UPDATED version looking at GCSE Drama - The Crucible and production elements, with a question to attempt for my students.

1. Week commencing 23-03 Y9 Drama
Welcome
• This week we are going to focus on
the 9 mark Director question.
• This question focussing on
production elements and how
they might be used to bring the
extract to life.
• The extract from The Crucible we
are focussing on is from Act III
• There will be tasks to try to do and
then to attempt the question
under timed conditions.
You will need:
• Your exercise book
• Pen and ruler
• A copy of the text if you have one,
otherwise you can read the extract
in the following pages of this
presentation.
• Digital Theatre Plus

2. Director focus: The 9 mark question
There are specific choices in this extract for
a director.
As a director, discuss how you would use
one of the production elements below to
being this extract to life for the audience.
Choose one of the following
Costume
Lighting
Props and stage furniture
You should make reference to the context
in which the play was written and first
performed.
Note that you are a director, even though this
question seems to be about design.
Make sure that you only choose one element,
and no more. If you change your mind cross
out what you have done and start again. Refer
to the audience in your response.
Remember the context of the 1950s we looked
into at the start of this unit of work? This is
what inspired Miller to write the play as a
comment on how the Government were
carrying out their own ‘witch-hunt’ for
communists. To refresh your mind see the later
slide on context.
This is worth 9 marks, so we need four examples
and a comment on how your choices reflect the
original context of the play – the 1950s, not 1692

3. Lets look at how we might be able to use these elements in this extract. Check the extract in this
presentation, then copy this table out.
LIGHTING COSTUME Props and
Stage
WHAT
HOW
WHY

5. Lets look at how we might be able to use these elements in this extract. You can use these examples or
create your own. Don’t know some of the terminology? Look it up online!
LIGHTING
We can look at lighting first in more detail now.
Remember this question is concerned with the extract, but some
production elements will be used throughout the Act as well, such as
Costume.
WHAT
I would use a light blue, steel
coloured wash
I would also use two high angled
spotlights with a gobo of a
window frame in them
I would use lighting at a low
angle with a warmer colour
such as light straw
HOW
This would be cast across the main
area of the space at a level of
around 60%, enough to illuminate
the action taking place.
This would create two long
corridors of light playing from
upstage to the downstage, on
stage left and stage right, with the
shadows of the window frame
such as leaded glass, or a cross
shape.
This would be directed on
stage from upstage right
where there would be a door
leading to the other rooms.
This would cast backlight onto
characters such as Herrick and
Hathorne who remain upstage
for most of the extract
WHY
The choice of colour would be
chilling to the Audience, making the
experience more tense for them and
more uncomfortable
Miller includes two high windows
in his stage directions, but this
would also give the impression of
the meeting house being of
significant height and a place of
great importance in the
community.
Casting them in shadow
makes us focus on the main
action taking place between
Danforth and Proctor, which is
where the Audience should be
looking.

6. A reminder of the Context in which this
play was written and first performed.
• In the 1950s, US Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that
communists and Soviet spies and sympathisers had
accessed the United States, and he started a campaign to
discover them. While there were some spies in the US at
the time, thousands of people, who were guilty of simply
having political ‘left-wing’ ideas, were accused of being
communists. They faced high profile trials, often without
enough evidence. Many innocent people lost their jobs and
went to prison. The trials caused a lot of fear in the United
States.
• Arthur Miller saw similarities between McCarthyism (often
referred to as a ‘witch-hunt’) and the Salem witch trials,
and wrote The Crucible as a metaphor for what was
happening at the time. Audiences would have been aware
of the McCarthy trials and would have quickly understood
that the play was an attack on the US Government and the
Establishment.

7. Next steps
• Following my example of lighting,
complete the planning table for the
other two production elements.
• Consider how each element can
bring the extract to life for the
audience, helping them understand
meaning and significant moments
perhaps in the scene.
• Next lesson we will work through
structuring an answer and
including the context in our
responses.

