Drama Strategy: Creating a Community and Culture
Patrice Baldwin
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Patrice Baldwin establishes a strategy for curating an imaginary community or culture in the drama classroom.
A drama can be set within an entirely imaginary community and culture, or within one based on a community or culture that exists, (or did in the past). When ‘working in role’ together, the students need to have some knowledge and understanding of the community and culture within which the drama will unfold, as this will influence their ‘in role’ responses, reactions and actions within the drama.
Drama can help ‘bring to life,’ the following:
What culture consists of:
Social behaviours, knowledge, beliefs, norms and values, language, arts, laws, customs, habits, rituals and practices.
The transmission of cultural knowledge:
Through parents, peers, socialisation, education and media.
Cultural artefacts and arts:
Paintings on skin, walls, canvas, and so on. Statues, sculptures and carvings. Maps and documents. Rituals, festivals and celebrations. Traditional music and dance. Traditional stories and recountings, (oral and written). Archaeological remains and artefacts.
Community and culture building activities
Map-making: Put a large sheet of paper on the floor. Each student in turn can step forward in role and draw something on the communal map. As they draw, they say what they are drawing and give some additional information in role, for example ‘This is our oldest building. It is where our elders meet.’
Sentence stem: Class circle (standing). In turn each person can step forward and speak a sentence that starts with, ‘We are the sort of people who…’, for example ‘We are the sort of people who fear in-comers.’
Tableau: Each person in turn enters an ‘everyday life’ scene and freezes. As each person enters (in role), they say their name and what they are doing, then freeze, for example, ‘I am Simon. I am a carpenter and I'm making a table’.
Improvisation/freeze-frame: A tableau of ‘everyday life’ can be brought to life for a few minutes and then frozen again.
Teacher as a storyteller: The teacher, talking as a storyteller, can recount what has been revealed about everyday life in this community. The teacher can add information too and might choose to speak as either a detached observer or as a community member, for example ‘These people are hard-working and know each other well,’ or, ‘We are a hard-working people and know each other well.’
Teacher-in-role: The teacher can simply ask the community questions, in a detached, ‘shadowy role’, for example
- How are community decisions made?
- What are your agreed rules?
- Do you have beliefs?
- Do you worship?
- Do you commemorate any past people or events?
- Do you have any significant buildings or sites?
The teacher can choose to ask questions in a specific role, for example as a journalist or anthropologist. The teacher could opt for a provocative role, to stir up community response and action, for example a property developer who wants to buy the oldest building.
Still images: Each group devises a still image of ‘An important moment in the history of our people’. The groups present their images seamlessly, after agreeing the chronological order.
Hot-seating: The people within a still image can be questioned and will answer in role, from within the image.
Small group play-making: Each group is allocated one of the following: education, transport, health, defence, law and order, recreation and leisure. The groups each devise and perform a short scene showing this aspect of their lives.
Improvisation (in pairs): A grandparent talks with their grandchild about their own childhood in this community. These conversations can then be overheard through eavesdropping.
Eavesdropping: Freeze simultaneous conversations. As the teacher approaches anyone, they thaw and carry on talking in role. When the teacher moves away, they freeze again. The teacher might pass by more than once.
Map-making: During the drama, more will become known about the setting and the community (past and present). The students can return to the map and add further information.
Talking objects: Class circle (standing). This community has treasured objects of cultural significance. In turn, anyone can enter the space, position themselves as a significant object, say what they are and explain why they matter to these people, for example, ‘I am a sacred book. I contain the rules that these people are supposed to live by.’
Mantle of the expert: Many years later, groups of museum curators are competing for a commission. There is going to be an exhibition about this past community and culture. Each group will plan and present their exhibition ideas and then answer questions. Alternatively, all ideas could be listened to and then one exhibition could be collaboratively designed that incorporates ideas from all groups.
Still image: Each group forms a statue (or painting), commemorating something significant. They should give their statue or painting a caption, plaque or title, and voice it, as they present the image. This reflective activity is a good way of ending a drama.