Sugarland - Arts Centre Melbourne

Transcription

Teachers’
Resources
SUGARLAND
Arts Centre Melbourne presents Australian Theatre for Young People’s
TOUR PRODUCED BY PERFORMING LINES
Prepared by Sam Mackie
Years 10 - 12
artscentremelbourne.com.au
Sugarland
Teachers’ Resources - Written by Sam Mackie
About - Sugarland & this resource
Sugarland is a challenging piece of youth theatre. It has to be. It deals openly with the actions
and reactions of 5 teenagers struggling to make the right decisions under clouds of instability
and, for some of them, despair. The language is brash and yet honest. Their actions are
sensitive in one moment and senseless in the next. They act and react, sing and shout, hurt and
heal. Ultimately, the play offers us hope but provokes into asking how we can and should help
‘fix the river’.
These notes have been designed using the key skills and knowledge for VCE Drama (closely
allied to Outcome 1.4) as a scaffold, but hopefully they expand further in to the curriculum,
especially in the exploration of some key themes and ideas.
The Australian Theatre for Young People’s (ATYP) own website - http://www.atyp.com.au/2016sugarland-national-tour provides a terrific series of resources that should be your starting point
to these Starting Points:
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LEARNING – a valuable teaching resource that explores issues and dramatic
possibilities that would be useful before seeing ‘Sugarland’
THE KATHERINE PROJECT: KICKING UP DUST – 4 minute video that discusses the
project that inspired the making of ‘Sugarland’.
THE LIFECYCLE OF SUGARLAND – 20 minute video traces the development of
Sugarland, including interviews with the 5 young actors about their characters and the
director and writer reflecting on key themes and hopes for the production.
THE PLACE, THE PEOPLE, SHAME – three short videos accompanied by a study
guide containing snippets of interviews with the people of Katherine, talking about the
town, the people and some of the pressures teenagers experience.
WRITER’S/ACTOR’S/DIRECTOR’S PERSPECTIVE – three short videos that are what
they suggest.
THE BIG ISSUES – important video and pdf download that helps you talk through some
of the challenging issues in ‘Sugarland’.
LINGO – brief video and pdf glossary of the ‘Lingo’ of ‘Sugarland’.
This is a wealth of background material that I have not sought to replicate. It offers insightful
exploration of themes, ideas, processes and characters. It deals with key issues in a
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professional way, offering important links and points of discussion. Teachers should consider
these carefully.
With this document I have endeavored to provide assorted approaches that can be the building
blocks for further dramatic exploration, be it in the study of this play – ‘Sugarland’ - or the
development of the students’ own work – what I have dubbed ‘Otherlands’. Teachers should
critically study them to decide on the merits and relative complexity of each task: both in human
development objectives and art form objectives.
As with all theatre, what happens one night may not happen the next; that’s why we love it.
Consequently, some descriptions may vary to the students’ experience. That’s a good thing too;
it encourages them to focus on their own recollections and interpretations and challenge mine.
These are not the answers. They are just one person’s gathering of materials and ideas,
combined with his reading of the play and performance. The aim is to give everyone a few
starting points. There is so much to this production. I am sure there is so much more for your
students.
Cast members (L-R) Dubs Yunupingu, Narek Arman, Rachael Coopes (and writer), Elena
Foreman, Hunter Page-Lochard, Michael Cameron. Courtesy of ATYP website:
www.atyp.com.au
All production images in this document, unless acknowledged separately, are screenshots
courtesy of ATYP and Tilt Vision’s Vimeo production.
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About – The Australian Theatre for Young People
Image courtesy of ATYP website - http://www.atyp.com.au
ATYP was established in Sydney in 1963 and is now acknowledged globally for the theatre it
produces. It has been the starting point (how many times can I reference this in these notes?) for
many significant Australian actors, writers, directors and designers. Their vision is a simple and
powerful one:
To empower young people, unleash their potential and raise expectations of
what theatre with young people can achieve.
Click on the link below to visit their website and watch a short promo that offers a bit of an honour
board at the start.
http://www.atyp.com.au/about
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About The Writing And Making Of ‘Sugarland’
Sugarland is written by Rachel Coopes and Wayne Blair. Its genesis was in 2011, following the
‘Kicking Up Dust’ Katherine Project, when they embarked on a series of residencies – where an artist
moves into a particular community and their work is inspired by and for that community – around the
schools, community centres, health sentres and sporting groups of Katherine. The aim was to create
a story that would capture what life was like growing up in remote towns like Katherine.
“What started as a football play became a boxing play became a play about a singing competition.”
(Rachel Coopes – ATYP interview).
Coopes interest was in creating a place where the diverse characters that inhabit the microcosm that
is Katherine could be drawn together, and where these implausible friendships could happen. She
found it in a singing competition.
Whilst she recognised the potential heaviness of the issues and actions that emerged from the
residency, Coopes wanted this play to be light, funny and offer hope. At the same time, for Artistic
director Fraser Corfield, it had to invite the audience to find meaningful connections and for them to
be provoked to think and, if needs be, act.
It was presented in 2014 to the community of Katherine before being premiered at the Old Town Hall
Ruins as part of the Darwin Festival, under the direction of Fraser Corfield and David Page. It went on
to win the 2014 Sydney Theatre Award for ‘Best Production for Young People.
The script can be purchased from Australian Plays.org:
https://australianplays.org/script/PL-183
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About Theatre for Young People
The place for young people in the theatre is an intriguing one. It certainly feels like other areas of the
Arts has recognised how voracious adolescents are for their cultures and their experiences to be
explored and represented. Young Adult fiction has gone from a small shelf at the back of a bookshop
to one of the leading sources of book sales. Think ‘The Fault in our Stars’, ‘Divergent’, ‘and The
Mortal Instruments’ series. The film industry has known this for a lot longer and the rites of passage
genre has branched into so many other cross fertilisations, be it ‘Twilight’, ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘The
Hunger Games’ (all originally books). Television, music and the world of graphic novels and comic
books have always targeted the adolescent audience, providing the energy and imagination of
escapism, or in contrast, the honest truths about what it means to be in your teens. So what of the
theatre?
Teenagers have always been in thereabouts in the theatre, be they sons, daughters, lovers or
burdens. Romeo and Juliet were only fourteen. Biff and Happy were barely out of school (or re-living
them) and … But theatre written and produced for a teenage audience? The history of youth theatre
in Australia seems to begin and remain with the ATYP, but this is very much a Sydney experience. In
Melbourne the landscape has been dominated by St Martin’s Youth Arts Centre and Arena Theatre
Company, however there are other strong independent examples, especially in in some rural centres.
Adelaide’s Windmill Theatre Company has been able to tour other parts of the country with some of
their material. Aside from these groups the exploration of the teenage experience mainly presides
with the Theatre-in-Education circuit, with small scale productions that deal with everything from
cyber-bullying to Road Accident trauma. But this is a case of theatre for adolescents, not necessarily
by adolescents.
It is rare that theatre emerges specifically from and for the teenage experience. Yet the immediacy,
intimacy, energy and technological potential of the theatre makes it an obvious avenue for expression.
‘Sugarland’ is absolute. It has emerged from the voices of Katherine’s youth and manifest in the five
central characters: Nina, Erica, Jimmi, Aaron, and Charles. The language, the actions, the risks, the
troubles and frustrations, the laughs, the tears, are all very real. Many people will be concerned with,
even confronted by, the material but it is more important than ever that we give their voices a
platform: a stage, where they can be revealed, shared, discussed and where appropriate addressed.
Surely that is what the theatre is for.
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About - VCE Drama And The Key Terms And Ideas
Below is an extract from VCAA Study design for Drama (2014 – 17) which highlights the skills
addressed in the study of professional productions like ‘Sugarland’.
Even if you are not studying VCE Drama specifically these key terms and ideas offer an important
scaffold for the exploration of any show.
VCE Drama Unit 1 – Key skills allied to analysing drama performances by others:
Key skills
• evaluate the performance and expressive skills used to communicate character to an audience
• identify and evaluate the effectiveness of conventions, stagecraft and dramatic elements and how
these have been used to enhance a performance
• evaluate the performance styles based on how conventions, dramatic elements and stagecraft are
used in the performance
• evaluate the use of performance skills and the actor–audience relationship
• use the language of drama appropriately to describe and analyse performance.
