With this module you will be playing games and at the same time discovering drama abilities that will be useful to you, not only in your future drama classes but in your everyday life as well.

ACTIVITY 1

TO PERFORM RELAXATION, BREATHING AND RESONANCE EXERCISES: THE WARM UP

[LO 1.5]

Before we start with our drama classes, you will have to be relaxed and warmed up. Ready? Let’s start. Your educator will guide you through the exercises and explain to you why you are doing them.

Our goal is to create a sense and state of relaxation in order for you to do your drama activities more comfortably, to be freer with your movements, to overcome inhibitions and to feel more comfortable among your classmates.

Relaxation 1:

Stand with your feet apart.

Reach upwards with your fingertips, palms facing and fingers splayed.

Try to touch the ceiling.

Imagine there is a wire attached to each fingertip and to the crown of your head.

Now you are being drawn up by the wire onto your toes towards the ceiling.

Feel the body elongate.

Hold this position for ten counts.

Imagine that the wires are suddenly cut.

Your hands, wrists, arms, head and shoulders will drop.

Let your arms hang loosely at your sides.

Let your head hang down.

Notice how easy and comfortable the muscles feel after the release of

the tension.

Allow the head and arms to hang for a moment.

Stand up straight.

Relaxation 2:

Reach up with the fingertips and the crown of the head.

Strain upwards as hard as you can.

Hold the upward stretch for a moment.

Now relax hands, arms, head, neck and upper body.

Slump down limply.

Let the arms be quite loose with the arms limp and dangling in front

of the legs.

Hang downwards in this position for a few moments.

Roll the upper body to the left.

Drop to the right.

Drop forward again.

Roll the upper body in a complete circle several times.

Reverse the direction.

If you want to use your voice properly and have the confidence to do it well, breathing exercises is just the thing to do!

Breathing exercise:

Adopt an easy and erect posture.

Rest the back of your hands on the lower side ribs.

Prop your arms out loosely and relax your shoulders.

To a mental count of 1 – 2 – 3 gently inhale though the nose and

feel the lower ribs swell out.

Do not inhale too much air.

Let the lower jaw drop open (tongue flat, tip behind the lower

teeth).

Exhale from the mouth to a mental count of 1 – 2 – 3.

Feel the air flowing out of the open mouth.

Increase the inhalation and exhalation by one mental count each

time until a capacity of ten has been reached.

Repeat six times.

Resonance is the sound produced by a body. This is your voice. Voice is the general vocal tone created by the note from the vibrating vocal cords being resonated in the cavities of your head, throat and chest.

With this exercise you must aim to enlarge your chest cavity to improve its function as a resonator for the voice.

Resonance exercise:

Rest the back of your hands on the lower ribs.

Inhale silently through the nose to a mental count of 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 –

5.

Drop the jaw wide open.

Round and push the lips forward as for the sound oo.

Remember to keep the jaw open.

Blow five short firm breaths from the rounded lips to a target on the other side of the class.

Feel that the force of the outgoing breath is capable of being heard at the target area.

Repeat six times.

Repeat exercise adding a sound when you exhale.

Repeat six times.

Warm-up:

Warming up exercises will allow you to react, freed from unnecessary tensions, within a series of vigorous and enjoyable situations.

Warm-up exercise:

Arrange chairs along one wall of the class or school hall in a

jumbled shape, like an elongated maze.

Allow room for you to walk through the maze without having to

touch a chair or the wall.

Stay clear of the area beyond – do not stray.

Imagine that the chairs forming the maze are electrified as is the

area outside the maze.

Work in pairs, A and B.

A is blind, so he/she must keep his/her eyes closed or be

blindfolded.

B is dumb, and physically guides the blind A through the maze

without being electrocuted.

The pairs follow one another through the maze, ensuring that there

is enough space between them to avoid a collision.

As you come out of the maze, you must quietly sit and watch the

others work their way through.

ACTIVITY 2

TO RESPOND TO VARIOUS STIMULI IN DRAMATIC GAMES AND EXERCISES: GAMES

[LO 1.6]

After your warm-up exercises you will be ready to start the drama activities. Today we will be playing games. Yes! Drama is a lot of fun.

