Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

Saturday, September 1, 2018

<img src='/media/205010/dt-2018-79-a3_uf01.jpg' alt=""/><br/> <label> </label><br/> <sec sec-type="intro"> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p> <i>Doctor Faustus</i> by Christopher Marlowe is one of the nine set texts for the new Pearson A level specification. These set texts form the basis of Section C of Component 3: Theatre Makers in Practice. Section C: Interpreting a Performance Text requires students to write about a set text in relation to a practitioner and the play's original performance conditions. The most effective way for students to understand how they would approach their chosen set text is to have practically explored the text in depth.</p> <p>This scheme of work offers a range of ideas for closely exploring the text in relation to different practitioners to enable students to write in the specific, drama-focussed way that is required in the exam.</p> <section> <h2>The Component 3 exam: Theatre Makers in Practice</h2> <p>The written examination is 2 hours and 30 minutes and is out of 80 marks.</p> <p>The exam is divided into three sections: <list list-type="simple"><li>▸ <strong>Section A:</strong> Live theatre evaluation. Students must answer one extended response question on the performance they have seen.</li><li>▸ <strong>Section B:</strong> Page to stage. Realisation of a complete performance text. Students must answer two questions related to an unseen extract from the performance text they have studied.</li><li>▸ <strong>Section C:</strong> Interpreting one complete performance text, in light of one practitioner for a contemporary audience. Students answer one question (from a choice of two) based on an unseen named section (normally between 90 and 110 lines long). Students must take clean copies of texts into the exam.</li></list></p> <p> <i>Doctor Faustus</i> is a set text for Section C. In this section of the exam students are required to: <list list-type="simple"><li>▸ Practically explore a complete performance text in the light of a chosen practitioner in order to outline and justify their ideas for a production concept. They will need to develop an integral understanding of the text as a whole in order to interpret it for a contemporary audience.</li><li>▸ Students will assume the role of a director and will need to outline and justify how different theatre makers and theatrical elements work alongside the methodologies of a recognised theatre practitioner. The practitioner chosen for this component must be different from the one studied in Component 1.</li><li>▸ Students must also research the original performance conditions and gain knowledge and understanding of the social, historical and cultural factors that are central to the context of the original text.</li><li>▸ Students must have an appreciation of the original aims and intentions of the playwright.</li></list></p> <p>When considering how their chosen performance text might be interpreted and staged in the light of a practitioner students should consider: <list list-type="simple"><li>▸ Their intended audience and an appropriate theatrical venue/space, staging and visual impact</li><li>▸ How the use of design elements such as set, lighting, sound, costume, multimedia, masks, props and puppets might help to communicate ideas to an audience</li><li>▸ The acting style of key roles including the use of characterisation, vocal expression and movement</li><li>▸ The original performance conditions and the historical, social and cultural context of the text.</li></list></p> <p>(Taken from the Pearson specification.)</p> </section> <section> <h2>Practitioners</h2> <p>The practitioner chosen from the list below should be different to the one studied in Component 1.</p> <list list-type="simple"> <li> ▸ Antonin Artaud </li> <li> ▸ Kneehigh </li> <li> ▸ Brecht </li> <li> ▸ Joan Littlewood </li> <li> ▸ Steven Berkoff </li> <li> ▸ Punchdrunk </li> <li> ▸ Complicite </li> <li> ▸ Stanislavski. </li> </list> </section> </section>