Grade 9 African Storytelling (2024) PDF

WELCOME TO TERM 2 STORYTELLING AND AFRICAN ORAL TRADITION 1  Contents of this presentation This presentation contains ALL your notes for African Storytelling & Dramatised Prose: There are multiple links that will branch out to additional videos and informatio...

WELCOME TO TERM 2 STORYTELLING AND AFRICAN ORAL TRADITION 1  Contents of this presentation This presentation contains ALL your notes for African Storytelling & Dramatised Prose: There are multiple links that will branch out to additional videos and information related to the topics. In the Drama Dep, we encourage discussion but insistent on mutual respect and kindness in all of our lessons. We love feedback but encourage you to be aware of how it will make others feel. In our department we are BIG on: 1. Empathy - Understanding one another is our most powerful tool 2. Individuality - Why be someone else when you are so beautiful as you are! 3. Respect - WGHS aspiring “actress” home is the Drama Studio, she treats it as she would her own. 4. Commitment - Putting in the work when its hard, not when it’s convenient. 2  TABLE OF CONTENTS çç 01 02 Practical Task African Storytelling 03 04 Dramatised Prose Practical Reflection 3  WHOA! Remember if you need extra help, our door is always open but it’s always best to pop us an email if you are uncertain about homework tasks, assessment guidelines or anything drama related: Ms Raw - [email protected] Mr Tree- [email protected] Miss Constance - [email protected] 4 Practical Task Breakdown How to create your dramatised prose Pssst! The following slides are the same steps on your practical breakdown 5  THEATRE ROLES - DRAMATISED PROSE 1. Director - your job to direct the actors on stage to create the best movement on stage for the character. Once your performers know their lines, it is your job to ensure the blocking flows smoothly. 2. Stage Manager - your job to ensure that the registar is filled in and attended to at every rehearsal. Ensure that you have an online up to date record of attendance so your teacher can review it at any given point. You are responsible for making sure the group sticks to schedule and alert your teacher to any consistent absenteeism in your group. On the day of your performance, you are responsible for: - Assisting for setting up for performance. - Check that the company has their correct kit and has their correct colour. - Confirm with your teacher that they have received your online submission of the collected allocated tasks on Google Classroom. 3. Costumier - your responsibility to ensure that everyone has a black shirt and pants for this assessment. You are also required to ensure that kit is brought to and from rehearsals, everyone has their correct costume for dress rehearsals and everyone has their kit on the day of your performance. Every learner must have a specific colour (a piece of fabric or ribbon) that is easily identifiable, this can be sewn onto your black top and/or pants - view the videos on the WGHS Alumni videos on African Storytelling slideshow to see how previous students have done theirs. 6  THEATRE ROLES - DRAMATISED PROSE 4. Set Manager - your job is to note what set pieces your group will be using. Ensure you are specific about how many levels you are using and/or what blocks you will be using. Be specific about long black box, medium black box, small black box or black staircase. 5. Scriptwriter - your role is vital and demanding. You are responsible for making sure everyone has a copy of your dramatised prose and it is 100% correct to how you have rehearsed it. This task requires you to be organised and have access to a device at home and school. Preparation for choral verse selection: You will also need to bring the original extract (remember to include the full chapter so your teacher has an understanding of the text) AND your edited/cut selection of your text to class. You must have a second option available to present to your teacher on the same day. You must edit your prose so that the event in your chosen piece of text/prose has shape: an EXPOSITION, DEVELOPMENT, CLIMAX and RESOLUTION. The piece should stand on its own and make sense even to an audience member who has not read the book. Remember to select a sci-fiction or fantasy book, particularly where something exciting is happening! Once your teacher has approved your selection: You are responsible for making sure each cast member has a printed copy of the dramatised prose in their workbook. Make sure that everyone has notated who the characters are and which learners are playing which character. Ensure that everyone keeps up to date and notates the speech attributes of your prose. 6. Acting Coach - you are vital in helping actors become their character. You should assist with helping learning lines and encourage actors to create believable characters - assist with creating the character’s gestures, making their voices and physicalization suit the character they are portraying and ensure that they maintain their character throughout the performance. No corpsing! 