Exercise 1: Tactile Box

Your educator will provide a cardboard box with flaps. Inside will be as many small commonplace articles as there are members of the class.

The contents will be things like a key, a candle, a clothes peg, a pencil, etc.

There will only be one of each in the box.

The flaps of the box will be together, allowing a hand to be slipped inside, but no-one must be able to see the contents.

The box will be placed in the centre of the acting area.

One by one, you must kneel on the far side of the box facing the other learners, who check that you do not look inside while putting your hand into the box.

You must identify an article by touch.

Withdraw your hand, leaving the article in the box, and mime an action once, showing how you could use this article.

The other learners then call out what they think the article is.

If they do not guess right, the action must be repeated.

You have to remember what articles have already been mimed and avoid them, so you may have to identify a host of things before an unmimed article is found.

Exercise 2: Encounters

Your educator will compile a list of characters.

Each learner will be allocated a character.

No-one must know whom the others will characterise.

You will be divided into groups of three (not more than four).

When the groups are ready, you have to reveal your given character to the other members of your group.

Plan a short scene, inventing a situation, development, dialogue and a conclusion.

At no time during the playing of any scene may any character name the temperament or occupation of their character or any other.

The temperaments or occupations must be revealed to the audience by means of the actions and attitudes of the performers.

At the conclusion of each short scene, the players must stay in the acting area while the learners attempt to say exactly what each performer represented.

Exercise 3: The “Take-over”

Your educator will place a number of objects (any objects will do) in the middle of the acting space.

Examine the objects.

These objects can be used in a short scene, either as they really are or as some other symbolic object.

Remain in the same group as in the previous exercise.

You are allowed 5 minutes for preparation.

Perform your scene with the chosen objects.

Your educator will, at his/her discretion, point to another group to move into the acting space and take over from the first group – the first group must allow the second group to take over their space and objects and move away from the acting space back to their places in the circle.

Your educator will point to another group, until all the groups have had a turn.

The transitions must happen rapidly.

To initiate the ‘take over’, your educator can also play music, blow on a whistle, clap hands, shout, play a musical instrument, etc., so be ready for this.

ACTIVITY 3

TO USE SENSORY DETAIL AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION IN DRAMATIC ACTIVITIES: OBJECTS AND SENSATIONS

[LO 1.7]

The aim with this activity is to strive for clarity of communication, without speech, by using graphic movement. Do not worry, you are still playing games!

Exercise 1: Look at it

Think of something, animate or inanimate, which you can come and look at within the acting area.

You may not touch it or act with it, but just look at it and react to it.

Do not attempt to start the exercise until you feel fully prepared and able to visualise the object clearly.

The other learners must be able to ‘read’ your subtle reactions.

After each visualisation, the learners can volunteer options as to what they thought the object of attention was.

Exercise 2: Sensation

Choose one of the senses to perform

Use your facial expressions as well as body to express these senses.

Exercise 3: Objects and Sensations

In your groups, devise a short scene combining Exercise 1 and 2.

You are only allowed to use one object.

You are allowed to use as many senses as you like.

Perform your scenes to the rest of the class.

Comment on each scene after every performance.

Choose the ‘winning scene’ after all the performances have taken place.

LO 1

CREATING, INTERPRETING AND PRESENTINGThe learner will be able to create, interpret and present work in each of the art forms.

We know this when the learner:

DANCE

1.1 in preparing the body, follows a warm-up ritual that develops co-ordination and control;

1.2 improvises and creates dance sequences that use the concept of contrast, while making clear transitions from one movement or shape to another, focusing on: space (high/low, large/small, forward/sideward/backward, near/far, narrow/wide); time (fast/slow, regular/irregular) force (strong/light, smooth/percussive);

1.3 improves and creates dance sequences that use the concept of contrast, while making clear transitions from one movement or shape to another, focusing on: the movement range of each body part; geometric concepts such as parallel, symmetry, distance, volume and mass, rectangles, pentagon, hexagon, octagon;

1.4 learns and performs steps of an indigenous and/or contemporary dance from South African culture with attention to detail;

DRAMA

1.5 performs simple teacher-directed relaxation, breathing and resonance exercises when warming up and cooling down;

