@The Arts Unit Creative Classes
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Discover the dramatic form and acting style of melodrama
Discover the dramatic form and acting style of melodrama
Student drama resource developed by The Arts Unit
Years 7 to 10 drama
What will I learn?
What will I learn?
You will:
define the performance style of melodrama and its characters
explore stock characters and how to act in a melodrama style with large emotions and gestures
discover in more depth the melodrama characters of a villain and heroine
create an aside – a dramatic technique used in melodrama
perform a scripted melodrama.
Welcome to the class
Duration: 00:28Before you begin
Before you begin
You will need:
a clear space to work in
a camera or phone to take photos and video.
Throughout this class, record your work by taking photos or videos of your performances of each activity and share with your teacher.
- Define
Watch the introduction video with Jane Simmons.
Refer to the mind map summary or the collapsible text box below to define your understanding of the performance style and characters of melodrama.
Melodrama poster.pdfMelodrama
Melodrama
Melodrama or music drama used to have live music that would accompany moments of action and had very clear characters that we call stock characters.
Over the top acting style – a bit like a daytime soap opera, crossed with a superhero film and then some of those cartoon characters.
Big obvious gestures, mannerisms and emotions used to make the characters very obvious for the audience.
Very popular type of theatre that attracted the masses in the 1800s or the 19th century, including a lot of poor people who would have have usually gone to the theatre.
Performed in huge theatres that were built for melodrama and its big audiences.
Uses stock characters and archetypes known as tropes.
Stock characters that are easily identified as a:
clear villain or baddie
hero, a champion, a brave soul
heroine, the damsel in distress that had to be rescued
hero's loyal sidekick
villain's assistant who probably wasn't very smart.
An archetype is a character that serves a particular function in a story. For example, the sick mother who needs help that puts the heroine in a precarious situation, or a father who gambles the rent money.
2. Explore
2. Explore
Activity – Big emotions
Activity – Big emotions
Watch the video 'Big emotions'.
Create the following stock emotion poses as Jane instructs you through the video:
frustrated
happy
sad/grief
desperate/pleading
fear
pride
rage
innocence
strength.
Activity – Everyday situations
Activity – Everyday situations
Watch the video 'Everyday situations' and follow Jane's instructions.
Create the stock characters from the video using big gestures and sounds, no dialogue and finishing with a frozen tableau. Use the following everyday situations:
eating your favourite food
asking mum or dad for money
arriving late for class
trying to put books into your locker
winning an Olympic gold medal
hiding from someone
waiting for a late train.
A tableau is a 'big' still image, captured in a moment of great excitement and extreme emotion.
Everyday situations
Duration: 04:493. Discover
3. Discover
Activity – Villain
Activity – Villain
Watch the video 'Villain'.
Create your villain character using the line of dialogue and following the suggestions from Jane in the video.
Dialogue: "You'll never escape me, so hand over the money or face the consequences."
Consider:
What does he look like?
How does he move or use gestures?
How does he deliver the line of dialogue?
Activity – Heroine
Activity – Heroine
Watch the video 'Heroine'.
Create your heroine character using the line of dialogue and following the suggestions from Jane in the video.
Dialogue: "I don't love you, but I will marry you if it saves my family."
Consider:
What does she look like?
How does she move or use gestures?
How does she deliver the line of dialogue?
4. Create
4. Create
Watch the video 'Asides'.
Create an aside for either your villain or heroine character.
Write the aside to reveal what they want the audience to know (but not the other characters).
An aside is when a character reveals a piece of information – their thoughts, feelings or intentions – to the audience and the other characters do not hear.
Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something the other characters do not.
Rehearse and perform your aside.
5. Perform
5. Perform
Watch the video 'Performance'.
Performance
Duration: 02:12Perform the scripted melodrama scene using the villain, hero and heroine stock characters.
Think about contrast in your performance as each character. Ensure you make it clear in your performance, who is the villain, the hero and the heroine through the differences in their voice, gestures and movements.
Melodrama script.docx
A round of applause for you ...
Congratulations!
You have completed this @The Arts Unit Creative Class.
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