My groups Greek Myth. Facts about Greek Theatre

Transcription

1 My groups Greek Myth Write down who is in your group Facts about Greek Theatre Greek Theatre was performed for special occasions such as festivals. Athens had four festivals worshipping Diyonisis throughout the year. Diyonisis was the God of fertility and wine, later considered a patron of the arts. He is known for his dual nature bringing joy and excitement but also great rage. The performances were competitive and prizes were awarded to actors and playwrights for the best play and performance, something that still happens now. The stories were based on myths from history and were closely linked with Greek Religion featuring Gods, Goddesses, Heroes, Heroines, and mythological creatures There were three types of Theatre styles, Comedy, Tragedy & Satire plays. However it was the comedy and tragedy performances that were the most popular types of plays in Ancient Greece. 4 All the actors and playwrights were men. Women were not allowed to participate The actors played multiple roles, so a mask was used to show the change in the character or mood Gestures and body movements were controlled and stately 10 3

2 Ingredients for a Greek myth 1. An Interesting setting 2. A Fantastical Beast -When does it take place? -Where does it take place? -Does it provide details that catch your interest and set the mood for your story? 3. A detailed description of the struggle to solve the problem -How does the hero find the beast? -Is there a journey involved? -What does the beast do? -Is there a conflict? -Does the hero have any help in solving the problem? e.g. friends, special powers. - What does it look like? - How does it behave? - Give a detailed description of it 4. A Good ending - How is the problem solved? -Who wins the struggle? -Does the hero receive a reward? Greek Chorus Greek Theatre is famous for it s use of the chorus. The chorus was made up of 3 50 men. The chorus sang, moved and danced in order that they moved the story along As well as singing, moving and dancing they used a technique called UNISON Unison = a group of performers doing the same thing at the same time e.g. talking or moving We use the technique in Greek theatre so that the chorus is able to show the emotion of a play s story through use of gestures and facial expressions Things to remember when using unison physically; slowness large / exaggerated gestures accuracy eye contact Things to remember when using unison vocally; include sound as well as the words in the script accuracy emotion pitch, pace. tone changes in rhythm 4 It wasn t just the chorus that used exaggeration in Greek Theatre. Actors used precise gestures to create clear emotions with gestures and body movements becoming controlled and stately. 9

3 Aim high! You can do it! ASSESSMENT What do my marks mean? Attitude to learning O Outstanding E Excellent G Good S Satisfactory N Needs attention U Unacceptable Enterprise Skills: Teamwork Creativity and Innovation Decision making and Risk Management Problem solving Leadership Credits I have earned for homework in this scheme of work: NAME: FORM: 8 Aims. Greek Theatre To be introduced to chorus work in drama and experiment with unison. To be introduced to the exaggerated acting style of Greek Theatre To explore effective methods of staging Greek drama To use a well known Greek Myth to understand staging a performance To independently write and perform your own Greek Myth To considering chorus, acting style and staging in performance. To evaluate work considering appropriate elements of drama Key Words Chorus Choral speaking Unison Cannon Genre Myth Exaggerated Physicality Amphitheatre Skene Orchestra Parados Comedy Tragedy Why study Greek Theatre? Well maybe it is because it is the foundation of Western Theatre as we know it today. By exploring this unique and powerful culture it allows you to gain an understanding and draw a comparisons and conclusions between our modern day theatre and Greek Theatre. You get to write your own Greek Myth having already practically explored and gained an understanding of the style, structure, techniques and approaches to Greek Theatre. Greek Theatre is also something you maybe required to explore further should you decided to expand your studies at GCSE or A Level too! 12 1

4 Self Evaluation CWL: TL: My teacher s target for me in this scheme of work is My target for this scheme of work is How do you intend to achieve these targets? 2 You now need to evaluate the practical work you have done over the past six weeks. You should answer the following questions considering the elements of drama Action/plot/content Forms Climax/anti-climax Rhythm/pace/tempo Contrasts Characterisation Conventions Symbols Understanding the genre through rehearsal and performance What are the features of Greek Theatre? How did you include these in your performances? Developing a character What role did you have within performance? How did you perform your role? Developing performance skills Did you perform your role well? Did you consider your audience in your performance? Did you sustain your role during the performance? PLTS: Team Work Did you co-operate with your group? Did you solve problems? Did you provide constructive feedback? PLTS: Effective Participants Did you find ways of moving forward? Did you identify improvements? Type or hand write your evaluation and you should aim to write 500 words MAX 11

5 Greek Amphitheatre Theseus and the Minotaur What is the moral of the myth? Your task this week is to summarise the story of Theseus and the Minotaur in your own words. You need to consider what the most important parts of the story are. 1) _ 2) _ 3) _ 4) _ 5) _ Once you have done this you should then use the following performance techniques to enact the Greek Myth. Label the blank spaces on the image above using the correct names that are provided in the list below. You will need to do some research. Skene Orchestra Parados Parados Checklist - you should try to use: A narrator Movement through mirroring one another. Physical theatre to create a monster of the Minotaur in your chorus ensemble. Try to work in Unison. Use exaggerated movement. You should have one movement for each key point and then try to create a monster through the physicality of your bodies. 6 7

6 Homework Research two other Greek Myths ensure you write down the title of the myth and a brief explanation of what happens in it. Myth 1 Myth 2 Assessment task You are going to write your own Greek Myth considering the ingredients and number of performers in your group. Once your Greek Myth has been written you then need to consider how you will perform it. Your piece must include all the Greek Theatre skills learnt this half term. You will be assessed on how successfully you incorporate the skills into performance as well as individual performance skills. You must ensure that you: Have a significant role within the piece. Contribute to the writing of the story and it has been thought through. Use appropriate language for your role. Make sure you are expressive both vocally and physically Perform in unison as a chorus You adopt an exaggerated acting style Consider the performance space remembering specific entrances, exits and other key areas in a Greek Theatre. Choral Task Each person in your group needs to take responsibility for one of the following lines; 8 5 The hero had to prove that he was strong He was set a terrible task He fought the terrible monster The fight was hard and bloody The hero won If there is more than 5 of you then you can add another line that fits this tale and write it down below. Learn your individual line and then add an action / gesture and movement to it so that you are showing the meaning of it. Write this down on the line below your given text. Now the group must share each others work teaching each other what you have done. Record the actions on the lines provided.