# Dramatic Arts Grade 12 Eastern Cape Mock 2017 Memo (English) > Grade 12 Dramatic Arts memorandum from the Eastern Cape Mock Exam 2017 (English), 40 pages. Read online or download the free PDF. - Page: https://www.hlayiso.com/library/gr12-drma-sept2017-memo-eng/e442844c-f3c4-4e97-939a-4af6602dfe83 - Updated: 2026-09-27 - Subject: Dramatic Arts - Grade: Grade 12 - Document type: Memorandum - Year: 2017 - Exam period: Eastern Cape Mock Exam - Curriculum: CAPS - Pages: 40 Breadcrumbs: [Home](https://www.hlayiso.com/) › [Library](https://www.hlayiso.com/library) › [Grade 12](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12) › [Dramatic Arts](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/grade-12/dramatic-arts) › [Dramatic Arts Grade 12 Eastern Cape Mock 2017 Memo (English)](https://www.hlayiso.com/library/gr12-drma-sept2017-memo-eng/e442844c-f3c4-4e97-939a-4af6602dfe83) ## About this document Dramatic Arts · Grade 12 · Eastern Cape Mock Exam · 2017. Memorandum, 40 pages. Read online or download the PDF. Read it free online on the page above; download the PDF from there. ## Document text Text extracted from the PDF. Layout, diagrams and tables may not survive extraction. ### Page 1 Downloaded from hlayiso.com NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE GRADE 12 SEPTEMBER 2017 DRAMATIC ARTS MARKING GUIDELINE MARKS: 150 This marking guideline consists of 40 pages. ### Page 2 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 2 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) GENERAL COMMENT FOR EXAMINERS/EDUCATORS: 1. Candidate must refer to the Dramatic Arts theory and contextualising within the play studied. Full marks cannot be awarded unless the candidate shows an understanding of the theories of the subject. The answers must be discipline specific. Use What, Why and How with pointed references to examples in the text. 2. Tick clearly to indicate the learning which is being assessed. Markers should engage actively with the answers. 3. Chief markers should facilitate the rubric with markers. The level descriptors of Dramatic Arts must be used to guide the marking. 4. Have regular rounds of consultation to ensure marking is standardised. 5. In the case where a candidate writes more than the suggested number of words – do not penalise (essay question). 6. The answers in the marking guideline are a suggestion and do not offer all the answers for a question. Markers should take this into account and be open to candidate’s responses and make sure that different teaching styles do not disadvantage the learner. 7. Spend the first day to unpack the quality and quantity of the evidence in the marking guideline and standardise and find common definitions and concepts. 8. Markers to align Broad Topics and Topics with the questions. 9. The suggested answers are often beyond what most candidates at Grade 12 level can manage and should be regarded as a learning tool for markers. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 3 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 3 SECTION A: 20TH CENTURY THEATRE MOVEMENTS (-ISMS) This question is COMPULSORY. QUESTION 1: 20TH CENTURY THEATRE MOVEMENTS (-ISM) The candidate must answer this question in the form of an essay and use the play text he/she has studied as an example. Theatre of the Absurd, Epic Theatre OR Postmodern Theatre. Candidate should choose any THREE of the sub topics suggested in the question. The essays should be marked using the rubric grid and the notes provided below. Take into consideration the candidates’ approach to the topic. Motivated, original answers that show insight should be given credit. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 4 4 Downloaded from hlayiso.com DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) CATEGORY MARKS DESCRIPTOR Outstanding  Thinking process: Adapts factual, conceptual, procedural and meta-cognitive knowledge in the question, source and integrates the demands of the question. Quotes in a differentiated, interpretative, creative and original manner. Metacognitive 27-30 90-100  Evaluates examples in the play text, the theatre movement and other additional sources within an expansive range of insightfully chosen Knowledge A+ theoretical, practical and aesthetic content. Create  Designs and creates an argument in a new and unique pattern that proposes reflexive creative, critical and analytical thinking.  Cognitive level: Demonstrates an ability to create, reorganize, synthesize, discover, renew, change, elaborate, and improve. Excellent  Thinking process: Appraises factual, conceptual, procedural and meta-cognitive knowledge in the question, source and content and integrates the demands of the question. Quotes in a differentiated, interpretative and interesting manner. Metacognitive  24-26 80-89 Appraises/Assesses examples in the play text, the theatre movement and other additional sources within a significant range of appropriately Knowledge A chosen theoretical, practical and aesthetic content. Evaluate  Compiles an argument in an interesting pattern that proposes reflective critical and analytical thinking.  Cognitive level: Demonstrates ability to judge, critique, recommend, report, evaluate, predict, invent, and propose.  Thinking process: Analyses, distinguishes and explores factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge in the question, source and the content and Meritorious integrates the demands of the question. Quotes in a differentiated and interpretative manner. Procedural  21-23 Knowledge 70-79 Analyses/Dissects examples in the play text, the theatre movement and other additional sources within a broad range of appropriately chosen B theoretical, practical and aesthetic content. Analyse  Compiles an argument that proposes critical and analytical thinking.  Cognitive level: Demonstrates and ability to analyse, infer, deconstruct concepts, interrelate, attribute, discover.  Thinking process: Analyses and distinguishes factual, conceptual and procedural knowledge in the question, source and content and integrates the Substantial demands of the question. Quotes in an organised, differentiated and interpretative manner. Procedural  18-20 Knowledge 60-69 Integrates examples from the play text, the theatre movement and other additional sources within a wide range of appropriately chosen theoretical, C practical and aesthetic content. Apply  Provides an argument that proposes critical and analytical thinking.  