Description
Written by playwright, Susan Battye, the Dramatic Shorts: An Anthology of Plays series focuses on a collection of short stage plays that can be easily staged in a school or drama club setting. This progressive series is packed with activities that will encourage tweens (9-12) and teens (13-15) students of English and Drama to read, present and respond to plays.
Dramatic Shorts – An Anthology of Plays: Drama Resource Books provide many opportunities for students to actively engage in a group context with drama elements, techniques, conventions, and technologies. Practical and written activities provide an opportunity for students to develop an ability to memorise, gain self and group management skills, increase drama literacy knowledge and gain competency in drama. Many of the roles are neutrally gendered and offer opportunities for affirmative casting.
The plays featured in the Dramatic Shorts: An Anthology of Plays series that accompany the Drama Resource Books use comedy and satire to promote investigation of topics and themes that will resonate with students such as: hopes and dreams, passions, love, identity, the environment, relationships, loyalty, self-image, fears and phobias, morality, intelligence and skills.
The plays included in Dramatic Shorts 1 & 2 are as follows:
Dramatic Shorts 1: An Anthology of Plays |
Dramatic Shorts 2: An Anthology of Plays |
Mortified |
Kiwis in Paradise |
Petrified |
Waltzing Matilda |
Dropped |
On the Game |
Normal |
Enter the Villain |
Mate’s Rates |
Virtual Reality |
Quagmire Blues |
Mocked |
Birdbrained |
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The plays in Book 1 promote an exploration of themes such as: friendship, peer pressure, sibling rivalry, social status, empathy, power and control.
The plays in Book 2 explore dilemmas related to: parental control, bullying, social status, trust, empathy and the use of virtual technologies.
The series uses a range of theatre styles including dramatic sketches, melodrama, comedy of situation and elements of absurdist theatre.
The Dramatic Shorts – An Anthology of Plays: Drama Resource books contain these key units:
- Why do Drama?
- Why Work with Stage Plays?
- The Role of the Actor and Audience
- Elements of Drama
- Drama Techniques
- Use of Conventions
In Dramatic Shorts 1 – An Anthology of Plays: Drama Resource: Mortified is featured in Unpacking a Play Text.
In Dramatic Shorts 2 – An Anthology of Plays: Drama Resource: Kiwis in Paradise is featured in Unpacking a Play Text
These books offer:
- Opportunities to develop and utilise drama language in the interpretation, performance and writing of play scripts
- A means to respond to language and symbols, themes and ideas in the practical context of rehearsing and performing scripted stage plays
- Opportunities to prepare to participate in, self-manage and contribute to group-based play rehearsals and performances and to reflect on the outcome through self, peer and teacher evaluation processes
About the Author:
Susan Battye is a drama teacher, playwright, resource developer and educational consultant. She worked for more than thirty years as a secondary school classroom drama teacher and programme managed a Maori Performing Arts degree course. She continues to have a keen interest in Drama New Zealand, the organisation of which she was a founding member and President, and the International Drama Theatre and Education Association (IDEA) for which she was Secretary. Her Auckland based company, Drama Magic Ltd, produces stage set items for use in schools and theatre companies.