Module: DRA5100-20 Acting and Directing

Level: 5

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Roy Connolly

Module Tutor Contact Details: r.connolly@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

This module provides you with an opportunity to extend your knowledge of acting and directing methods through encounters with a range of modern/contemporary acting and directing theories and techniques and the issues and debates that surround these theories and techniques. The module will utilise workshop based teaching strategies to explore approaches that harness the actor’s creative, intellectual, vocal, physical and movement skills in the realisation of a role for performance. In any given year, the module might typically focus on the ideas of acting theorists such as Konstantin Stanislavski, Stella Adler, Michael Chekhov, Sanford Meisner and/or Lee Strasberg.

The module aims to provide you with:

A critical perspective on some contemporary approaches to acting;

Skills in acting and/or directing and the ability to develop work collaboratively, creatively, and analytically;

The ability to critically evaluate your own process, which includes identifying appropriate research materials, to support your own insights and the taught approaches to acting/directing.

2.Outline syllabus

This module explores both the actor’s process and director’s role in an intensive, practical and detailed way, which builds upon the foundation of the L4 Drama Modules. It works with both realist and expressionistic text; firstly to secure all the necessary skills to prepare an emotionally truthful performance, in the tradition of Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Adler, Meisner et al and secondly to extend the work of realist acting in the expressionistic texts of writers such as Sarah Kane and Mark Ravenhill. You will explore the foundations of the actor’s process and the underpinning of the concept of the director, and have the option to be assessed in a directorial role or performance role in consultation with the tutor.

3.Teaching and learning activities

The module utilises a workshop-based approach to both ensemble actor-training and directorial mentorship.

Students will be given the opportunity to complete formative tasks before presenting their summative work for assessment. Formative assessment tasks will be determined by the tutor in response to the challenges of the group exercises. Summative assessment tasks will include both performance and documentation of the process, including providing evidence of character studies and director’s notes.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Written Work - Process Journal on Character Study / Director’s Notes with Research (2000 words)

• % Weighting: 40%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: Course Work

• Description: Practical Performance

• % Weighting: 60%