Collectives
developed through On-line Interaction
Introduction:
Working on Drama through the on-line environment presents unique
challenges. The cornerstone of drama is communication, and communication
is altered by the computer environment. Creating collectives requires
the ability to bounce ideas of others so that the drama can grow
organically, something that is challenging in the virtual world.
However, challenging does not mean impossible, and people develop
relationships that thrive in the on-line environment everyday.
The purpose of this lesson to establish those relationships so
the collective spirit will grow.
What
is Collective Expression?
You have gone through many exercises, assignments and intense
units of study. Now it’s time to focus on concepts we are
passionate about, and find key ideas. The ability to be creative
together is a key ability when trying to develop drama. Collective
expression is the linking of individual dramatic ideas to create
a work that makes a general statement.
"Getting
Ideas"
The
following activities lead you through a process for developing
ideas. Use some of the exercises to explore inspiration and the
creative impulse.
Activity 1 - Personal Survey of Beliefs:
Complete these statements, save them in rtf format,
and then e-mail them to the teacher. The teacher
will post them on the class web site.
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I
really like these things about myself ....
-
I
wish I could change .....
-
I
am most worried about .....
-
I
am most excited about ....
-
I
am most creative when ...
-
I
feel most vulnerable when ....
-
-
People
in this world need to remember .....
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Activity 2- Explore through Representation
Create a piece of art that represents your feelings regarding
the group's topic using drawing program or image editing software.
This may be a picture of events or a combination of color
and shape. It might also take the form of a collage of images.
These art works may be used later in juxtaposition with the
soundscapes students make in activity 5 .
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Activity 3 - Threaded Discussion:
The teacher starts the discussion with list of potential topics.
You respond to the topics that spark your interest, or you
respond to each other. The teacher chooses the three most
popular topics and asks you to continue responses to these
topics only. Following the new discussion, the teacher chooses
the topic that is best suited for collective expression.
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Activity
4- Create a Soundscape:
Use
instruments, found objects (things not originally intended
for music like a hub cap) or fragments of audio recordings
to create a "soundtrack" for the class concept.
It does not need to be specifically musical , but rather,
it may simply explore sound. What happens when you layer
sounds? Can you use sound in such a way as it is not easily
recognizable? How can voice be used to create effects?
Create
a brief soundscape on your own, and ftp it to the class
web site. The soundscapes should be an expression of your
thoughts or feelings regarding the group's topic. The soundscapes
may later become bridges between the monologues the group
creates.
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Activity 5 - Writing in Role:
You should write six paragraphs as interior monologues for
six different characters. The monologues should all relate
to the theme the class is using. After reading the monologue
and editing them, you should choose the best two and ftp them
to the class web site in rtf format.
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