Grade 6 SEMESTER 2 EXAM STUDY GUIDE CRITERION A Terms and Definitions Translation of drama from Ancient Greek Definitions of terms: drama, theatre, genre, verbal dramatic expression and non-verbal dramatic expression Two main dramatic categories (genres): Three definitions of Mime: as a dramatic technique, as an artist and as a dramatic presentation Mime Rules Rules of forming flat object in Mime Rules of forming Round object in Mime Mime basic techniques learned (be able to name at least 6) Famous Mime artists and their characters Mime artists Charlie Chaplin Marcel Marceau Rowan Atkinson Their characters Little Tramp Bip, the Clown Mr. Bean Memorize names with correct spelling of all three artists and their characters Choose 1 of the artists to memorize main facts from his biography 1. Artist s name 2. Dates of life 3. Achievements as an artist 4. His character s name 5. His character s appearance 6. His character s walk and talk 7. His signature style (what is special about the performance style of this artist) Directing and producing Students Adaptation of Matilda Genre of the play (justify the answer with supporting evidences of the genre) Brief summary of the play (characters and their objectives (goals), conflicts, main events) Production team members and their responsibilities (main cast performers, supporting characters, technical team) Technical elements used in the production (type of sound and light equipment, special effects) with examples of where they were used and for which purpose Design elements that were used on stage (stage set design and decorations, give examples of what stage set objects were used and how the set design was transformed from one scene to another) Main characters in the musical production and their traits
Plot diagram of the play (conflicts and main events: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution) Create a Character Profile for one of the main characters, including the following information: Character s name and age Physical description Occupation Family background Describe his/her personality / traits List characters main activities (appearances in the play and actions) Describe his/her motives/goals AND fears Relationships with other characters (enemies and friends) What makes this character different from others? Character s catch phrase (the line that he/she says in the play which characterizes his/her personality)
CRITERION D Responding Questions 1) Think of which dramatic expression, verbal or non-verbal you prefer in acting and why. 2) How can the Mime actor communicate a message to an audience about his/her character's culture and personality without speaking (link to well recognizable daily activities, as well as to social, cultural and religious attributes and traditions) 3) Matilda stage musical production STORYBOARD with TWISTED ENDING (start the storyboard as original stage production and change it with creative twisted ending)
Grade 6 SEMESTER 2 EXAM REVISION Terms and Definitions From Ancient Greek drama is translated as: "deed; to do ( action, to act ) Drama is a whole process of creating and performing a play by actors in front of audience in present time. Theatre is a building or outdoor area in which plays are performed by actors in front of audience Genre is a category (type) of a play with a specific style, form, or content The main dramatic categories (genres): Tragedy (sad play with unhappy ending) Comedy (funny play with happy ending) Mime is a dramatic technique of performing a character or telling a story without words by using body movements and facial expressions Mime is an artist or performer specializing in such a technique Mime is a dramatic presentation (play) using such a technique In drama the verbal dramatic expression is the acting method of communicating the message to an audience while using language (spoken or written) The non-verbal dramatic expression is the acting method of communicating the message to an audience without speaking, but using body language and facial expression Think of which dramatic expression, verbal or non-verbal you prefer in acting and why. Mime actor can communicate a message to an audience about his/her character's culture and personality without speaking by acting out well known (recognizable) cultural attributes (portraying the walk, the way he/she is greeting, eating, wearing clothing, portraying his/her daily activities, highlighting social and religious attributes and traditions)
Forming flat object in Mime: Round Approach Flat (fix) Use Release Mime Rules Forming Round object in Mime: Flat Approach Round (fix) Use Release Mime basic techniques learned: Mime Wall Leaning on the Wall Trapped in a Box Opening Door Getting Out of a Box Pick an Apple Toss a Ball (horizontally side to side) Throw a Ball (vertically up and down) Blow a Balloon Pick a Flower Pick a group of Flowers Catch a Butterfly Forming a Rope Discovering Treasure Digging Fishing Famous Mime artists and their characters Mime artists Their characters Charlie Chaplin Little Tramp Marcel Marceau Bip, the Clown Rowan Atkinson Mr. Bean
Famous Mime Artists Choose one to memorize main bio facts: 1. Artist s name 2. Dates of life 3. Achievements as an artist 4. His character s name 5. His character s appearance 6. His character s walk and talk 7. His signature style (what is special about the performance style of this artist) Charlie Chaplin British comedy actor & Filmmaker, dates of life: 16 April, 1889 25 December, 1977 Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, (16 April 1889 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona Little Tramp and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both adulation and controversy. Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. As his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental shelter. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19, he was signed to the prestigious Fred Karno company, which took him to America. Chaplin was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon developed the Tramp persona and formed a large fan base. Chaplin directed his own films from an early stage and continued to sharpen his craft as he moved to the Essanay, Mutual, and First National corporations. By 1918, he was one of the best-known figures in the world. His famous "Little Tramp" character is the man with the toothbrush mustache, bowler hat, bamboo cane, and a funny walk. In 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which gave him complete control over his films. His first feature-lenght was The Kid (1921), followed by A Woman of Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), and The Circus (1928). He refused to move to sound films in the 1930s, instead producing City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) without dialogue. Chaplin became increasingly political, and his next film, The Great Dictator (1940), satirized Adolf Hitler.
