation – don’t

WILL TAKE PLACE forget to PEE!

and stage directions?’ You will then have a choice of 3 as to
which job role matches Correct drama
ON WEDNESDAYS terminology is vital!
• Stage types/positions – These are all in your white booklet.
• Section B
AND THURSDAYS AT
• The Crucible – Arthur Miller (Methuen drama student LUNCHTIME AND
edition) AFTERSCHOOL
Revise and identify KEY SCENES; including the play’s CONTEXT,
GENRE, HISTORICAL INFLUENCE, ACTING CHOICES AND DESIGN Any issues, questions or if you require further
CHOICES support, please contact us at:
• Focus on the ACTING SKILLS necessary to successfully Miss Mason: rjm@Brockington.leics.sch.uk
perform the given extract and don’t forget to PEE! Ms Broadfield: hab@Brockington.leics.sch.uk
• Section C
• Live Theatre Production Analysis- The Woman in Black/Love Assessment marks and %’s of
Song GCSE
Exam Length: 1hr 45
• Revise and identify KEY SCENES; including the play’s Component 1 – 80 Marks - 40% minutes
CONTEXT, GENRE, HISTORICAL INFLUENCE, ACTING CHOICES Component 2 - 80 Marks - 40% Mock Exam Thursday 14th
AND DESIGN CHOICES Component 3 – 40 Marks - 20%
• Focus on the ACTING SKILLS demonstrated in particularly December Morning
effective scenes and don’t forget to PEE! GCSE Exam Friday 18th May
Afternoon
 Playwright
Writing the Sound Designer
script of the Designing the Costume Designer
play, including sound required for Designing what the Understudy
dialogue and the performance. actors wear on stage. Learning a part of a
stage directions Including music Making sure that the lead character,
and sound effects. costumes are appropriate including all lines
Creates a sound for the period and style of and movement in
plot. the piece. Set Designer case they are
Technician Designing the set of needed for a
Operating the technical the play. Including planned or
equipment such as lighting objects placed on unexpected absence
and sound boards during a Roles in Theatre stage. Providing
Stage Manager
production and Performance Running the backstage
sketches and other
design materials
elements of the play, before overseeing
organising rehearsal the creation of the Lighting
Director schedule and keeping a set. Designer
Oversees the creative aspects list of props and technical Designing the
of the production. Develops needs lighting states
the concepts and overall idea. that will be
Liaises with all aspects of the used in
creative team. Rehearsing to Theatre Puppet Designer Performer performance.
ensure all performers and Manager Understanding
Designing the Appearing in
technical aspects are ready Running the
puppets for a a the technical
theatre building,
for performance. Giving notes including production, taking performance; capabilities of
to the performers during overseeing the into account the style acting, the theatre
rehearsals. Front of House of puppets and how dancing or and plotting
staff and box they’re operated singing, etc. the lights
office (who sell
tickets)
Character Interaction (The action/re-action
between one or more character)
Drama Practitioner:
Stanislavski
Acting Skills and
Characterisation:

