EDUCATION RESOURCE KIT
Copyright Copyright protects this Teacher’s Resource Kit. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited. However, limited photocopying for classroom use only is permitted by educational institutions.
Resource Kit compiled by Karla Conway © Canberra Youth Theatre (2015).
CONTENTS BEFORE THE SHOW About the Company Schools Engagement ACT Schools Curriculum Credits Production Team Acknowledgements Dead Men’s Wars – What’s it all about?
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Curriculum Links How to Watch a Play You Snooze You Lose! | Questions you should ask
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Things Worth Knowing Context | Creative Development | Stimulus Suggestions
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Pre-show Activities Synopsis | Characters
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AFTER THE SHOW Discussion & Analysis Post Show Chat | Order of Scenes Dramatic Structure
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Dramatic Elements Scene Extract 1 Scene Extract 2 Scene Extract 3 Scene Extract 4 World of the Play Central Themes Performance Styles Theatrical Devices Scene Extract 5 Major Creation Task
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Analysis & Reflection Key Dramatic Question Revisited
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ON THE FLOOR Summary of Activities
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ABOUT THE COMPANIES Canberra Youth Theatre (CYT) is a nationally respected, leading youth arts company in Australia, which develops art and artists of local, regional and national significance. Working collaboratively alongside professional artists, CYT provides significant production-driven platforms and professional pathways to develop and empower artists, aged 7 – 25 years, to create bold, contemporary and innovative theatre that manifests their culture and speaks with their voice. Long Cloud Youth Theatre (LCYT) is a hothouse for New Zealand’s most exciting young acting talent. Long Cloud, run by Whitireia Performance Centre and based in Wellington, is a unique training and production company for young people aged 16 – 25 years.
SCHOOLS ENGAGEMENT CYT is continuing to engage with local schools and colleges in Canberra and the region, opening its doors to greater artistic access and providing day time shows and schools support materials for new Australian works developed at the company. We facilitate weekly drama workshops in primary schools, run the CYT Ambassadors Program for high schools and colleges and offer tailor made bydesign workshops for all schools in the community. CYT has a responsibility to make a contribution to the canon of great theatre texts written specifically for young people. Every production created at Canberra Youth Theatre is in response to the fascinations and machinations that young people have with the world around them. Our artists are at the heart of every artistic program and therefore the works reflect the ever-changing reality of young people today. It is our hope that the new Australian plays developed by CYT are published and may find their way into your classrooms and stages – once again breathing life into these wonderful, theatrical adventures for your students and school community. For more information on Schools Engagement go to Get Involved at www.cytc.net
CURRICULUM LINKS - ACT & BEYOND Throughout the document we have linked engagement activities and analysis questions to the ACT Curriculum Framework. Dead Men’s Wars crosses beyond the Arts into History, English, Philosophy, Media Studies and Politics. Links are listed over the page and are easily transferrable to other states. 3
Canberra Youth Theatre and Long Cloud Youth Theatre present
DEAD MEN’S WARS By Ralph McCubbin Howell PRODUCTION TEAM Ralph McCubbin Howell Brett Adam Katie Cawthorne Lily della Porta Karla Conway Johnboy Davidson Adrianne Roberts Gillian Schwab Christiane Nowak Niklas Pajanti Coleman Grehan Alexandra Pilicic Michael Foley Stella Reid Miranda Borman Samantha Pickering Kate Llewellyn Michael Loftus Lauren Atkin Lorna Sim Cassandra Hart Alicia Wyatt Stefanie Lekkas Cherie Jacobson Chris O'Neill
Playwright Director | LCYT Artistic Director CYT Artistic Director Assistant Director Stage Manager (New Zealand) Dramaturg | Writer - Education Resource Kit Producer (Australia)| CYT Production & Technical Manager A/V Operator Show Pony Producer (New Zealand) The Street Production and Technical Manager Costume and Set Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer Stage Manager (Australia) Lighting Operator Director (Creative Development) Publicist (Australia) Graphic Design Graphic Design Photography Photography Photography CYT Administration and Marketing CYT Business and Development Manager CYT Workshop Coordinator BATS Programme Manager BATS Business Development Manager
Project conceived and developed by Karla Conway. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Canberra Youth Theatre is supported by its members, the ACT Government through artsACT, and the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. Dead Men's Wars has been commissioned by Canberra Youth Theatre (Australia), funded by artsACT, the Australia Council for the Arts and supported by the Australian Government's Anzac Centenary Arts and Culture Fund and Long Cloud Youth Theatre (Wellington, New Zealand), with the support of BATS Theatre through STAB2015 and WW100 funded by Creative New Zealand. Special thanks to Alister Emerson, CYT Performance Lab Artists, Alan Palmer, Whitireia Performance Centre, Stephanie McKellar-Smith, Sonja Pryor, Stephen Crossley, The Street Theatre and the New Zealand High Commission.
