This document provides guidance for drama students on preparing a 14-mark question response about using a design element to bring a play extract to life. It discusses set, lighting, sound, realism vs. abstraction, researching productions, and provides a sample answer focusing on set design for an extract from Act II of The Crucible. Students are instructed to submit their own response by email. The teacher notes they will return feedback on students' devising portfolios after Easter and discusses potential future drama work depending on the COVID-19 situation.

1. Week commencing 30-03 Y10 Drama
• This week we will focus on the
role of the Designer, and the
largest question in the paper
which is worth 14 marks.
• The extract we will use is from
Act II
• As before there will be tasks and
then your chance to attempt the
question.
• Massive WELL DONE to all of you
engaging in these tasks.
• IF you know anyone else on your
course who is unable to find the
posts let them know!
• A big hello to all the visitors to
the site from around the world
too, hope you are keeping safe.

2. Example of the 14 mark question
There are specific choices in this
extract for designers.
Discuss how you would use one
design element to bring this
extract to life for the audience.
• Choose one of the following:
• Set
• Lighting
• Sound
• Although it is worth starting by
looking at the question overall,
there are several steps to take to
prepare for answering it, so we
are going to spend the first
lesson this week doing that.
• Mid-week I will update this
presentation so it includes the
next tasks, including you having
a go at it.

3. What is this question actually asking me to
do?
There are specific choices in
this extract for designers.
Discuss how you would use
one design element to bring
this extract to life for the
audience.
• Choose one of the
following:
• Set
• Lighting
• Sound

4. This is the extract taken
from P68-69 of the play.
Read it through, making
notes on the following:
The location is?
What happens in the
scene? (Action)
What has been
happening in the scene?
(context)
Try to imagine the scene
taking place and picture
the stage. What do you
see?
You could also prepare
by watching this
moment on Digital
Theatre – it takes place
at 1h 36 mins

5. How will you interpret the extract?
There are two approaches you could take:
CONVENTIONS OF REALISM IN PERFORMANCE
• Fourth wall, believable character,
motivated movement, realistic
language and voice, magic-if,
through line, beats and units of
action, objective, super objective,
emotion memory, circles of
concentration, personal object and
costume, subtext, script
analysis/annotation
CONVENTIONS OF REALISM IN DESIGN
• Realistic settings based in a
recognisable world. Staging,
Lighting etc reflects a realistic or
recognisable world for the
audience, illusion of a world on
stage, hidden mechanisms, lighting
and stage machinery, scene
changes are as subtle as possible,
sound effects are diegetic, lighting
reflects nature or uses man-made
appliances and so on.

6. Realistic design examples
• It is worth noting that of course realism on
stage is a desired effect like any other. The
audience are always aware that they are
watching a play, (consider the prologue of
Henry V by Shakespeare as an example) but
with Realism the aim was/is to create a
faithful interpretation of events and
immerse the audience into the world of the
play.
• Should The Crucible be staged like this?

7. How will you interpret the extract?
There are two approaches you could take:
CONVENTIONS OF ABSTRACT PERFORMANCE
• Abstract theatre is the idea of
representing events, situations or
feelings rather than acting them
out in a realistic manner. In
theatre, the relationship between
the actors and the audience is very
significant when it comes to
abstract drama. Physical Theatre is
a branch of Abstract or non-
naturalistic Drama.
CONVENTIONS OF ABSTRACT DESIGN
• Abstract stage design uses light,
space and props to create a
suggestive environment for a
performance. This includes using
only a few props that work to
suggest an environment, rather
than to set an environment as is
done in other stage setting
philosophies.

8. Abstract design examples
• You’ll have seen many more examples of
images such as these in my classroom. This
is probably because I prefer this style, but
also because modern productions tend to
be created in this way, depending on the
play of course and what is suitable for the
text.
• Some playwrights are deliberately sparse in
their stage directions, whereas Miller is
very descriptive.

9. The Crucible in production
• Because it is often performed, you will find hundreds
of examples of how different designers have
approached the challenge of staging the production.
• Look at as many as you can, create a mood board or
three to keep the ideas in your mind and inspire you
to answer the question.

10. Researching the elements
• It is likely that you will have already a preference for which
element in the question to write about, but lets do some work
individually to help with your knowledge and planning.
• Here is a link to the BBC GCSE Drama pages on Theatre
Design https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zn6k92p
• I want you to visit the site and read, watch and test yourself on
the topics covered there. This should take less than an hour to
complete.
• After that we will be ready to:
• Select which element we feel strongest at
• Create a What/How/Why table
• Look at a model answer
There are specific choices
in this extract for
designers.
Discuss how you would
use one design element
to bring this extract to life
for the audience.
• Choose one of the
following:
• Set
• Lighting
• Sound

11. Welcome to Lesson 2
In this lesson:
• An exemplar response
• Key word banks
• Which Act, which element?
• A model response
• Your submissions
• Beyond Easter

12. Exemplar response –
how many marks?

13. Key word banks
• KWB are essentially
lists of all the words
which link to a
particular key word.
These are also known
as ‘lexicons’
• They could simply be
designed like a revision
card with the main
word on one side e.g.
SET and all the linked
terms on the reverse.
Very helpful when
constructing the
answers in both
sections of the written
exam.
At this stage of the course Y10 should
be creating resources to help them
understand the course material and
be able later on to revise it when we
reach Y11.
This year because of the COVID-19
virus there will be significant gaps in
the curriculum.
That means that if you have the
opportunity now to get ahead with
the work and the planning, do it. This
is true for all of us in education at this
time.