7  CREATING DRAMATISED PROSE 1 FIND YOUR FOCUS 2 SELECTION 1. Select your group 3. Select your prose and edit your extract - members remember you need a beginning, middle and end. Use the extract examples and guidelines document to assist you in your selection: 2. A. Set your rehearsal schedule - Choose a sci-fiction or fantasy book, particularly where something exciting is happening! Think B. Decide on theatre about books like Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, The Mazerunner, Charlie and the roles Chocolate Factory DUE DATE: DUE DATE: 12 APRIL 2024 12 APRIL 2024 Remember theatre roles and responsibilities vary from each Review the step by step guideline term, please read the above in your printed notes for greater document carefully. detail 8  CREATING DRAMATISED PROSE 3 EDITING 4 REHEARSALS 4. Bring the original extract 6. Your extract MUST have narration, direct speech (remember to include the full (dialogue) and indirect speech. chapter so your teacher has an understanding of the text) and All group members should have equal edited extract to class - the speaking lines. edit must be printed and All group members must play a character pasted in your workbook. and be a narrator. Ensure to use verbal & vocal dynamics, vocal 5. Once your teacher has been attributes, group shapes, physical & vocal approved by your teacher, start characterisation to enhance your selecting who will be playing performance. which character, narrator etc. Use your tone wheel to help you understand FINAL EDITING MUST BE COMPLETED & the mood of your extract. APPROVED BY YOUR TEACHER BY: 24 APRIL 2024 9  CREATING DRAMATISED PROSE TECHNIQUES TO 5 REMEMBER A dramatised prose is a group activity, many additional skills and techniques have to be taken into account. GROUP SHAPES must be interesting and provide visual variety as well as suggesting character, activity, locality and mood - remember to include levels in your performance. You are telling a story! VOCAL QUALITY is important when it comes to performing dramatised prose. REMEMBER to include DARK and LIGHT voices to create different effects. Remember your speech attributes: P³ E T V (PITCH, PACE, PAUSE, EMPHASIS, VOLUME AND TONE) to create characters. 10  REMEMBER YOUR WORDS NEED TO COME TO LIFE✔ Remember your Vocal Attributes from grade 8 when doing Choral verse: P³ E T V P¹ - Pitch P² - Pause P³ - Pace E - Emphasis T - Tone V - Volume Review the previous videos to see how the learners used body percussion and body movement. These must be used to make your performance interesting and engaging. Click here to see the notes from Grade 8 📚 11 What is Dramatised Prose performance?🤨 Let’s break it down: Dramatise - To transform/create something in a format that is suitable to be presented on stage. Prose - is an ordinary non-metrical written text or spoken language. A piece of prose is an extract (usually from a novel) which presents a complete incident. The original text can be cut and edited to focus on the main idea and ensure that there is a good beginning, development, climax and ending. It should contain both narration and direct speech. DEFINITION: Dramatised Prose is a piece of text/prose performed by a group of people using a variety of vocal and physical techniques. Allocation of narration can be based upon the same principles as choral verse: climaxes can be built up by an increasing number of people speaking together; dividing a section of narration between several different speakers will give a fragmented, frenetic effect. Vocal quality and pitch should be taken into account when allocating lines. 12 How is Dramatised Prose different to regular performance?🤨 1. It is more similar to choral verse which requires: climaxes to be built and diving narration to create mood. 2. The text is performed/acted out by the group, including the narration (which we could compare to stage directions), various characters and vocal dynamics. 3. Multiple actors can play the same character to create atmosphere and build emphasis. 4. Each group member must play a character and narrate. 13  What is storytelling? Storytelling is the activity which describes the social and cultural activity of sharing stories. What makes storytelling unique is that every cultural group in the world , performs or shares their stories in different ways. Stories have the ability to stimulate the imagination. 14 In the African continent storytelling is an ancient tradition, long before written language which connects generations, cultures and societies. Storytelling provides great benefits for listeners. Hearing a story can expand creativity and create a sense of community. Class discussion💡 What stories from your childhood have imprinted on you and why? 15  #DYK: that stories were only told in the evening by grandmothers as work needed AFRICAN to be done during the day. The call and response is said to ensure that audience listening and the old wives tale keeps that stories are told in the evening💡 STORYTELLING🌍 African storytelling is part of the continent's rich tradition of oral culture. Storytellers use words, voices, facial expression and body movements to tell their stories. It is usually a participatory experience in which the storyteller and the audience interact with