Cognitive level: Demonstrates an ability to apply, construct, integrate, simulate.  Thinking process: Explains, interprets and rephrases factual and conceptual knowledge in the question and source and content and integrates the Adequate demands of the question. Quotes in a differentiated manner. Conceptual 15-17 50-59  Interprets examples in the play text, the theatre movement and other additional sources within a general range of theoretical, practical and Knowledge D aesthetic content. Predictable. Understand  Provides an argument that proposes analytical thinking.  Cognitive level: Demonstrates an ability to interpret, infer, exemplify, classify, summarise, compare and explain. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 5 (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) Downloaded from hlayiso.com DRAMATIC ARTS 5 CATEGORY MARKS DESCRIPTOR  Thinking process: Explains and interprets factual and conceptual knowledge in the question, source and content and integrates the demands of the Moderate question and quotes in a differentiated manner. Conceptual  12-14 Knowledge 40-49 Explains examples in the play text, the theatre movement and other additional sources within a predictable range of theoretical, practical and E aesthetic content. Understand  Writes an explanation within a range of predictable/general thinking processes.  Demonstrates the ability to interpret, infer, exemplify, classify, summarise, compare, and explain. Elementary  Thinking process: Defines and applies knowledge from memory and integrates the demands for the question. Quotes in an Factual 10-11 uncomplicated/straightforward and fundamental manner. Knowledge 30-39 F  Selects examples in the play text, the theatre movement and other additional sources within a narrow range of theoretical and aesthetic content. Remember  Writes an explanation within a range of predictable thinking processes.  Cognitive level: Demonstrates an elementary ability to problem solve, identify, list relate, and define. Not Achieved  Thinking process: Remembers and applies disjointed/irrelevant knowledge. Demonstrates limited to basic ability to solve the demands of the Factual 1-10 question. Knowledge 20-29 G  Chooses examples from the play text, the theatre movement and other sources. Remember  Writes an explanation within a basic range of thinking processes that is decontextualized.  Cognitive level: Demonstrates a limited ability to identify, list, relate, define, interpret, and differentiate. Not Achieved  Demonstrates no understanding of the question or source, unable to write an essay, provides no examples from the play text or the theatre Factual movement. OR  0 Knowledge Presents a few facts, unrelated to the question. OR H Remember  Unable to identify, list, relate, define. OR  Presents memorized information and content that does not answer the question Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 6 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 6 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) The following are notes based on the conventions of the 20th century theatre movements. Candidate has to show this knowledge in their response regarding the instructions of the question. This knowledge must also be demonstrated in relation to the text of study as prescribed by the Department of Education. EPIC THEATRE Along with Constantin Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht was one of the two most influential figures of 20th century theatre and the most significant practitioner since World War II. Brecht’s theories for the stage, including his well-known epic theatre form and distancing techniques, made him a force to be reckoned with. Although it is well documented Brecht had a team of workers around him to ease the load, his creative output was nothing short of prolific. He was a theorist, poet, playwright of over fifty plays, an essayist, and above all a practitioner who painstakingly applied his theories to the works of one of the great theatre companies of the world, the Berliner Ensemble. Unlike Grotowski, Brecht preferred to demonstrate his concepts for epic theatre in performances instead of acting exercises. Unlike Artaud, Brecht’s ideas were concrete and translatable for actors for generations to come. A staunch Marxist, Brecht’s plays often had a political and social message for those viewing them. Accordingly, his works included songs that drummed home the message of the play, storytellers and narrators, projection, placards, and actors directly addressing the audience. THEORY  Brecht loathed the theatre of realism  He likened the realistic theatre to the effects of a drug, in that a realistic performance pacified its audience  Brecht’s plays were didactic and aimed to teach or instruct their audience  Brecht used the term ‘Lehrstück’, meaning ‘learning-play’. Social activist theatre wanting the spectators to make change in their own world outside the theatre walls  In 1926 Brecht embraced Marxism and his theatre techniques after this point served his Marxist beliefs  Brecht’s umbrella title for a range of non-realistic techniques is ‘verfremdungseffekt’  Verfremdungseffekt, or V-effekt (German)/A-effect (English), short for ‘alienation- effect’ misleadingly translated over the decades as ‘distancing effect’ recent and more accepted translation is ‘to make the familiar, strange’ or ‘estrangement’  ‘Epic’ borrowed from the great poems of literature (The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Mahabharata, Ramayana)  Brecht was influenced by (German) expressionism and had an interest in the cabaret scene in Berlin Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 7 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 7 FORM  Brecht’s form of theatre was known as ‘epic theatre’, most likely coined by collaborator, Erwin Piscator.  