14. Exemplar response –
how many marks?

15. Which Act, which element?
Act I – A room in Parris’ house
Most likely Betty’s room. Puritan furniture can be
sparse but Miller gives a good description of the
contents at the start of the Act.
During this Act many characters feature, from
different groups of society, so Costume is a good
choice too.
Throughout the scene it is getting lighter as dawn
approaches, and there are villagers assembling
downstairs and who begin a psalm – little diegetic
sound here.
Act II – The Proctors home
The main room in their farmstead, used for all
domestic activity, so many examples for both set
design and props and stage furniture here.
Lighting should help show the approach of evening
and night throughout the act, and also herald the
arrival of Mary, Hale and Cheever and Herrick as the
Act progresses.
Abstract sound is a consideration to raise tension once
the poppet has been discovered through to the end of
the Act.
When looking at design it is particularly important that students are fully aware of
where the extract is located and what the context is. This will help them to make
their choice of element. I believe there are Acts which lend themselves more easily
to some elements than others due to the location and action taking place.

16. Which Act, which element?
Act III – The Court
A room unprepared is the setting as Giles interrupts
the proceedings. Again many characters and clear
contrasts to be found in their costumes, just about
every key character features in this Act.
Less opportunity for set here than in Act II is arguable,
though props feature equally with books and quills,
various chairs and a handkerchief, glasses, and
depositions all possible.
Lighting could reveal high windows of the meeting
house, set might also suggest height with rafters or a
church window suspended overhead.
Act IV – A Jail cell
Sound could suggest the unravelling of Salem’s society
through the lowing of cows and children crying.
The set should create the dank and cold surroundings
of the place and suggest other cells – not just one.
Costume will show how Proctor has suffered whilst in
jail as his clothing will have degenerated and make up
will show stubble, dark circles around eyes and marks
on his wrists from his constraints. Hale will look much
worse too.
Lighting will mix dark blues and greens to create the
subterranean feel. Props in this Act include Herrick’s
drink and the confession signing – quill and ink,
parchment etc and a table to write upon.
When looking at design it is particularly important that students are fully aware of
where the extract is located and what the context is. This will help them to make
their choice of element. I believe there are Acts which lend themselves more easily
to some elements than others due to the location and action taking place.

17. Model answer – extract P68-69 Act II
Intro I would use Set design to bring this extract to life, which takes place towards the
end of Act II at the Proctor’s house.
Example What How Why
1
There are
specific choices
in this extract for
designers.
Discuss how you
would use one
design element
to bring this
extract to life for
the audience.
• Choose one of
the following:
• Set
• Lighting
• Sound
Key elements a set designer needs to consider
Space Levels
Materials Entrances/Exits
Colours Symbolism
Location Time

18. Model answer – extract P68-69 Act II
Intro
I would use set design to bring this extract to life, which takes place towards the end of Act
II at the Proctor’s house.
Example What How Why
1 The floor of the stage
around the proctors
home would be earth
This would be compacted around the
wooden floor of the home, with some
tufts of grass showing through in
places
Their home is a farm some five miles from
Salem, and this would allow audiences to
imagine the hardworking lives they led at the
time
2 The floor and rear wall
of the home would be
of wooden construction
Oak and Pine for the floor boards
which would be exposed and worn,
showing many years of use.
I want to show that the Proctor home may have
been constructed around forty years prior, and
wood was the principal building material
available to them.
3 A door frame would
stand upstage left. It is
open.
Unconnected to the rear wall, the door
frame allows sightlines to the rear
cyclorama and approaching characters
may be seen
The audience will be able to see Cheever
approach and stand in the doorway just before
he is noticed by the Proctors and Hale, creating a
sense of anticipation as he has come to arrest
Elizabeth as Mary has warned.
4 On stage right would be
a fireplace with a dark
oak mantle above it
This would also be freestanding,
suggesting the limit of the room but
without the need for a box set which
would interrupt sightlines
Upon the mantle would have been placed the
poppet which Cheever will discover during the
extract. This is opposite the door he has entered
from on the other side of the room.
There are specific
choices in this extract for
designers.
Discuss how you would
use one design element
to bring this extract to
life for the audience.
• Choose one of the
following:
• Set
• Lighting
• Sound
There are a total of
14 marks, so you
need seven
examples. Here are
four examples for
set.

19. Submitting
your
responses
• As before:
1. Create a word file for your 14 mark answer, making sure
you
2. Save your work with your name as part of the filename
3. Then please submit your responses via email
• The deadline is Monday 6th April
• Hope you are keeping in touch with others on the
course, please pass on the information to them so as
many of you as possible have a go at the work.
• HUGE thanks to all of you who are keeping up with your
studies.

20. AFTER EASTER • After Easter I will be in a
position to return to you
your C1 Devising portfolios.
• You will then have a 2 week
window (4 hours of Drama
lessons) in which to make
the improvements suggested
(or demanded, whichever
motivates you more) by me
to improve your mark.
• We can then see where we are as
the national picture unfolds.
• It could be that things have
settled down enough that schools
are considering a return, but at
this point this is unclear.
• I have lots of work up my sleeves
in any case – we may either try a
practice evaluation of theatre or a
more practical Component 2
project alongside the Y9 and
introduce a little competition
between you!
• You are both amazing groups.