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Starting Points – about ways of writing & telling in Sugarland
A geographical Exposition
Sugarland is embedded in time and place. Nina, a 15 year old Aboriginal girl, opens the play with a
kind of geographical exposition that is both expansive and personal, an adolescent scene setting:
We’re going south. (BEAT) South on the highway from Darwin. Straight towards Tennant. Takes
about three hours. Two and a bit if Kane’s driving. (ANIMATING AND POINTING TO DIFFERENT
PLACES AS SHE TALKS ABOUT THEM, PAINTING A VISUAL PICTURE FOR US.) Go past
Litchfield over there, waterfalls and crocs. Adelaide River pub’s got that dead, stuffed buffalo from
the Crocodile Dundee movie. Pine Creek, Uncle Frank and his mob are there, working the mines.
Bit further, Edith Falls and Nitmuluk. Then you got Rockhole, that’s the closest community to town,
everyone living there comes from somewhere else, staying with family cos they’re meant to go to
school. Binjari, on the other side of town’s the same, Rupert, Jimmi, and their mob staying with
Aunty Maev. There’s this teacher at school, Miss Crown, and it’s her job each day to go round
looking for everyone who hasn’t gone to school that day. Her car comes in, and everyone runs off.
Town hall on the left, by the river, as you drive in. My family used to live there, right where that
building is. Katherine Bridge, where Johnny’s mum jumped off. Djilpin Arts next to KFC, across the
road, that Coffee Club. Maccers down on First Street. Boxing ring here on Giles street. You go
straight through the centre of town, a bit further, you see the skate park, pool and the Y on your left.
RAAF base is about twenty minutes up there. Barunga and Beswick a coupla hours off the highway
that way. Ngukker’s a bit further, about six hours by car. Gets cut off half the year during the wet.
Katherine hot springs... shits all over Mataranka. Pub in town, all the windows are black, never seen
what it looks like inside. Target and Woolies- the Woolies here makes more money than any other
in Australia. Probably cos of the bottl-o. And this is Katherine Hospital. Cadel Evans was born here.
The guy with the yellow shirt.
It is a piece of direct address. She speaks to us, the audience. She paints a visual picture for us.
Sugarland - Discussion:
Discuss the merits of opening the play with this. Was it a clever way to orientate us in time and space?
How does it normally happen in most plays?
What else does Nina do while delivering this monologue? What do you think is the significance of this?
Prac – Sugarlands
Look up/download/photocopy/sketch … just get yourself a map of the Northern Territory:
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Mark in Katherine, Tennant Creek, Adelaide River, Edith Falls and Nitmuluk, Rockhole, Binjari
…
Based on the opening monologue create a ‘map’ of Katherine, dropping in all the features in
Nina’s monologue and arrows in the directions of all other places (eg. Binjari – 2 hrs ->)
‘Boringer than K Town? (p17).
Role-play – comparing adolescent lifestyle:
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In pairs, take on the roles of Nina and Erica, each trying to convince the other of the merits of
city life versus regional life.
Get one of your own class to enter the conversation and take on the voice of your
neighbourhood.
Where does your neighbourhood sit in the spectrum of lifestyles?
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The RAF base. Erica cuts loose with Penny when asked about life as a RAF base kid:
Erica - I live in a compound the equivalent of the Truman show. I could walk around the base
stark fucking naked screaming “rape me bitches” and no one would touch me. Kids leave their
fucking bikes at the bus stop no locks, nothing, just leave them there. They come back seven
hours later and they haven’t moved. Haven’t been touched. It’s fucking Disneyland. What is
going to happen to me in Disneyland? The pool might not be clean enough? Someone might
not have wiped down the exercise machine after use? The vending machine might break
down?
Discussion points:
Why do you think Erica react so strongly to an environment that seems to offer security and privilege?
Is this an adolescent thing?
What do each of the other characters think of their environment? What do they love or hate about
home, school, the town, out of town, the weather, the air-conditioning?
What about you? Discussion the merits and pitfalls, benefits and frustration with living where you live,
as a teenager. What is the perfect adolescent place (A Truman for teenagers)?
Prac/s – Otherlands
The Exposition – setting the scene of your own adolescence
Improvisation - Picture Postcard (an oldie but a goodie): assuming the class is from the one
‘neighbourhood’ (this could be a suburb, region, town, district) - get them to build their own
geographical exposition. Otherwise, a conglomerate one could also be interesting.
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Begin with the teacher or one student enunciating a similar ‘establishment shot’ (a more filmic
term) that places your place in context:
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We’re going south. (BEAT) South on the highway from Darwin. Straight towards
Tennant. Takes about three hours. Two and a bit if Kane’s driving …
Then, one by one students build a three dimensional postcard of their ‘neighbourhood’, just
like Nina does. The enter saying something like, ‘ My name’s Sam and … I’m the Anderson
Street Hill where every skater hangs out after school.” … “I’m Trev and I’m The Milkbar on
Tooronga road run by John Peslis’ mum and dad, where we always try and get free aniseed
balls or sherbert bombs.” Then they freeze in some sort of representative tableau. Kids can –
and should build and join off each other. The aim is to paint a big picture of the geographically
adolescent landscape.
When everyone is out there just keep going. Kids can de-tableau and re-tableau in a new
geographical feature. Do it till the run out of ideas.
o It’s useful to have a scribe who documents everything they come up with. They can
just make a list or convert it to some sort of visual map-landscape.
o Remind them that this is about their landscape, not Melway’s or Google Maps.
Individual task - your own geographical exposition.
Script work - Just like Coopes has done for Nina, her friends and the audience, write one for you, your
friends and the landscape of your childhood or adolescence. Aim for about 300 words. Set the scene.
Give your place a sense of value.
Add in connections to other characters in your world: ‘…where that kid in Grade two got hit by a bus
and why I always use the lights now.’ or ‘…where Nick Gregoriou first pashed Linda Tabart in Grade
6, and told everyone about it.”
Act work - Test it out in the drama space. Read it to the class. Then, bring the world to life as you
map-act it out for the audience, Help them see the various locations by ‘seeing’ it yourself. Use as
much of the room as you can.
Alternative – swap your scripts. Give it to someone else and let them turn your real world into their
own imagined landscape.
Ensemble script work – gathering the best bits.
As a group try and form a collective exposition that could be the opening to your own ensemble piece
– your own ‘Otherland’. It could draw predominantly on one piece and take snippets from others or be
a blancmange of the best bit from all of them. At some stage one or two students will need to take
ownership of the task.
Sugarland - Discussion: Telling Tales
On discovering the wound on the back of Nina’s head four of our quintet share tales of misfortune
that, perhaps, bring them a little bit closer. It is the simplest form of storytelling in theatre: one person
telling it to others.
Can you remember what happened to each of them?
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Nina – brick to head
Aaron – being shot
Jimmi – car crash
Erica – nearly drowning
Discussion points:
Discuss the nature of the accident for each one of them.
Why use this type of storytelling in the piece?
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Does it tell us something about them, or their situation?
Which ones are self-inflicted?
Which ones are a product of their environment?
Here is the full version of Erica’s tale:
Oh I nearly drowned once. I was staying with my cousins in Sydney. And there’s this beach
there, and these, like, rocks with a cliff face. And you have to walk around all these rocks and
then you get to this cliff face with a big drop. And the waves come and go, like, in sets.
They’re really big and full on and then there’s a break in them. And you jump in on the break.
It’s really scary. You have to time it. Anyway, they were all like, “go now”. And I was like, “no,
it’s not the right set”, cos you know, the waves were still big and not stopping. And they were
like “go, hurry up” and so I just went and I knew it was wrong but I just jumped in. And it was
like I was in a washing machine and couldn’t press the stop button and I was being slammed
up against the rocks and dragged out and slammed again and I couldn’t breathe. And then
everything went black. I don’t remember anything after that. But apparently then the waves
went quiet and someone jumped in and dragged me out and June’s brother is a nipper so he
knew CPR and he resuscitated me. And then they made me go for a swim down at the beach,
just so, you know, like getting on a horse again when you fall off.
Prac/s – Otherlands – Your Turn
A tale of woe
In class share stories of injuries, accidents, pain & operations. Try and capture the setting/s, the
characters involved, the physical and emotional sensations. The really good storytellers should aim to
start with their exposition – setting the scene – then build up the tension of the story to a climax before
a worthwhile resolution and denouement (what we learn from the experience).