Some scholars argue the term ‘epic theatre’ was already in use in European experimental theatre  Epic plays employed a large narrative (as opposed to a smaller plot), spanning many locations and time frame  Brecht called scenes ‘episodes’, with each scene being relatively self-contained in the story  Epic plays used non-linear, fractured plots, where the events of an episode were not necessarily a result of the preceding episode  This juxtaposition of scenes employing multiple locations and time frames created a montage effect  He used his acting troupe at the Berliner Ensemble to perfect his theories on acting and the theatre  Focus was always on the society being presented in the play, not individual characters  Events in plays were sometimes told from the viewpoint of a single storyteller (alienation device)  Brecht wrote his plays with no act or scene divisions; these were added later  Long scenes told the main events of the story and were interspersed with occasional short(er) scenes  Short(er) scenes normally involved parables, used to emotionally detach the audience marginally  Parable scenes often involved the use of song, an alienation device employed by Brecht to help deliver the (Marxist) message of the play  ‘Historification’/’Historicisation’ was a Brecht term defining the technique of setting the action of a play in the past to draw parallels with contemporary events  ‘Historification’/’Historicisation’ enabled spectators to view the events of the play with emotional detachment and garner a thinking response  Brecht crushed Aristotle’s model of the three unites of time, place and action (one location, single day) MOVEMENT AND GESTURES  Mix of realistic and non-realistic movement  Movement was at times graceful, but at other times forceful  Brecht used the Latin word ‘gestus’ to describe both individual gestures and whole body postures  Character gestus denoted one’s social attitude and human relationships with others (linked to Marxist principles)  Some Oriental gesture used (Brecht’s influence of a Balinese dance showing)  Groups of characters often positioned on the stage for functional and not aesthetic reasons  Characters grouped according to their social relationships in the play (Marxist) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 8 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 8 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) SPACE AND ACTOR AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP  Brecht’s plays were performed in traditional proscenium arch theatre houses  However, the stage curtain was often dispensed with or a half curtain used instead of a full one  Brecht preferred to call the audience ‘spectators’  Direct address by actors/characters to audience was a strong and unconventional technique used by performers  Direct address broke the (invisible) ‘fourth wall’ and crushed traditional realistic/naturalistic conventions  The narrator was a common figure in Brechtian dramas (Brecht was probably the father of the modern narrator) STAGECRAFT  Costume was not individually identifiable e.g. the farmer’s costume represented ‘a (typical) farmer’  Costume was sometimes incomplete and fragmentary e.g. tie and briefcase for the businessman  Costume often denoted the character’s role or function in society (plus wealth/class)  Sets were sometimes non-existent or fragmentary (either partial sets or one object representing many of the same)  At other times sets were industrial e.g. ramps, treadmills (influence of Meyerhold’s constructivist set design)  Some makeup and mask use, but non-realistic and ‘theatrical’ e.g. grotesque and/or caricatured  Makeup and costume used to depict a character’s social role in the play, not that of his/her everyday appearance  Signs/placards used to show audience a range of information  Screen projection used to reinforce play’s theme/s (to garner an intellectual response, not emotional)  Open white light only (as colour would generate an emotional response from the audience)  If the house lights were left on during a performance, open white light also allowed for the spectators and performers to share a single same-lit space  Lighting instruments in full view of audience (no attempt to hide them, but rather remind the audience they were watching a play)  Music and song used to express the play’s themes independent of the main spoken text in the play (in parable scenes)  Music was used to neutralise emotion, rather than intensify it (opposite to a modern-day musical) ACTING AND CHARACTERISATION  Actor was never to fully become the character, as in the realistic/naturalistic theatre  Actor was asked to demonstrate the character at arm’s length with a sense of detachment  Often characters tended to be somewhat oversimplified and stereotyped yet other characters were sometimes complex historical, real-life characters in some Brecht plays some (but not all) character names were generic e.g. the worker, the peasant, the teacher  Mix of presentational and representational acting modes Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 9 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 9 ABSURD THEATRE The theatre of the absurd was a short-lived yet significant theatrical movement, centred in Paris in the 1950s. Unusual in this instance was the absence of a single practitioner spearheading the form. Largely based on the philosophy of existentialism, absurdism was implemented by a small number of European playwrights. Common elements included illogical plots inhabited by characters who appeared out of harmony with their own existence. The typical playgoer had never seen anything like this on the stage before. The theatre of the absurd will be remembered in history for many things, the most significant of these being Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece Waiting for Godot, one of the great plays of the 20th century. Absurdism is commonly studied in senior high school and university drama and theatre courses. Below are the main conventions of the theatre of the absurd. BACKGROUND  NOT a conscious movement  EXPONENTS of the form were a disconnected group of playwrights  THE term theatre of the absurd was first coined by scholar Martin Esslin in his 1961 text The Theatre of the Absurd  TRUE absurdist playwrights are