Brecht in a nutshell...

Techniques

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Assignment Brief

The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology Theatre Department   Assignment brief
Unit number and title	Unit 1: Performance Workshop
Qualification	BTEC Level 3 Extended National Diploma in Performing Arts (Acting)
Start date	Tuesday 4th November 2014
Deadline	Tuesday 16th December 2014
Assessor	SST/SGL/WRE
Assignment title	Theatre for Change (Assignment 1 of 2)
The purpose of this assignment is to: Apply workshop processes to interpret stimulus material, exploring, researching, shaping and developing material for performance and evaluating its potential for an audience.
Scenario: You will take part in workshops exploring current news stories and ideas to create a piece of political theatre. You will use the ideas and approach of Bertolt Brecht to suggest exercises and rehearsal techniques for both rehearsal and performance.  You will work as part of a group to create a piece of work for performance and take part in a workshop performance of the piece. The piece will be inspired by Theatre Uncut 2014 which is a collection of Political plays prompted by the question:  "Knowledge is power, power is change" The plays chosen will be confirmed nearer the time. The plays are being performed at Soho Theatre towards the end of 2014. You will also create a separate performance piece in small groups. These pieces will take the form of a political protest that will be performed in a space of your choice.
Task 1 Workshop exploration You will explore ideas from the chosen Theatre Uncut play and use it as source material, to conduct research, undertake practical exercises and lead and take part in discussions about performance possibilities. You will develop and shape imaginatively the most creative ideas for a political theatre piece. You will also work on the text of your Theatre Uncut play and include this in your final performance piece. You will be assessed through teacher observation. Criteria assessed P1, M1, D1 & P2, M2, D2 Deadline: 2nd December 2014
Task 2 Perform Give a confident, controlled and assured performance that shows a sense of flair as well as engagement with the performance material and a clear responsive relationship with the audience. You will be assessed through teacher observation and a video/DVD recording will be made of the performance. Criteria assessed P3, M3, D3 Deadline: 9th December 2014 6.30pm Task 3  Perform Political Protests In groups of between 3 and 5 you will choose a subject to create a staged political protest from. You will develop and explore the performance opportunities of this subject and create a piece of performance work of no longer than ten minutes. You can choose a setting within the grounds of the BRIT School to perform your piece You be assessed through teacher observation Criteria assessed P2, M2, D2, P3, M3, D3 Deadline: Tuesday 25th November 2014
Task 4 Actor’s Blog You will keep an actor’s log in the form of an online blog. It will need to contain; ·       A clear record of the research you have undertaken, ·       Records and evaluations of  the practical exercises you have done to develop the piece ·       Annotated news stories and commentaries on YouTube clips ·       Sketches and diagrams ·       Detailed evaluations of the final piece and its artistic achievements ·       Detailed evaluation of the level of professional execution ·       Evaluation of the overall strengths and weaknesses ·       A discussion about the future potential of the piece as a theatre product Criteria assessed P4, M4, D4 Deadline: Emailed in by 4.30pm on Tuesday 23rd December ‘14
Sources of information The News Theatre Uncut website www.theatreuncut.com Bertolt Brecht by Meg Mumford, Routledge 2008

This brief has been verified as being fit for purpose
Assessor	SARAH GOODALL
Signature	SGL	Date	16/10/14
Internal verifier
Signature		Date

Grading Criteria:

P1 show a response to source material through research and practical workshops, recognising obvious possibilities as performance material

M1 show considered responses to source material, exploring its more creative possibilities as performance material with insight and attention to detail

D1 show a range of detailed responses to source material, in which the possibilities as performance material are explored in a perceptive and comprehensive manner

P2 develop and shape workable ideas

M2 develop and shape the most workable ideas

D2 develop and shape the most creative ideas

P3 perform with a level of skill appropriate to the chosen medium showing engagement with the material and communicating ideas to an audience

M3 perform with a level of skill that shows a degree of control in the handling of the chosen medium, degree of engagement with the material, communicating ideas to an audience in a focused manner

D3 perform with a sense of flair, confidence and assured control of the chosen medium, showing consistent focus and engagement with the material and clear and responsive communication to an audience

P4 evaluate the potential of the work in artistic, professional and vocational terms with recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.

M4 evaluate the potential of the work in artistic, professional and vocational terms, with considered judgements about what worked well and/or less well.

D4 evaluate the potential of the work in artistic, professional and vocational terms with strengths and weaknesses clearly identified and judgements fully justified and thoughtfully expressed.

Creating an effective Political Protest

In week 4 you will all be participating in a protest.

You should have got yourself into groups of 3 min - 5 max.

The protest will last for 20-30 minutes during a break time.

Things to think about:

You will have to negotiate where the protest happens as there will be many groups. Some will be outside, some will be inside. 