If interested, turn it into a performance task where each student develops the telling of the tale with
one chair, one prop and one bit-part fellow student actor. Keep it under 3 minutes.
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Sugarland - Discussion: Taking Risks
JIMMI
There’s this cave, big one, I’ll take you there. Down the river. You
gotta swim across and then there’s a small small crack to get in. Inside, there’s all
these bones. My ancestors. Sometimes when I have smoke, I go there, lie with
them ancestors. Lie in the bones. Feel what death’s like. Paintings on the wall.
Like coming home.
SILENCE. ERICA CAN FEEL HIS PAIN. THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER.
You ever choked before?
P62
It must be incredibly challenging for a playwright and any actor to capture the internal
struggle that might drive someone to some form of risk-taking that is potentially so
destructive.
Again, I do not seek to discuss this with any authority; there are some terrific resources
on ATYP’s website referred to earlier. Rather, I am interested in how we respond to this
as an audience and creators of drama.
Break your class up into 5 groups. Each group is to discuss one of the character’s stories
in ‘Sugarland’:
Nina
Erica
Jimmi
Aaron
Charles
Using these prompts report back to the class on how risk-taking plays out in his or her
life. It is important that students connect what they think to words said, actions taken, and
then what can be interpreted.
Prompts:
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What sort of risks we either see happen, see the after effects of, or hear talked
about. How do we find out about them?
What do you think drives them to this sort of behaviour?
What are the consequences?
What support do they get?
How hard is it for Penny to help them?
What do you see as the future for them, after ‘Sugarland’? Is there a sense of
hope?
Penny – (to Erica) you’re here for five minutes, and you think you have any idea
about how messed up things really are. You come into my office, and tell me it’s
my fault someone didn’t sing in a singing comp and I have to fix it. Are you
kidding me? It’s one step forward, two steps back. That’s the reality. All of us, and
I mean all of us have to start taking steps. That’s you, Erica. I’m doing my bit. If
you are so pissed off with the world, what are you going to do about it?
Sugarland - Discussion: Otherlands - Taking Risks
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Risk-taking for many of us is much more about a bit of fun, a thrill, a dare. But it can be a sign of
something more.
Chair Thermometer:
Imagine the room is a scale from one end to the other, from 0 – 1, where 0 is little to no risk and 1 is
very high risk.
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Begin with your own behaviour. Ask each student to suggest a form of risk-taking, preferably
something they have experienced, but it doesn’t have to be. They can talk of reckless
moments (joyriding) or something they do regularly (boxing).
Get them to place themselves on the ‘thermometer’. Do others agree? Discuss and debate.
What are the risks and the consequences? Why do they do it?
Now ask 5 specific students to imagine themselves as Nina, Erica, Jimmi, Aaron or Charles.
Ask them to place themselves as human risk factors on the thermometer. Invite three
students to be Penny and the rest to be themselves. Discuss the placement of each of the
characters.
Prac/s – Otherlands – It’s Only Natural … Not
Sugarland is incredibly honest and real in its portrayal of some of these risks, especially the choking
scene between Jimmi and Erica. But is it the only way?
Improvisation – break the class into small groups. Each one is to choose a form of risk-taking – it
could be the same ones we witness in Sugarland. Challenge them to theatrically ‘imagine’ and
present the experience; to express the sense of fear and adrenalin and drive and destruction and
danger and sense of self and the world around them: all heightened through sound, movement,
action, stillness, manipulation of time, light and shadow, words and silence, … any way stagecraft,
dramatic elements, performance and expressive skills can capture – what you imagine to be - the
experience.
It is important talk out these ideas before enacting them do
Sugarland – Discussion: Otherlands - There’s More To This Story …Isn’t There?
NINA - This boy he goes down the river and he’s playing, he’s happy. His playground is really
beautiful. He’s fishing, makes his spears, he’s a good hunter this boy. He has everything. Plays all the
time. Has a canoe. His family is all there and he’s never alone. And then one day he goes down to
this river, and this river is brown, muddy, like your coffee. And he stands there and goes...“Something
is wrong, the floods been through and the water should have cleaned itself, but it’s still brown. Why is
it still muddy? I have to look where it’s going wrong, this river. This river is not happy.” How can we fix
it? All the rivers are important. All rivers. One river. How we gonna fix country?’ (p41)
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This is a story Nina tells – to us - halfway through the play while she sits next to blood-stained sheets
in the crisis centre. At the end of the play the story is repeated, only it is longer with cockatoos and
brolgas and kangaroos, and involves the whole cast
What is the point of this story? What message lies there? Who is the boy and who is the river?
What changes in the second version? What has been introduced and how does that tie into the play
we have just seen?
Is there a sense of hope or hopelessness in the play?
Stories like this are often muddy, like the river. The message is not always clear. If the writer wanted it
to be that way, maybe she would have been plainer, more direct.
Why do you think she offered us a story like this?
What does it remind you of?
Prac/s – Otherlands – Your Own Allegorical Rivers
An allegory is a ‘story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about
human life’ (Merriam-Webster dictionary). It is an extended metaphor.
What are some famous allegories you know?
George Orwell used a farm…. To portray the story of communism in Russia (Animal Farm)
Dr Seuss used Yooks and Zooks who buttered their bread differently … to portray the Cold war crisis
(The Butter Battle book).
Brecht used the Chicago Vegetable market to tell the story of the rise of fascist Germany (The
Irresistible Rise of Arturo Ui)
Turn the world – or some adolescent part of it - into something metaphorical: a river, a box of
chocolates, a soufflé, a game of football, a shopping trip, Christmas, or some Seussian alternative
world. In small groups come up with a simple allegory (or a fable if preferable) that explores some
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aspect of adolescent existence: the pressure of growing up, looking after the planet, the pressure to
conform, body image, being individual, the rise of social media.
Don’t over complicate it. See it like a simple almost children’s story, with a simple message or
question.
If you like what you come up with, take it further and bring it to life as a scene, using anything from
shadow puppets to full sized actors, song and pantomime to Brechtian Epic theatre.
Share it with the class. Discuss how important it is to make the message clear or leave it a little
‘muddy’.
Edited thoughts from Rachel Coopes on the final story (listen to the video to get a
better picture)
“The final monologue is a search for hope … told to her … a twist on a tale – a country that’s
a bit broken … hand it back to the audience .. no idea what the answer is .. it’s just where
we’re at .. so what are we going to do? … both sides of the river … both destroy the river … a
boy who wants to fix it.
Writer’s thought … he wants to fix it!
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About – Style, content and language in ‘Sugarland’
Realism and selective realism: in most forms of drama, be it for film, television or the theatre, we seek
to create a sense of realism. That is, we want to create the impression of real, complex,
psychologically driven characters playing out a part of their lives, be it in a familiar or unfamiliar world.
We try to understand who they are (their characteristics), what their (given) circumstances are, what
drives (motivates) them and how they fit in and relate to the people and the world around them (status
and relationships). Their lives are played out in real but edited time, where we take out the bits that
don’t really matter for the story and the audience’s understanding.
Realism in the theatre would place these believable characters (even believably fantastic characters)
in real settings with real costumes and props, to the sound and light of their real world, although
certain aspects of this might be ‘heightened’ a bit to help add to the mood or understanding of what’s
going on; think romantic music or soft lighting over a lover’s kiss.
Selective realism in the theatre goes a bit further. More often than not the acting and the characters
remain rooted in reality. But, not always. There may be scenes or moments where a character steps
out of the real world and shifts into something heightened: something poetic, dreamlike, a memory, or
perhaps directly engages with her audience. There are so many interesting ways this can happen, but
the play is still dominated by realistic ‘fourth wall’ acting.
It is the same (and perhaps more so) with stagecraft. Often to highlight certain ideas or simplify the
telling, the stagecraft becomes ‘selective’. Rather than create whole spaces around them, places are
suggested with only objects or furnishings that matter; enough to help place the characters. The same
can be achieved with costume, props, lighting and/or sound, emphasising elements of the situation
rather than recreating every bit of it. This can be especially useful when the narrative moves
frequently in time and place (be it chronologically or not).
Sugarland sits comfortably under the selective realism category (but do not fuss too much about
whether you think it is realism or selective realism, just be clear in describing what you see and hear).