few in number: Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco and Jean Genet (with some scholars including Arthur Adamov)  OTHER playwrights whose selected works have been labelled absurdist by others include Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, Tom Stoppard, Fernando Arrabal, and Peter Weiss (though most deny the label of absurdist playwright)  THE beginnings of absurdism lie in avant-garde experiments of the 1920s and 30s, while some argue absurdist elements exist in plays such as Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi (1896) and even in ancient Greek dramas THEORY  THEATRE of the absurd is otherwise referred to as absurdism  ABSURD originally means ‘out of harmony’ (in a musical context) – its meaning in the theatre of the absurd is different to the everyday meaning of the word as ‘ridiculous’  ABSURD in the context of absurdism can mean: o Without purpose o Illogical o Out of harmony o Useless o Devoid of reason o Meaningless o Hopeless o Chaotic o Lacking order o Uncertain  LYING in the background to absurdism is the notion of existentialism  EXISTENTIALIST philosophers who influenced absurdist playwrights were Frenchmen Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) and Albert Camus (1913–1960) – both also playwrights themselves Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 10 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 10 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017)  Existentialism refers to a particular view of the nature of man’s existence. The existentialist believes that man starts life with nothing. His life is made up of acts; through the process of acting man becomes conscious of his original nothingness. By choosing to act, man passes into the arena of human responsibility which makes him the creator of his own existence. However, the existence inevitably ends with death. Man returns to his original state of nothingness. This existential notion eliminates the Western concept of man’s exalted nature. Life becomes meaningless and useless – a condition which is in essence ‘absurd’. Man’s only freedom in this condition is the exercise of his conscious mind. However, consciousness means conflict – between man’s awareness of the absurdity of his existence and his need for justification of his human action. (J.L. Crawford: Acting In Person and in Style)  THE atrocities of World War II are considered influential events to the movement, highlighting the precariousness of human existence  Sartre denied the existence of a God, seeing humans with no choice but to create their own standards and moral code in life (instead of accepting standards offered by the Church, the State, or society)  Camus’ book-length essay The Myth of Sisyphus sees Sisyphus endlessly pushing a boulder to the top of a mountain, only to see it roll to the bottom again – this futile labour is an analogy for man’s meaningless existence, a quality seen in many characters and plots of absurdist plays  For Camus, the legendary figure of Sisyphus was the prototype of an ‘absurd’ hero, condemned by the gods forever to roll a rock to the top of a mountain, only to have it roll back down again by its own weight. He represented the epitome of futile labour and pointless existence. Although Camus denied any connection with Sartre’s existentialism, the book (Sartre’s The Myth of Sisyphus) became a manifesto for the new existentialist drama, and later for the theatre of the absurd. In it, Camus asserted that it was legitimate and necessary to wonder whether life had any meaning. He described how man felt himself to be a stranger in an alien world, and believed that this divorce between man and life was properly ‘le sentiment de l’absurdite’, the feeling of absurdity PLOT AND STRUCTURE  Anti-realistic, going against many of the accepted norms of conventional theatre  Labelled by some critics as ‘anti-theatre’  Often characterised by a deliberate absence of the cause and effect relationship between scenes  Non-linear plot developments, sometimes cyclical – ending where they began  Occasionally appearing as though there is no plot at all to speak of deliberate lack of conflict Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 11 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 11 ACTING AND CHARACTERISATION  Both presentational and representational modes of acting  Sometimes stereotypical  Often an absence of character development  Absurd characters lack the motivation found in characters of realistic dramas, highlighting their purposelessness  Time, place and identity are frequently blurred with characters often unsure about who or where they are  Characters are often out of harmony or out of sync with the world in which they live MOVEMENT  Mixture of realistic and non-realistic  Elements of circus, vaudeville and acrobatics  Ritualistic  Slow  Illogical  Repetitive  Action sometimes defies logic or easy understanding  The absurdists, while for the most part accepting Sartre’s philosophical outlook, tended to concentrate upon the irrationality of human experience without suggesting any path beyond. By employing a succession of episodes unified merely by theme or mood instead of a cause-to-effect arrangement, they arrived at a structure paralleling the chaos which was their usual dramatic subject. The sense of absurdity was heightened by the juxtaposition of incongruous events producing seriocomic and ironic effects  One extreme to the other without notice  Often sombre and serious, then highly comical DIALOGUE  Language was devalued as a communication tool (unreliable and distrusted)  Often illogical  Sometimes telegraphic and clipped  Long pauses  Clichéd  Repetitive  Rhythmical  Frequent use of silence  Monotone  Slow dialogue sometimes accompanied by a frenzied, fast-paced monologue (extremes) STAGECRAFT Often simple and minimalist use of stagecraft Barren set pieces barely denoting a location (e.g. a tree and a country road in Waiting for Godot) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 12 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 12 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) POSTMODERN THEATRE Postmodern Western theatre responds