Dramatic Conventions

What is stylised movement in drama?

• •movement recorded in advance and projected onto a screen during performance
• •movement restricted to the upper body only, with the feet remaining still
• ✓movement that is exaggerated or abstracted beyond everyday realism
• •movement that precisely copies the everyday actions of ordinary people

How can a performer use posture to communicate character?

• ✓Open posture = confidence; closed posture = vulnerability
• •Posture communicates the performer's fitness level rather than the character's status
• •Posture must always mirror what the director does in the rehearsal room
• •Posture only matters when the actor is speaking — it is irrelevant during listening

How does the pace (speed) of delivery affect audience understanding?

• •A faster pace always creates more dramatic tension than a slower one
• •Pace is controlled by the director using a metronome during performance
• •Pace only matters in comedy; tragic scenes should always be performed at the same speed
• ✓Too fast and words are lost; too slow and tension drops —

What is split staging?

• •alternating between two separate acts performed on different evenings
• •performing a scene twice from different characters' perspectives in sequence
• ✓showing two or more locations or timeframes simultaneously on stage
• •using a split-focus spotlight to highlight two performers at once

What is the effect of a character turning their back to the audience on stage?

• ✓It can signal vulnerability, rejection, or exclusion — and must be used
• •It communicates high status because dominant characters face away from others
• •It is always an error and must be corrected by the director
• •It is only effective in a thrust stage because the audience surrounds three sides

What is the effect of a deliberate pause in a performance?

• •A pause draws focus to the set rather than the performer
• •A pause is always a mistake — it signals that the actor has forgotten their line
• ✓It creates tension, allows meaning to land, and can signal a character's
• •Pauses are only effective in comedic timing, not in dramatic scenes