The characters and their scenes are grounded in the everyday realities of the people of Katherine, the
adolescents that storytellers Rachel Coopes and Wayne Blair researched into. Every scene and every
character is utterly believable, sometimes frighteningly, confrontingly so. Their language is raw,
sometimes brash, riddled with the bravado, anger, jargon and cultural references of this adolescent
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existence. They move and sit and dance and fight and stare and cry and swear and sigh and laugh
and lie, all with honesty.
It is the practicalities of producing this script on the stage and telling this story that means the acting is
almost wholly realistic, whilst some of the stagecraft has become selective.
Sugarland - Discussion: Why So Real?
Below is a series of discussion starters. You could work through all of them or some of them.
Students could focus on one and lead a forum discussion with the class (or they can always write it).
Enjoy. Engage. Enrich your thinking.
Not so real:
Look back over the play. Look for scenes – or episodes within – or elements within it – where it wasn’t
real anymore, where the wall was broken, or something about the world was heightened. Describe
them like the example below, including why it may have been done that way.
Eg. The opening scene – direct address. Nina talks to us as she describes the journey to, in and
around Katherine, whilst scattering sand from a bucket. She maps it all out in the space. It’s like the
sand becomes the whole landscape and she ‘sets the scene’.
So Real:
What is it about this play that feels so real to you? The content? The characters? The way they
speak? What they do? Discuss what makes ‘Sugarland’ more real than other shows you may have
seen. Dissect it. Then discuss why that may have been so important for this production, for the
intentions of the writers and directors.
Talking Real:
The language of Sugarland doesn’t leave anything out. Coarse language seems to sit easily within the
script. Discuss the importance of leaving the expletives and brash talk in. What does it bring to the
production? Could it work without it? Could you do a play about your adolescent neighbourhood and
forego it? Is it an inherent part of the way teenagers speak?
Extension – Discussion/Prac – Explore The Expletive
Discuss the different reasons and motives for swearing. It can be a way of releasing rage or just
another way of saying ‘ummm’. It can be funny or stupid, powerful or inane. It can be a noun, a verb,
an adverb and an adjective. An interjection. An exclamation. Why is it so prevalent in the
contemporary idiom?
Improvisation – in small groups ask them to create a single scene where expletives are used in as
many different ways as discussed. You might need a location where assorted characters come and
go e.g. a 7-Eleven store.
Now repeat the scene without the expletives, finding other ways of representing the same intentions.
Repat your initial discussion: how important is it to have ‘the real thing’ in a script that explores the
adolescent experience.
Real Issues:
Sugarland challenges us to face up to some confronting issues and behaviour that have arisen from
extensive research into a particular group of kids in a particular place: sniffing, teenage pregnancy,
sniffing, drinking, self-harm, drug-taking, choking … various forms of risk-taking.
None of these issues are unique to them. They are national concerns. Does it make it more real to
have a play that deals with this stuff so overtly? How do you think this play and production have
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handled them? Discuss the importance of presenting these issues on stage. Is it the right forum?
What are the advantages of doing this with live theatre? What might be the dangers?
What Did You Really Say?
As a microcosm of cultures Katherine creates a setting that opens up diversity of language. Think of
some of the indigenous expressions Jimmi shares with Nina and his mates. Think of Aaron’s song.
Think Erica and her city-street smarts.
Beyond this the vernacular of adolescence dominates the conversational landscape of Sugarland. It is
unique and ever-changing. We bring in new language all the time, or change the meaning of certain
words for our own means. On top of that are the cultural references that are so specific to a
generation (even subsets to that generation).
Think back through the scenes of Sugarland (or go through the script if you have one). Look for
different examples of patois (another word that means something similar) that is quite specific to
those that are in conversation. See how many types you can find.
Eg. P25 – Scene 4A – Charles and Aaron at Charles house – the language of ‘GTA5’ and gamespeak.
Or, if it’s simpler, build and present a glossary of language that belongs to this group of teenagers,
and give each one your definition.
Eg. P1- scene 2 – Erica ‘Totes my fave’ – abbreviated way of saying that it is your absolute favourite.
Rachel Coopes talks about wanting to get the language right: testing it out on the youth of Katherine
so it didn’t sound like adult-speak. Did she get it right? Discuss how real the voices of the five
adolescents were for you in Sugarland.
Extension – Prac – Say That Again?
Improvisation:
Break the class into groups of 2-3. They need to be formed on the basis of a particular vernacular. Eg
The skate-park. The football field. Social media. Independent music scene. Fantasy games. The
stock-market.
First: create a scene that is over-run by the vernacular of the situation. Eg 3 surfers sharing their
weekend experiences at 3 different locations.
Second: for comic effect, do one of the following:
•
•
•
Repeat the scene in perfect received English
Add an SBS translator
Use it to have a conversation that belongs in another world. Eg 3 mothers talking about
babies in surf-speak. A political conversation about union negotiations which is in fact about
dealing with two primary aged children (The Federated Under Tens and Massed Five year
Olds – thanks John Clarke).
Discuss the merits of ‘heightening’ language beyond reality and why you might do that for your own
ensemble piece.
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Sugarland
About – Stagecraft in ‘Sugarland’
In the discussion of stagecraft we are referring to how, aside from acting and direction, stagecraft
such as set, props, costume, make-up, sound, lighting and multi-media might contribute to the
context, atmosphere, characterisation, style and/or mood of the production.
The tasks and activities below are designed to explore each stagecraft’s contribution to ‘Sugarland’
and how students might play with it themselves.
Sound
A simple way to breakdown the use of sound is to consider it in much the same way it is studied in
film: dialogue (the voices of the characters), sound effects and soundtrack.
Dialogue
Nothing is done to heighten the voices of the characters in ‘Sugarland’. They are raw, unamplified,
even when narrating, storytelling and singing.
Sugarland – Discussion
What reason can you think of for the director not to enhance any of the voices in the production?
Otherlands – Discussion
Can you think of examples from other productions (or film/television) where the voices have been
enhanced, amplified, distorted, and processed in some way?
Prac
Experiment with reading out one of the following pieces through some form of sound mixer (try the
music department, your mate’s band or some pretty handy app’s) to see how pitch and volume
modulation, delays, reverbs and other effects affect the impact of the words:
•
•
•
•
Nina’s opening exposition
Erica’s drowning anecdote
Nina’s closing story
Your own equivalent for any of these.
Sound Effects
These are noises beyond the spoken word that are made and played through pre-recorded devices or
live on stage, using objects or the actor’s own voice.
Sugarland – Discussion
Below are some of the sound effects referred to in Coopes’ script.
For each of them describe:
a. How it was created in ‘Sugarland’
b. How it contributed to the scene’s mood, context (where and when) and/or style (selective realism)
Sounds:
o
o
o
o
o
The noise of the Binjari (p1)
Dogs barking (p2)
Wild donkeys screech (p2)
Laughter, a party (p2)
Penny’s phones (assorted)
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Sugarland
o
o
Rain coming down heavily (p81)
other sound fx heard across the show.
Prac
•
•
try using your own voices to create any of the sounds listed above.
Come up with other possible sounds that could add to the mood or context (or even themes)
of specific scenes in ‘Sugarland’.
For example, Penny’s car when she goes out looking for Jimmi. The outback sounds of heat
and rain to match scenes between Jimmi, Nina and Erica.
Test them out as other students play out the dialogue.
Soundtrack
Songs can exist within the world of the play or beyond it. It can be an inherent part of the world – like
Jimmi calling out for Rupert to play ‘that Jay-Z song’ or for the audience only (like the sinister cello
music in ‘Jaws’).
In ‘Sugarland’ the music is critical to the story. It will connect and bind Nina and Erica. In the broader
narrative Nina, Charles, Erica and Jimmi all plan to enter the music competition. Hence often what we
hear comes from their earphones or some other device within the world of the play. Not only that but
we hear Nina, Aaron, Erica and Jimmi sing all or parts of a song, perhaps their song. Clues to their
characters?
Sugarland – Discussion:
Below is a list of the songs referenced in the script.
•
Where and when it was heard and how we heard it (sung live/pre-recorded)
Discuss the function of each song. Again, did it:
•
•
•
•
•
Provide a clue to a character?
Help establish the context?
Set or change a mood?
Enhance the style?
Highlight a theme?
Is there a ‘vibe’ to this set of songs? To what degree do they connect the culture of these Katherine
adolescents with other cultures?