each other. The storyteller guides the audience to repeat important phrases or ideas as the story unfolds using a call and response style for example in zulu storytelling the storyteller would say “kwasuka sukela” and the audience respond by saying “cosi.” 16  Different types of storytellers in Africa🌍 Griot: Of West Africa are oral historians of their cultures. They remember the entire history of families over hundreds of years for eg. who married who, when and where, what children were born in those families. They also narrate the stories, tales of good and bad, riches and poverty, war and leadership. Griots perform at important annual celebrations. Intsomi: The intsomi in the Xhosa cultural group draw from a stock of images and tales, creating their own and embellishing them with detail to bring the narratives to life. Intsomi are stories that formed an important part of the spiritual and social education of children in the past, and the audience - performer relationship is interactive, with the audience responding in key places during the telling of a tale. Elements of the Intsomi are songs, rhymes, sound effects, stock characters for eg “Izim zim” which is a flesh eating monster. Each story has a clear moral or lesson. 17  Different types of storytellers in Africa🌍 Imbongi: These are poets who play a crucial part in the oral culture of the Nguni tradition. Similar to the Griot the imbongi is the keeper of the ancestral clan histories, and their role is to celebrate, praise, criticise, announce the lineage of clans, as well as stories and images associated with kings, families and leaders. Izinganekwane: These are usually funny and entertaining stories told in loosely constructed episodes. The performance is usually animated and relies on the storyteller’s enthusiasm. The characters are usually personified animals eg. the crocodile and the monkey’s heart - think back to your playmaking pracs in Grade 8 year! The relationship between the storyteller and listeners: traditional procedure. Before the story begins, the storyteller will start with “kwasuka sukela” and the listeners respond by saying “Cosi”. 18 “ 19  Class discussion💡 Why do we like the stories we like? Why do we watch television series week after week? What is it about the movies we watch keep us on the edge of our seats? Why can’t we put that book down? #ExtendYourKnowledge📚: Share your favourite book/movie/play/story and what made it memorable? 20  How we categorise stories📖 FABLES: A short, moralistic story (has a moral meaning). Usually has animals as main characters. FAIRY TALES: Highly improbable story with fairies or mythical figures as central characters - written works of fictions. FOLKTALES: A tale or legend originating amongst people and are passed down through oral tradition. 21  How we categorise stories📖 MYTHS: An imagined story. Most often than not, explains how something came to exist, they are usually about supernatural beings/events. LEGENDS: A traditional story with some historical basis. Generally no proof that these stories are 100% accurate but build up strong and powerful images of events and people. 22 Did you know you are a storyteller? Yes, you! #ExtendYourKnowledge📚 Think of how you use social media… You create a narrative by selecting, editing and uploading specifics aspects of your life onto your profiles. You use vocal and physical characterisation in your everyday conversations with friends. Think about how you will talk to your friends about your weekend. From a social media perspective you use GIFS, background music etc to create the atmosphere to tell your story. 23  SO WHAT MAKES A STORY GOOD?💡 ◂ PLOT: What happens in the story and why the events keep us interested. ◂ SUSPENSE: What makes the story exciting and makes us want to know what happens in the end. ◂ MESSAGE: A good story usually has a lesson or moral that teaches us something or makes us think or feel differently about things that happen to us in our daily lives, so that we are magically transformed by it. ◂ CHARACTERS: Are varied and distinct, they drive the action of the story. Characters can be, for example, lovable, admirable,terrifying or intriguing. ◂ THEMES: This is the underlying message in the story that should be memorable or important eg. good vs evil, wealth and poverty, justice and injustice. ◂ DETAIL: The settings, characters and events become engaging when interesting detail is used selectively. 24  󰬱Different character types in a story󰭁 We have to care about the characters in the story. We love certain characters because they remind us of ourselves and of people we have encountered in our lives. ◂ ARCHETYPES: are common or typical characters in stories that have recognizable behaviors within the story. Some examples are: warrior, lover, wise old man, joker, victim, bully, mentor, leader. ◂ HERO: is the main character that has to overcome conflict and trials. This character also goes on either a literal or figurative journey that requires them to use their skills and knowledge to overcome hardship or problems. The hero is known as the protagonist. ◂ ANTIHERO: is somebody who lacks the virtues and traits of a traditional hero, such as courage and confidence. They do the right thing, but for their own self interest. 