Analyzing Tension in Drama Texts

The video tutorial addresses the challenges students face with unseen drama texts in exams, focusing on the West Australian Curriculum. It explains the marking key for literature exams, emphasizing that reading is only part of the assessment. The tutorial provides strategies for analyzing drama texts, starting with surface-level questions and moving to deeper analysis by identifying tension. A case study of 'Red' by John Logan illustrates these strategies. The video concludes with a recap of the process, encouraging students to develop interpretations by understanding tension and its implications.

What is the main challenge students face with unseen drama texts?

• Memorizing the text

• Identifying the characters

• Finding things to say about the text

• Understanding the plot

What is the purpose of the video tutorial?

• To help students with close reading of drama texts

• To teach students how to memorize drama texts

• To provide a summary of famous plays

• To discuss the history of drama

In the marking key, how many marks are allocated for the reading of the text?

• Eight marks

• Six marks

• Seven marks

• Nine marks

What is more important than getting the reading entirely correct?

• Retelling the text

• Ignoring the text

• Advancing a reading

• Memorizing the text

What should students focus on first when approaching an unseen drama text?

• The characters' costumes

• The action of the scene

• The length of the text

• The author's biography

What type of theater involves actors speaking directly to the audience?

• Classical theater

• Presentational theater

• Realistic theater

• Representational theater

What is a reading in the context of drama texts?

• A summary of the plot

• A conversation about ideas or literary concepts

• A list of characters

• A description of the setting

What is the difference between tension and conflict in a scene?

• Conflict is between characters, tension is within a character

• Tension is always negative, conflict is positive

• Conflict drives action, tension provides dramatic techniques

• Tension is visible, conflict is not

In the example analysis, what is the setting of the scene?

• A school classroom

• A public park

• A theater stage

• A New York apartment

What is the main source of tension in the scene analyzed?

• Rothko's frustration with society's appreciation of art

• The costumes of the characters

• The setting of the scene

• Ken's lack of artistic talent