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WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? Dead Men’s Wars is a fast-moving, contemporary perspective of the Anzac traditions, for this generation – boldly challenging Anzac mythology and interrogating gender inequalities, through a multi-dimensional manipulation of time, space, memory and art. This brand new work by 2014 Bruce Mason Playwriting Award winner, Ralph McCubbin Howell will reinvigorate audiences to redefine the relevance of the Anzac spirit for the next century, as we re-connect the New Zealand voice to Australia’s Anzac narrative. It connects to many aspects of the ACT Curriculum Framework across Drama, History, English, Dance, Media Studies and Art. These notes have been produced for you – the students and teachers studying Dead Men’s Wars – by us – the artists who made it. It illuminates the history of the project, highlighting the provocations, processes and rationale behind why we made what we made and how we went about making it! Along the way you will find opportunities to DISCUSS, DEBATE, INVESTIGATE, CREATE, PRESENT, ANALYSE AND REFLECT – not just on the work itself, but on your own ideas, processes, skills and feelings about your place in the Anzac traditions. Look out for the icons on each page! These notes focus on the curriculum links below from the ACT Curriculum Framework for Schools and provide a mountain of great activities suitable to successfully demonstrate improved knowledge and in some places, mastery of these skills. LET’S GET AMONGST IT!
CURRICULUM LINKS ACT CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOLS 1. The student uses a range of strategies to think and learn. 2. The student understands and applies the inquiry process.
Curriculum links can be identified when you see this icon!
3. The student makes considered decisions. 5. The student contributes to group effectiveness. 7. The student creates, presents and appreciates artistic works. 8. The student listens and speaks with purpose and effect. 9. The student reads effectively. 11. The student critically interprets and creates texts. 18. The student recognises and represents patterns and relationships. 21. The student understands about Australia and Australians. 22. The student understands and values what it means to be a citizen within a democracy. 5
HOW TO WATCH A PLAY
YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE! Theatre is alive – every day is a new performance and each moment is gone forever once its past, so its important to be SWITCHED ON, LISTENING IN, CURIOUS and ATTENTIVE – if you snooze and miss it, there is no rewind, so MAKE MENTAL INSTAGRAMS as you go! At the end of the show, try and write a few things down – if you can’t write it down, just have a conversation about them. Talking through it once will help you remember it tomorrow. Doing this after the show will help you write on it later. An easy way to break it up is by thinking of: -
What you SAW – sets, lights, props, costumes, characters, acting techniques, the theatre.
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What you HEARD – music, the script (dialogue, monologue, language), songs.
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What you FELT – Did the play move you? Was it engaging? Did it make you angry, sad, or leave you asking questions? Was it confusing? Hard to follow? Or did it make sense?
It’s important that, as well as paying attention to these things, you also have an opinion.
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ASKING! What did you want more of? What questions did the play bring up for you? What did you personally connect with? Would you want to see it again? Why? Why not?
REMEMBER: A WORK MIGHT NOT BE TO YOUR TASTE, BUT IT CAN STILL BE RESPECTED FOR BEING EFFECTIVE IN ACHIEVING ITS PURPOSE!
Rather than thinking in terms of “was this GOOD or BAD” try to think about: What do you think the play was trying to say? Did it achieve this? If so, how was this achieved? If it did not achieve its intended aim, what was missing or unclear? What do you think needed to happen in order for the play to effectively achieve its aim?
The audience member is an active participant in theatre. Be active!