1.6 responds to aural, oral, visual, tactile and kinaesthetic stimuli in dramatic games and exercises;

1.7 uses sensory detail and emotional expression in dramatic activities such as simple mime showing weight, size and shape;

MUSIC

1.8 demonstrates concentration and accurate listening through recognising, repeating and creating rhythms and poly-rhythms, using movement, body percussion and natural instruments;

1.9 composes and presents a short rhythmic pattern that has crotchets, crotchet rests, minims, minim rests, quavers and quaver rests through body percussion;

1.10 improvises and creates music phrases that use repetition, accent, call and response;

1.11 sings songs in long and normal triplet (³₄ and ³₈);

VISUAL ARTS

1.12 designs and creates artworks and craft works which explore the use of natural and geometric shapes and forms in two and three dimensions, in observational work, pattern making and design, and in simple craft objects;

1.13 displays work in the classroom.

Module 13 deals with the following aspects:

Drama

Vocal colour and vocal tone / pitch.

Various strategies for oral communication.

Accompanying body language / movement.

The above discipline cannot function in isolation from others, such as dance, music and visual arts, and overlapping will therefore occur as a matter of necessity. Some of the elements / techniques will occur in almost all of the modules, probably with showing a shift in focus only.

activity 1

Relaxation

Relaxation is fundamental to the efficient use of the body, not only in drama, but in carrying out our daily routines with maximum efficiency.

Tension in a learner, or performer, can be transmitted to other members of the group.

Tension usually shows itself first in the voice, because breathing is shallow and the muscles of the larynx are tensed.

Our goal is to create a sense and state of relaxation in the learner in order for them to execute their activities more comfortably, be freer with their movements, overcome inhibitions and feel more comfortable among their classmates.

You will find exercises in Activities for the Learners. Feel free to experiment and to be creative.

Breathing

Good breathing is a fundamental requirement for voice production.

Breath expelled from the lungs is the force used to create speech sound.

The capacity of the chest must allow a steady flow of breath to sustain phrases with ease.

A plentiful supply of breath also helps to giver a sense of confidence.

Refer to ‘Activities for the Learner’ for the breathing exercises.

Resonance

Resonance is the sound produced by a body.

Voice, speech and language are mankind’s chief intellectual and emotional tools for informing, relating, identifying, manipulating and controlling, and the learner needs the skill in their use.

Whoever you are, people must want to listen to you.

The most elementary failure during a performance is inaudibility.

The actor’s breath and voice mirror his physical state and his emotional condition.

The object is to avoid sounding nasal.

Refer to ‘Activities for the Learner’ for the breathing exercises.

Warming up

Warming up is not only being relaxed and having the body and imagination in good shape, but also having a sense of:

group awareness

co-operation

mental and physical accord

camaraderie

a lack of inhibition

Warming up exercises allow learners to react, freed from unnecessary mental and physical tensions, within a series of vigorous situations.

Refer to ‘Activities for the learner’ for the warming-up exercises.

Helpful hints:

Encourage a sense of achievement to the learners in the class.

Be passionate and enthusiastic.

Have infinite patience.

Learners need guidance: show how, and then have them find their own way of doing the activity.

Always reassure the learners that it is Pretence and Play.

Be lavish with praise, encouragement and love.

Instil a disciplinary structure in the class, as these exercises and activities can incite rowdiness. Use whistles, drums, claps, music, etc. during the class to bring the class to a ‘standstill’ for a few seconds. Have them freeze, lie down, sit, etc. until you give the instruction to proceed with the activity.

ACTIVITY 2

We will be looking at elements to bring together that are required by the learner in order to express himself most fully:

Imagination – a mind full of images and impressions, gained from his observations and interests in the world.

The ability to tell a story. This needs a retentive memory.

Understanding of emotion, his own and those of other people.

The ability to remember feelings, and have the courage to express them.

Delight in the five senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling: remembering the effect of those sensory experiences.

Mental freedom: the ability to improvise, to explore the unconscious, to let one thing lead to another.

A sympathetic and understanding view of other learners and the characters they are playing: a willingness to relate.

Exercise 1: Tactile Box

You will need a cardboard box with flaps.

