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March 28, 2024, 07:26:55 pm

Author Topic: Drama essays!!  (Read 5441 times)  Share 

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dcesaona

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Drama essays!!
« on: September 26, 2018, 12:14:44 pm »
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Hey!! Drama essays are really tedious and tricky for me. I feel like my essays are too sophisticated in a way (never thought I'd say that!) I'd really like some feedback on them as I didn't go as well as I wanted in the trials- I got 35/40 overall. I know I can improve, and I realllyyyy want to! If I post my Australian Contemporary Theatre essay in this thread would anyone be able to mark it? I need feedback on what's good and also what info can be left out, as my essays are always over detailed! If anyone needs the same in return I would be more than happy to read through and mark your drama essays too!  ;)

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beatroot

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Re: Drama essays!!
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2018, 01:21:32 pm »
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Hey!

If you posted your essay in the HSC Marking and Feedback thread, I'm sure someone will be able to check it out :)
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jamonwindeyer

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Re: Drama essays!!
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2018, 06:31:24 pm »
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Additionally, here is a guide on drama essays by our very own sudodds! ;D

Potatohater

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Re: Drama essays!!
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2018, 07:48:35 am »
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Or I can have a look at it if you post it here, so it doesn’t get lost in the sea of English essays
HSC 2017: Advanced English [85] General Maths [92] Biology [96] Geography [92] Drama [86]

2018: Bachelor of Arts and Advanced Studies at University of Sydney

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holky

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Re: Drama essays!!
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2018, 10:24:19 am »
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Hey, I'm willing to have a look at essays if you want - I'm ranked 1st internally and got 19/20 for my Contemporary Aus Theatre essay and 18/20 for my tragedy one
2018

English Advanced  English Extension 1 Modern History CAFS Music 1 Drama

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stefanie.bruzze

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Re: Drama essays!!
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2019, 04:35:48 pm »
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Hi,
Just wondering if someone would please read my essay + give me feedback before my upcoming Drama HSC exam - thank you!
Essay Question: Australian plays make ordinary situations and issues more interesting by the way they are staged.
Discuss to what extent theatrical techniques and styles are used to entertain and challenge an audience in the Australian drama that you have studied. In your answer you should refer to AT LEAST TWO texts set for the topic you have studied.

Australian plays, to a great extent, make use of situations and experiences that are pivotal to the human experience, creating interest for audiences through the use of theatrical techniques and performance styles which both entertain and challenge. The Australian plays Stolen by written by Jane Harrison and Neighbourhood Watch by Lally Katz, foreground the issues of loss and belonging. It is apparent that theatre provides an indispensable role in the cultivation of dramatic meaning, providing audiences with a point of reflection and introspection.

Harrison’s play confronts audiences with the Stolen Generations policy suffered by Indigenous Australians through the use of a non-linear plot, characterisation and storytelling to highlight the loss of human connection through the forceful removal of Indigenous children. Written fittingly when the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report was released, Harrison urges us as an audience to reflect upon the political, social, cultural and personal consequences that can arise from institutionalised racism which is reinforced by the use of performance space. Through the representation of events in Australian history, Harrison positions her five characters Jimmy, Anne, Shirley, Ruby and Anne as a lens into the transgenerational trauma evident in contemporary Indigenous culture which causes a great loss of identity and tradition, underpinning the effects of racist, foul policy and how the absence of connection to traditional land and culture is detrimental to belong.

For our group performance and workshopping of Stolen, we chose to focus on the theme of loss, through the staging of the ‘Arrival’ scene which depicted the vulnerability of the children (in present time as adults) to showcase the lasting impacts upon Indigenous peoples and their disoriented lives. We chose to have the house lights up in the performance space – a deliberate dramaturgical choice to confront the audience as the characters stand in a semi-circle, centre-stage, vulnerable in their own skin. The five characters are spaced out from each other, with the use of proxemics to create a distant and removed atmosphere in order to symbolically convey the isolation and loss of connection they have to each other as a result of on-going abuse. There is a minute of silence and unbroken eye contact between the characters and audience which creates a deep connection between the two parties and stirs emotions as they are presented with a silent, yet (paradoxically) loud statement about the play – presenting the horrific and true experiences of those who have suffered at the hands of ‘white authority’. Audiences are instantly made aware of themselves and our own part to play in this tapestry of unsettling history, questioning ourselves as well as the loss of traditional Aboriginal identity through the staging of this particular scene. Hence, the ways in which we used the stage space was highly critical to the piece, as it enabled us to create the appropriate atmosphere to represent the issue of loss and enabled audiences to reflect upon the transgenerational trauma in Australian history.

