Red Riding Hood

We started the lesson with drama activity.

Drama Convention: Freeze Frame

Instructions ... ...

1)Everyone is to stand at one side on the classroom.

2)Base on a story being told to you, create one big freeze frame.

3)But only one person can go in the freeze frame at any one time to build a picture.

(Which means you go and decide where in this landscape you want to be what. The next person keep watching and goes in to contribute till everyone is in that big freeze frame.)

4)There must be no communication throughout the activity.

5)When you get into the frame, just freeze.

6)Make sure that even your facial expression is telling of a character's thoughts.

7)As the facilitator walks in the space, actors being identified will have to come to life for about 15 seconds before returning to their original positions. 

REFLECTION

I enjoy this activity because it does not limit my imagination, I could be anything I want to be. For example, I want to be  rock which is an inanimate object. But I must have overall understand that the main purpose is to create a picture of the story Red Riding Hood. Through the freeze frames we were able to identify some elements in the story such as the  characters, objects and living creatures.

Drama Convention: Collective Storytelling

Instructions ... ...

1)Form a circle as a team.

2)Add on to the story as we go along. Base on what you know about the story.

3)Using the earlier Freeze Frame Convention, build the story with what you saw.

4) Try to more specific and realistic when you craft the story. 

5) It might help if you think about what you want to give grandma and provide a reason for doing so.

REFLECTION

I have learn a method to use if the collective storytelling is not working. I can get the participants to work on a particular issue for example the type of food Red Riding Hood should bring for Grandma. It gives an idea on what food would be appropriate for grandma. This activity can be use to create a prop that might help improve the quality of the story. Participant might find it to create a story with a visual stimulus around to remind them. Collective story telling is similar to collective writing as both is use so that the participant can have better understand of the story. Collective drawing can be used for participant who don't enjoy writing words or drawing them out thus participants get to use props and real things to form the story. We did a ritual whereby everyone got together as a group and started delivering their lines. This ritual exercise must be done with the right amount of energy which means that the first person has to high and should not mumble the words. I've notice that the story is told from a third person narrative.

If we were to retell the story, whose perspective might we adopt ? (The grandma, the wolf , the woodcutter or red riding hood.)

Drama activity: Story Telling in Role or Collective story telling

Instructions ... ...

1)Everyone is divided into 4 groups each group will take on the role as either a grandma, wolf, woodcutter or red riding hood to tell their perspective of how the story went.

2)You have a total number of lines that will be twice the number of people in your group.

3)The first rule is that the distributions of lines must be equal.

4)The second rule is that everyone is going to be one character in that story. 

(Which means the team has to find poses, freeze moments one at the same time to signify that character.)

5)You are entitled to do 4 pose.

6)At any point in time the lines are bring spoken, those who are not speaking will have to assume that pose.

7) Standing in your order (be a a straight line or semi-circle) , all of you will go into a neutral position. Legs are slightly apart, hands by your side, shoulders relax and your eye-line looking forward.

8)When two drum beats are heard, you will move into your first pose.

9)When the next two drum beats is being heard, you would move to the next pose.

10)We will start off with a collective rehearsal whereby every group will will move together.

Duration: 10 minutes.

REFLECTION.

I was given the chance to practice my summary skill base on my favourite childhood fairytale Red Riding Hood. Initially, I found it difficult to narrow down the plot because I find that there was a reason for included such plot to the story and taking it out would make the story less exciting. However I was reminded that the purpose of the summary is to identify key moments in the story and not tell all of it. I have to pay attention to simple details such as where to look, when to say the line, how to return to neutral position? Even the position of the foot must be identical to each other. 

Drama Convention: Role on the Wall

Instructions ... ...

1) Decide on one character to focus on. (Be it the wolf, grandma, woodcutter or red riding hood.)

2)After each group has presented their version of the story, share your thoughts and opinion of the character that you deicide to focus on. Provide valid reason to support your statement. 

E.g. What were some of the character's personality traits ? What was he like ?

REFLECTION

I think think of focusing on character throughout the whole story is to enable the class to have a more in-depth understanding. Instead of having a general idea of all the characters. Also, when we focus on one character, we get to have different view point as each group shares their perspective of the story.

Story telling in role allows me to look at the perspective of another character so that we can to know the character better. We can understand the situation better. I was able to identify what the woodcutter was feeling and why he choose to save red riding hood in the end. Using a logical explanation we were able to give possible reasons for his actions.

Drama Convention: Conscious alley

Instructions ... ...

1) Stand in two lines, facing towards each other.

2)Think about what you would say to the wolf for whatever has happened in that story.

(We know that he wore a bullied proof vest to protect himself, he ate up grandma and the woodcutter split him open.)

3)What are your thoughts towards the wolf ?

4)Where should he be?

5)How do you feel towards what the wolf has done to the grandmother and to red riding hood?

6)When the facilitator step into the alley, she would be the wolf. Your task is to express your thoughts towards the wolf.

REFLECTION.

I find conscious alley quite similar to thought tracking in term of it's physical position. The difference is that previously,the thoughts were being voice out by the participants taking on the role as the goat crossing the bridge. However this time, participants to make a stand on the character.I got to see a different sides of my classmates, people who are forgiving, sympathetic and there are people who will curse you.This drama convention triggers the consciousness of the character to reflect on his past actions. Whereas thought tracking doesn't have to happen in an alley. I think that consciousness alley can be done only if role on the wall was used before that. Role of the wall proves a visual analysis for the participants allow them to come to a conclusion about the character.It taps on my own understanding of the topic.

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