to the multi-cultural, ironic, cynical, and chaotic social, political, philosophical and artistic developments of the last quarter of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century. It does not view the world as an absurd, meaningless place of existence teetering on the edge of absolute destruction, but rather as a place where meaning and truth are relative and subject to different understandings and interpretations. In this world, the apocalypse has already occurred. Postmodern theatre suggests that existence can only be properly conceptualised by living and thinking outside the standard dynamics of human relations and perceptions of space and time. The playwrights and directors Tom Stoppard, David Mamet, Sam Shepard and Eric Bogosian are considered the most popular and prominent practitioners of Postmodern Western theatre. Tom Stoppard’s meta-fictional plays often offer pastiches of different literary and historical sources in order to provide a new perspective on seemingly disparate ideas and historical events. David Mamet’s plays tend to focus on the ways in which people relate to, assault, and manipulate one another through language and the complicated dynamics that exist between different genders, ideologies, sexual orientations, ethnicities, and social classes. Meanwhile, Sam Shepard’s plays tend to examine clashes between different generations and social classes and the subtleties of communication and meaning that exists within the American language. Eric Bogosian’s decidedly self-conscious plays consider influence of mass media on postmodern American life and the social effects of resisting conformity to social norms and standards of behaviour. Contemporary drama critics debate when the Postmodern age of Western theatre can be said to have begun. Some critics argue that Postmodern theatre began with Samuel Beckett, while others argue that Beckett’s plays represent the ultimate conclusion of the Modern theatrical movement. While these debates continue, it is generally accepted that the Western world remains in the midst of the age of Postmodern theatre. Postmodern Western theatre serves, mainly, to attack and deconstructs (takes apart) a number of the central ideas often presented in Modernist theatrical productions while highlighting the Postmodern notion of ‘truth’ as ultimately unverifiable. It suggests that it is up to the audience to decide what is and is not ‘true’ in terms of the drama being presented on the stage. It is generally accepted that the Western world remains in the midst of the age of Postmodern theatre. • It is hard to fix it in time or space, because it is not clear exactly when Modernism ends or Postmodernism begins. • The movement of Postmodernism began with architecture, as a reactionary movement against the seeming dullness and hostility present in the Modern movement. Postmodern Western theatre responds to the multi-cultural, ironic, cynical, and chaotic social, political, philosophical and artistic developments of the last quarter of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century. It does not view the world as an absurd, meaningless place of existence on the edge of destruction, but rather Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 13 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 13 as a place where meaning and truth are relative and subject to different understandings and interpretations. CHARACTERISTICS  The accepted norms of seeing and representing the world are challenged and disregarded  A pastiche of different texts and media forms is used, including the simultaneous use of multiple art or media forms  The narrative needs not be complete but can be broken. Uses non-linear storytelling conventions. A postmodern play proceeds in almost any order the playwright wishes to construct, and such time warping no longer seems surprising  Characters are fragmented  Each new performance of a theatrical piece is a new Gestalt, a unique spectacle  The audience is central to the shared meaning making of the performance process and its members are included in the dialogue of the play.  The production exists only in the viewer’s mind as what the viewer interprets – nothing more and nothing less. Acknowledgement of a play’s fictionality  The rehearsal process in a theatrical production is driven more by shared meaning-making and improvisation, rather than the scripted text  The play steps back from reality to create its own self-conscious atmosphere. This is sometimes referred to as meta-theatre  Radical experimentations in language and thought  The abandonment of any attempt to replicate reality  The deliberate combination of wild humour with terrible tragedy  A postmodern play proceeds in almost any order the playwright wishes to construct, and such time warping  An audience can expect cross-association and is able to keep several ideas and chronologies in mind at the same time, blending them into a satisfying dramatic experience STYLISTIC ELEMENTS Objective is to bring attention to the medium and message. Not random and arbitrary but sophisticated rationale/thinking for choices.  Design – no prescribed rules on how it should look e.g. sergeant could use cup that look like a gun from which he drinks.  Setting – use architecture of existing spaces and buildings as context for performance  Costume – does not have to reflect an era that is presented- it could be defied, an interpretation (sergeant doesn’t have to wear stereotypical costume but a medal could signify his status, wearing underpants could show his vulnerability  Lighting – multi-media  Use of language – several genres from tragic to comic, from Elisabethan to rap in the same performance. Inter-textual, may have beginning, middle and end but not necessarily in that order  Characterisation – it could be deliberate cross-gender casting Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 14 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 14 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) STAGING Actors played scenery and props, and played themselves using story and character merely as vehicles for direct interactions with audiences.  