You may need to listen to the song again and access the lyrics (some are in the script).
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Nina’s earphones - Stronger – Kanye West – p1
Binjari - How Am I supposed to Love you? – Michael Bolton – p4
Binjari - Jimmi - Brooklyn Go Hard - Jay-Z – p5
Erica’s earphones - Classroom – Da Club – 50 cent – p6
Charles (Aaron mocks) – ‘Baby’ – Justin Bieber – p9
Discussion about ‘No Church in the Wild’ – p10
Nina (earphones) sings and Erica joins – ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ (Jay-Z) – p30
(script - Jimmi) - The Next teardrop Falls – Freddie Fender (country) – p45
Nina sings (with earphones) – ‘Diamonds’ (Rihanna) – p54
Aaron sings – Ya Tier (Iraqi trad) – p71
Jimmi (last notes) – Sweet Child of Mine – Guns’n’Roses – p72.
Erica (sings – ‘Hurt’ – Nine inch nails – sublime – p74.
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Sugarland
o
Erica & Nia (earphones) - ‘No Church in the Wild’ – Kanye West & Jay-Z – p90
Sugarland - Discussion: Sounds and Silence!
Other than through songs, are there any other occasions where soundtrack is used to heighten the
mood of the scene? Think back over scenes like the boxing or choking scenes. Describe the sounds
and the mood or feeling they evoke for you.
Were there times across the production when silence was the most powerful soundtrack? Discuss the
mood and significance of these moments.
Otherlands - What’s yours?
Find a song that might suit the arrival of you as character in your neighbourhood. It could be in the
lyrics, the music or both. Share it with the class.
Prac
Improvisation – get someone to put together a random playlist of eclectic songs (aim for songs that
aren’t already associated with a particular narrative e.g. the theme from Star Wars). Play it for 60
seconds. Working in small groups ask the students to make it the soundtrack to their scene. Give
them 3 minutes to plan and practise. Replay the song and have groups present. Discuss the different
interpretations.
Extension – specify whether it must add to the mood, context, characterisation, style or theme.
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Sugarland
Set Design (and props) … the simple use of shapes
The set designer’s job seems a simple one: build the spaces where the action of the play occurs. But
like all art forms this can be approached in a very realistic, architectural sort of way, where we attempt
to create the spaces implied in the script, or we represent the world of the play in a more stylised way.
In essence, the set designer can be influenced by:
•
•
•
•
•
The context – where and when the play and each scene is set.
The themes – where important ideas can be highlighted through the design (imagine
setting a story of war and destruction in a children’s playground to highlight the
childish nature of how and why we fight)
The moods – where the atmosphere of the play is captured through the features of
the design (think mystery thriller and you’ll be after dark corners, shadowy walls,
creaky floorboards, branches scraping on high windows).
The style – where the style of the piece dictates certain needs in the design. A
musical needs space to sing and dance.
The characters – where the locations are a reflection of the characters themselves
e.g. Mr Happy’s room versus Mr Grumpy’s.
Discussion: Otherlands What are some of the other considerations that might affect your group’s set design for an ensemble
project?
Sugarland – Discussion:
What other considerations do you think affected the design for ‘Sugarland’? To help you, look at the
list of scenes prescribed in Coopes’ script:







Scene 1 – Beswick – Night – the edge of a hospital bed.
Scene 1a – Binjari – night … it’s hot.
Scene 3 – School classroom – afternoon
Scene 4 – Youth Mission Office – night – Penny at her desk
Scene 4a – Charles’ backyard – early evening – washing line sheet –
projector (footy) – references to pool, rocks, palm trees, bbq.
Scene 5 – Youth Mission Office – morning
Scene 5a – McDonalds – night.
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Sugarland












Scene 6 – Binjari – morning (Penny in car)
Scene 7 Youth mission Office - day
Scene 10 – Women’s Crisis Centre. Bed. There is blood on the sheet.
Scene 14 – boxing training/Mission office intercut (did this happen?)
Scene 15 – the gorge – afternoon – sitting on and under the branch of a tree
(wet from swimming)
Scene 15a – school – afternoon – outside the music room
Scene 15b – Binjari – afternoon – day of funeral – by a fire
Scene 16 – town hall – evening – on stage – implied crowd
Scene 17 – mission office – day – seamless transition
Scene 18 – Binjari – afternoon
Scene 19 – Youth mission Office – evening – Rain coming down heavily.
Scene 20 – Cinema – night – cleaning up
Sugarland – Discussion: What We Got.\
The set for Sugarland is made up of a series of 8 simple grey/white boxes in assorted shapes, set on
a loosely defined space of sand that covers a black surface. A black cloth creates a backstage space.
Why?
First of all, this flexible arrangement of shapes enables the actors to transform the space into the
numerous locations dictated in the play’s script.
The grey/white colouring suggested both the natural landscape of the outback and the concrete
landscape of the town.
The sand transforms under lights to capture the various tones of Katherine’s landscape, especially the
red earth.
The loosely defined perimeter also combines with lighting to create the sense of a space that is both
isolated and yet carries on forever.
Sugarland - Prac
Look over some of the images in this document. Make models of the 8 shapes in Sugarland’s set.
You could use Lego, cardboard, corflute, even balsa. Place them into a simple box or space.
See for how many of scenes you can recall and construct the arrangement of the shapes in the
space. Take pictures for each arrangement so you can refer to them again (especially when looking at
how the actor’s used the space for their character).
Download the pics and label each one.
•
•
•
•
How did the arrangement of the shapes suggest anything to do with the particular settings?
Eg. The desk arrangement for the mission office, implied through the table shaped block and
two small boxes as seats.
Where did the addition of set pieces or props enhance the sense of location? Eg Two
banana lounges for the backyard beside the pool at Charles’ place.
How did the actor’s expressive skills help define a sense of place? Eg. Laying on the long flat
shapes for ‘the gorge’ as if lazing about in the sun after a swim.
How important was it to create a sense of the heat, the darkness, the weather, the time?
Aside from the set, what helped to place us in the atmosphere of each scene?
Otherlands – Prac
Creating a sense of place
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Sugarland
Collect your own set of ‘shapes’ for a prac class: you may have assorted boxes and/or rostra. You
could use a couple of stools and/or chairs with a ladder and a table a bench and a plank or two. You
could even add in ‘soft’ shapes like the odd bit of fabric.
Come with a range of assorted locations. Choose 4-5 kids at a time. Give them a location. Ask them
to construct it using the ‘shape’ kit. Once they’ve built it get them to place a group of characters into
the space and enhance it through expressive skills. Eg. Working out in a weights room.
Encourage them to move beyond the stereotype. Find more subtle and complex actions.
Do this with each group.
Invite those watching to offer suggestions and photograph or sketch the results, describing how the
students used expressive skills to develop the sense of location.
Extension: Transformation of place - Invite each group to find the most theatrically creative and
economical way to transform from their predecessor’s setting to theirs. The aim is to only use the
actor’s expressive skills in the rearrangement of shapes (not blackouts and sound fx). Eg Imagine
transforming from a weights room onto a building site.
Otherlands – Prac
Creating the weather: sometimes we ignore how the conditions we set up for a scene can add to the
mood and tension.
In group of two or set up a simple scene involving some degree of tension: Eg Looking at your
partner’s phone and finding a text message from another man/woman. Fighting over the last pair of
shoes in a stocktake sale. Firing your best mate over lunch. Hitting someone’s dog in your car.
Keep it simple. No more than 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
Get them to repeat the scene but keep changing the conditions, to see how it affects the scene. Eg It
is stifling hot and the air-con isn’t working. Thunder is threatening a downpour. It’s getting very late.
It’s an incredibly noisy public space. It’s deathly silent, early morning frost.
(They can imagine this or you could add prepared sound and/or lighting FX – but emphasise the
actor’s work)
Let them choose one (or their own alternative) and present it to the class.
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Sugarland
Discuss how creating place and atmosphere heightens the potential in any scene (including on a
symbolic level. Eg Autumnal setting – everything dying).
Props
Sugarland is selective in the use of props but they all feel very real (especially the fish).
Here are some of the props highlighted in the script:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Scraping the fish with a knife
Picture of Penny’s daughter, Chloe (p83)
Red Tail Cockatoo feather (p84)
Giant baby basket (time passing ..) p 85
Jimmi starts gloving up – p46
I-pods (p49)
Props can help bring a scene to life. They can help tell us who we are, where we are, what the mood
is; they can even highlight a particular theme or issue.