8. Welcome to Lesson 2
• In this section you will attempt
the 9 mark question – under
timed conditions if you wish,
and then submit your responses
to me via email for marking.
• You will need:
• Access to Word
• Your student email
• My email address
• Your table where you have
considered how to bring the
extract to life using several of
the production elements.

9. Student emails
• Really simple this. Your student email
is comprised of:
1. The date you started at school
2. Your name
3. Then
@students.stratfordschool.co.uk
• E.G. a Y9 who started in 2017 would
be
• 17jbloggs@students.stratfordschool.co.uk
• Remember when you email
work to me, it should be in the
form of a word file which you
have named, and the filename
includes your name
• e.g. jbloggs 12 mark question
• I can then mark it and send it
back to you via the same email
address.

10. Lets look at how we might be able to use these elements in this extract. You can use these examples or
create your own. Don’t know some of the terminology? Look it up online!
LIGHTING
We can look at lighting first in more detail now.
Remember this question is concerned with the extract, but some
production elements will be used throughout the Act as well, such as
Costume.
WHAT
I would use a light blue, steel
coloured wash
I would also use two high angled
spotlights with a gobo of a
window frame in them
I would use lighting at a low
angle with a warmer colour
such as light straw
HOW
This would be cast across the main
area of the space at a level of
around 60%, enough to illuminate
the action taking place.
This would create two long
corridors of light playing from
upstage to the downstage, on
stage left and stage right, with the
shadows of the window frame
such as leaded glass, or a cross
shape.
This would be directed on
stage from upstage right
where there would be a door
leading to the other rooms.
This would cast backlight onto
characters such as Herrick and
Hathorne who remain upstage
for most of the extract
WHY
The choice of colour would be
chilling to the Audience, making the
experience more tense for them and
more uncomfortable
Miller includes two high windows
in his stage directions, but this
would also give the impression of
the meeting house being of
significant height and a place of
great importance in the
community.
Casting them in shadow
makes us focus on the main
action taking place between
Danforth and Proctor, which is
where the Audience should be
looking.

11. Costume
As with any extract, I should know where in the play it is, (location) what is
happening (plot), and how I might use a production element to enhance this
to the audience. With Costume, I will want to consider the following:
• Who is involved?
• What social status are they?
• What contrasts are there between characters?
• What similarities are there between the groups on stage?
• What conditions may show changes to costumes – has character’s
circumstances changed which would be reflected in the costume?
• I can consider both the context of 1692 here, for example what materials
costume is made from
• AND I have to comment on how my ideas reflect the context in which the
play was created and first performed.

12. Key word Bank - Costume
• MATERIAL/FABRIC
• CONDITION/WEAR
• SIZE and FIT of the clothing
• COLOUR
• LAYERS
• EMBELLISHMENTS – meaning small
additions to the item
• SHOES and BOOTS
• HAIR and FACIAL HAIR
• MAKE UP on face or body
• CONTRAST
• You could create revision cards on
each of the production elements to
enhance your use of specific terms
used in Drama.
• This would be a great use of time
during this current situation.

13. Lets look at how we might be able to use these elements in this extract. You can use these examples or
create your own. Don’t know some of the terminology? Look it up online!
Costume
Four examples needed, plus the context comment, which is next.
WHAT
This extract takes place in
the court house of Salem.
Firstly I would use colour in
my costume designs to
bring this extract to life.
Secondly the choice of
material would also help
show the differences
between the two groups.
Mary Warren would wear a
headscarf during the extract
Parris and Hale would
wear a white neck-scarf
underneath their black
shirts and jackets.
HOW
The characters of Proctor,
Giles and Francis would
wear clothes all from a
colour palette of Greys,
Browns and Dark Green,
with either brown or black
boots. The court officials
such as Danforth and
Hathorne meanwhile would
be in mostly black clothing.
I would use materials such
as heavy cotton for shirts
and wool for trousers of
Danforth, Hathorne and
Parris but use a lighter
weight cotton and leather
for the garments that are
worn by the farmers.
This would be a dark grey or
black colour and conceal her
hair completely, in the
manner of Puritan women of
the time
Hale’s would be slightly
less neat than Parris and in
a slightly different style.
WHY
This would show a contrast
between the two distinct
groups. Black is a severe
and harsh colour, reflecting
how Danforth treats
everyone in the play.
The richer members of the
community would be able
to purchase clothing made
from better materials. This
would highlight
differences in the
characters on each side of
the court.
This would give historical
accuracy to the scene and
add to the realism I am
creating, and also create a
contrast between her and all
the other male characters on
stage.
Whilst both are ministers
they are very different in
their attitudes at this
point. Hale is doubting his
actions so his lack of care
in his attire would help
show this to the audience.

