Drama

“Modern theater doesn’t need to be judged
on how far it satisfies the habits of the public,
but on how much it changes them.“
(Bertolt Brecht, 1898 – 1956)

 

Head of the subject: Ute Timmermann (Tm)

Department of Drama

What can you expect from the subject drama (compulsory elective lessons 9 – 10)?

Theatre is diverse, colourful and experimental. The actor can act with his own body or with figures and objects. He can use text, sounds and music – or react to them. What is shown can be emphasised or contrasted by an analogue stage design or by digital media.

The lessons in the subject drama consist of
experimental phases, in which you can try yourself and possibly look for the solution to a theatrical problem,
theoretical phases, in which you are provided with specialist knowledge,

 

 

training phases, in which you can acquire theatrical skills,
design phases, in which you develop scenes together with others,
presentation phases, in which you show each other (or in front of larger audience) your work results,
• feedback and reflexion phases, in which what has been seen or self-produced is appreciated and reflected upon.

Visiting theatre performances and reflecting on them is also an important part of teaching drama.

The subject drama requires you to be willing to contribute your personality to the lesson:
• try yourself creatively
• develop endurance
• perceive criticism and implement it productively
• perceive your own abilities and use them as a means of expression
• perceive and express your own feelings
• recognise and appreciate the achievements of others

In the subject drama you will come across diverse aspects of interpersonal communication and cultural diversity. Learning in the subject of drama requires a high degree of teamwork, especially in the design phases. You have to
• perceive, accept and integrate the different requirements of the group members,
• deal with the contributions of others,
• agree on a common approach with the others,
• see your own contributions in the overall context,
• take criticism into account and make it usable for the work process,
• make compromises,
• take responsibility for the group.

In the design phase, you can create plans and implement them (possibly in a modified form). You will also learn how to plan and coordinate work processes together.
In addition, advanced drama can also be about creating videos and the special aesthetic means of films.

For the performance evaluation, on the one hand the teaching contributions are used (warm-ups, practical theatre exercises, practical acting exercises/presentations, research, reflection and feedback, written tasks, achievements in the field of technology, achievements in the production of the stage design, …) and on the other hand, performance records are requested (practical acting exercises or class work).

Drama lessons are about the areas of these competence
• creating theatre
• understanding theatre
• reflection upon theatre
• participating in theatre

There are four “fields of action” in the foreground:
Field of action “Body”: Isolation exercises, slow motion and fast motion, freeze, theatrical aesthetic movement techniques, spatial movement, still images, formations, choreographies, status exercises, gestures, facial expressions, synchronicity, the connection between movement and emotion, trust exercises, looks, touch, presence
• Field of action “Space and Props”: Using and designing spaces, stage design, positioning oneself in space, performance options, use of props, polyfunctional props, object theatre, costume design, making masks, use of light, projections


• Field of action “Language and Speaking”: breathing exercises, speaking exercises, articulation, volume, intonation, speaking speed, Gromolo, choral speaking, rhythmisation, everyday language, artificial language, sociolects, dialects
• Field of action “Noises and Music”: sound carpet, body percussion, background noise, pause/silence, working with playback devices, supporting/contrasting/alienating, different epochs/styles/cultures

For example, the following topics can be covered:
• Family
• Friendship
• (first) Love
• Gender roles

 

It is possible to apply with productions for school theater weeks and similar festivals. The length of the production should then be between 10 and 60 minutes.
At theatre festivals there is usually a competition for participation. The festival itself is then no longer a competition, but rather a big theatre festival, where workshops on all aspects of theatre are also offered.

Those involved in the production decide whether there will be an application.

Teachers Second subject
Mrs. Göbel Latin, Greek, LRS (training against dyslexia)
Mr. Janku German, French
Mrs. Timmermann Information Science, Maths, Religious Education (protestant)