Did you make an impact?

IBDP Student Blogs, Theatre | October 30, 2015
Did you make an impact?

Recently I was working with IB Theatre students in London at an ISTA London TaPS event. We were working on the Collaborative Project and Solo Theatre Piece and playing around with the ideas of how to create theatre, but then also how to achieve our intended impact.

The students drew on ideas from productions they had seen, and explained how, in plays they had seen, the director and designer had achieved moments of:

TENSION

EMOTION

ATMOSPHERE

and

MEANING

They not only spoke about how this impact was achieved, but I also asked them to draw the space, explain the lights used and explain WHY this scene had an impact on them. Who are they? What is happening in their lives today to make THAT moment significant or moving? What is their CONTEXT?

In your own work I am sure you will find it helpful to carry out the following reflection, after a play you have seen, and answer the following questions:

  1. What were the THEMES of the play the director was communicating?
  2. What was the IMPACT of the play on me? What did I think, feel?
  3. What is a scorched moment I take away?
  4. What were moments of tension, emotion and atmosphere that I remember?
  5. How were these moments of tension, emotion and atmosphere achieved in production? What lights, sound, stillness, silence, staging, movement etc were used to achieve this?

When doing your own performance you will of course want to know if you have achieved what you set out to do. Use the questions below to help you:

  1. What is my INTENTION (I would like to create a piece of theatre that uses/applies/looks…….)
  2. What is my IMPACT (This theatre piece will make/leave the audience..)
  3. How will I achieve ATMOSPHERE?
  4. What is the MEANING I want to communicate?
  5. What are the EMOTIONS and MOODS of the piece?
  6. Where are the moments of TENSION?
  7. What does my audience need to know before they watch the performance to inform their viewing?
  8. Is an introduction needed or not?

The next thing to think about it HOW to record impact. This will be addressed in another blog.

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