14. Key word Bank – Props and Stage Furniture
• CONDITION/WEAR
• COLOUR
• MATERIALS USED IN CONSTRUCTION
AND WHY
• CONTRAST or COMPLIMENT the
costume design
• SIZE
• Be PRACTICAL to use on stage
• LOCATION of the action
• TIME PERIOD in which the play is set
• STYLE of the production
• STATUS of the characters
• You could create revision cards on
each of the production elements to
enhance your use of specific terms
used in Drama.
• This would be a great use of time
during this current situation.
• More on P59 of the Revision Guide

15. Lets look at how we might be able to use these elements in this extract. You can use these examples or
create your own. Don’t know some of the terminology? Look it up online!
Props and Stage Furniture
Four examples needed, plus the context comment, which is next.
WHAT
This extract takes place in
the court house of Salem.
We know that this extract is
outside of where the court
is in session, in an ante-
room.
Because Danforth has
ordered the court to be in
session by this point in the
Act, Herrick would be sat
at a table
Although there would be
little furniture in space, I
would have a larger chair
included.
Herrick would also have a
book and quill at his table
HOW
Therefore I would have a
number of tables with chairs
stacked beside or on the
tables,
This would be fairly
modest in size and
constructed from wood, as
all furniture at the time
(1692) would have been.
This would have a higher
back than others, and arms. It
too would be constructed
from wood, but a darker
wood with more detailed
carving in the backrest, such
as a Christian cross.
The writing implements at
the time would be quill
and ink; he would take
regular dips into the ink
pot as he writes down key
parts of the proceedings.
WHY
as if the room is unprepared
for the meeting to take
place here.
He is the clerk of the court
so being seated at a table
recording evidence would
make his position clearer
to the audience
Clearly a higher status chair,
this would be used by
Danforth when he sits to hear
evidence. Although this
happens later, it’s presence
on stage is an indicator of his
high status.
He is ordered to open the
book of record by
Danforth and this would
demonstrate this to the
audience, adding to the
weight of evidence being
considered here.

16. ‘You should refer to the context in which the
play was written and first performed’
• Essentially
this means
adding a
comment
which shows
your
understandin
g of the
1950s and
McCarthyism
.
• Here are
some
examples:
• This highlights the contrast in status between the ordinary
working men and women who were brought before Senator
McCarthy and members of the US Government in the 1950s
• OR This reflects the suspicion that Arthur Miller himself was
subjected to during the McCarthyism trials
• OR I would aim to echo the pressure innocent people were
subjected to when they were accused of being Communists at
the time the play was written
• OR In this way the audience would remember that people in
the 1950s were also accused and sentenced without hard
evidence, but based on here say and rumour
• OR This would isolate the accused, in the same way that
Arthur Miller would have felt when facing questions by the
HUAC (House of Un-American Activities committee)

17. Written task
• Plenty of information there then,
hopefully enabling you to attempt the
question yourself.
• Email me your response in a word file
• I will send back your marked work and
record your progress in a spreadsheet
so we can keep up our records and
track your progress.
• DEADLINE for this is Monday 30th
March.
There are specific choices in this extract
for a director.
As a director, discuss how you would
use one of the production elements
below to being this extract to life for the
audience.
Choose one of the following
Costume
Lighting
Props and stage furniture
You should make reference to the
context in which the play was written
and first performed.