Dramawise Reimagined

Book excerpt: In drama, we are the creators. Like in a skeleton, the bones of drama only work together. The human context -- the situation, the people and their relationships -- are the flesh. The body is given shape and animated by the way we focus those basic elements, and how we place them in space and time. We breathe life into the body through the story and the tension we create, and we give it language and movement to express itself, clothing the drama with its mood and symbols. In 1987, Brad Haseman and John OToole released Dramawise, a dynamic guide to drama education. This book stands as a definitive text for teachers, students and drama practitioners, shaping many classroom programs and curricula at a state, national and international level. This is the successor. It reaches beyond the original concepts, offering newly challenging drama activities that reflect complex questions in todays society. The result is a complete coursebook for students and teachers of secondary-school drama, featuring activities that thoroughly detail each element of drama. This is done using process dramas and plays from the wider world. Practical drama activities are supported with in-depth discussion of each of the elements of dramatic form, as well as traditional and contemporary dramatic meanings and approaches to play-making contextualised by the elements of theatre.