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THINGS WORTH KNOWING CONTEXT Dead Men’s Wars explores the place of young people within the Anzac legacy in both Australia and New Zealand, and the evolution of our relationship over the century. Bringing artists together across the Tasman, this production presents the youth perspective, reinvigorating the contemporary relevance of the Anzac spirit and re-connecting the New Zealand voice to Australia’s Anzac narrative. In 2013, Canberra Youth Theatre approached Long Cloud Youth Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand with an idea to collaborate on the creation of a new work to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War 1. We were collectively determined to create a contemporary play about young people today, rather than a re-telling of history in the Anzac narratives we have all come to know through countless Anzac celebrations over time. Instead, we began this project to interrogate a very important Key Dramatic Question: "After 100 years, does the Anzac relationship between our countries still hold significance and relevance to young people, in Australia and New Zealand? If so, how has it evolved since Gallipoli and how does it manifest today?" We assembled a great team of emerging artists, directors, dramaturgs and a playwright to interrogate and explore this question over multiple creative developments in both Canberra and New Zealand – Dead Men’s Wars is the result of what we discovered together on the floor!
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT The Creative Development process is an open and rigorous exploration of a stimulus to unpack the questions, ideas, images and theatrical possibilities for a new work, through improvisation, discussion, research and experimentation. Once complete, the discoveries can become the building blocks of a new work that can be devised, scored or scripted!
HOW CAN I MAKE MY OWN WORK? Choosing a stimulus is the best way to start a creative development process. Stimulus is just as it suggests – it stimulates your senses, your ideas and your curiosity! Try some of these: Music / Sound
Dreams / Daydreams
Places
Images
Culture
Interesting People
News Article / Current Events
Imagination
Family Dynamics
Eavesdropped conversations
Mythology
History
Objects / artefacts
Elements in Nature
Personal Experience
Political speeches
Art / Art Theory
Technology
Film / Video
Text / Poetry / Literature
Rituals / Traditions
Colours
Trends
Architecture
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PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Dead Men’s Wars – a provocative name for a play...give it some thought for a minute! What does the title of the play suggest about the work you are about to see/read?
POSTER IMAGE ANALYSIS Have a look at the poster image above. What are all the things that come to mind when you see this image? Look closely – what else can you see? What do you think the poster is communicating? How does what you see support or contradict your expectations of the play, based on the title?
PLACE YOUR BETS! Thinking about all your ideas from the title and all the ideas from
CONSIDER: Time | History Gender | Power | Culture Multiple Battles Dominant voices
the poster, sum it up! What do you think Dead Men’s Wars is going to be about? 8
SYNOPSIS | CHARACTERS SYNOPSIS Set in 2015, a group of Australian and New Zealander students travel to Gallipoli as winners of an Anzac essay writing competition. Chaos ensues when Lori, the New Zealand representative delivers an alternative, unapproved and controversial speech which challenges the Anzac mythology and tradition. The speech goes viral, creating a PR nightmare for the event’s sponsors. After fighting the online backlash, she is ultimately forced to publicly retract her beliefs against her will – thus highlighting the continued silencing of the female voice and the continued shaping of our narrative, 100 years on from WWI. The play is bookended by two scenes from 1915. The first sets up the myth of the bronzed Anzac with a series of inaccuracies as a result of the editing and shaping of the narrative over time. The final scene highlights the dynamic and important role that women played on the battlefield as well as the diminishing acknowledgement of women’s contribution on the home front (post war), which is characteristically silenced in the histories. The play follows the sequence of events that lead Lori to change her speech and the internal struggle she faces in the aftermath as she faces the consequences of standing up for her beliefs.
CHARACTERS This script is written for a core cast of six actors and a chorus, which could be of any size. Lori:
18. New Zealander. Female.
Owen:
19. New Zealander. Either gender.
Charlie:
18. New Zealander / Australian. Female.
Kip:
18. Australian. Male.
Darryn:
Mid-late 20s. Australian. Male.
Helen:
Mid-late 20s. New Zealander / Australian. Female.
Minor characters might be played by members of the chorus OR doubled with the core cast e.g. Actor 1:
Lori
Actor 2:
Charlie, First Nurse
Actor 3:
Owen, Second Soldier
Actor 4:
Kip, First Soldier
Actor 5:
Darryn
Actor 6:
Helen, Second Nurse
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AFTER THE SHOW
POST SHOW CHAT What are the most memorable moments in the play that stick out for you? Why? What did you want to know more about? What questions did you have about the work? Did the events of the play match up to what you anticipated it would be about?