Aside from those listed above, as a class, try and collate a list of the props used in Sugarland.
Discuss which ones matter. For each of those, discuss what it added to our understanding of the
scene and/or a character and/or an important theme:
e.g.
Scene 4
Youth Mission office
Desk phone and mobile phone. Works in with script and dealing with multiple calls.
Highlights how much Penny is dealing with her own and other people’s issues, and how
one gets in the way of the other.
Prac – Otherlands
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Sugarland
To prop or not to prop?
Collect a series of props that can be the basis for simple one or two character improvisations:
teaching your son to kick a ball; playing a dodgy game of chess or cards; accusing someone of
shoplifting; writing a letter of resignation; losing your glasses; learning to juggle.
Have two different pairs play out the same scene: one with the requisite prop/s and one without.
Discuss what the use of props can bring to a scene, but also how they can be a hindrance. How
important are they when trying to create a sense of realism (see style)?
Costume
Costume is a great way to help us understand where and when we are in the world of a play (the
context). More often than not costumes embed us in the real time and place of the narrative.
Sometimes they are designed for something more fantastic, more stylised, more imaginative. This is
not the case with Sugarland and given how much the play is grounded in the raw, honest truth of the
world of 5 adolescents in and around Katherine, it is no surprise.
The starting point (there it is again) for so many actor’s development of their character for the stage
comes from deciding what they wear. We easily judge people by their appearance; far quicker than in
any other way. Costume decisions can help the audience to make quick judgements about character,
but can also help them delve a bit further into the more subtle and complex aspects of any
personality. It can come from the choice of item, but also then in the materials, colours, symbols (think
t-shirt logo), cut, age, cleanliness, fit, ‘in’-ness, and the way the character values it. It not only helps us
understand that character but also how they fit in the broader world of the play.
Sugarland - Discussion: What’s That You’re Wearing?
Break the class into 5 groups, giving each one a character: Nina, Erica, Jimmi, Charles, Aaron. Get
them to describe what they wear from head to toe, analysing what we might interpret about them from
their costume/s, including the following consideration:
•
•
•
•
•
Practicalities (hiding, revealing, impressing, the weather, …)
Any changes of costume across the play (or lack of, and what that might suggest), on or off
stage (think Aaron’s bullet wound).
How they wear them
How they fit into the overall costume scheme (blending, standing out)
Accessories.
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Sugarland
Encourage students to discuss how costume can work on more overt and, at the same time, more
subtle ways, in suggesting ideas about characters.
Prac – Otherlands
The overt:
Improvisation: start with a piece of costume on every chair around a circle, more than one for each
student. Go for everyday wear: overalls, football scarf, apron, AC/DC t-shirt, business jacket, floral
hat, flannelette shirt, gumboots, etc.
Get each student to don the item on their chair. Ask them to assume a suitable character and parade
once around the perimeter of the circle. When they return to their chair they place the item back on
the chair and move one to the left. Repeat the exercise, working around the circle as many times as
you want to. Keep it pacy so the students make quick decisions about each character, including
status, characteristics and given circumstances (see acting).
Discuss which characters evolved from each piece of clothing? Discuss how quickly we assume ideas
about characters based on their costume. Discuss how this can work for and against what we do in
Drama?
The subtle –
Discussion or improvisation:
Imagine every actor on stage, for a show about a range of characters from your neighbourhood, was
to wear a white school/business shirt and plain black pants. What subtle changes could you make to
suggest qualities about a particular character? For example, sleeves rolled up above the elbows
might suggest someone ready to do the hard work to make something happen. Dirty collar and cuffs
with unkempt hair might suggest a negligent home environment. Come up with a range of possibilities
or, better still, try them out.
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Sugarland
About – Characters and actors in ‘Sugarland’
“These kids have nothing in common. They are juxtaposed.” – p6.
In one of the interviews with Rachel Coopes she talks of trying to find a way to bring these five
disparate characters together. In Nina, Jimmi, Aaron, Erica & Charles she has been able to distil so
much of Katherine’s adolescent voice. In Penny (a role she was not originally intended to play but
does so with such empathy) she has captured the hope and challenge that lies in wanting to help
them.
In Drama we are interested in looking at both sides of the coin: the character and the actor. A big aim
for every student is to be sure when they are discussing one or the other.
When looking at the character I like to look for these aspects:
•
•
•
•
Characteristics – physical (Jimmi’s hand), emotional (Aaron’s optimism), psychological
(Erica’s resentment), mental (Nina being in the ‘smart class’). There are others – spiritual,
social, cultural …
Given circumstances – where are they in life right now and what has got them to this point?
Status & relationships – how they see themselves in relationship to others (and how the
others see them), specifically (Jimmi’s relationship with Charles) or broadly (Penny’s
relationship with all of them, Erica’s relationship with the world)
Motivation – what is driving them at the moment, immediately and long-term, be it to get
somewhere to live, win a contest, avoid making any decision, or get a girl’s phone number.
When building a character the actor’s starting point is the script. They look for stage directions and
dialogue that offers them clues, be it from their own character’s mouth, what other characters have to
say about them. They begin with the facts and gradually fill in the gaps through script analysis,
improvisations, discussions with the director and other actors, and further research (listen to the
actors talk about visiting Katherine in one of the ATYP videos).
Sugarland – Discussion/Prac: Building A Profile
At the end of this document are assorted lines, directions and occasional summaries of action for
each of the characters. There are plenty more to be gleaned from the script.
Break the class into 6 groups and give them each one character (or the teacher could do Penny).
Each group is to take on the role of director. They are to build a character profile for their individual.
Using the terminology as a scaffold they are to summarise their character’s role in the play, including
what happens to them from start to finish. The rest of the class is to listen as if they were potentially
auditioning for that role. They may ask questions to clarify (and help) build our understanding.
Sugarland – Discussion/Prac: Building Relationships
In a play like this where the portrayal of relationships between all five characters (and those outside it,
including Penny) is central to the narrative and themes of the play, everything the actor does needs to
be truthful. Each relationship needs to be seen as organic: changing, growing, deteriorating,
evaluating. The actor must be considering this at all times, not just when they are speaking their lines.
Think about scenes like those in the classroom or down at the gorge where they are surrounded by
the rest of the group.
A Relationship spider-chart: is one way of considering the progress of each friendship. There are
different ways you can map out the friendships. One is to nominate your character: draw a horizontal
line (representing the time span of the play). Every other character is represented by a different
coloured line of ‘web’. Track a web-line above or below the line - heading steeply or slowly down or
steady or whatever – to match the events of the play e.g. When Nina and Erica first meet the progress
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Sugarland
is slow, mainly driven by Erica’s effort. So, as Erica, I might put a slowly ascending blue line. When
Aaron enters and tries to charm his way in, it fails, so his green line is heading down quite steeply.
Later she cares for his injuries so the journey of the line must have slowly worked its way back up.
You could do this individually or as a class through a collective discussion, with web-designers for at
the board transposing the ideas of the class into a graph.
Below are more activities for exploring the relationships between characters whether for Sugarland
analysis (with thanks to the RSC Shakespeare Toolkit for Teachers). They are also useful for building
your own ensembles.
Circle Blocking - play on relationships between each of the characters: create a circle of – say – 15
chairs.
Discussing the narrative of Sugarland – place five actors in the circle at the start of the play, according
to how they see the relationships between the five characters before the play starts. Get another
student to describe what happens in a given scene. Then invite the students to move themselves
anywhere in the circle according to how they perceive changing relationships. Eg Aaron takes a fresh
interest in the new girl – Erica and plants himself next to her. What does she do? Work your way
through the script, inviting opinions from inside and outside the circle (swap students if needed). Note
how they finish up compare to how they started.
Five point chase: - all characters act out a scene have a choice of five moves within a space: to
stand still, step towards another, step away, turn their back, to turn towards. The moves must be
made in the moment. They must be instinctive to the scenes.
This is a great thing to do with a script you have access to before seeing the performance. If you have
access to the Sugarland script, use this as a way of exploring the relationships between specific
characters in a given scene. Eg Scene 23 – the classroom. Then compare this with what you see.
Chair Thermometer – (version 2) – this is a great way to explore actor-audience relationships, and
how we respond to what happens on the stage.