25  󰬱Different character types in a story🦸🏼♂ ◂ VILLAIN: is someone who goes out of their way to stop the hero from achieving their journey or solving their problem. They create scenarios or plan diabolical (evil) plans that only serve their interests. The villain is known as the antagonist. ◂ SUPERHEROES: are the saviours of the story and another type of protagonist. They usually have something tragic happen in his life to make him want to fight crime or help the innocent. They normally have supernatural abilities that make them a superior match to fighting the villain. 26 Class discussion💡 Name a popular TV series or movie franchise that includes these different character types. Example: The Hunger Games Trilogy and Harry Potter. Hero Villain Love interest Bully Caretaker Mentor Leader Antihero Messenger Victim(s) 27 Class discussion answers💡 Name a popular TV series or movie franchise that includes these different character types. Example: The Hunger Games Trilogy and Harry Potter. Hero Katniss Harry Villain President Snow Voldemort Love interest Peeta/Gale Ginny/Cho Bully Cato Malfoy Caretaker Primrose Mrs Weasley Mentor Haymitch Dumbledore Leader Gale Hermione Antihero Gale/President Snow Severus Snape Messenger Effie Hagrid Victim(s) Rue and tributes of reaping Lily and James Potter and the members of Order of the Phoenix 28  ✔HOMEWORK✔ Select a popular TV series or movie franchise of your choosing that includes these different character types. Copy and complete the table in your notes or workbook. Hero Villain Love interest Bully Caretaker Mentor Leader Antihero Messenger Victim(s) 29 DRAMATISED PROSE 30 What is Dramatised Prose performance?🤨 Let’s break it down: Dramatise - To transform/create something in a format that is suitable to be presented on stage. Prose - is an ordinary non-metrical written text or spoken language. A piece of prose is an extract (usually from a novel) which presents a complete incident. The original text can be cut and edited to focus on the main idea and ensure that there is a good beginning, development, climax and ending. It should contain both narration and direct speech. DEFINITION: Dramatised Prose is a piece of text/prose performed by a group of people using a variety of vocal and physical techniques. 31 How is Dramatised Prose different to regular performance?🤨 1. It is more similar to choral verse which requires: climaxes to be built and diving narration to create mood. 2. The text is performed/acted out by the group, including the narration (which we could compare to stage directions), various characters and vocal dynamics. 3. Multiple actors can play the same character to create atmosphere and build emphasis. 4. Each group member must play a character and narrate. 32  Examples of a Dramatised Prose Performance from WGHS Alumni VIDEO 1: Charlie & The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl VIDEO 2: Mort by Terry Pratchett ✔HOMEWORK✔ Watch both of the videos above and answer the questions on the next slide ➡ 33  ✔HOMEWORK✔ Dramatised Prose Performance from WGHS Alumni 1. Explain one moment/line that learners in video 1 used verbal dynamics. (3) 2. Describe a group shape used in video 2. Explain how the shape was related to the line that was said. (4) *Remember to use drama terminology learned in grade 8. Such as levels, qubuild, active/passive statue, facial expression etc. 3. Using this line in video 1 and explain how verbal attributes (PPPETV) was used to create/convey meaning. (0:43 into the video) (6) Line: A mighty rumbling sound came from inside it, and the whole machine began to shake most frighteningly, and steam began hissing out of it all over 4. How was double focus used in the correct way in video 2? (I.e - how was double focused used to not confuse the audience) (2) Remember, there will be practical reflection questions in your June exam. By completing this homework you are learning how to answer questions like this for your upcoming exam🎭 34  Have a look at the step by step guide to creating a dramatised prose in your printed out book before your assessment✔ Summary of above notes: SELECTION - choose your piece EDITING - edit it so that the story/event has shape TECHNIQUES - narration, characterisation, vocal quality and qualities STAGING - arrange your performance so it is exciting to watch STYLE - ensure the performance reflects the story and writer’s intention CLIMAX - don’t forget the focus points. 35 The Tone Wheel When analysing any piece, you need to understand the tone of the work. Using generic vocabulary to understand your piece will not help you understand how to use your other vocal attributes (PPPETV) to create your characters vocally. Start working from the yellow circle out and work your way outwards - you should be able to describe your performance with the vocabulary in the red circle. 36 1. Term 2 Practical Assessment: Dramatised Prose 2. Dramatised Prose Extracts and Guidelines. #ExtendYourKnowledge 37 “Visual storytelling utilizes both language and art to pass on the essence of who we are.” Debbie Millman That’s it for Term 2!🙌 38