So I have just signed up for a free online course - just one the first unit - excellent stuff. So I am examining Exploring play - which I think is vital for Drama.
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Why is that so funny? I found to be a very good resource. It has a good mix of theoretical ideas with discussions on the various types of laughter. There are series of exercises through out the book that can be used to investigate physical comedy. John Wright talks about the distinction in theatrical circles between drama and comedy and how comedy is often not valued as much. It is true through my teacher training - it was more from a Stanislavski point of view. This is a refreshing look at comedy. Also the "games" exercises that John explains are games that can be used in dramatic scenes but allows for a new way of looking at events. John trained with Lecoq and this has influenced his way of working. He gives a strong outline for his version of the States of Tension and I enjoyed the sections looking at Clowning - Parody, Satire, Pastiche, Caricature, Burlesque and Buffoon. I have already used these exercises with my classes to some success. What really surprised me was how well come of the complicity games worked with my Grade 5 and 6s. It is a good book for any IB student who needs some ideas or theoretical underpinning.
I have heard a lot about the Laramie Project. It did live up to what has been said about it. As a play it was a very easy read. It was my first introduction into Verbatim theatre. I like the power of the style and the way that you could put across so many different perspectives. It was also interesting to talk to a friend who is from that region and was at the University at the same time as Matthew Shepard. She had a different perspective to the storytellers. Powerful piece of Theatre which could be used dynamically with an IB Theatre class.
Well .. yes it has been a long time since I posted and I will try to be back on a little more. Just read a great book: The Physical Actor by Annie Loui. It spoke to me through the physical theatre aspect and she introduced me to the concept of Contact Improvisation. It is an areas I am going to investigate a little more. At moment I am teaching 5-8 Drama and 7/8 Dance. I used some of the ideas with some warm ups with my 7/8 Drama class in terms of stretching and using language and movement to vamp up the rehearsals a little more. I did more extensive work with my Dance class - only because I have the flexibility of not running a traditional style dance class. The main chapters are: Warm Up and Alignment; Space; Mime; Partnering; contact Improvisation and Active Imagination- Performance Composition.Arts education provides a platform to develop and apply creativity. The
importance of creativity and creative thinking in education cannot be denied. David Skorton (2009:para 2) states that the arts are “disciplines [which] nurture our creative instincts”. Creativity requires divergent and convergent thinking. (Bronson & Merryman: 2010: Para 2; Sternberg: 2006:87) These are the basic processes of the creation of arts. Through creative activities, students transform ideas and combine them to create new pieces of artistic work. An example from this International School is in Grade Four, where small groups of students take a poem and transform it into a piece of instrumental music that demonstrates mood. Researchers (Craft: 2002 and Elliot: 1971 cited in Craft: 2003:118; Robinson: 2009: 57) view imagination and creativity as separate concepts. Robinson (Ibid) believes imagination is an internal process and that underpins every unique human achievement. It is this internal process which allows us to create. When observing a Kindergarten class in ‘free play’ in kitchen space at school, the children exhibited both imaginative and creative play. This relates to Egan’s theory, that we can only construct worlds we already know. (quoted in Bergmann: 1998: 270) This is also demonstrated in the role playing of children in Drama with Grade Five students who, created an entire ‘news’ show based on their learning about weather and the body system. There was a funny weather segment, an interview, a nutrition specialist, commercial with healthy snacks that the students had created. They role played the different parts. (M. Ostiguy: Interview: 2010) This is part of a paper I have written:
“The arts are not mere diversions from the important business of education; they are essential resources.” (Eisner quoted in PYP: 2007:128). The Arts provide the skill base and are an integral resource, which allows students to developing both imagination and creativity. Arts education provides a platform to develop these skills, which are a key component of 21st century development. (Pink: 2005; Robinson: 2009) Imagination and creativity within the arts are interlinked with the artistic process. This artistic process provides students with an opportunity to explore, transform and utilise higher order thinking skills. This discussion paper will examine the literature and the importance of the arts for young children within the context of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program in an international school. Numerous scholars perceive the arts to be beneficial in developing young children’s’ creativity and imagination. With the revision of Bloom’s taxonomy (Anderson and Krathwohl: 2001), creation now features as the highest order thinking skill. The ability to create a new product or point of view is an inherent aspect of the arts. The theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner & Hatch: 1989) also impacts creativity in the arts in terms of its cultural manifestation. Studies (Burton, Horowitz & Abeles: 1999: 91; Kennedy: 2006: Para 2; Saubern: 2009: 12 & 13; Smith: 2009: Para 2; Smithrim & Upitis: 2005:120) indicate that students immersed in the arts achieved highly in terms of creativity, imagination and originality. |
Catherine Rankin
Drama/Theatre/Dance teacher for 30 years; Currently teaching at International School Manila. Archives
November 2021
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