From the assignment brief:

Task 3  Perform Political Protests

In groups of between 3 and 5 you will choose a subject to create a staged political protest from. You will develop and explore the performance opportunities of this subject and create a piece of performance work of no longer than ten minutes. You can choose a setting within the grounds of the BRIT School to perform your piece You be assessed through teacher observation

Criteria assessed P2, M2, D2, P3, M3, D3

P3 perform with a level of skill appropriate to the chosen medium showing engagement with the material and communicating ideas to an audience

M3 perform with a level of skill that shows a degree of control in the handling of the chosen medium, degree of engagement with the material, communicating ideas to an audience in a focused manner

D3 perform with a sense of flair, confidence and assured control of the chosen medium, showing consistent focus and engagement with the material and clear and responsive communication to an audience

Deadline: Tuesday 25^th November 2014 (when they will be performed)

What is a protest?

protest

noun a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something. a written declaration, typically by a notary public, that a bill has been presented and payment or acceptance refused.

verb express an objection to what someone has said or done. declare (something) firmly and emphatically in response to doubt or accusation. write or obtain a protest in regard to (a bill). Photos and videos of protests from two years ago... Remember that you may only have the attention of the ‘audience’ for 30 seconds.  Do these protests get a message across?  Do they make you think and question? Why/why not? What do they say?                                               Questioning stereotypes:                              What is effective? What would you have changed?                               Slut Shaming: What is effective? What would you have changed?                             Body Image: What is effective? What would you have changed?                              Crime and Punishment: What is effective? What would you have changed?                               Life, should mean life: What is effective? What would you have changed?                               Being PC: What is effective? What would you have changed?                                Body Image: What is effective? What would you have changed? Freedom of speech: What is effective? What would you have changed? Gender inequality:  I haven't got video footage of this group, however the photos show two tables set up as a cake sale. The protest posed question about gender issues. They had used gingerbread men as an example.  Creating your protests: In your groups thought-shower some of the issues in the society/world that you feel passionate about. In your groups discuss each issue and how it could be transformed into a protest.  What are the points you want to get across to the ‘audience’? What moments could be repeated - remember you might get a new audience every 30 seconds, they might not see the whole protest.  Success criteria: Well researched issues Serious approach to the ideas taken Well rehearsed  Planned appropriate props/costumes (not making stuff on the day, changing things on the day) Can be repeated easily - or is continuous and the same message is conveyed in the 1st minute and the 20th minute. Not invasive  (not getting up in the audience’s face in an aggressive manner / grabbing the audience - this looses belief in your protest instantly) I would recommend using some of your Fridays to prepare your work, you will NOT be given any time in the Tuesday lessons to rehearse your protests - 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail.'

Please email me your protest theme, with a brief overview, list of people in your group and your first and second choice for location - due on Friday 7th November 

Brecht...who is he? Some useful videos to watch and respond to...

Epic Theatre

Here are the differences between Dramatic Theatre and Epic Theatre:

Workshop 1

Tuesday 5th November

Here is a breakdown of the session today.

After a brief overview of the term and introduction to the practitioner we explored some Brechtian techniques. 

Represent, don't become!

GESTUS

Gesture + Attitude = Gestus 

Task 1 - Told a nursery rhyme to each other from opposite ends of the room - you had to shout. Could you hear? Performers had to focus on using their body language to tell enforce the verbal communication. How did this help?

Task 2 - Created paired still images to show characters such as Romeo and Juliet, Cat and Mouse, Sweet and Sour, War and Peace, Rich and Poor. Dicuss what everyone did for Rich and Poor - why did everyone create the same image? How did this demonstrate Gestus? 

Task 3 - An actor played a soldier, they walked on stage, stopped and walked off. How did you know he was a soldier? What did you think of the character, if anything? Then we added in seven dead bodies, the soldier appeared and disappeared again. What was different about this scene? What did the soldier do? How did this demonstrate Gestus?

Task 4 - You created two still images to show opposing gestic images:

War the maker of heroes & War the taker of lives

Exaplain what you did and why? How were these gestic? 

Thinking questions...

• Summarise Gestus using examples from the above exercises?
• Explain this:  Gesture + Attitude = Gestus
• How do you feel about this technique? 

EXAGGERATION

Write about the first or second scene. If you were in the scene you can write about your actor experience. 

A pair of actor demonstrated a scene between Doctor and patient. Describe the key characteristics of the characters in the first scene. Actors were told to play a stereotype of the characters and to exaggerate them both physically and vocally. How were the characters played? When I clapped my hands the actors had to switch roles. Explain the audience reaction and what happened in the scene. Why was this a good exercise to explore for Brechtian theatre for both the audience and actor?

NARRATIVE 

In groups you created a performance of a fairy story using four styles of Narration.

1. A narrator
2. Actor stepping out of character to narrate
3. Actor speaking in 3rd person
4. Singing narration

Thinking questions...

• Explain what you did and why?
• Why did Brecht use narration?

VERFREMDUNGSEFFEKT

German translation: effect of making strange

Task 1: In pairs you created a naturalistic scene that Stan would have been proud of. We shared with the group. What were your reactions to the performances?

Task 2: You revisited the scene and selected the climactic moment and rehearsed this so you knew the stage directions well.

Task 3: You recreated that moment keeping the character dialogue, but the characters had to speak every stage direction too. 

Thinking questions...

• How did the activity help you to understand the 'V' effect?
• Why would Brecht use this? Why did he want to distance as audience?
• What were the challenges as an actor?

Thinking questions...

• What do you understand about Epic theatre so far from the session today?
• What is your opinion so far on Brechtian theatre?
• Why does Brecht and political theatre go hand in hand successfully? 

Remember to keep track of your strengths and weaknesses as you go, set yourself targets throughout the project!