education pre production · 2015-08-16 · pre‐production resources about sydney theatre company...

NEVER DID ME ANY HARM Sydney Theatre Company Education Resources 2012 © Copyright protects this Education Resource. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited. However, limited photocopying for classroom use only is permitted by educational institutions.

+

KEY

PRE‐PRODUCTION RESOURCES

About Sydney Theatre Company 2

About STC Ed 2

Creative Team and Cast 2

Themes 2

Synopsis 2

Historical and social background 3‐4

Additional Resources 5‐7

Education Resources Pre‐Production

Sydney Theatre Company, Force Majeure and Sydney Festival present

NEVER DID ME ANY HARM Devised by FORCE MAJEURE

photo by Tim Richardson

Education Resource written by Kerreen Ely‐Harper and compiled by Education Coordinator Toni Murphy

AIM of exercise or section Extension Exercises Download and watch

Drama Exercises English Exercises Play online

PRE‐PRODUCTION EXERCISES

Pricing Parenthood 8‐9

Through The Body 10‐11

Spoken Word 12

NEVER DID ME ANY HARM Sydney Theatre Company Pre‐Production Education Resources 2012 www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced © Sydney Theatre Company

2

PRE‐PRODUCTION RESOURCES

ABOUT SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY

www.sydneytheatre.com.au/about

ABOUT STC ED

www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced/about/us

ABOUT FORCE MAJEURE

www.forcemajeure.com.au/the‐company/

CREATIVE TEAM

Director – Kate Champion

Set Designer & Lighting – Geoff Cobham

Composer and Sound Designer – Max Lyandvert

Dramaturg – Andrew Upton

Associate Director – Roz Hervey

Assistant Director – Geordie Brookman

CAST

Kristina Chan

Vincent Crowley

Marta Dusseldorp

Alan Flower

Sarah Jayne Howard

Kirstie McCracken

Heather Mitchell

Josh Mu

THEMES

Physical & Dance Theatre

Verbatim Theatre

Group Devised Theatre

Parenting

What is this reward thing

that everyone says is so

rewarding about having

children?

Never Did Me Any Harm

“

”


2

SYNOPSIS

Never Did Me Any Harm is a hybrid dance theatre work that explores the theme of parenting in

contemporary Australian society. Inspired by Christos Tsiolkas’s novel, The Slap (2009), the

production aims to explore and represent a range of viewpoints on the role and responsibilities

of being a parent, the mythologies surrounding parenting and address the question of why

some people choose not to have children.

Drawing on real‐life interviews with people from diverse socio‐economic and cultural

backgrounds Never Did Me Any Harm interweaves multiple narrative threads of the recorded

and spoken word, image text, music, physical and aural gesture and dance sequences to bring

to dramatic life the contentious world of parenting.

The familiar suburban aussie backyard with grass, the shed and back fence is transformed

through visual projections, music and sound design technologies into a strange place where the

real and imagined interlock ‐ where the desires, laments and fears of the parent are enacted.

Consider

Everyone is or has been a child, but not everyone becomes a parent.

Children do not give love they take it.

A parent must earn a child’s love.

No‐one owns a child.

Every child needs discipline.

Never ever hit a child.

It takes a village to raise a child.

A smack did me no good, but it never did me any harm either.


3

HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND OF THE PLAY

Force Majeure takes its name from the Latin term ‘superior force’. Established in 2002 the

Company is led by Artistic Director Kate Champion with Artistic Associates Geoff Cobham and

Roz Hervey.

Committed to exploring the ordinary and everyday in contemporary performance Force

Majeure aims to challenge and cut through the traditional siloing of the performing arts. Their

work is multi‐disciplined in form and draws on the traditions and conventions of dance, theatre,

music performance, visual technologies and film to bring them into dynamic, new and often

unpredictable relationship.

Force Majeure has produced and toured major stage works nationally and internationally. In

2011 they were awarded the Helpmann Award for Best Visual/Physical Theatre Production for

Not In A Million Years.

Dance Theatre, Physical Theatre

The term “physical theatre” became popular in the 1980’s and 1990’s to describe the work of

companies such as Lloyd Newson’s DV8, Complicite, David Glass, Forced Entertainment, Goat

Island, and Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater. These companies combined dance and movement to

create predominantly non–text based performances.

There is a close relationship between devising and physical theatres. In physical and dance

theatre the dancer and/or actor becomes a collaborator/creator compared to more traditional

text based theatre where the actor is more of an interpreter than creator of text and character.

