YEAR 11-12
VCE Drama
Subject Area
Performing Arts
VCE Units
1-4
About the Course
VCE Drama focuses on the creation and performance of characters and stories that communicate ideas, meaning and messages. Students use creative processes, a range of stimulus material and play-making techniques to develop and present devised work. Students learn about and draw on a range of performance styles relevant to
practices of ritual and story-telling, contemporary drama practice and the work of significant drama practitioners.
Students explore characteristics of selected performance and apply and manipulate conventions, dramatic elements and production areas. They use performance skills and expressive skills to explore and develop role and character. The performances they create will go beyond the reality of life as it is lived and may pass comment on
or respond to aspects of the real world. These performances can occur in any space. Students also analyse the development of their own work and performances by other drama practitioners.
UNIT 1
Introducing performance styles
Area of Study 1: Creating a devised performance
In this area of study students use play-making techniques to devise and develop solo performances and/or ensemble performances based on a range of stimulus material relevant to their personal, cultural and/or community experiences and stories. Students explore a range of performance styles and draw on ideas as they respond to a given structure and stimulus material. They also focus on recording and documenting the play-making techniques used in the development of this performance work.
Area of Study 2: Presenting a devised performance
In this area of study students present to an audience a devised solo and/or ensemble drama works based on a range of stimulus material relevant to the student’s personal, cultural and/or community experiences and stories. The performance should be based on the work devised in Outcome 1. Students use a range of performance styles to present these stories, ideas and characters to an audience. They also begin to explore and develop skills in establishing and maintaining an appropriate actor–audience relationship.
Area of Study 3: Analysing a devised performance
In this area of study students focus on observation and analysis of their own performance work completed in Outcomes 1 and 2. They reflect upon and document work processes using appropriate drama terminology. They demonstrate development of the use of expressive skills, performance skills, stimulus material, dramatic elements, conventions, production areas, performance styles, and approaches to character and roles.
Area of Study 4: Analysing a professional drama performance
In this area of study students observe and analyse a performance by professional drama performers. Drama performances by students enrolled at a school may not be analysed for this outcome. Attending and analysing a performance by professional drama performers provides opportunities for students to make connections with their own work. They build their experience of how dramatic elements, conventions, performance styles, production areas, and expressive and performance skills can be manipulated to communicate meaning in performance. Students learn about ways of establishing, sustaining and manipulating actor–audience relationships and use appropriate drama terminology to explain, analyse and evaluate the performance.
Where students are not able to attend a suitable professional performance they may attend a community performance of appropriate standard.
UNIT 2
Australian Identity
Area of Study 1: Using Australia as inspiration
In this area of study students explore the use of a range of stimulus material to create a performance based on a person, an event, an issue, a place, an artwork, a text and/or an icon from a contemporary or historical Australian context. As they work with stimulus material and a performance structure, students explore and experiment with ways that play-making techniques, expressive skills, performance skills, dramatic elements, conventions, performance styles and production areas may be used to realise the dramatic potential of stimulus material and shape dramatic action. Students also consider how to use techniques intentionally to have an effect on and engage the audience in ways that are appropriate to contemporary drama practice. Students record and document their use of play-making techniques and the creative processes used to shape and to develop this performance work.
Area of Study 2: Presenting a devised performance
In this area of study students present a performance to an audience of a devised work based on a person, an event, an issue, a place, an artwork, a text and/or an icon from an Australian context. The performance should be based on the work developed for Outcome 1, and should take place in a performance space appropriate to the theme or the subject matter of the drama.
Area of Study 3: Analysing a devised performance
In this area of study students observe and analyse their own performance work completed in Outcomes 1 and 2. They reflect on and articulate the ways they used play-making techniques and processes to explore and to extract the dramatic potential of the stimulus material. Students analyse their approaches to shaping and refining their work and creating and manipulating the actor–audience relationship. They continue to develop the use of appropriate drama terminology.
Area of Study 4: Analysing an Australian drama performance
In this area of study students observe and analyse a performance by professional drama performers. Drama performances by students enrolled at school cannot be analysed for this outcome. Students use appropriate drama terminology to explain, analyse and evaluate how the use of dramatic elements, conventions, performance styles, production areas, expressive skills, performance skills, and the actor–audience relationship may be manipulated to communicate meaning in performance.