De-familiarising the familiar: Rejected conventional notions of where theatre should be presented. It could be in restaurants, in a restroom, in an abandoned railway station, etc.  Set: It is no longer in a building  site-created e.g. at a cemetery and create play using gravestone, epitaphs, existing landscape, etc. to create performance  site-specific – rehearse performance and perform in venue different to rehearsal space  Performance, instead of conventional presenting of lines, could be done as rap  Character, time, space does not have to be from same era. Can be pastiche (collage) of different streams TOTAL SECTION A: 30 Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 15 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 15 SECTION B: SOUTH AFRICAN THEATRE (1960–1994) QUESTION 2: WOZA ALBERT! BY BARNEY SIMONS, PERCY MTWA AND MBONGENI NGEMA 2.1 2.1.1 Candidate may discuss any TWO styles evident in the play Woza Albert! As discussed in class. The following are the possible styles evident in the play: Jerzy Grotowski’s Poor Theatre: Martin Esslin’s Theatre the Absurd: Or Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre: Award ONE mark for the style and ONE mark for the correct name of the practitioner. (4) 2.1.2 The following are suggestions regarding how the styles mentioned in QUESTION 2.1.1 have been applied in the play Woza Albert! Poor In the play Woza Albert! Poor Theatre techniques are applied in the total Theatre: presentation of the production. The actors act as the centre of all action. They used very little props for multifunctional purposes. The clothing rail is used to hang costumes through which the actors ‘transformed’ into many different characters. Some objects are used symbolically, such as the pink nose. The actors used their own voices to transform from character to character. The actors uses their bodies to create images such as the totem in the beginning of the play. Actors uses their bodies as musical instruments as seen in the scene with the jazz band and the guitarist, etc. Theatre The style of Theatre of the Absurd is evident mostly in subject matter and the of the themes of the play. The waiting for Morena and the false hope implied by Absurd: this. The characters actions are repetitive and there’s a sense of continuous search for purpose in the process of waiting. The lack of trust in the Calvinist theories and the implication that it does not serve everybody as suggested in the theology itself. The hopelessness for change through which many of the characters are constantly wasting time while looking forward to it. Epic Epic theatre is mostly evident in the way the play is structures, according to Theatre scenes with different challenges and the oblivious use of the names Mbongeni and Percy instead of the actual characters. This alienation in the text is seen through the fact that the actors do not adopt the character names instead their use their own names. Because Woza Albert! has an agenda driving the thought of the play; the propaganda or agitprop in this regard, satisfies Brecht’s efforts to make theatre a medium for discussion and audience mobilisation instead of the fantasy of illusion, etc. Candidate may not be able to generate the same kind of thinking in their response as the above, however, mark holistically and assess on the basis of fact and consideration there-above. Award five marks per style, well explained and examples thereof. (10) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 16 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 16 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) 2.1.3 The socio-political context of the play has to do with the life of the society during a certain era as well as their political situation. The following is an example in relation to Woza Albert! Consider this as the basis of candidates’ response.  Woza Albert! is regarded as South Africa’s finest example of social theatre, and the collaboration between Ngema and Mtwa, two black playwrights, and Simon, a white producer, was a significant relationship that crossed the colour barrier. Theatre served as a vehicle for educating white audiences about the horrors of apartheid and became a vehicle for black self-expression during this period when other, more direct forms of social criticism were banned.  The play also provides different interpretations of the functions of policemen serving the white South African government.  Mandela’s release from prison  The struggle to find jobs in the city  Homelessness  Labour related issues or unfair treatment of employees by the employers  Overpopulation and desperation in the cities for the sake of a better life  The question of unfair political stance as stipulated in the law of governance  The play generally addresses oppression, labour, survival, separation of families between South African homelands and the cities, poverty and homelessness, police brutality, and political imprisonment  The need for South African black leaders in Apartheid South Africa Candidate may mention the above with examples from the play to support their statements. ONE mark for the socio-political issue mentioned and ONE mark for giving an example. (6) 2.2 Consider the following in candidates’ response: Protest can be defined as a moment where a person or a group of people show disapproval for an unacceptable practice. The simplest form of informal Protest Theatre can be one person lodging a complaint to another, where the other person has the ability to intervene. It has most of the times been referred to as Agit-prop, stands for Agitation and Propaganda. There are many instances in the play, especially, in the thematic structure of the play where protest is being demonstrated. The characters are trapped in the unfortunate situation in effect to the political situation of the time. Absence of proper education, seen in the character of the barber, unbearable working conditions at Coronation Brickyard, the space restrictions, small businesses, uprising against the Calvinistic thinking, police brutality, etc. These stand at the core of the big complaint that is launched by this production done in a performance jam packed with protest energy. The audiences are metaphorically summoned to