Finalising Performances

Year Level

Year 10 Drama

Unit

Dynamic Physical Theatre Exploration
Lesson 18 of 30

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Lesson Duration

60 minutes
Class Size: 20 students

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Australian Curriculum Alignment

Content Descriptions:

• AC9ADR10C02: Rehearse and refine drama making deliberate aesthetic choices to unify dramatic meaning.
• AC9ADR10P01: Perform improvised, devised and/or scripted drama to audiences, using performance skills and conventions to shape the drama.

Relevant Elaborations:

• Evaluate and refine use of elements of drama, conventions and performance skills to improve transitions and flow through rehearsal.
• Collaborate in rehearsals focusing on transitions between scenes to sustain dramatic action.
• Reflect on audience engagement and clarity of dramatic meaning to inform refinements.
• Use feedback and personal reflection for enhancing continuity and coherence of group devised physical theatre performances.

Reference: AC9ADR10C02 and AC9ADR10P01 files

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Collaboratively finalise their devised group performances with an emphasis on smooth transitions and clear flow.
2. Apply feedback to refine their drama to enhance audience engagement and meaning.
3. Demonstrate control of physical theatre techniques to maintain energy and continuity between scenes.
4. Reflect critically on how transitions affect the overall unity and coherence of their performance.

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Resources Required

• Group devised scripts or scene outlines
• Rehearsal space with enough room for movement
• Performance props and costume elements as per group design
• Timer or stopwatch for transition timing
• Reflection journals or digital devices for notes
• Optional: Video recording device for playback feedback

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Focus (10 minutes)

• Briefly revisit the importance of transitions and flow in physical theatre performances.
• Pose reflective questions to the class:
  • How do transitions affect audience understanding and engagement?
  • What challenges might arise in physical transitions between scenes or tableaux?
• Outline today’s goal: to finalise group performances, focusing on transitions and flow, making aesthetic choices that unify the drama (AC9ADR10C02_E3, AC9ADR10C02_E4).

2. Warm-Up and Physical Focus (5 minutes)

• Conduct a short physical warm-up focusing on control, flow of movement and awareness of space.
• Include exercises that use transition-like movements (e.g., fluid gesture sequences, moving silently between frozen images). This prepares students physically and mentally for refining transitions.

3. Group Rehearsal (30 minutes)

• Students work in their groups to rehearse final performances with specific focus on:
  • Timing and smoothness of transitions between scenes or segments.
  • Use of physical theatre elements (movement, gesture, use of space) to maintain flow.
  • Vocal and non-verbal cues to signal transitions clearly.
• Teacher circulates, providing formative feedback focusing on:
  • How well transitions maintain or heighten dramatic tension.
  • Clarity and emotional continuity for the audience’s understanding.
  • Suggestions to improve blocking and flow.
• Groups encouraged to try multiple ways of transitioning to discover which is most effective.
• Optionally video record performances to facilitate self and peer critique.

4. Peer Feedback and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Groups present a run-through of their performances focusing on transitions.
• After each, peer groups provide targeted constructive feedback guided by the teacher’s questions:
  • Were transitions clear and fluid?
  • Did the flow maintain your engagement?
  • What moments felt disjointed or unclear?
• Students note feedback and reflect on their own performance strengths and areas for refinement (AC9ADR10C02_E2, AC9ADR10P01_E4).

5. Lesson Conclusion and Next Steps (5 minutes)

• Summarise key takeaways about the importance of transitions and flow.
• Highlight the role of rehearsal and reflection in dynamic physical theatre creation.
• Assign a brief reflective journal prompt:
  “Describe how improving your group’s transitions changed the meaning or impact of your performance.”
• Preview next lesson focus: final polish and dress rehearsal.

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Assessment

• Formative Assessment: Observation of group rehearsals with oral feedback focused on transitions and flow.
• Peer Assessment: Structured feedback from classmates during sharing.
• Student Reflection: Written or oral reflections on the impact of transitions on performance cohesion.
• Evidence collected will inform ongoing refinement toward the final performance in subsequent lessons.

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Teaching Tips and WOW Strategies

• Encourage physical inventiveness in transitions—experiment with symbolic movements or use of props for flow rather than just walking on/off stage.
• Use "freeze frames" during transitions allowing one group to hold while the other moves, building tension and clarity.
• Introduce simple rhythmic or sound cues to underscore transitions, enhancing physical theatre impact.
• When possible, integrate digital recording tools for immediate playback—helping students see their transitions and flow from an audience perspective.
• Foster a collaborative atmosphere where students see transitions as creative elements essential to storytelling, not just functional shifts.

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This lesson plan integrates deliberate rehearsal of physical theatre technique with critical reflection and refinement aligned with the Australian Curriculum for Year 10 Drama. It supports students to synthesize performance elements into a coherent dramatic whole with a polished flow that engages audiences effectively .