ORDER OF SCENES 1.
What We Remember (1915)
2.
Baptism of Fire (2015)
3.
Introductions
4.
Cracks in the Facade
5.
Dream 1
6.
Questions
7.
Culture Shock
8.
Unaccompanied Minors
9.
Dream 2
10.
Digging In
11.
Media Storm 1
12.
Stalemate
13.
Dissent in the Ranks
14.
Council of War
15.
Media Storm 2
16.
Bonds of Mateship
17.
Bronzed Myth
18.
Dream 3 / Media Storm 3
19.
Ghosts / Echoes
20.
Brothers in Arms
21.
A New Strategy
22.
Fix Bayonets
23.
Over the Top
24.
What We Remember (1915)
Can you remember what happened in each scene? What was the major event?
These scene titles help tell the story – what do they provoke for you? What can you guess about the Style and Structure of the play, from what you see in the titles? 10
DRAMATIC STRUCTURE NON-LINEAR The play begins in CRISIS (the fallout) after a major event has taken place. Starting the play with the fallout of an event establishes the STAKES immediately, creating curiosity in the audience about what the catalysing event was. The play is told OUT OF CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE as means of controlling the reveal of information. This structure is about BUILDING DRAMATIC TENSION. It reframes the way the audience watches the play – activating them toward piecing together the clues they need to discover what Lori actually did, rather than passively waiting to see the story unfurl.
DELAYED INCITING INCIDENT The INCITING INCIDENT is the catalyst event which sets the drama in motion. Traditionally toward the start of the play, in Dead Men’s Wars it occurs as the very last scene of the play.
TIME The play manipulates TIME in an interesting way – time jumps, bends and is compressed in different moments throughout the narrative. JUMPS - The first 3 scenes traverse 3 different time sequences: 1915 | 2015 toward the end of the trip | 2015 at the beginning of the trip. Shifts in time bring with them significant changes. Returning to the beginning of the trip directly after the opening fall out scene re-establishes normality and allows the audience to begin their journey of piecing together what happened to make Lori change her speech. COMPRESSION of time is akin to a montage on stage. When the students arrive in Turkey they go on a tour through myriad places. The sense of time passing gives the audience glimpses of action which EVOKES THE ENVIRONMENT (bustling streets of Turkey), MOOD, PACE and TONE. It draws our FOCUS however to the images of what the characters see and their individual responses in the moment. Compression gives us a lot of information in a short space of time.
BOOK ENDS Bookend scenes are stand alone scene that sit outside the central narrative, but provide a frame around the work itself. The central narrative is all set in 2015. However, the play is book-ended by a 1915 scene in the trenches, during the Gallipoli campaign and closes with a 1915 scene from a hospital ship. 1915 sets up the Anzac myth as we know it, with all the associated imagery and stereotypes. The final bookend challenges the accuracy of the boys’ experience (or the way they remember it) with facts that call the opening scene into question. The scenes function to challenge the audience to question their own understanding of history, positioning them to receive the play in the light of those questions.
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DRAMATIC ELEMENTS TENSION The force that engages the performers and audience in the dramatic action, driven by the stakes.
SYMBOLS | IMAGERY Associations that occur when something is used to represent something else to reinforce or extend dramatic meaning.
CONTRASTING ELEMENTS The use of difference to create dramatic meaning.
CHARACTER Identification and portrayal of a person’s values, attitudes, intentions and actions as imagined relationships, situations and ideas in dramatic action.
ROLE The dramatic function and impact of the character in relation to the dramatic action.
SPACE The physical space of the performance and audience, fictional space of the dramatic action and the emotional space between characters.
PROXEMICS The personal and general space used by the actors. It focuses on the meaning of the size and shape of distances between actor and actor, actor and objects (props and sets) and actor and audience.
POINT OF FOCUS The frame that directs attention to what is most significant and intensifies the dramatic meaning.
MOOD The atmosphere created. Mood concentrates the dramatic action and moves the audience in emotionally appropriate directions.
TEMPO-RHYTHM The timing of one moment to the next contributing to the tension and pace of dramatic action.
ACTION The tactics employed by the characters throughout the play to achieve their objective.
