DRA conventions

STRUCTURAL CONVENTIONS

(THESE HELP YOU ORGANISE AND CONSTRUCT YOUR

PIECE)

OVERHEARD CONVERSATION:

A CONVERSATION BEING HEARD BY ANOTHER CHARACTER WITHOUT THE SPEAKING CHARACTERS KNOWING

LETTERS, DIARIES AND DOCUMENTS:

PHYSICALLY WRITTEN WORDS USED IN A PIECE TO HELP REVEAL THE SITUATION OR SETTING

REPETITION:

REPEATING A MOMENT OR SERIES OF MOVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE PIECE

NARRATION:

EXPLAINING THE SITUATION OR ACTION BY A

CHARACTER NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED

DREAM SEQUENCE:

A SCENE "OUTSIDE REALITY" WHICH CAN REVEAL

INNER THOUGHTS OR FEELINGS OF CHARACTERS

SPLIT STAGE:

SEPARATING TWO OR MORE AREAS OF THE STAGE

WHICH ARE IN DIFFERENT PLACES OR TIMES FROM

EACH OTHER WHERE SCENES HAPPEN CONCURRENTLY

RITUAL:

HEIGHTENED OR REPEATED MOVEMENT WHICH ADDS

SIGNIFICANCE TO AN ACTION

FLASH BACK:

PERFORMING A MOMENT WHICH HAS HAPPENED BEFORE

THE CURRENT ACTION

FLASH FORWARD:

PERFORMING A MOMENT WHICH HAS HAPPENED AFTER THE

CURRENT ACTION

THOUGHTS ALOUD:

CHARACTER(S) REVEAL THEIR THOUGHTS TO THE AUDIENCE

PERFORMANCE CONVENTIONS

(THESE HELP YOU ENHANCE MOMENTS)

FREEZE FRAME:

ACTORS FREEZE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ACTION

TABLEAUX:

ACTORS POSE IN A FROZEN SYMBOLIC IMAGE

CHORUS OF VOICE:

A GROUP OF ACTORS PERFORMING THE SAME OR SIMILAR

DIALOGUE

CHORUS OF MOVEMENT:

A GROUP OF ACTORS PERFORMING THE SAME OR SIMILAR

MOVEMENTS

SOUNDSCAPE:

A COLLECTION OF SOUNDS MADE BY THE PERFORMERS TO

CREATE ATMOSPHERE OR PLACE

MIME:

SOUNDLESS AND VOICELESS EXAGGERATED MOVEMENT TO

CREATE AN OBJECT WHICH DOESN'T PHYSICALLY EXIST

SLOW MOTION:

BREAKING DOWN A MOVEMENT INTO SLOWED

EXAGGERATED MOVEMENT