A huge part of NCEA Drama is knowing key pieces of terminology and applying your understanding. Your ability to justify your choices is absolutely crucial and can greatly get you higher marks by backing up what your claims, examples and justifications are. Before we jump into the two externals that you will need to do during exams, let's talk about other aspects of the course. You can get a full overview of each assessment in the course here. Perhaps you're wanting to just see info on the Internals? Check this blog out here. Or if you would like a jump into the Study Guide there's always this to explore. Finally, if you would like to try your hand at Scholarship Drama then this could be helpful.
For starters, we have AS91514 which has you interpreting a text to show knowledge of a specific theatre form.
You will need to learn all there is to know about a theatre form, the elements and conventions etc. You’ll then assemble your interpretation around this. To do this you will need to make a connection between the text and how this fits in with the style of the theatre form. To reach for that excellence you will need to demonstrate a sense of perceptiveness to your answer.
Let’s look at the 2019 excellence exemplar to gain some more understanding of this. The student picked ‘New Zealand Maori Theatre’ as their chosen theatre genre. They chose the text ‘Waiora’ by the playwright Hone Kouka. In 2019 the paper asks the student to pick a technology to discuss in relation to the play (costume, prop and set etc.). For this play we will unpack the whalebone comb (prop). This prop would be used usually by someone of a higher status and someone who was much older. Within the play Hone, the father moves the family to an area at a distance from Waiora, their home. His younger daughter Rongo finds it hard to come to terms with this transition as she believes the family might lose their Maori heritage and roots after embracing Pakeha culture in the new area. The technology of the prop (Whalebone comb) is best showcased in the scene just after they have a big fight. When everyone in the family has had a blow-up, a waiata is sung and at that moment the whalebone comb comes out. It serves as a visual reminder to demonstrate the families ties to their Maori heritage.
The fact that Rongo is bringing it to their attention is significant also, as it shows that the younger generation is appreciative of their roots and wants to fight for them. The comb itself would have carvings on it depicting significant stories of the ancestors, which is another reason why it is so valuable to the family. This piece of technology is supremely important in this play and depicts a poignant moment for the family and their connection to lives previously lived. With how the exam paper is structured, there’s also room on the next page to draw an annotated drawing of the technology. In this example, the student has labelled some more details about the whalebone comb. Use as much of the space as possible and remember to label each aspect clearly.
Later in the exemplar, we have a question about the conventions within the play. The student needed to display how the actor within the scene would typically use that convention. For example, the haka was used as a performance convention is an integral part of the play. Rongo is taken by the Tipuna which causes Hone and Wai to fight. Hone then performs a heartfelt haka where his chest gets red from the impact. He misses his daughter and truly just wants her back. The haka demonstrates a sense of release from all of his emotions, bubbling up and coming to the surface. This also is very symbolic as it shows Hone embracing Maori culture, as he is longing for his daughter to come back home and utilizing elements of the culture he knows and loves to express this.
You will also need to unpack the relationships that exist within the play you have chosen too. How the relationships links back is an integral aspect of the form or type of theatre that you have selected. As always with these essays, remember to back up your answers with justifications and specific examples derived from the text, be it a scene or a direct quote.
AS91518 will permit you to demonstrate an understanding of a live theatre performance.
This question is all about how you can address the directors and designers’ intentions within the context of a play that you have seen this year. Why was green light utilized during that joyous scene? Or perhaps why did the director choose to build tension by showing the actors speaking softly at the start, to then screaming? What did this show about the characters and the structure of the piece? These questions will be answered with this achievement standard and get ready to back up your answers with examples galore. You will be asked to address this question with reference to components like conventions, elements and technologies.
Let’s have a look at the excellence exemplar of 2019 which talks about the theatre show ‘A Fine Balance’ written by Sudha Buchar and Kirstein Landon-Smith. In this assessment, the student needed to identify a specific theme that was demonstrated throughout the piece. In this instance, Marxism was mentioned as a key theme. The question asks to give an example within the performance of when Marxism was used and, how technologies were utilized to address this. What was the effect that this technology had on the audience?
Alright, let’s jump back into the exemplar. The costume was used effectively during ‘A Fine Balance’ to directly draw attention to the divided classes in the setting of the play (1975-1977). Characters like Dina and Mrs Grupta were shown wearing affluent and rich clothing to distinguish themselves clearly from Om and Ishvar, who was wearing more middle-class clothing. Specifically, the designer used orange and pink to demonstrate Dina’s wealth and a variety of textures and patterns were also worn. This contrasted heavily with Om and Ishvar who were wearing blue as a means to represent their lower rank in society. Later in the play, they are dressed in brown and grey rags to further show their lower rank, even more.
The costume designer Padma Akula wanted to portray these characters as if they had been ‘literally the floor’ personified, making them very clearly identifiable as the untouchables. The caste system of India was best showcased in the scene where the chorus of the marketplace from a range of different statuses were present. The richer class was seen wearing jewellery, and brightly coloured clothing, contrasting hugely to the blue of the less socio-economically endowed citizens. This divide was made so clear in this scene as all classes were seen interacting together, showing a clear visual divide that extended to an economic divide. Since technologies are visual, there is room for you to annotate some drawings to make it clear what you are referencing in your answer. Later in the questions students needed to talk about what the key idea of society was. In this exemplar, the student linked back the Marxism that was seen in ‘A Fine Balance’ and compared it to our present times of the wealth divide shown through New Zealander’s clothing choices.
Later in the 2019 paper students needed to unpack an actor’s use of movement in a certain scene of the play. At the end of Act 2, the 18 members of the chorus all moved in unison, moving quickly and in a nimble manner. They were shown holding newspapers over their heads which represented the blackout that had happened earlier in the play. The newspapers were seen as a safeguard and a means of protection as to how the people could fend for themselves. It is then spoken by a voice-over, “brothers and sisters, the government has declared a state of emergency”. We then see a variety of different reactions in a freeze-frame movement with everything from hugs, to arm crosses to staring into space. This was a powerful moment chosen by the director where the different energy levels of reactions showed a huge variation of how each actor/character perceived the declaration of revolution. Then the student discussed the impact of what this movement had on the scene. In the 2019 exemplar, they state that the impact of this unison and freeze frame movement showed the power of everyone from different Indian Caste systems working together.
Want some extra help with prepping for these exams or perhaps getting your head into those internals?
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