Proxemics
Terminology The Magic ‘If’ Voice Skills
Monologue – A long speech to either Emotion Memory • Tone
• Intimate Proxemics (closest) the audience or another character Given Circumstance • Pitch
• Personal Proxemics (comfortable talking Duologue – A scene between two Circles of Attention • Pace
space) characters Subtext • Pause
• Social Proxemics (Group social zone) Protagonist – The central/main Objective • Accent
• Public Proxemics (in town, walking character
around) Super-Objective • Volume
Antagonist – One that contends or Counter-Objective • Emphasis
opposes another Brecht Physical Skills
Genre – The category of the piece of theatre Blocking – Backs to the audience. Also, a Rhetorical Questions • Body Language
(Horror, Documentary, Musical, Comedy, etc.) rehearsal techniques done by the Placards • Facial Expression
Style – Naturalistic, Non-Naturalistic, Abstract, director to co-ordinate movements
Alienation • Posture
Surrealistic, Physical Theatre, Dance Drama Masking – Standing in front of
Rehearsal – The process of developing and
Breaking the fourth-wall • Gesture
characters, in the way of the audience
practising the scene/piece (sometimes done for comedic effect)
Direct Address • Habits/
Performance – The end product that is shown Upstaging – Diverting the audiences Artaud Mannerisms
Character – The person you are creating, attention from the main performance; Theatre of the Oppressed • Eye focus
and/or interpreting taking all of the attention for yourself Theatre of cruelty
Technique –The way (discipline) of carrying out Invasive theatre
Status – The state of power, authority
a particular task
and importance DON’T FORGET TO
Development – Continuing improvements in Stage Types:
order to progress
Tableaux – Freeze frame that represents REFER TO YOUR
a story Proscenium Arch WORD BANKS OF
Communication – The imparting or exchanging
of communication Dramatic Irony – When the audience Traverse KEY WORDS TOO!
Dialogue – Speech between 2 or more know something that one of the End-On
characters characters doesn’t Theatre in-the-round
Thrust
 The Language of the Exam
VOICE MOVEMENT DESIGN AUDIENCE
VOLUME GESTURE STAGING FORM GENRE / STYLE STAGING FORMS
TONE POSTURE LIGHTING/SOUND/ TARGET PROSCENIUM ARCH
PHYSICAL MANNERISM COSTUME AUDIENCE THRUST ARENA
PITCH
LEVELS RELATION TO TENSION APRON
PAUSE SUSPENSE
USE OF SPACE AUDIENCE PROMENADE
SILENCE RESPONSE IN THE ROUND
STILLNESS TEXT DEMANDS
ACCENT EFFECT
CONTRAST PERIOD COMEDY
TIMING MIME GENRE
RHYTHM GAIT COLOUR /TEXTURE REHEARSAL
NARRATION STAGE FIGHTING ATMOSPHERE FIRST IDEAS RESEARCH MIND MAPS
STYLE ATMOSPHERE REALISTIC IMPROVISATION HOT SEATING
ATMOSPHERE BLOCKING MINIMAL CHARACTER EXPERIMENTING REVIEW
EVALUATION OFF TEXT IMPRO TABLEAUX
VOCAL CHOREOGRAPHY RESPRESENTATION KEY MOMENTS STATUS EMOTIONAL
MANNERISM CROWDS AL MEMORY ROLE SWAPPING MOTIVATION
PACE PACE DURABILITY UNITS AND OBJECTIVES.
LEVELS

LIGHTING SOUND

S.T.A.G.E
TIMING INTENSITY COLOUR PLOT DEMANDS VOLUME
ATMOSPHERE SPECIAL EFFECTS USE OF MUSIC SOUND EFFECTS
ISOLATING AREAS TIME/PERIOD ATMOSPHERE SETTING/CONTEXT
CREATING CONVENTIONS PACE SPECIAL EFFECTS
LANTERNS / GELS / GOBO PERIOD STYLE TARGET
AIMS
COSTUME TECHNIQUES
PERIOD COLOUR TEXTURE PHYSICAL THEATRE.TABLEAU. CHORAL GENRE EFFECTS
STATUS MOVEMENT SPEECH/ CHORAL MOVEMENT. ECHO.
DURABILITY SYMBOLISM ROUND. SLOW MOTION. SYSTEM, MOVEMENT.
LIFTS. FALLS. CARRIES. NARRATION.
OVERLAPPING DIALOGUE.
 The Crucible by Arthur
Miller - Context
• The Crucible examines the witch hunts that took place in 17th century Salem, Massachusetts. When he wrote it, Arthur
Miller was already a successful playwright. The play also subtly refers to the 'communist witch hunts' in the USA in the
1950s.
• During the 17th century in Salem, Massachusetts, there really were witch hunts very much like those depicted in this play.
Early settlers in North America had fled from religious persecution in England and other European countries but this did
not make them more tolerant. They were very intense about religious purity. By modern standards we might call
them religious fanatics. They were very intolerant of 'alternative viewpoints.
• During the 1950s America went through a period of intense fear of the spread of the anti-capitalist economic system
called communism. The government organised an investigation to identify communists and drive them out of positions of
influence. This is often referred to as the 'communist witch hunt'.
• The Crucible portrays witch hunting as something deep within the origins of the American character. Miller shows it arising
out of a wide variety of motives, including unfounded fear, jealousy and revenge, an ugly and unflattering image of
America which was far from the way that Americans liked to see themselves.
• In the town of Salem, teenage girls, led by Abigail Williams, accuse women and men of witchcraft. One man, John Proctor,
had an affair with Abigail, and he now thinks that Abigail is causing trouble because she is jealous of his wife. The efforts of
the court to find out the truth are swayed by the hysteria that the girls create in the court room. The judge chooses to
believe the girls' stories, to save the reputation of the court, and many innocent townspeople are executed, including John
Proctor.

Examples taken from:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/dramacrucible