To ALL of our National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Candidates

We wish you all the best of luck for tomorrow but having marked and discussed revision with some of you, here are some last nuggets of exam wisdom!! Please take them and all of the other advice we have all given you over the last year on board and get plenty of sleep tonight!

Read all questions thoroughly before choosing which to answer (or in National 5 case, before choosing how to answer them).

USE ALL OF YOUR TIME (if you finish the paper, then read over, add to and edit!!)

National 5

Fully justify (give reasons relating to the question) all answers you give (in both sections!)

If you need to write down a quick scenario or mind map ideas for Section 2, do!!

Higher

Section A When answering a question about a character’s importance or development, unless specifically stated otherwise (ie “in the final scene) then you need evidence and contextual knowledge of that character from throughout the play!

Section A As a director or actor you must use a variety of terminology to describe you preparation or your performance and fully justify this in the context of the play.

Section A Refer to the question!!

Section B Take your own ruler with you!

Section B Demonstrate your contextual knowledge by identifying where the DC extract occurs in the play and where it is set.

Section B Use contextual knowledge of the whole play to influence your moves and justifications.

Section B Give and opening and closing LX cue.

Section B Make sure that you use stage directions (USC, CS, DSL, etc.), and a variety of movement, voice and positioning terminology.

Section C Don’t analyse development of the personality of characters, or the plot developments of the plays unless it is relevant to the question.

Section C Read through your quotes and points and make sure you are prepared for answering questions about all themes and issues for S,P, R and Gender Issues.

Section C Have examples prepared for relationships across genders, across generations, within genders, and within generations.

Advanced Higher (applies to both sections)

Have a list of at least 10 influences for your practitioners and at least 10 corresponding techniques which you can explain and contextualise.

Discuss the question fully in your introduction, establishing that you understand what is being asked of you and introducing the format in which you will answer the question/what you believe to be the key points which will answer the question.

Write a quick plan of a fluid and cohesive structure – either chronological or logically through linked techniques.

When giving examples of where techniques have been used or quotes from relevant plays or theoretical writing, contextualise these (describe the specific moment and its’ significance, or the context the practitioner was writing about). Don’t just quote, then move on. It must be contextualised for the examiner to know that you understand why you are using the quote, and why it is important!

Chekhov was a playwright – never a director!!

Have three or four contemporary performances and examples from practitioners own productions which you can reference. That way you are prepared for most eventualities!

ALL

AGAIN – get plenty of sleep, and have a good breakfast.

DON’T drink lots right before the exam/DO make a well-timed toilet visit 10 minutes before the exam starts.

Take some water with you.

All the best from Mrs MacPherson, Miss Macnab and Mrs Moss

May the force be with you, young padawans.

Article on Stanislavski – The Guardian

Here is an article from the Guardian about Stanislavski and Brecht. It is from a couple of years ago but it directly compares a Stanislavskian performance and a Brechtian performance looking in particular at acting styles. It is an interesting article to help you formulate points for a section B essay on the role of the actor or acting techniques for each practitioner.

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/apr/17/modern-drama-konstantin-stanislavsky

Happy reading,

Miss Macnab

Victoria Resources updated!

Calling all Higher Drama pupils!

I have updated the Higher Resources page to include the Victoria quote sheets you created in the CST section. I also added any of the additional Victoria notes just in case anyone missed the hand outs.

I am still missing some students sections, please email your notes as soon as possible to allow time to revise for the exam. smcnab@pkc.gov.uk

Happy revising and pop in if you need any help!

Miss Mac

Exemplar Essay conclusion

 

Hi Highers,

This would be a conclusion for the essay we discussed in class today for prescribed text ‘What would be a major turning point in the play’. Remember you cannot introduce any new information in the conclusion, so as long as you have discussed these points in the essay they can go in the conclusion. You are reasoning, explaining why you have decided that this is the major turning point.

 Good luck on Monday, I will be thinking of you all!

Mrs Mac 🙂

In summation I feel that when Elizabeth lies to save John in court, it is a major turning point in the play. Had Elizabeth told the truth, Abigail’s reign of terror would have been over and her deception revealed, however, by testifying falsely, Elizabeth strengthened Abigail’s position and gave Danforth the proof that he needed to validate his own decisions thus far. Arthur Miller uses the characters of Elizabeth and Abigail to create this moment of utter suspense to create perhaps the strongest moment of dramatic tension in the play.

Advanced Higher Quotes

Ladies and Gents,
Here is a quick and simple resource for keeping your quotes organised and recorded. You certainly don’t have to use this if you already have a better system, but we are not going to hand out/upload anymore sheets of quotes for you to use. You should now be in the habit of reading around the two practitioners: their plays, their diaries, essays – anything you can find or borrow (and let’s face it, the Drama Dept have collected near enough the whole back catalogue now!) Remember not to rely solely on internet sources – the internet is a public entity and can be edited or contributed to by anyone, anywhere. You must always double check sources and make sure that anything on the internet is also available in published print. People have failed in the past because they relied entirely on internet sources. If anyone has any practice essays for us, remember we are happy to take these and mark them – use the email address khs.ah.drama.hw@gmail.com. Also if you want to come in at the normal class times during study leave, we will be happy to see you – just make sure that you sign in at the office.
All the best,
Drama Dept 🙂
ah quotes checklist

ATTENTION all AH and HIGHER students!!!!

Next Thursday, Miss Macnab and Mrs Moss will be taking the 6 Advanced Higher Drama students down to Glasgow (leaving at 6pm from the school) to see Strindberg’s “Miss Julie” – one of our set texts at Advanced Higher level – at the Citizen’s Theatre. It’s a great opportunity to see this rarely performed play and if you are in the AH class, you MUST get your money and letters of permission in to Mrs Moss ASAP!!!! (this will guarantee your place on the trip).
HIGHERS: We already have one spare ticket for anyone who is interested in taking the AH course next year, but at the end of the school day on Monday we will also offer up any of the other tickets which have not been claimed. We will be offering these to staff also so if you are interested you must come and see the Drama Department on Monday 3rd February!!

Looking forward to seeing all of you after your exams!

Brecht Videos for the AH to watch!

Hi AH,

Go to the link below and watch each of the videos to explore Brecht and his design process further. If you watch the ‘Five truths’ then go to youtube and search ‘the five truths’ Stanislavski to see the contrast in their directing styles. Excellent way of directly seeing what they each aimed to achieve with theatre using the same scene.

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/backstage/brecht

Any redrafts get them in as soon as possible in preparation for the prelims.

Happy watching!

Miss Macnab