Applied Drama

Applied Drama is an umbrella term for the wider use of drama practice in a specific social context and environment. This practice doesn't have to take place in a conventional theatre space. It can be shared with, or created for, a specific audience, making them the starting point and the driving force for what is often a personal based exploration.

Applied Drama can be a therapeutic medium, using narrative and both real or imagined story as a tool to examine shared experiences through a dramatic framework. It uses symbols, role play and improvisational theatre to allow us a point of entry into the 'self', and as a vehicle for exploring the relationship between knowledge and action.

What the audience perceives and contributes categorises the very nature of Applied Drama, for example, Theatre in Education (TIE), Drama in Education (DIE), Community Drama and Prison Theatre. It requires the participants to be willing, truthful and honest, tapping into feelings to provoke responses and sometimes to encourage change.

Drama Education

Drama in education provides a forum for students to develop an understanding of themselves and others. As students develop a better understanding, they are able to create works using the forms, elements and techniques of the drama discipline (Ontario Arts Curriculum, 1998) [http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/arts18curr.pdf]

kills

Through drama and role play some of the skills students develop include:
• cooperate with others
• gain self-confidence
• analyze situations and characters
• think and listen critically
• concentrate
• face issues and examine attitudes
• solve problems
(Tarlington & Verriour, 1991)

Ontario Curriculum

In Ontario, Canada, Drama and Dance is combined as a strand of the curriculum for students in Grades 1-8. The expectations for each grade level describe the specific knowledge and skills that students will demonstrate in their work. (Ontario Arts Curriculum, 1998)

Techniques

There are many methods for teaching drama. Each strategy involves varying levels of student participation. Drama can be done as an activity on it’s own or as an extension of another subject area. Picture books are often used as a source in drama.

Drama Games

Drama games, activities and exercises are often used to introduce students to drama. These activities tend to be less intrusive and are highly participatory. See [http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/drama810/apg.htm Drama Games] for some example activities.

Choral Speaking

Choral dramatization involves students reading aloud by assigning parts to each group member. Choral dramatization can use texts such as rhymes, poetry, and picture books. Students can experiment with voice, sound gesture and movement (Swartz, 1995).

Tableaux

Tableaux involve students creating visual pictures with their bodies, emphasizing key details and relationships (Wilheim, 2002). Tableaux are frozen scenes and usually involve at least three levels. Students focus on a focal point, facial expressions, and body language.

Improvisation

Improvisation is the practice of acting and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one’s immediate environment; see . Improvisation can be a great introduction to role playing. Students focus on position, expression and creativity in their impromptu skits.

Role Play

Role Playing allows students to play a character in a real or imaginary situation. One of the simplest forms is where “the student plays himself faced with an imaginary situation.” (Wilheim, 2002, p.62) Other strategies have students playing real-life or imaginary characters in a variety of contexts. Role play can be used throughout many areas of the curriculum, especially History and Language Arts to support and strengthen understanding of content. Below is a list of some common role-play strategies.

* Reenactment: Students perform scenes from a historical time period or a scene in a story. “An enactment may be cast in the past, the present, or the future, but always happens in the ‘now of time’” (Wilheim, 2002, p.8). This strategy encourages students to interact with a text and challenges them to take on the perspective of a character.

* Extended role play: Students may create the scene that takes place before or after a story or scene. This strategy helps students to predict and theorize about cause and effect.

* Hotseat: Student is interviewed in character. By putting the character from a scene, event or story on the “stand” students can further explore their understanding of the content. Other students in the class prepare questions that explore the character and their conflicts. Students are encouraged to write open-ended questions. Teachers may wish to model hotseating first by acting as the character in the role. Also, the person in the hotseat may have a couple of students who act as their “brain.” They are there to help answer questions if the person on the hotseat needs them. There are many variations available for this strategy.

* Teacher In Role: This strategy is key to involving teacher participation. This strategy can take on many forms. The teacher may take on the role of a character or figure from the event, scene or story. The primary objective of this strategy is to allow students to ask questions and help discover answers to any unresolved issues. The teacher may also choose to immerse themselves in the scene and take on a role while interacting with other characters. The primary role in this situation is to further the evolving drama.

* Expert panel: Students themselves become an expert. In order to prepare for this role students must determine what an expert in the area might know. This works well in history or when focusing on broader issues/topics in literature. This strategy can unfold by having students meet as a group of experts or by having students meet in pairs in an interview situation.

* Writing In Role: A variation on the above strategies, students may also write in character. Often they are asked to imagine themselves as a real or fictitious character in a particular state or situation. Writing in role can take on many forms including a journal, letter, monologue, or newspaper article. This is not meant to be a summary of the story, but instead a further exploration of the character and their interaction with events.

Drama Assessment

Drama can be a difficult area to assess as it can be very subjective. The key is to use a variety of assessment strategies. A drama program should emphasize continual improvement of skills and an understanding of the fundamental elements of drama: character, suspense, conflict and structure (Ontario Arts Curriculum, 1998).

Learning Outcomes

Students should work towards being able to successfully achieve the following criteria:
* evaluate and interpret dramatic performances
* create drama works using a variety of strategies
* critique their own work

Assessment Strategies

* self-assessment/ reflections
* peer evaluations
* teacher observations
* performance evaluation
* assessment of writing samples (i.e. scripts, writing-in-role)

Other Possibilities for Applied Drama

Shakespeare in the Classroom provides an opportunity to incorporate many drama techniques. As early as elementary school kids can be introduced to the works of William Shakespeare. There are many adaptations of the original works that can be used to help students make sense of Shakespearean language. In addition, many of the plays have been made into popular films. Many resources exist for teachers including sample lesson plans and tips for introducing Shakespeare in the classroom. [http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/life.htm] [http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/]

References

cite book | author = Swartz, Larry| date = 1995| title =Drama Themes| publisher = Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books ISBN 1551380528

cite book | author = Tarlington & Verriour| date = 1991| title = Role Drama| publisher = Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books ISBN 0921217766

cite book | author =Wilheim, Jeffrey D., Ph.D.| date = 2002| title =Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension| publisher = New York, NY: Scholastic Professional Books ISBN 0-439-218578.

Drama Assessment: Saskatchewanhttp://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/artsed/dram102030/dramstud.html

Ontario Arts Curriculum [http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/arts18curr.pdf "Ontario Curriculum"] Ontario Curriculum 1998, Ministry of Education.

Shakespeare in the Classroomhttp://shakespeare.palomar.edu/life.htmhttp://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/

Wikipedia: Improvisationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvisation

Wikipedia: Shakespearehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespearehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_on_screen

External sources

* [http://www.david-farmer.com/drama_techniques.htm Drama Techniques] Description of educational drama techniques
* [http://www.imprology.com/games/viewallgames.html The Far Games] Educational drama and improvisation games
* [http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/drama810/apg.htm Drama Games] Drama games
* [http://www.creativedrama.com/ Creative Drama] Educational Resource
* [http://www.cre8tivedrama.freeservers.com/cre8tivedrama/ Cre8tive Drama] Drama Resource