Other significant international physical and dance theatre artists include Liz Aggiss, Jerome Bel,

Ariane Mnouchkine, Dario Fo, Lev Dodin, Eugenio Barba, Anne Bogart, Jacques Lecoq, Monika

Pagneux, Philippe Gaulier, Joan Littlewood, and Étienne Decroux. Companies like Frantic

Assembly, Complicite, Theatre du Soleil, La Fura del Baus, DV8, and SITI Company continue to

make edgy, thrilling and often controversial physical theatre. Physical theatre features the

physicalizing of narrative based drama, whereas dance theatre is defined by its focus on

movement and dance rather than linear narrative.


4

In Australia physical theatre is still relatively an outsider to mainstream theatre. Bangarra

Dance Theatre is one of the most successful and long running dance theatre companies in

Australia. One of the criticisms of physical theatre is its focus on the body at the expense of

written language and spoken text. In a recent article on Never Did Me Harm the current

arguments on hybrid forms of theatre that combine and intersect art forms were cited by

leading figures in Australian theatre:

"The work of contemporary choreographers and the theatre they make is not that different to

the theatre that might be made in a company like Malthouse or Belvoir . . . Text is not a

necessary component of making good theatre."

Belvoir Theatre artistic director Ralph Myers

"I want theatre companies to be putting on plays . . . The idea of dance as something that

supplants the theatre proper, I think, is utterly absurd. It is a dangerous trend to have a kind of

progressivist theatre which is not particularly interested in the integrity of the dialogue."

Melbourne literary critic Peter Craven

"I think it's a healthy thing. It's just standard in Europe [where] the relationship between the

different performing arts is taken for granted . . .

Blogger and critic Alison Croggon Against the backdrop of debate around what constitutes legitimate theatre, Kate Champion

defends her vision:

I would just say to the purists that they should have faith that pure theatre and pure dance will live on, it [dance theatre] is not a threat . . . I think that as an artist, it fuels creativity to go into the unknown and to push things.

References: Mixed emotions as Kate Champion takes hybrid theatre further The Australian, 31st December, 2011 http://www.theaustralian.com.au Phillip Zarrilli, Review of Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction, J Keefe, S Murray, 2007.The Drama Review. 54:1 Spring 2010

NEVER DSydney Twww.syd© Sydney T

Additio Never DSTC Prohttp://n Force Mhttp://w Kate Chhttp://w Geoff Chttp://w Roz Herhttp://w

Book Te

The Slap

The Con

Bringing

Fatherin

Your Bo

Babylov

Your De

Myth of

Parentin

http://w

http://w

http://p

http://p

http://p

http://p

http://w

DID ME ANY heatre Compadneytheatre.coTheatre Company

nal Resourc

Did Me Any oduction blondmah.post

Majueure wewww.forcem

hampion www.realtim

obham www.forcem

rvey www.austra

ext Source M

p by Christo

ntented Littl

g Up Boys b

ng From the

ody, Your Ba

ve by Robyn

efiant Teen

f Ability by J

ng Links

www.letchil

www.cbc.ca

parenting.b

parenting.b

parenting.b

parenting.b

www.youtu

HARM any Pre‐Produom.au/stced y

ces

Harm og – includeterous.com/

ebsite majeure.com

mearts.net/

majeure.com

aliadancing.