rise against these problems and solve them Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 17 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 17 head on through the symbolism of Albert Luthuli. They are figuratively reminded of the revolutionary ethics of the Lilian Ngoyis and Albert Luthulii so that they can be inspired to find strength in themselves to move forward and be mobilised to take action against the backdrop of Apartheid South Africa. Consider candidates’ knowledge of the theatre term ‘protest’ and award marks for identifying at least FOUR events in the play that are an example of this kind of theatre. (8) 2.3 2.3.1 Multi-functional props are props that can be used for many reasons than one in a performance. The uses may vary from using the same prop for literal use and even for symbolic purposes. Many presentations use props for many functions than the actual role for which the prop may be literally used. They use props to transform roles, environment, time, mood and for the imagery of a performance in total. In Woza Albert! the tea chests are used in many ways. The following are some ways the tea chests has been used for many functions: As the seats on a train As the stalls in the street-vendor scene As a chair for the barber As a dustbin in the Aunt Dudu scene As symbols of history of oppression by referring to colonialism (export of tea by British), etc. Consider candidates response along these lines. (2) 2.3.2 In Woza Albert! the performance technique applied in the performance of the text is Poor Theatre as explained in the account of how the collaborators came up with the play. The performance style focuses on the technique of multi-functional props as stipulated in the conventions thereof. The black boxes are used to portray the train, the jazz band stand, the pink nose, the clothing rail to put up all the costumes for multi-roles. Award marks for the understanding of multi-functionality as portrayed in the play. (6) 2.3.3 Candidate either agrees or disagrees with the question. Award TWO marks per reason provided by candidate. (4) [40] OR Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 18 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 18 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) QUESTION 3: SOPHIATOWN BY JUNCTION AVENUE THEATRE COMPANY 3.1 The following are the common differences between Township Musical and Community Theatre: Township Musical Community Theatre Usually involves some trained Usually done by amateurs and maybe one cast and crew. Ginson Kente or two people who have learnt about used to train his actors to be drama. able to perform the style. Theatre mostly showcases the Works with the community to create a urban lifestyle of the township platform for development communities The themes of a township The themes are usually concerned with musical include historical, social, community issues such as drug abuse, political and cultural aspects of crime, HIV/Aids, poverty and they mostly township life do not entertain political issues Consider candidates’ understanding of the difference between the two, any TWO relevant distinctions between the two must be awarded TWO marks per difference discussed. (4) 3.2 Sophiatown is a Township musical. For instance:  In a township musical there is usually a reflection of urban township lifestyle that include vibrant scenes and an illicit drinking spots (shebeens) like Mamaritil’s Diamond Shebeen where the rest of the production is set.  There are usually pennywhistle players, a capellla singing and traditional mbaqanga music, as well as a mixture of jazz and the blues styles. In Sophiatown the characters usually engage in song and dance in a jazz style and their form of entertainment is to go and listen to the blues of Mariam Makeba and Dolly Rathebe and the jazz of Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) and bro Hugh Masikela, etc.  The themes of a township musical include historical, social, political and cultural aspects of township life. In Sophiatown we see this in the themes of political nature of the time, the forced removals, the way the people used to live, free-hold suburban lifestyle under the roof of Mamariti, the gangs and the chinaman, the gong and the culture of music, bioscope, literature and dance.  The costumes are mostly reflective of the American styles like in Sophiatown, the labels that Mingus and Charlie always wear and designer suits, hats and shoes that they always brag about. Award ONE mark to candidate for explaining the township musical element and TWO marks for giving relevant examples from the play. Candidate must at least discuss THREE conventions of township musical and give an example for each to achieve full marks. (9) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 19 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 19 3.3 3.3.1 Forced Removals (2) 3.3.2 Candidate will be awarded for correct details of ONE of the following: A ‘Blackspot’ was an area of land in which blacks lived in freehold in what the National Government regarded as white South Africa. The Blackspots were bought legally by blacks, either as individuals or as groups, before apartheid legislation made it illegal to do so, and many had been bought as far back as before the Union Government of South Africa in 1910. Examples of Blackspots were Charlestown, Besterspruit and Kumalosville. In 1953 the black people of Charlestown were told that they would have to move to Buffalo Flats, 40 miles away, and 18 miles from Newcastle, the nearest town. In 1963 people were forcibly moved from Charlestown to another area, 6 miles from Newcastle, called ‘Duck Ponds’. Their Charlestown houses were demolished, and their goods were loaded onto lorries and moved to small prefabricated huts. They were not allowed to take their livestock with them. The Liberal Party of South Africa (LPSA) was involved in the fight against these policies, particularly Peter Brown, whose involvement led to the founding of the Association for Rural Advancement (AFRA). And the people of District Six were moved to Khayelitsha and Gugulethu Award a mark per event mentioned. (2) 3.4 Internal conflict usually sees a troubled character, mostly