LANGUAGE The choice of linguistic expression and ideas in drama used to create dramatic action 12
SCENE EXTRACT 1 SCENE 1
WHAT WE REMEMBER Black out. A splutter of static then the sound of howling wind. Metal clatters in the distance, canvas rustles in the breeze. It is a wild night. A crash, louder than the others. Lights up. Gallipoli. 1915. Two soldiers against a trench wall. One has risen suddenly to look over the lip of the trench. The other is crouched, just woken. He is Australian. He whispers -
FIRST SOLDIER What was that? You hear something? The other looks for a moment, then turns back and sits. He is a New Zealander. SECOND SOLDIER Nothing. Just the wind. They relax. diggers. The and brash. laconic, like
They are the iconic Anzac Australian a larrikin - jovial The New Zealander dry and a Speights-ad Southern Man.
DISCUSS What does the juxtaposing image of the man-made electronic sound (static) followed by the wind tell us about the scene we are about to encounter?
INVESTIGATE The opening stage direction suggests a TENSION – the world is unsettled. Drawing on sound, movement, light, proxemics and time – how can you create tension onstage without dialogue?
ANALYSE CHARACTER: First soldier – he is jumpy, unsure of himself and the world around him. Small noises are like huge sound waves in his ears. The exaggerated elements in the world suggest a small fish in a very big pond. Second Soldier – calm, unflappable and relaxed under pressure. He is perceptive, able to take a rational interpretation of surroundings, level headed. 13
CREATE Lights up. Gallipoli. 1915. Two soldiers against a trench wall. The first vision we see is the iconic Anzac image of soldiers in the trenches. What comes to mind when you see this opening image? 1. In pairs or small groups, brainstorm a list of all the iconic images you can think of when you think about the Anzacs. 2. Choose 5 images and create a series of evocative tableaux. 3. Select a piece of music that supports those images and craft the movement from freeze to freeze, changing the pace of each move in response to the music to create a sense of meaning.
REFLECT What does the characterization of the First Soldier as Australian and Second Soldier as New Zealander say about the relationship between Australia and New Zealand?
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SCENE EXTRACT 2 SCENE 1
WHAT WE REMEMBER
FIRST SOLDIER Mate. We’ll never make it. SECOND SOLDIER Nah mate, she’s beaut. If I made it through Southbridge first fifteen, I’ll make it out of this. The music rises. He marches steely-faced towards the audience. A grenade falls before him; he kicks it away like a rugby ball. We hear a cheering crowd. Silhouetted against the cloud, he carries the soldier to safety. It is epic and mythic and suspect.
INVESTIGATE Experiment with this workshop activity. Taking the tableaux images you’ve created, investigate on the floor how you can combine images, actions and sounds from another time and place to create interesting stage images that draw parallels to another reality. What are the two realities? What happens when those two sets of images collide in the play? How does the meaning change?
ANALYSE This final moment of the Prologue scene reveals the larrikin and laconic stereotypes described in the opening character description in the previous extract. The final stage direction here starts to muddy the myths, blending SPACE (war ground & rugby field at home) and TIME (present and before the war). In this moment we are melting into another world – the INTERNAL WORLD. This vision allows the audience to move from the physical world inside the mind of the Second Soldier, giving us a glimpse of how he mentally survives the tough moments during the war.
REFLECT The final stage direction of the scene suggests the image is epic and mythic and suspect. What do you think the playwright wants you to think about as you move forward into the play? 15
SCENE EXTRACT 3 SCENE 4
CRACKS IN THE FACADE
The music fades out as the scene shifts to a cavernous hall. Four chorus members stand on plinths, holding fixed positions. They are the figures in the stained glass windows in The Hall of Memory. Each is bathed in bronze light, but one Soldier appears the most prominent. It is the Second Soldier from the opening scene. One hand is raised as if in blessing, the other one rests on his gun. His eyes look to the heavens.
DISCUSS
Hall of Memory: south window Australian War Memorial
What does the SCALE of the figures on plinths against the scale of the characters on the stage suggest? What do the gesture / pose of each figure suggest about the myth of each of the forces? What images come to mind with the Soldier’s eyes looking to the heavens? How might we read the scene differently if his eyes were facing the front? Looking into the audience? Eyes to the floor?
INVESTIGATE We are going to investigate the power of the eyes as a tool for controlling the POINT OF FOCUS and of creating specific MEANING on stage. 1.