If I were directing this play, specifically the scene ‘Adult Flashes’ I would position the actors (as their child characters) on stage next to steel beds that line up diagonally across the performance space to represent institutionalised uniformity. The children would then sit on the beds behind the metal bars, producing an evocative and startling image of the children as being physically and metaphorically ‘prisoners’ of the ‘Stolen Generations’. I would also utilise proxemics to create a distant and removed atmosphere between the characters by separating the beds so that the children are ‘out of reach’ of each other and feel disconnected due to the on-going abuse that is inflicted upon them. My choice of setting and space would also allow the audiences to gain a greater understanding of  and challenge their assumptions of Indigenous children who were prisoners of careless Australian governance and how children lost their sense of authentic human connection. The implementation of staging effects such as harsh blue lighting to symbolise a depressive environment would further disorientate the audience and expose them to the consequences of abuse upon vulnerable children.

Similarly, Katz’s play, Neighbourhood Watch through a realist form and with absurdist conventions, displays the multifaceted dynamics that are inherent to human relationships, providing audiences with insight into the loss of authentic human connection amidst contemporary life. Katz’s fictious community symbolised by Mary Street which is an “every street” is a rich racial tapestry. Katz uses juxtaposition of two colliding worlds of Mary Street to post -World War 2 Hungary to show that through the sharing of life experiences and the telling of these that we are changed. Commenting upon the multicultural nature of Australian society and the old national prejudices that can flare and smoulder from past conflicts, Katz conveys how these racial tensions present themselves in typical Australian suburbia. Ana is troubled by the loss of her father in war-torn Hungary, Catherine, is haunted by the loss of her ex-boyfriend Martin and suffers an eating disorder; she is unable let go of the memories they shared. Ken, on the other hand, wishes to have a more intimate relationship with Catherine but is ‘pushed’ away due to her unwillingness to let go of her past relationship.

My experience of watching Illuminate Theatre’s production of NW provided me with a transformative experience of Ana’s immigrant journey whereby Ana confront her internal dilemmas. The thematic visualisation of Ana’s immigrant’s journey was greatly evoked through the use of lighting and set with a shift from modern day Mary Street to Hungary, depicted through discernible changes from a bright white light to a sepia, old photograph-like atmosphere. The memory sequences of the play were evoked in an interesting way to the audience, using vertical blinds that open to reveal WW2 Hungary and smoke machines to create a whimsical nostalgia. Audiences gain insight into Ana’s personal life and past, evoking a sense of empathy towards immigrants in our contemporary society through a recognition of Ana’s deep struggle to find a better life for herself. The play also takes us on an emotional journey of self-reflection as we look to discover who we are.

If I were to direct this play, in relation to Ken and Catherine’ relationship, I would foreground the idea of belonging amidst a technology-driven modern world through Realist conventions. Through staging and props such as wheelie bins, I would reflect the typical suburbia in which the characters reside. The use of proxemics of two figures would aid the audiences’ understanding of their physical and metaphorical distance from each other. Catherine would begin the scene with a sequence of furiously checking her mobile phone before initiating the dialogue – “do you think the street looks more hopeful?”. The use of flashing spotlights and static music would forebode the increasing isolation that is apparent between Catherine and those around her. As such, it is through staging and techniques that highlight an individual’s loss of authentic human connection.

Ultimately, both Stolen and Neighbourhood Watch provide insight into issues of our contemporary life; utilising theatrical techniques and styles to stimulate audience engagement and response to their plays. The themes of loss and belonging evident in both plays, bring forth enduring ideas about the way in which we lead our own lives.