The 1940s were a decade marked with controversy for Chaplin, and his popularity declined rapidly. He was accused of communist sympathies, while his involvement in a paternity suit and marriages to much younger women caused scandal. An FBI investigation was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the United States and settle in Switzerland. He abandoned the Tramp in his later films, which include Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York (1957), and A Countless from Hong Kong (1967). Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture. His films are characterized by slapstick style combined with pathos, typified in the Tramp's struggles against adversity. Many contain social and political themes, as well as autobiographical elements. In 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work, Chaplin received an Honorary Academy Award for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century". He continues to be held in high regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator often ranked on industry lists of the greatest films of all time.
Marcel Marceau French mime artist, born Marcel Mangel. dates of life: 22 March, 1923 22 September, 2007 He referred to mime as the "art of silence", and he performed professionally worldwide for over 60 years. As a youth, he lived in hiding and worked with the French Resistance during most of World War II, giving his first major performance to 3000 troops after the liberation of Paris in August 1944. Following the war, he studied dramatic art and mime in Paris. In 1959 he established his own pantomime school in Paris, and subsequently set up the Marceau Foundation to promote the art in the U.S. Among his various awards and honors he was made "Grand Officier de la Légion d'honneur" (1998) and was awarded the National Order of Merit (1998) in France. He won the Emmy Award for his work on television, was elected member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, and was declared a "National treasure" in Japan. His performances, known as "mimodramas", included "Pierrot de Montmartre", "The 3 Wigs", "Paris Cries Paris Laughs", and "Don Juan". He was an influence on countless young performers, among them Michael Jackson, who based his famous "Moonwalk" dance on Marceau's sketch "Walking Against the Wind". His Character Bip, the Clown has white face with clownish eyes, the striped pullover, baggy pants, flower-trimmed top hat Mr. Marceau's signature style grew out of the tradition of the 19th-century Harlequin and Pierrot. That tradition, in turn, had its roots in Italian commedia dell'arte, with its stock characters and broad physical comedy. Some of Mr. Marceau's work, particularly the longer pieces he performed with his company, also showed the influence of such diverse theatrical traditions as the masks of ancient Greece and the stylized movements of Japanese Noh performers. But his cinematically concise gestures, Mr. Marceau said, were inspired in part by his childhood idols, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is an English comedian, actor and screenwriter, born on January 6, 1955. He is famous around the world for his character Mr. Bean. Atkinson, the youngest of four brothers, was born in Consett, County Durham, England. His parents were Eric Atkinson, a farmer and company director, and Ella May. Atkinson was brought up Anglican, and was educated at Durham Choristers School, a preparatory school, St. Bees School, and Newcastle University, where he received a degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1975, he continued for the degree of MSc in Electrical Engineering at The Queen s College, Oxford. In terms of performing style he is best known for his use of physical comedy in his Mr. Bean persona; Atkinson's other characters rely more heavily on language. One of his better-known comic techniques is over-articulation of the "B" sound. Atkinson suffers from a stammer and the overarticulation is a technique to overcome problematic consonants. He is best known for his work on the sitcoms Blackadder and Mr. Bean. Atkinson first came to prominence in the BBC's sketch comedy show Not the Nine O Clock News (1979 82), receiving the 1981 BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance, and via his participation in The Secret Policeman s Ball from 1979. His other work includes the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, playing a bumbling vicar in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), voicing the red-billed hornbill Zazu in The Lion King (1994), and featuring in the BBC sitcom The Thin Blue Line (1995 1996). His work in theatre includes the 2009 West End revival of the musical Oliver!. He was listed in the top 50 funniest people ever by a group of comedians. Atkinson shot to fame in Britain in the late 1970s. Throughout the 1980s he starred in one of Britain s most successful comedies, Black Adder. Mr. Bean brought him worldwide fame and acclaim. Atkinson was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest actors in British comedy, and among the top 50 comedians ever, in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians. In addition to his 1981 BAFTA, he received an Olivier Award for his 1981 West End theatre performance in Rowan Atkinson in Revue. He has also had cinematic success with his performances in the Mr. Bean movie adaptations Bean and Mr. Bean s Holiday, and also in Johnny English (2003), and the sequels Johnny English Reborn (2011) and Jonny English 3 (2018). He also appears as the titular character in Maigret (2016).