Modules

Module title: Acting Fundamentals II (Naturalism)
SCQF level: 07:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10
Module code: CLP07112
Module leader: Ian Dunn
School School of Arts and Creative Industries
Subject area group: Humanities and Culture
Prerequisites

none
2018/9, Trimester 2, Face-to-Face, Edinburgh Napier University
Occurrence: 001
Primary mode of delivery: Face-to-Face
Location of delivery: MERCHISTON
Partner: Edinburgh Napier University
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: Ian Dunn
Module Organiser:


Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Approach:
Teaching and learning will take place in the form of practical classes of all the students, working in groups, pairs and individually as appropriate (LOs 1,2,3,4,5). Opportunities to show work regularly in class and to see the work of other students, and to discuss work critically is a fundamental part of the learning. Full engagement in all classes is compulsory and students will be expected to contribute to the joint development of the group’s work as well as their individual learning. In addition a character ‘portfolio’ and annotated bibliography will demonstrate observational skills and underpin practical work (LO5).

Formative Assessment:
Formative assessment will consider your continual engagement with and progress on the course and the teaching. Class participation is an assessed component in this module. As with all our assessment elements, participation is assessed by the tutor who works in a small group cohort weekly and knows all the students in the tutorial group well. Student participation in workshops is assessed in terms of how they progress within the specified learning outcomes, which are transparent from the first day. Your developing skills, knowledge and understanding and your ability to work with the rest of the group will be monitored and you will receive regular one-to-one feedback from your teachers during this module and at the end of the Trimester (LOs 1-5). Classes will generally involve performance before the rest of the class, which is assessed in situ and immediately through dialogue. This continual assessment will contribute to the end of year assessment (LOs 1-5).

Summative Assessment:
Summative assessment will be based on your actual performance in closed-audience performances for which you will prepare for the last class session. The final assessment will rest on reports by teachers on the work of the year and this summative assessment. In addition your character portfolios and annotated bibliography will form part of a pattern of research and observation that relates to your practical work in class (LO 5).

Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)
Face To Face Groupwork (Scheduled) 48
Independent Learning Practical classes and workshops 102
Independent Learning Guided independent study 50
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words
Discussion/Participation 50 1-5 2 HOURS= 0, WORDS= 0
Practical Skills Assessment 30 1-5 14 HOURS= 0, WORDS= 0
Portfolio 20 3,5 14 HOURS= 0, WORDS= 0
Component 1 subtotal: 100
Component 2 subtotal: 0
Module subtotal: 100

Description of module content:

This is the second in a series of modules designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of acting theory and provide practical workshop sessions for exploring the application of theory in varied contexts. While the actual texts and settings will be focused slightly differently in each of the modules, the work will always concentrate on the relationship between acting and psychology, acting and emotion, acting and character, acting and cognitive processes, and the many ways in which traditional theories of acting have responded to the question of how actors prepare and perform. Techniques for inspiring imagination and play will be at the heart of the work, and you will be developing the first steps toward creating acting that is engaging, believable and sustainable in varying contexts. The workshops will focus on collaborative exploration, and on learning from both doing and evaluating. You will learn to work with fellow students and on your own to develop complex, believable short scenes that will test your imagination and creativity. You will gain knowledge of some key approaches to acting in both live and recorded media, and develop the ability to think critically about the ways in which acting theory has developed over the last century.
You will begin to learn how to integrate your acting, voice and movement work, starting each day dedicated to the module with a physical warm up focusing on the voice or body. You will learn specific warm-up skills that you can apply on your own, and you will learn to lead the team in physical, vocal and imaginative exercises.
You will build on your knowledge of acting theory through practical exercises and classes – particularly the works of Stanislavski, and Michael Chekhov, as you learn to approach, prepare and create engaging, complex and believable acting, using the texts of playwrights such as A. Chekhov, Gorky, Ibsen and others.

You will work on discovering and communicating psychological depth in your acting work, understanding the physical and cultural life of the plays, as well as creating a sustainable thought process in increasingly longer and more complex scenes. Work in strengthening and refining physical and vocal technique will happen alongside work on scenes. The compilation of a visual and musical ‘character study’ portfolio an annotated bibliography of research will underpin your performance work. The module will culminate in a final assessed showing.

Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to:
LO1: Apply knowledge of various acting theories and techniques, particularly in bringing to life psychological realism and Naturalist works.
LO2: Apply knowledge of various acting theories and techniques, particularly in bringing to life psychological realism and Naturalist works.
LO3: Understand how to exploit dramatic conflict to communicate elements of character, emotion, and narrative to an audience.
LO4: Work with fellow students to explore, understand and communicate in rehearsal and performance LO5: Demonstrate enhanced observational and analytical skills, particularly in conveying complex psychological character response.
Indicative References and Reading List - URL:

Recommended - BERRY, C. (1993) THE ACTOR AND TEXT: VIRGIN BOOKS, 1st ed.
Recommended - CHEKHOV, M. (2002) TO THE ACTOR: ROUTLEDGE, 1st ed.
Recommended - CHEKHOV, A. (1990) PLAYS: METHUEN, 1st ed.
Recommended - STANISLAVSKI, C. (1990) AN ACTOR’S HANDBOOK: METHUEN, 1st ed.
Recommended - STANISLAVSKI, C. & BENEDETTI, J. (2009) AN ACTOR’S WORK ON THE ROLE: ROUTLEDGE, 1st ed.
Click here to view the LibrarySearch.
 

Related information