Place as many small commonplace articles as there are members of the class inside the box.

The contents should include things like a key, a candle, a clothes peg, a pencil, etc.

There should only be one of each in the box.

The flaps of the box must be together so that a hand can be slipped inside, but no-one must be able to see the contents.

Place the box in the centre of the acting area.

One by one, the learners must kneel in front of the box, facing the other learners, who check that (s)he does not look inside while putting a hand into the box.

The learner must identify the selected article by touch.

The learner then withdraws his/her hand, leaving the article in the box, and mimes an action once, showing how to use the article.

The other learners then call out the name of the article.

If they do not guess right, the action must be repeated.

Subsequent learners must remember which articles have already been identified. The learner might have to identify a number of articles before one is found that can be mimed.

Exercise 2: Encounters

Compile a list of characters.

Allocate one to each student.

No one must know who the others will characterise.

Divide them into groups of three members (not more than four).

When the groups are ready, they reveal their given characters to the other members of their group.

They have to plan a short scene; invent a situation, development, dialogue and conclusion.

During the activity the learners may not name the temperament or occupation of the character they are portraying.

The temperaments or occupations must only be revealed to the audience by means of the actions and attitudes of the performers.

At the conclusion of each short scene, the players must stay in the acting area while the learners attempt to say exactly what each performer represented.

Here are some suggestions:

Exercise 3: The “Take-over”

Place a number of objects (any objects will do) in the centre of the acting space.

The learners must examine the objects.

These objects can be used in a short scene, either as they really are or as some other object.

The learners can remain in their groups from the previous exercise.

Allow five minutes for preparation.

Point to a group to perform their scene with the chosen objects.

Use your discretion and point to another group to move into the acting space to take over from the first group – the first group must then allow the second group to take over their space and objects and move away from the acting space and go back to their places in the circle.

Point to another group, until each group has had a turn.

The transitions must happen rapidly.

To initiate the ‘take-over’, you can also play music, blow a whistle, clap your hands, shout, play a musical instrument, etc.

ACTIVITY 3

The aim with this activity is to strive for clarity of communication without speech, by means of graphic movement.

Without dialogue, movement must be explicit and very carefully timed in order to communicate well.

The learners should be able to visualise the invisible, to make the concrete tangible and, where appropriate, to call into play the senses of taste, smell and hearing.

Exercise 1: Look at it

Let the learners think of something, animate or inanimate, which they can come and look at in the acting area.

They may not touch it or act with it, but just look at it and react to it.

No-one should attempt to start the exercise until they feel fully prepared and able to visualise the object clearly.

The other learners must be able to ‘read’ his or her subtle reactions.

After each visualisation, the learners can volunteer what they thought the object was.

Exercise 2: Sensation

Have the learners choose one of the following senses to perform:

Taste e.g. bitterness, hot curry, rancid butter, sweetness, medicine

Smell e.g. perfume, gas, fresh air, smoke

Touch e.g. a caress, a blow, a snake, an ice cube, something rough, sticky, silky, light, heavy

Sight e.g. sunrise, rugby match, accident, attraction, repulsion, amazement, distant object

Hearing e.g. gossip, gunfire, compliment, cry, music, doorbell

Have them use their facial expressions as well as body to express these senses.

Small groups will share their observations and offer constructive comments afterwards.

Exercise 3: Objects and Sensations

Have the learners, in their groups, devise a short scene combining Exercise 1 and 2.

They are only allowed to use one object.

They are allowed to use as many senses as they like.

Let the learners perform their scenes to the rest of the class.

The learners have to comment on each scene after every performance.

Let the learners choose the ‘winning scene’ after all the performances have taken place.

Helpful hints:

Encourage visualisation, communication and precision of movement.

Encourage teamwork, concentration, timing and the creation of mood by the style of the movement.

In a dramatic performance, points are sometimes blurred by indeterminate movement, so demonstrate the significance of how a dramatic moment can be clarified by means of posture and gesture (body language).

The learners must be relaxed to enable the ‘audience’ to ‘read’ his or her reactions.

To be specific, acting without dialogue is usually difficult. However, it is surprising how much can be communicated by the subtle reactions of the face, eyes and the rest of the body.