Introductory notes
Director of The Seymour Centre's production of Life Without Me, Cathy Hunt, talking about the main ideas and concerns of the play. YouTube video (2016). Accessed 17 August 23.
Activity 1 – characters and setting
Syllabus outcomes
A student:
H3.1 critically applies understanding of the cultural, historical and political contexts that have influenced specific drama and theatre practitioners, styles and movements.
Drama Stage 6 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2009, p 22.
Learning intention
By the end of this activity, you will be able to analyse the introductory materials of the play to engage in critical thinking to develop an understanding of relevant artistic, cultural, social, political, and personal issues.
Instructions
Read the 'Characters list' at the beginning of the play and watch the video of Cathy Hunt, director, talking about the main ideas and concerns of the play. Extension – you may wish to read any other introductory material in your edition. For example, some editions have an excerpt from Thoreau above the dedication. Why is this and what can it tell us about the main ideas and concerns of the play?
Read the 'Setting' information on the following pages.
Share as a class, or in small groups, your first impressions of the characters and setting and what artistic, cultural, social, political and personal issues might be explored. You may wish to use this list as the basis for study notes for this unit.
Talk about the cover and what it suggests to you visually about the story of the play.
References
Drama Stage 6 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2009.
Hunt, C., and The Seymour Centre. 2016. 'Life Without Me' at The Seymour Centre [YouTube video, posted 2016]. Accessed 17 August 23.
Keene, D. 2010. Life Without Me [play script]. Currency Press.