the protagonist suffering from inner turmoil. For instance: Jakes feels like he has been too much involved in writing about boxing for Drum magazine and for that reason he feels like his creativity is fading out into this repetitive style of journalism. He feels like he has not been challenged a lot recently and thus wants to write about something different. We see his character dealing with this issue from the beginning of the play and this brings the inciting incidence of the play into action. He decides to advertise on Drum magazine for a white lady to come and dwell in Softown which becomes the point from which the plot of Sophiatown is triggered into a different direction. Consider this from candidates’ response even though it won’t be verbatim to the guidelines above. (5) 3.5 Candidate must demonstrate their understanding of theatre conventions as far as Poor Theatre is concerned in their response. Candidate may agree or disagree for which and support their answer by applying the conventions of drama and giving examples from the play. (10) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 20 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 20 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) 3.6 Award marks if candidate mentions the fact that Lulu is still a student presented in uniform in the production. She is resistant against the education system, Bantu Education, thus speaks on behalf of all the students in high school at that time. She feels like the education system is not practical enough to help her construct her life accordingly. This was a big issue in apartheid South Africa and the climax of it all was the June 16 uprising in Sharpeville. Award marks to candidate when they demonstrate the understanding of history especially with regards to Bantu Education and how it was received by the black youth of the time. (4) 3.7 This is an open question and candidate has to be assessed on the understanding of the value of drama to a community and is able to substantiate their answer. Award marks for TWO well explained reasons. (4) [40] OR QUESTION 4: SIENER IN DIE SUBURBS BY PG DU PLESSIS 4.1 First, candidate has to demonstrate understanding and knowledge of the concept: exposition For instance: Exposition is a literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters, etc. to the audience. Exposition can be presented through a variety of other modes of drama like monologues, dialogues, prologues, a protagonists thought or narrator’s explanation of past events. In drama this can also be presented through the stage directions and didascalia. In this case of Siener in die Suburb assess if candidate knows and can describe the setting of the play, the characters and the total environment of the play and award marks in this regard; ONE mark for knowledge of concept TWO marks for each example given in relevance to the play. (5) 4.2 The following is a commonly held idea of what Archtype characters mean: A common character found in a play and considered to be universal across most cultures. Examples of which can be found in the world around us every day, in our speech, our beliefs, media, sports, psychology, art and even our dreams. Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 21 Downloaded from hlayiso.com (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) DRAMATIC ARTS 21 For example: The hero: the character of Tjokkie The mentor: Ma can be seen as the mentor even though she’s presented as the powerless in the play The ordinary guy: Fe The innocent: Tiemie, Tjokkie The villain: Jakes and Giel Award marks for knowledge of concept and TWO marks for valid examples taken from the play. (5) 4.3 Consider the following information: Traverse is a form of catwalk – though in its purest form it does not have the stage and back wall area that a fashion catwalk has – the purest form of traverse is illustrated below where you have the audience on two sides of the stage. Audience Audience STAGE Siener in die Subrub is set up in a yard with a garage and a hint of the house. The setting presents a realistic view of the environment of the play. The set gives an impression of a peep into the lives of the characters as far as the story is concerned. There’s a fourth wall made invisible and the audience are taken on a journey to follow the everyday lives of these characters. This type of presentation is usually suited for a performance on a proscenium arch stage. The proscenium arch stage is convenient because it is organised such that the audience is on the one side of the stage. Award marks to candidate for their understanding and knowledge of the stage types and explaining how the play fits to be performed or not performed on it. (5) 4.4 Conflict generally occurs when a character cannot achieve an objective due to an obstacle. This obstacle may be internal or external – between characters or between characters and their environment. Conflict can be shown in a variety of ways, for example through physical, verbal or psychological means. Conflict can be embedded in the structure of the drama. (8) Copyright reserved Please turn over ### Page 22 Downloaded from hlayiso.com 22 DRAMATIC ARTS (EC/SEPTEMBER 2017) 4.5 The following are the basic functions of costume in drama:  Defining Character – differences between characters must be clearly visible to audience, even when other characters are confused. What does an audience need to know?  Setting a character in time and space  Establish approximate age and gender of character  Establish rank or social status  Establish personality  Reflect changes – richer, poorer, older, injured, fatter, etc.  Supporting Theme, Concept, and Mood  Style – the manner or mode in which the costumes are created to best interpret the mood and concept Consider the above in relation to Timmie’s character. Candidate needs to understand the functions of costume in drama and have a clear knowledge of the character of Timmie and use that knowledge to interpret the costume suitable for her personality, status, aspirations in concern to the play. Mark holistically. (5) Copyright reserved Please turn over Text truncated here. 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