Drama and Performance Studies 2 (DRAT2707)
Students are exposed to dramaturgical and theatrical text analysis, the Cinema of Attraction, Theatre for Young Audiences and Puppet Theatre, as well as Southern African theatre theory. The module builds on the theories of the performing arts that were introduced during the first-year module (DRAT1605). This module also focuses on the theory of acting as developed by Stanislavski.
Unit 1: Theatre for Young Audiences and Puppet Theatre Theory
This unit provides an overview of the principles and theories of puppetry and theatre for young audiences.
Unit 2: Physical Theatre Theory
This unit will focus on the body as a tool of communication, along with basic studies on movement as derived from the theories of Rudolf Laban. This unit requires students to be disciplined performers and actors who respect their craft. The unit's focus is on exploring components of movement and the body, form/content, the body’s "voice" and composition, and mask work.
Unit 3: Performance Theory
This unit provides an overview of the theoretical concepts of Konstantin Stanislavski and the Realist approach to acting. Through practical training (in THEP2606) these theoretical concepts will be further developed and exercised. Students will also be introduced to basic theory related to the art of Theatre Making, which will be applied and assessed as part of the accompanying practical module, THEP2606.
Unit 4: Early Cinema Theory
This unit examines the theoretical development that came to prominence after the Birth of Cinema in 1895 and the years 1895-1927 where film theoreticians (historical and contemporary) theorized on the first moving pictures. Theories such as Tom Gunning’s Cinema of Attractions, the Russian formalist Sergei Eisenstein’s Montage of Attraction, Richard Dyer’s Theory of Stardom and the Structuralist film theory: The Kuleshov effect, will be explored.
Unit 5: Analysis Theory
In this unit, the student will continue with dramaturgical text analysis theory, introduced during the first year (in DRAT1605). The student will also engage with critical text analysis, performance analysis, and film analysis.
In Critical Text Analysis the student studies selected plays by European and Southern African playwrights, such as: Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen, Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Athol Fugard, Zakes Mda, Deon Opperman, Pieter Fourie, Reza de Wet, Bartho Smit, Adam Small and others. The selected texts will be analysed, by focusing on the themes, characters, and/or concepts, as well as their influences on the development and progression of theatre in the selected playwright’s eras.
Performance Analysis will introduce the basic concepts and tools required for analysing live performances and expand knowledge and insight into theatre semiotics, phenomenology, and the nature of the live, ephemeral theatre medium as introduced in the first year.
In Film Analysis the student is introduced to the formal features of film (narrative, cinematography, sound and music, mise-en-scene and editing). In narrative film analysis, students explore classical linear narrative structures, non-linear narrative structures and interactive narrative structures. In a cinematographic analysis, lighting, camera angles, shot size and height, depth of field, camera rigging, camera movement and camera lenses are discussed. In soundtrack analysis, students evaluate the sound and music-related elements of film. Mise-en-scene analysis concerns décor, properties, makeup, costume, the actor’s body and acting. Finally, students are introduced to editing and different approaches to montage.