VCE+Drama

**RATIONALE ** The study of Drama focuses on the creation and performance of characters, narratives and stories. Students draw on a range of content and use role and expressive skills to create, embody and present dramatic works. They analyse the development of their performances and explore the actor–audience relationship. Students develop an understanding of dramatic elements, stagecraft and theatrical conventions appropriate to performance styles from a range of cultural contexts. They view and analyse performances by professional and other drama practitioners.
 * DRAMA **

The study provides students with opportunities to explore the ways in which drama represents social, political, and historical contexts, narratives and stories. Students develop an understanding of the language of drama including terminology and expressions appropriate to the context of the drama that students create, perform and analyse. Students develop an appreciation of drama as an art form through participation, criticism and aesthetic understanding.

The study of drama provides students with pathways to further studies in fields such as acting, direction, playwriting, production design, production management and studies in drama criticism. **UNIT 1: Dramatic storytelling **

This unit focuses on creating, presenting and analysing a devised performance that includes real or imagined characters, based on personal, cultural and/or community experiences and stories. Students examine storytelling through the creation of solo and/or ensemble devised performance/s and manipulate expressive skills in the creation and presentation of characters. They develop an awareness and understanding of how characters are portrayed in naturalistic and non-naturalistic performance style/s. Students also gain an awareness of how performance is shaped and given meaning. They investigate a range of stimulus material and learn about stagecraft, theatrical conventions and performance styles from a range of social and cultural contexts. This unit also involves analysis of a student’s own performance work and analysis of a performance by professional and other drama practitioners. **Study areas ** A devised performance Presenting a devised performance Analysing a devised performance Analysing drama performances presented by other practitioners **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Unit 2: Creating Australian drama **

<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">This unit focuses on the use and documentation of the processes involved in constructing a devised solo or ensemble performance. Students create, present and analyse a performance based on a person, an event, an issue, a place, an art work, a text and/or an icon from a contemporary or historical Australian context.

<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Students use a range of stimulus material in creating performance and examine performance styles <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">from a range of cultural and historical contexts. Theatrical conventions appropriate to the selected <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">performance styles are also explored. Students knowledge of how dramatic elements are enhanced or <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">manipulated through performance is further developed in this unit.

<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">This unit also involves analysis of a student’s own performance work as well as the performance of <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">an Australian work. **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Study areas ** <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Using Australia as inspiration <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Presenting a devised performance <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Analysing a devised performance <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Analysing Australian drama performance **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 23.32px;">DRAMA ** **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">Unit 3: Ensemble performance **

<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">This unit focuses on non-naturalistic drama from a diverse range of contemporary and/or cultural <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">performance traditions. Non-naturalistic performance styles and associated theatrical conventions are <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">explored in the creation, development and presentation of an ensemble performance. Collaboration <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">to create, develop and present ensemble performance is central to this performance. Students use and <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">manipulate dramatic elements, expressive skills and performance styles to enhance performance. <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">They select stagecraft and theatrical conventions as appropriate to the performance. Students also <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">document and evaluate stages involved in the creation, development and presentation of the ensemble <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">performance. <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">A professional performance that incorporates non-naturalistic performance style/s will also be analysed. **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Study areas ** <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Creating and presenting ensemble performance <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Responding to ensemble performances <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Analysing non-naturalistic performance **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif";">UNIT 4: Solo performance **

<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">This unit focuses on the use of stimulus material and resources from a variety of sources to create and <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">develop character/s within a solo performance. Students complete two solo performances. For a short <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">solo performance they develop practical skills of researching, creating, presenting, documenting and <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">analysing a solo performance work. In the development of a second solo performance, they devise, <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">rehearse and perform an extended solo performance in response to a prescribed structure published <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. The processes involved in the creation and <span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">presentation of character/s in solo performance are analysed and evaluated. **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Study areas ** <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Processes used to create solo performances <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Creating a solo performance <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Analysing a solo performance. **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">End-of-year performance examination ** <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Students will present a solo performance based on the prescribed structure set annually by a panel appointed by the V.C.A.A.  **<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">End-of-year written examination ** <span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.32px;">Students will answer a series of questions requiring short and extended responses. Key knowledge and skill that underpin Unit 3, Outcomes 2 and 3 and Unit 4, Outcome 1 and 3 are examinable.