In pairs, take turns in constructing a gestural pose of any kind. Person A makes the first pose, while Person B interprets (then switch over).
2.
Person B writes down or discusses the SITUATION (who, what, why), the Character’s ATTITUDE and what it might mean as a SYMBOL.
3.
PERSON A changes the POINT OF FOCUS of their eyes – how does this change the meaning.
4.
Take turns. Then share your findings with other pairs or groups. 16
SCENE EXTRACT 4
SCENE 4
CRACKS IN THE FACADE Lori watches Charlie leave. When she looks back, the soldier has turned to face her. She pulls back. It speaks like a rattle of gunfire. The sound swells in and out like a wave.
SECOND SOLDIER sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-Sh-SH-SH-SH-SH-Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh LORI
(Calling off) Charlie?
SECOND SOLDIER sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-Sh-SH-SH-SH-SH-Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh Lori is torn. She looks back. The mosaic is breathing - deep gasping breathes. SECOND SOLDIER sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-Sh-SH-SH shooting they’re shooting they’re shooting again oh god the air is the air is alive with them s-s-s-somebody’s back there a STRETCHER we need I I couldn’t I had to get out I have to get out I have to get out I have to get out I have to get out I I I can’t breathe oh fuck fuck me ssomeone I left him I left him I left him to die there there’s flies on the air is alive with them shooting I want to go home I WANT TO GO HOME I WANT HOME I’m so sorry I’m sorry I left him they’re sh-shooting they’re fuck me I CAN’T I CAN’T SAVE HIM I LEFT HIM I LEFT. The soldier falls silent. Lori reaches out to touch his cheek. appears in the doorway.
gently Darryn
REFLECT How does this scene compare with your characterisation of the soldier described in the stage direction at the top of Scene 4 in Extract 3, above? What does this suggest about the way we mythologise the ANZACS? Do you think that Lori is hallucinating or is something else at play, here?
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WORLD OF THE PLAY PLACE Gallipoli Canberra
TIME
Cannakale
1915
Troy
2015
Online
COLLIDING WORLDS There are three distinct WORLDS presented that intersect at various times in the play. -
The INSULATED group experience in the physical world.
-
The EXTERNAL physical world
-
The INTERNAL landscape of Lori’s mind
FORM Different FORMS are used in the play, which function to collide the insular, internal and external worlds together. -
Naturalistic dialogue drive scenes = INSULATED WORLD
-
Greek Chorus = EXTERNAL/ONLINE WORLD
-
Surreal Dreams/Abstract Movement = INTERNAL LANDSCAPE OF LORI’S MIND
RULES OF THE WORLD Even though the play is largely realistic, it is still a THEATRICAL REALISM, which allows us to create or bend the rules of reality in order to facilitate meaning in the play. In this world: -
Lori can move in and out of dreams and daydreams
-
Statues can move and speak
-
Time can be compressed
-
Ghosts can speak and be heard
Can you think of any other rules?
SUBVERTING THE RULES The rules of the world can be broken when they are done so deliberately in order to communicate something specifically. In scene 19 – Ghosts/Echoes, the dreaming and awake worlds collide, deliberately blurring the rules to propel Lori to act, by demanding the opportunity to defend her position in a public interview. Can you think of any other examples of where the rules of the world are broken? Why? 18
CENTRAL THEMES SILENCING OF THE FEMALE VOICE During the writing of Charles Bean’s seminal 12 volume history of Australia in WWI, upon the instructions of his publisher, Mr Robertson from Angus & Robertson, he was told to ‘remove the women from his narrative and beef up the mateship’. In the end, the female viewpoint and stories of women both at war and at home were relegated to volume 11 (of 12). “You weren’t brought here to change opinions; you were brought here to tow the line” Women made a vast and irreplaceable contribution to sustaining Australia and Australians during The Great War. In the play, Lori is incensed by the omission of her story in the newspaper article. Her intelligence and ideas are taken out of context and minimized to click bait, she is prevented from participating and she is ultimately ambushed; driven to protect the sponsor at her own expense – the ultimate betrayal. It is this continued silencing that drives Lori to change her speech, creating controversy by the sheer act of questioning the blind perpetuation of the male-dominated Anzac mythology. “We didn’t sponsor her to make bullshit accusations” The chorus operates to characterise the online world. Social media provides the platform for her speech to go viral and for everyday people to weigh in on her actions. It also highlights the lack of control that Lori experiences once her words are in the hands of others. The social media commentary begins productively but soon spirals to become tangential, fragmenting the original context of Lori’s actions into bite size, isolated ideas rather than remaining cohesive and progressive. The chorus also represents the nonphysical world through the dream sequences. The podcast Charlie creates, of the youth experience in Gallipoli, is to be widely broadcast back home – she has an audience but struggles to know what to say. She aspires to find the courage to speak up in the play and is in awe of Lori’s confidence. In witnessing Lori’s situation, the tactics of Darryn internally and the viral commentary externally she becomes fuelled to respond, but does not have the words. In making her podcast she comes to understand that all stories have a bias or an angle. She starts to discover her own voice by speaking truth to power – using peoples own words against them, to make her point, and in doing so, restores her voice to the contemporary Anzac narrative.
