Performative aspects of Drama

Selecting a play
Firstly, We have to select a good play. While selecting play, the following points should
kept in mind.
Length of the play- It is clearly better to start with relatively short, one-act plays or
sketches
Number of character- If we want to involve everyone, then plays with more rather
than fewer characters are to be preferred. However, if it is to be a modest production in
class, with several groups working simultaneously on the same play, it may be better to
choose plays with two or three characters only.
Language difficulty - Plays containing long and involved speeches, complex syntax
and difficult or archaic vocabulary would normally not be suitable.
Paralinguistic features- In most cases, it will be better to choose plays with plenty
of scope for movement and opportunities for using body-language rather than those
where the characters become no more than ‘talking heads’.
Relevance It will be better to choose plays with subject matter the students perceive
as relevant to their own lives.
Interest The play has to be interesting for the students concerned.
Getting into the text
Then we have to give some background information about the play, its author, the
circumstances in which it was written (if these are known), when it was first
performed, whether it is well known or not, etc. Then we can briefly describe the
characters and actions to the children.

Warming up
Before every session of working on the playscript, organise some simple
warm-up activities. These should cover relaxation, breathing, body work,
voice work and group bonding.

Rehearsal
Director will cast the roles to the students. Then they start rehearsal.
Involving Everyone
It is really important that everyone feels they have a stake in the production, that,
without them, the production would be less effective. Usually, after a few rehearsals,
people seem to drift naturally towards certain roles; and some are clearly not attracted
by an acting role at all. The important thing is that everyone has a job. What jobs are
there?
Director If it is a first-time production, this role had better be done by the teacher. If
the group does more than one production, one of the more proficient students may be
entrusted with this role in a later production, under teacher’s guidance.
Stage manager Responsible for all aspects of what takes place on stage: scene
changes, coordinating lighting, ensuring actors get on at the right time, etc.
Lighting and sound These may be minimal. However, even minimal lighting and
sound need someone to operate effectively at the right moment.
Scenery and props Even though there may be minimal scenery and props (things
like telephones, etc. which are needed by the actors), someone has to be responsible
for producing or acquiring them.
Costumes It is best to avoid elaborate costumes, unless you have a big budget. But
someone has to make sure that each actor has what is needed at the time it is needed.
Scenery (set) A student who take care of the theatrical equipment, such as curtains,
flats, backdrops, or platforms, used in a dramatic production to communicate
environment
Makeup You need to decide how elaborate makeup should be. Students usually love
to appear in stage makeup, so even if it may not be essential, it may be worth doing.
There is usually at least one student who just loves to apply the makeup!
The understudies Understudies are actors who have to learn their parts just as
well as the main actors. However, understudies are only called upon to act if one or
more of the leading actors is sick or unable to go on stage.
The prompter This person has to know the play and the particular production inside
out. It is their role to prompt any actor who has obviously forgotten lines or completely
‘dried up’.
Publicity If the play is to be performed for the outside public (or even for the whole
school), someone will need to design posters or fliers, possibly set up a website to
advertise their play, organise tickets, etc.