Each child's story
Activity 10 – a tableau of each child's story
Syllabus outcomes
A student:
H1.2 uses performance skills to interpret and perform scripted and other material
H1.3 uses knowledge and experience of dramatic and theatrical forms, styles and theories to inform and enhance individual and group-devised works
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
In this activity, you will explore the non-linear structure of the play and how that could impact the audience's emotional engagement and understanding of dramatic coherence. Through group work, you will track each character's story in the play and examine how the play's structure enhances the audience's experience.
Materials
A copy of the play Stolen.
A surface or large sheet of paper (could also be completed digitally on something like a Jamboard which is available through Digital learning selector).
Markers.
Assumed knowledge
It is assumed that you have a working knowledge of the play Stolen, its characters and its story before completing the activity.
Instructions
You will break into small groups, and assign each group one of the 5 main characters from the play.
Remember, each of these character's experiences are based on real-life experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and The Stolen Generations. It is important to explore, reflect on and learn about these experiences with respectful conversation. You may wish to review the materials in the Respectful learning page as a class before completing this activity.
As a group, make a timeline of the journey (a list in chronological order) of your assigned child character's experiences throughout the play.
Note the key events, emotions, and shifts in time and place that they experience.
Include any important quotations of dialogue or stage direction that capture important moments in the character's journey.
At least 8 events on the timeline with at least 8 quotations of important dialogue or stage direction.
After completing your timelines, select the 4 most important moments from the timeline and use them to create 4 tableaux of the character's journey. A set of tableaux is a series of frozen images of performance, sort of like acting out each panel of a graphic novel.
Use any quotations you took from the play as voiceover for each tableau.
Perform your tableaux for the rest of the class.
After each performance, you may want to repeat your tableaux and pause to explain the choices you made in representing the character's journey visually. Note: your teacher may help facilitate this pausing and discussion.
Once all the groups have performed, discuss the non-linear structure of the play. To help with this, think about why Harrison might have presented each character's journey out of order? How does that impact our emotional engagement with the stories?
A 'tableau', otherwise known as a 'tableau vivant' or living pictures, is where people recreate one or more important moments from paintings or life through still performance. This image is a group of young actors capturing a moment of performance using movement, symbol and contrast.
Photography by Anna Warr for The Arts Unit, NSW Department of Education. 2023. Untitled image of young actors casting shadows with hands [photograph].
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.
Google. 2023. Jamboard [online learning tool]. Accessed 17 August 23. Available through the NSW Department of Education's Digital learning selector.
Harrison, J. 2007. Stolen [play script]. Currency Press.
Warr, A. 2023. Untitled image of young actors casting shadows with hands [photograph]. The Arts Unit, NSW Department of Education.