TRADITION vs. CHANGE The challenge of the work is to empower young people to honour the past in a way that has meaning for them. Kip holds onto the traditions as a way to make meaning of his brother’s potential sacrifice in Afghanistan (to characterise him as heroic), however Owen, Lori and Charlie defy this – seeking new ways to take lessons from the past that are relevant and important in their lives now. Owen seems apathetic to the Anzac commemorations, but this is a wholesale rejection of the glorification of what was brutal, bloody and unglamorous. He is resentful of the resources expended on celebrations which could be better redirected to solving current relevant issues – which he feels would achieve more in honouring the ANZAC sacrifices, than a parade. Charlie’s podcast represents an evolved engagement with history by youth – still an honouring of the tradition, but in a new way that speaks to her and thousands of other young Australians. 19
PERFORMANCE STYLES NATURALISM Naturalistic scenes function to let the audience in on the insular world of the group on tour. The style represents the closest form of truth on stage.
SURREALISM Surrealism blends the ideas of dream and reality to create a heightened expression in performance. Characteristically, the surreal features elements of surprise, illusion, unexpected juxtapositions and non-sequitur. These are most evident in the dream scenes, however we also see the surreal creeping into reality when Lori sees the soldier statue speak and when the ghosts speak to her in her awake state. The surrealist elements allow a theatrical freedom to push the limits of imagination and heightened reality on stage.
GREEK CHORUS The function of a chorus in any work is to represent the voice of particular groups in society. The chorus of voices online and in the media provides a glimpse into society today and the way we engage on global events in myriad ways from honesty to brutality. The chorus present the diversity of opinions on Lori’s actions from the most traditional and conservative, through apathy to the most fervent supporters. No one group has all the facts to base their opinion, however each speaks with a power and authority over one another as they clamour for their opinions to be heard.
THEATRICAL DEVICES
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SCENE EXTRACT 5 SCENE 9
DREAM 2 Lori is drifting underwater. The soundscape is like muted static. Gradually it sharpens. She breaks through the surface and gasps for breath. Music. We see Lori’s dreams by torchlight, slipping in and out of sight. The chorus act out her visions - This time, though, she dreams about another side of war - instead of the men on the front, she dreams of nurses and civilians. Lori walks amidst them and the pace of the visions increases. The music rises to a crescendo, then abruptly drops away. The only sound is that of waves slowly breaking on a shore. Lori walks again amidst a crowd of silent soldiers. The soldier steps into her path it is the soldier from the mosaic.
SECOND SOLDIER What are you doing here? She reaches the lectern and taps the microphone. The soldiers snap up their rifles in unison, bayonets pointed towards her. The dream crumbles around her.
GO BACK! Carefully re-read each individual sentence in the stage directions. List out each element of the dream – it will give your devised dream a good starting structure!