Place a chair in the middle of the room to represent one of the characters (you could put one student
there). Eg Jimmi. Ask the students to place themselves around the edge of the room. Now invite them
to stand closer to or further from the character according to their response to them. Eg. Absolute
sympathy and understanding = beside the chair in the middle. No regard for whatsoever = outer
perimeter. Invite students to explain their position. Allow other students to shift if they respond to what
they hear. The student representing the character can plead their case too (although Jimmi may not
bother and push kids away with his attitude). Encourage them all to use moments from the play to
justify their position.
Conscience Threes: – placing the character between opposing arguments for their actions. This is
terrific way for students/actors to explore and justify their character’s actions on stage (their
motivation).
Break into groups of three. Each group represents a character. Erica, for example, sits or stands in
between the other two. They represent two sides of her conscience, two sides of the argument, a sort
of angel/devil cartoon characters sitting on his shoulder type thing. Then discuss various actions and
reactions across the play, arguing or questioning key moments and decisions: Eg You need to stop
sniffing … you should be nicer to Charles … why do you even bother turning up to talk to Penny? …
What was choking like?
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Sugarland
Extension - Wants and Tactics – agree on the ambition (motivation) for the character - what they
want. Eg. For Charles – to impress Erica. For Jimmi – to avoid doing anything. Get the conscience
‘sides’ to suggest how it could be achieved – they must use specific verbs of action: flatter, beg,
compromise, rage, threaten …
Stop – think: This is another form of thought tracking for characters and relationships. It can be done
while reading the script or moving through the scenes of the play. It is most effective as a type of
script analysis, early rehearsal task, but can work as a form of post-show analysis too. It is a terrific
way to keep thinking about what is going on for a character in the moment. It can give new life or
meaning to a line or the space in between.
Set up a scene from the play allocating any student to each role. Get them to start acting out the lines
and action. At any stage someone from outside the group can call out ‘Stop-think!’ In that moment the
stage action freezes and one or more characters are asked address the audience to explain what that
character is thinking. With that in mind they continue the scene. Where the actor is unsure suggestion
can be made.
In the case of Sugarland the questions could really focus on what they are thinking about in terms of
themselves and/or one or more of the other characters.
Otherland – Discussion/Prac: Making Friends
Where have friendships emerged for you?
Discuss how you met some of your closest friends, especially in circumstances outside school.
Forming new friendships is a dense landscape and ideal for dramatic exploration, especially given the
comic and dramatic tensions that are at play.
Speed-dating: this is a fun way of either building new characters or developing the relationships
between newly created characters for an ensemble piece.
Set up a series of speed dating tables – in a line with chairs on either side. Set everyone up ready to
meet their first date. They have four minutes to try and share as much of themselves (their character)
whilst trying to discover what they can about the other person. It should be helter-skelter, whilst at the
same time awkward. With every rotation through the group, hold on and discard what works in the
building of our character. Find their voice, their physicality, their given circumstances, their
characteristics, their motivations.
Round 2 – the slow date. Pair up with another character where there was an interesting dynamic (the
teacher or students could decide on this). Agree on a circumstance on where these two might meet
(the idea of a date is just the name of the activity. It could be two Star Wars obsessed people meeting
at a convention, trying desperately to make a friend). Play out the scene for all the dramatic and
comic tension that the scene offers. Refine it and present it to the class. Clue – silence can be as
powerful as words.
Sugarland – Discussion/Prac – The Actors
With a strong understanding of each character we can now look at how the six actors have brought
them to life on the stage.
Here are the key terms we concentrate on in senior Drama:
Expressive skills:
29
Sugarland
• Voice: focusing on projection, verbal and vocal sounds of different pitch, tone or duration; working
with language, colouring words, emphasising verbs, accents, tone, placing the sound in different
chambers of the body (chest, throat, mouth, nose) .
• Gesture: using the body or body parts to represent objects or creating meaning through body shape
and action.
• Movement: exploring the ways actors move through space to communicate characters.
• Facial expression: discovering how subtle, real and exaggerated expressions communicate
meaning.
Performance skills
• Focus: the ability of the actor to commit to their performance and the ability to sustain character
through the use of concentration. Focus can also be used to create an implied character or setting
through manipulating the audience’s attention towards a specific place or object (even something in
their own mind). The manipulation of focus can assist the actor to develop an effective actor–
audience relationship.
• Timing: Used to control or regulate the pace of a performance. Timing can be manipulated in drama
to build dramatic tension, evoke feeling, coordinate effective synchronisation within an ensemble and
develop the comic potential of a scene.
• Energy: the intensity an actor brings to a performance. At different times in a performance an actor
might use different levels of energy to create different dynamics.
• Actor–audience relationship: the way in which an actor deliberately manipulates the audience’s
emotions, moods and responses to the action. This can be done through the placement of the
performer in relation to the audience, the way the actor addresses and engages the audience, and the
emotional and intellectual response to the character’s situation.
Analysis –
Break the class group up into 6 groups, one for each actor.
Using the character details at the end of this document, discuss, describe and document two or more
examples for each of one actor’s expressive and performance skills. The same example can highlight
multiple skills.
Save and share this document with the class.
The interview:
Prepare an interview with your actor, as if for some talk-show situation.
One person is the interviewer. They will ask questions designed to illicit the actor’s responses and
informed by these key terms. The interviewee must be able to recall and describe key moments from
their performance, looking for clear descriptions of their skills at work. Other members of the group
become the film clips. They recreate moments from the play that the interviewee discusses.
This is an extended task that will require a period to prepare, but is well worth the time and effort.
Initial questions can focus on the character before moving into the actor’s work. Asking the questions,
giving the answers and recreating the moments is a valuable way of embedding the students’
understanding.
Enjoy.
Extension – The Dramatic elements – Hall of Fame
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Sugarland
Below are the key dramatic elements applied in VCE Drama.
Give one to each pair or small group.
Invite them to read the definitions below. Then, ask them to apply the ideas gleaned from across all
the other activities to present a case as to why their dramatic element is critical to all drama, using
‘Sugarland’ as the only resource.
Present these back to the group. Form a panel of experts who judge the merits of each case.
The Dramatic elements:
•
Climax: The most significant moment of tension or conflict in a drama, often occurring towards
the end of the plot. Multiple climaxes and/or an anti-climax can also occur. The action of a drama
usually unravels after the climax has transpired but the work might finish with a climactic moment.
•
Conflict: generally occurs when a character cannot achieve an objective due to an obstacle.
This obstacle may be internal or external – between characters or between characters and their
environment. Conflict can be shown in a variety of ways, for example through physical, verbal or
psychological means. Conflict can be embedded in the structure of the drama.
•
Contrast: presents the dissimilar or opposite in order to highlight or emphasise difference.
Contrast can be explored in many ways and can include contrasting characters, settings, times,
themes, elements, stagecraft and performance styles.
•
Mood: the overall feeling or emotion that a performance can evoke. This may be achieved
through manipulation of acting, conventions or stagecraft.
•
Rhythm: is a regular pattern of sounds, words or actions. Performances can also have their
own rhythm that can be influenced by the emotional nature of the plot, the pace of line delivery, the
pace of scene transitions, and the length of those scenes and the dialogue within them.
•
Sound: is created by the performer through the possible use of voice, body percussion and
objects to create an effect in performance and enhance meaning. Sound may include silence or the
deliberate absence of sound.
•
Space: involves the way the actor/s use/s the performance area to communicate meaning, to
define settings, to represent status and to create actor–audience relationships. This may be achieved
through the use of levels, proximity and depth. The use of space may be symbolic.
•
Symbol: is used to create meaning that is not literal. Symbol allows performers to
communicate ideas and themes through words, stagecraft and expressive skills.
•
Tension: is the suspense that holds an audience’s attention as a performance unfolds. The
release of tension can have a comic or dramatic effect.
31
Sugarland
Nina
AN ABORIGINAL GIRL, NINA, 15, SITS ON THE EDGE OF A HOSPITAL BED. NINA OOZES
NATURAL CHARISMA BY HER WILLINGNESS TO SHARE. P1
Song – Kanye West – stronger
‘Family shit’ … ‘can’t stay here. Can’t go home.’
