The glossary items below are from both the print and the online-only exemplars. This glossary is not definitive but is intended to be helpful to teachers as they use the drama exemplars with their students.
Action
what each person in role is doing and thinking, alone and with others
Back-to-back
a convention in which two people explore ideas in drama while seated or standing back-to-back
Blanket role
a role that a group of people can all take on at once while retaining their individual personas
Canoning
a movement and vocal convention that involves layering movement and/or voice for visual effect or aural effect. One person begins the movement or sound, which is then completed by others, or the sound or movement may ripple through the group.
Choral movement
a convention in which a group moves together with a sense of purpose to heighten the moment or to create a particular visual or spatial effect
Conscience alley
a convention in which, at a critical moment when a character has to make a decision, the person in role as that character walks between two rows of people who offer advice, either as themselves or in role as other characters
Conventions
ways of working in drama (e.g., hot seating, role on the wall, freeze-frame images) that explore meaning or deepen understanding; or established practices in theatre (e.g., the soliloquy, the aside)
Dramatic space
the physical environment in which drama occurs
Elements of drama
the key ingredients of drama (e.g., role, time, space, action, tension, focus)
Episodes
parts of a dramatic work; or a series of events that may occur sporadically or irregularly
Flashback or flashforward
a convention that involves shifting backwards or forwards in time so that the participants or the audience can experience or investigate action or context from another perspective
Focus
an element of drama in which a particular moment in time or position in space captures the essence of the dramatic action; or a theme, character, or other aspect that gives purpose or impetus to a drama
Found object convention
a convention in which drama is inspired by objects found in the environment
Freeze-frame frozen image
a convention in which the members of a group use their bodies to make an image or tableau capturing an idea, theme, or moment in time; also called a group sculpture, tableau, or freeze-frame image
Gesture
a movement, usually of the arms or hands, that helps to express an idea or feeling
Hot seating
a convention in which members of a group question or interview someone who is in role (e.g., as a character from a play, a person from history) to bring out additional information, ideas, and attitudes about the role
Improvisation
spontaneous invention and development of drama without scripts or preparation
Interview
a drama convention in which participants take part in a fictional interview
Mexican wave
an effect resembling a moving wave created by a group of people, where each person in succession stands up, raises and lowers their arms, and sits down again
Narration
a convention in which a person narrates the action that occurs within a drama
Overheard conversation
a convention in which a conversation that would not normally be overheard by others is disclosed in order to add tension or provide information
Process drama
a form of drama in which the purpose is to participate in learning, inquiry, or discovery rather than to present drama to an audience
Role on the wall
a convention in which an important role is represented in picture form "on the wall" (usually on a large sheet of paper) so that information can be collectively read or added to as a drama progresses
Role-playing
using the imagination to identify with someone else in order to explore and represent experience from their perspective or viewpoint; also called being in role
Slow motion
slowing down and exaggerating movement, expressions, and gestures to heighten tension or isolate an important moment
Speaking thoughts aloud
a convention in which the action is frozen while a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud in order to add tension or provide information, or for some other purpose
Spoken diary
a convention for reflecting on the action in drama; participants overhear what is being written by someone in role (in a diary or letter) that explains their feelings about what has happened
Teacher in role
a convention where the teacher manages a class from within a drama by taking a role in order to deepen and extend the students' enquiry and learning
Technique
a particular method or procedure used to achieve a specific purpose; in drama, the term relates to the use of voice, facial expression, gesture, and movement
Tension
an element of drama in which mental pressure or emotional intensity is used to provoke a response, focus attention, or heighten involvement
This way–that way
a convention used to highlight different interpretations of the same event by enacting versions from different perspectives
References
Ministry of Education (2000). The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Ministry of Education (2001). Drama in the Classroom: A Resource for Teachers of Years 1–10. Wellington: Learning Media.
Useful websites
TKI: Unwrapping the Arts
http://www.tki.org.nz/e/arts/drama/drama_home.php
Drama glossary:
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/artsed/g7arts_ed/g7rgloae.html
Ngata Dictonary (English – Māori / Māori – English)
www.learningmedia.co.nz/ngata/
Print version of drama teachers' notes (PDF, 54kb)
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