Where students are not able to attend a suitable professional performance they may attend a community performance of appropriate standard. The description of Australian drama on page 18 should inform the choice of performance selected for analysis.
UNIT 3
Devised ensemble performance
Area of Study 1: Devising and presenting ensemble performance
In this area of study students develop and present a devised ensemble performance. They examine the work of a range of drama practitioners working in selected performance styles to explore how dramatic work is created. Students work with given stimulus material and guidelines that provide a starting point for the structure of a performance. They apply their knowledge of ways other drama practitioners work to devise and shape their work to communicate meaning and to have an impact on their audience in specific and intentional ways. Students use play-making techniques to extract dramatic potential from the stimulus, and devise and develop characters, story and meaning in the ensemble performance.
The performance style of the resulting work may reflect one of the selected performance styles or it may draw on features from a range of styles and be eclectic in nature.
When creating their ensemble performance, students develop a work that incorporates application of symbol and transformation of character, time and place. The performance style of the work will go beyond a representation of real life as it is lived. Students manipulate conventions, dramatic elements and production areas to create and to communicate meaning. They consider application of role and explore how to establish and manipulate an actor–audience relationship that is appropriate to the performance style of the work.
Area of Study 2: Analysing a devised ensemble performance
In this area of study students analyse the ensemble performance devised in Outcome 1. They describe, reflect upon, interpret, analyse and evaluate the construction and performance of this ensemble performance. They analyse the selection, use and manipulation of conventions (including application of symbol and transformation of character, time and place), dramatic elements, expressive skills, performance skills, play-making techniques, production areas and selected performance styles. Students also use appropriate drama terminology to discuss their own performance work and to analyse the dramatic potential of stimulus material and resources for developing characters for an ensemble performance.
Area of Study 3: Analysing and evaluating a professional drama performance
In this area of study students analyse and evaluate a professional drama performance selected from the prescribed VCE Drama Unit 3 Playlist. Students analyse the actors’ use of expressive and performance skills to represent character and to communicate meaning in the performance. They consider how the actor–audience relationship is created and manipulated and analyse and evaluate how the conventions, dramatic elements, production areas and performance styles are used in the performance.
The prescribed VCE Drama Unit 3 Playlist is published annually on the VCAA website.
UNIT 4
Devised solo performance
Area of Study 1: Demonstrating techniques of solo performance
In this area of study students explore, and develop skills in, play-making techniques in the development of a short solo performance. They demonstrate application of symbol and transformation of character, time and place. Teachers provide stimulus material appropriate to the size of the task, such as a person, an event, an issue, a place, an image, one word, a definition, a quotation, lyrics, a sound or an icon.
Students prepare for the task of devising a short solo performance by exploring, experimenting with and trialling processes they will employ in developing their extended solo performance for Outcome 2. They begin by exploring and experimenting with a range of play-making techniques to extract dramatic potential from the stimulus material. They focus themselves for applying symbol and transforming character, time and place. The focus of the performance should be on acting. Students may use production areas such as costume, make-up, objects, props or mask, to assist in application of symbol or transformations. Students develop a short statement that identifies the techniques of this performance. They then present this solo performance in an informal setting such as in a classroom.
The stimulus material the student uses in this area of study must be different from the stimulus material used in completing Outcomes 2 and 3, and should not be selected from the prescribed structures published for the current year in the VCE Drama Solo Performance Examination.
Area of Study 2: Devising a solo performance
In this area of study students create and develop a solo performance in response to a prescribed structure. They draw on an understanding of performance styles from a range of historical, cultural and social contexts. During their solo performance, students use conventions including application of symbol and transformation of character, time and place. They may also use other conventions such as asides, caricature, exaggerated movement, heightened use of language, pathos, placards, satire, song, stillness and silence, as appropriate to the requirements of a prescribed structure. The resulting work will go beyond a representation of real life as it is lived.
The structure must be selected from the VCE Drama Solo Performance Examination published annually by the VCAA.
Area of Study 3: Analysing and evaluating a devised solo performance
In this area of study students use appropriate drama terminology to analyse and evaluate the creative processes used in the creation, development and presentation of a solo performance devised in response to a prescribed structure. To support their analysis and evaluation, students draw on examples of conventions, including application of symbol and transformation of character, time and place, dramatic elements, expressive skills, performance skills, performance styles, play-making techniques, production areas and use of stimulus material.