Boyfriend – Kane
‘Least I know who my dad is ..’ (Charles)
Works at cinema …
Me and twelve other people livin’ in a one
bedder (p26)
Penny – ‘Can I put “family violence” on the
form?’ (p29)
-
She likes her a lot but knows not to trust
anyone (p29)
I’d hate to live in the city (p31) …
Ambition – ‘Get a house.’ (p32)
Jimmi – ‘You in the proper class now … (doesn’t
want to be).’ (p33)
You got a baby … Nah I don’t (p42)
My family’s been here forever. Used to live on this land (p50)
Aaron - Why do you want to go back down to the dumb class? It took you and I so
long to get to the normal class. Nina - I just wanna be with my friends. It’s just me and them balandas
in that other class (p70)
Aaron – Seriously. You’re smart. You’re hot. You’re awesome (p70) – compares with sister in Iraq.
Penny – ‘The voice of Beswick’ (p73)
(to Erica) – We’re not the same (p74)
I’m serious Erica. I dunno why you do that. Life’s just hard. You gotta learn to deal with it.
32
Sugarland
Jimmi
‘He’s a cauldron … He torches himself in the most subtle ways to make him think “I’m strong” …
afraid to shine.
‘Defining the cockiness and cheekiness by just throwing away the lines … elongating the sounds at
the beginnings of words
‘You smoke too much of that Gangs’ (Nina – p2)
They lookin’ for you at school … let ‘em look.
I can’t go to school. My hand. … can’t play footy
any more (excuse) (p18)
‘ … burnt your bridges with the mechanics and the
tourist centre, an apprenticeship isn’t an option
(p18).
Jimmi comes out. He is sparked from alcohol
(p35).
Penny (on Jimmi’s circumstances): He doesn’t turn
up. Not once. So Maeve gets fined and loses all
her payments, marches into my office, throws the
notice on my desk and tells me I’ve gotta pay it.
Because, you know, it’s my job to get him to go to
school. I mean the amount of time I’ve spent on
this kid, even just the admin just to get a uniform,
you know what it’s like. Anyway she’s got thirteen
kids under her care. A woman in her sixties. Her
old man loses it and now she’s in hospital. So I’ve
gott head over there once I’m done here (p37).
Sees choke marks around his neck (p44)
Charles (on Jimmi) - I would be too if I was aboriginal and I was allowed to get trained and groomed
to be an AFL star with Clontarf. Except I’d make the most of it, I wouldn’t fuck it all up.
Nina – Jimmi’s dad died. But he doesn’t want to talk about it. (p55)
Car crash – (p59) – drunk, gunga, stolen car (asleep), crash, hand crushed, non-writing hand.
There’s this cave, big one, I’ll take you there. … Inside, there’s all these bones. My ancestors.
Sometimes when I have smoke, I go there, lie with them ancestors. Lie in the bones. Feel what
death’s like. Paintings on the wall. Like coming home (p62)
(to Erica)You ever choked before? (p62) … (exploding) it’s just a fuckin’ game! (p65)
Charles – He’s bad news. … you’ve got no idea of the epic fuck-up he really is (p66)
Day of the funeral (Dad’s)… Jimmi is passed out, he’s been drinking and smoking (p69)
(Jimmi and Nina) - They smile. Friends who have known each other a lifetime (p81)
Erica – how’s your baby daddy? … he’s never gonna change, eh?’ (p88)
Erica
WE SEE ERICA, 15, A RAAF KID, SITTING CHEWING GUM AND READING “THE FEMALE
EUNUCH’ BY GERMAINE GREER, WITH IPOD EARPHONES IN HER EAR (p6)
33
Sugarland
WE CAN HEAR 50 CENT “DA CLUB” BLASTING THROUGH ERICA’S EARPHONES AND SHE
MOVES A LITTLE TO THE MUSIC. (p6)
You’re the new rebel RAAF chick who doesn’t talk to anyone (Aaron p8)
ERICA GETS A CAN OF DEODORANT FROM HER BAG, OPENS IT, SPRAYS SOME INTO THE
UNIFORM AND SNIFFS IT HARD. SHE DOES IT AGAIN TWICE MORE (p10)(p56)
You should marry your phone. You seem to like it more than you like anyone else (Charles – p11)
ERICA GIVES HIM A DEATH GLARE.
All over. Melbourne originally. Last few years was
Canberra.
(RAAF Base) … ‘Can’t stand being there …
fucked up little world … my brother’s a little shit.
Dad’s neve here. And I don’t talk to Mum.’ (p31)
‘I’m not going to end up like her. Married and
trapped.’ (p31)
Ambition – Travel. Some big, crazy exotic city …
I’ll buy a ticket and fuck off.
Penny – Must be hard having to settle into a new
social circle every few years.’ (p39)
Jimmi – no wonder you’re hot, you got all them
clothes on.
I nearly drowned once … (p60)
Jimmi – You’re beautiful. Like country. … Serious.
You act all tough. But you’ve got a good heart.
JIMMI MOVES TO HER AND TAKES HER
HAND. TOUCHES HER SLEEVE. SHE PULLS IT
AWAY. HE STOPS AND THEN GENTLY TAKES
IT AGAIN. VERY CAREFULLY, SLOWLY ROLLS
HER SLEEVES UP. SHE IS COVERED IN
LITTLE SCARS ALL DOWN HER ARMS. SOME
NEW CUTS TOO.
JIMMI - You like death.
Nina - You’re some rich kid tryin’ to belong
somewhere you don’t. Doin’ this comp so you can
go on a fuckin’ holiday … You get everything in life handed to you and you spend your time cutting
yourself? (p73).
(Penny on Erica) - You’re here for five minutes, and you think you have any idea about how messed
up things really are (p77)
Nina – (to Erica) Stop fuckin’ cutting yourself (p88).
34
Sugarland
Charles
CHARLES, 15, A TOWN KID, PLAYS GAMES ON HIS PHONE.
CHARLES IS A NERD, TRYING TO BE TOUGH AND COOL. HE IS
CLEARLY INTIMIDATED BY ERICA. (p6)
I’m gonna be a rock god (p24)
Wow. You’re right, that’s so much more social, staring at a screen next to each other not talking. Or
screaming at each other while playing Street Fighter or The Last of Us. CHARLES - We also go to the
skate park and hang out.
Fixes Erica’s phone
I wish my dad didn’t give a shit about what I did (p67)
Erica – He know you’re singing? – Don’t be stupid. He’d kill me (p68)
… and things are easier in the house when I’m winning shit …
Erica can see there’s more to Charles than she gave him credit for. (p68)
35
Sugarland
Aaron
‘Couldn’t speak a word of English three years
ago. Now you can’t shut him up (Charles p10).
Brother Khaled (p23)
I’m already bringing sexy back’ (p24)
‘… the little Iraqi kid’ (p24)
(to Erica – self-defensive (after beating) Famous.
In Katherine. I’m quite a famous boxer (p56)
I’ve been shot … when I was eight. Still living in
Iraq (p59)
(to nina) I wish I could help. I feel guilty, I’ve got it
so easy you know (p71).
AARON SINGS “YA TEIR”, A TRADITIONAL
KIDS
SONG FROM IRAQ. HE SINGS BEAUTIFULLY
AND THE SONG IS FULL OF MEMORIES.
(Nina) You got family who love you. Everything is
always goo. Everything’s happy. You’re like this
light (p72).
Nina - He’s discovered the gym … Erica - I fucking
love that kid (p88)
36
Sugarland
Penny Callow
Jimmy on Penny (not like the dickheads) - Nah, you’re alright.
Personal issues – skype appointment (psychologist) … it’d be good just to talk to someone.’ (p20)
Work v personal.
‘It’s pretty urgent, the doctor can’t change the script, we need a psych, … ‘ (p29)
‘But I decide, fuck it, I’m going to feed everyone, and I’ll suck it up when I get a massive slap on the
wrist again (p76)’
Penny (her armour starting to crack) - … I have to deliver this binge drinking thing … (p76)
You’re here for five minutes, and you think you have any idea about how messed up things really are.
You come into my office, and tell me it’s my fault someone didn’t sing in a singing comp and I have to
fix it. Are you kidding me? It’s one step forward, two steps back. That’s the reality. All of us, and I
mean all of us have to start taking steps. That’s you, Erica. I’m doing my bit. If you are so pissed off
with the world, what are you going to do about it? (p78)
37

Sugarland - Arts Centre Melbourne

Transcription

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