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CREATE | PRESENT Dreams are a way for our sub-conscious mind to act out unconscious desires in a safe or “unreal” setting. The surreal nature of dreams gives the broadest theatrical scope to take your ideas as far and as bold as you can imagine. In small groups, create your own version of Lori’s surrealist dream. BRAINSTORM – What do you think the dream is actually about? IDENTIFY KEY DRAMATIC QUESTION - What is Lori trying to process or what unconscious desire is she seeking to act out? CLARIFY – What is Lori’s state of mind or starting point? What is she seeking to achieve at the end of the journey? What are all the obstacles to her achieving this? CREATE – What images or sequences of action come to mind when thinking about your key dramatic question, Lori’s objective and her major obstacles?. Consider how you might create and construct images and sequences of action in a particular order (non-sequitur / non-linear / circular / linear) and use a combination of production elements to communicate a clear journey from her state of mind at the beginning to where she ends up at the end of the dream. INVESTIGATE – Explore the following elements in the creation of your work – investigate what you can use to best express your vision and communicate your ideas. Stillness
Cannon
Proxemics
Weight
Repetition
Silence
Kinaesthetic Response
Objects
Pace / Tempo
Music / Sound
Breath
Colour
Architecture
Rhythm
Flocking
Light
Gesture
Topography
Negative Space
Texture
Movement sequence
Shape
Flow
Focus
REFINE – Once you have created some images / gesture / movements, try to abstract them, take a small section and blow it up, play with the scale, pace and shape of the action. Essentialise movements to their essence and do away with anything literal. INTERROGATE – How does Lori react when Second Soldier acknowledges her and speaks to her in the dream? What does it mean to have the Soldier connect with her during the dream? How can you indicate the rules of the world being broken? 22
ANALYSE Watch other groups perform. CREATE A PODCAST SERIES OF CRITICAL REVIEWS FOR EACH PERFORMANCE Consider the following in your podcast: What do you interpret is happening in the dream? How did you arrive at that interpretation? What theatrical devices did they use and to what effect? What is Lori trying to process, that the dream is an expression of? What is Lori’s journey through the dream? From what to what? How is she changed when she wakes up?
REFLECT Consider your own group’s performance. What were you trying to communicate with your own piece? Did your intention match up with how other groups interpreted your dream? Did their interpretation still connect to your bigger ideas even though they might have understood it in a slightly different way? If not, how do you think you could alter your piece to more clearly communicate your intention?
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KEY DRAMATIC QUESTION REVISITED
KEY DRAMATIC QUESTION "After 100 years, does the Anzac relationship between our countries still hold significance and relevance to young people, in Australia and New Zealand? If so, how has it evolved since Gallipoli and how does it manifest today?"
RANGE OF VIEWPOINTS A range of different responses to the key dramatic question emerge through the actions and words of the characters in the play. List as many different responses as you can remember, both positive and negative. Why did the characters take these particular positions? What were they in response to?
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Take a few minutes to reflect on the key dramatic question in relation to your own personal connection to the Anzac spirit and traditions. What is your position on the traditions surrounding Anzac Day? Does the practice of these traditions hold meaning for you in any way? Do you think these traditions should continue to be practiced and acknowledged every year? How should the ANZACS be acknowledged in the 21st century? What are we remembering / learning from upholding these traditions? How could those traditions evolve in a way that had genuine meaning for your generation?
STIMULUS QUESTIONS FOR NEW WORKS What is role of the Anzac tradition for modern military personnel today? How are women treated in the military today? Do you think they are still being silenced in any way? How has their involvement in the theatre of war evolved over the past century?
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ON THE FLOOR SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES P#
ACTIVITY
TASK DESCRIPTION
CURRICULUM LINKS
P7
How can I make my own
Creative Development Stimulus
work? P8
Poster Analysis |
Pre-show Activity
Predictions: What is the show going to be about? P 10
Post –show Chat
Critical Review
Scene Titles – what do they provoke for you P 13
Scene Extract 1
Discuss – Juxtapositions Investigate – Tension Analyse – Character Create – Trenches Reflect – AU/NZ relations
P 15
Scene Extract 2
Investigate – Worlds Analyse – Myths Reflect – Stage Direction
P 16
Scene Extract 3
Discuss – Scale | Gesture Investigate – Focus
P 17
Scene Extract 4
Reflect – Contrast: Myth vs. Reality
P 21
Scene Extract 5
Create – Surreal Dream | Podcast Series Present – Group Performance Analyse – Interpretation Reflect – Dramatic Meaning
P 24
Key Dramatic Question
What does the ANZAC tradition mean to you? Stimulus for New Work
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Š 2015 by Karla Conway Notes prepared by Karla Conway for Canberra Youth Theatre. Images used in this kit remain the copyright of their owners. 26