Materials

os Tsoliakos

le Baby Boo

by James Do

e Fast Lane

aby, Your Bi

n Barker

by Dr Russe

John Mighto

ldrenplay.co

a/video/#/S

logs.nytime

logs.nytime

logs.nytime

logs.nytime

be.com/wa

uction Educat

es interview/

m.au/

/realtimeda

m.au/the‐co

.org/subject

s

ok by Gina F

obson

by Bruce Ro

irth by Jenn

ell A. Barkle

on

om/2011/0

hows/1221

es.com/200

es.com/200

es.com/200

es.com/200

atch?v=yIXlw

ion Resources

5

ws with cast,

nce/12_cho

ompany/cre

ts/1021.htm

Ford

obinson

y Smith

y

3/free‐rang

1254309/ID=

8/10/21/wh

9/03/30/ba

9/04/23/kic

9/05/30/th

wYoOV9k

s 2012

, rehearsal n

oreographe

eative‐team

ml

ge‐kids‐mee

=13914156

hen‐is‐span

anning‐hugs

cking‐her‐k

e‐end‐of‐ov

notes,

ers/kate_ch

m/geoff‐cob

ets‐parent‐q

96

nking‐child‐a

s‐at‐school/

ids‐out‐of‐t

ver‐parenti

ampion

bham/

question.ht

abuse/#mo

/#more‐113

the‐car/#mo

ng/

ml

re‐41

39

ore‐1885


George http://w George http://w

Tim Minhttp://w

Chinesehttp://w

God bothttp://w

How to http://w

(Lily Allehttp://w

Dr Phil –http://w

Motherhttp://w

Kid kickhttp://n

Article ohttp://w http://w

Physica

Complichttp://w Theatrehttp://w


Carlin www.youtu

Carlin parewww.youtu

nchin song owww.dailym

e kid smokinwww.youtu

therer childwww.youtu

raise well‐bwww.youtu

en clip – a fwww.youtu

– kid slappiwww.youtu

r driving w kwww.youtu

ked in breaknymag.com/

on happineswww.paren

www.basicjo

l & Dance T

cite www.compl

e du Soleil www.youtu


be.com/wa

ents and kidbe.com/wa

on fat kids motion.com

ng be.com/wa

dless man gibe.com/wa

behaved chbe.com/wa

fear) be.com/wa

ng mother be.com/wa

kid in steeribe.com/wa

kdance /print/?/ne

ss in parenttswithattitu

okes.com/d

Theatre Com

licite.org/fla

be.com/wa

uction Educat

atch?v=Zu‐A

s atch?v=u_El

/video/x8fy

atch?v=_Shp

iving parentatch?v=7hgV

ildren atch?v=q‐wG

atch?v=Kn18

atch?v=1DJ5

ng wheel atch?v=CgLY

ews/feature

ts v/s non‐pude.com/

dquotes.php

mpanies

ash/

atch?v=N5R

ion Resources

6

AVqxkYtg

lXYzFX_w

y34_tas‐pas

pCVzOsbQ

ting adviceVTSkU9So&

GMlSuX_c&

8H3FKDV4&

5RKMjfg0&f

YZHN78Kk&

es/67024/

parents etc

p?cid=12

XsjTU34M

s 2012

s‐une‐clope

&feature=re

&feature=re

&feature=re

feature=rel

&feature=re

_people

lated

elated

elated

ated

lated


DV8 http://w Tanzthehttp://whttp://w Bangarrhttp://w SITI Comhttp://w Frantic La Fura Goat Isl

Never Ddid whehttp://w


www.dv8.co

eatre ( see Wwww.pina‐bwww.youtu

ra Dance Thwww.banga

mpany www.siti.org

Assembly h

del Baus h

and http:/

Did Me Any en they werwww.chann


o.uk/

Win Wendebausch.de/ebe.com/wa

heatre arra.com.au

g/

http://www

ttp://www

//www.lear

Harm Televre children. nel4.com/pr

uction Educat

ers 3D film ‘en/dancethatch?v=cXpF

/

w.franticasse

.lafura.com

ner.org/cat

vision progr

rogrammes/

ion Resources

7

Pina’) eatre/indexFD7gi8R0

embly.co.uk

/web/eng/

talog/extras

ram – wher

/never‐did‐

s 2012

x.php

k/learn/

cursos.htm

s/wabios/go

e children e

‐me‐any‐ha

l

oatisland.ht

experience

rm

tml

life as their parents


AIM: Tocontext

Price &

Discuss children

Rate yoName 3Name 3 Rate yoName 3Name 3

Design,Include parents

Questio

‐ What

‐ Are ch

Are kids

‐ Given

‐ Too pr

‐ Sexual

‐ How d

‐ Does p


o introduce t represente

Rate

My mothe did me no no harm. affected o long term with my p

& Debate tn.

our parent/s3 things you3 things you

our behaviou3 things you3 things you

Conduct &a range of

s, children.

ons to Cons

is good pare

hildren toda

s today…

too few bo

rotected fro

lised too yo

does a paren

poor parent


and examied in the pr

er would beo good. But I ponder onour relation… I now havparents and

this statem

s or guardiaur parent/s aur parent/s c

ur toward yu are doing wu could impr

& Record Intpeople to in

ider

enting?

y given too

undaries or

om failure?

oung?

nt earn a ch

ting result in

uction Educat

ine the themroduction.

e the first toshe would n that statemship, both ive practicalmy family ‐

ent with ref

an out of tenare doing wcould impro

your parentwell rove on

terviews onnterview –

much choi

r allowed to

hild’s love?

n problem b

ion Resources

8

me of paren

o admit thatalso say thament. It cern the shortlly no affect‐ fear has it

ference to t

n well ove on

/s out of te

parenting. different a

ce?

oo few risks

behaviour in

s 2012

nting within

t smacking at it did mertainly and the tionate ties s price. Jane & Sp

the price pa

n

ages, cultur

?

n children?

PRICI

n the social

& James Ritchpare the Rod

arents pay i

al backgrou

NG PARE

l and histor

hie

n the discip

unds, paren

ENTHOOD

rical

plining of

ts/non

D

+

+


Share &

DrawingWrite a

Extensio

Write thview Re‐Writview Laws & Researcthe Chilhttp://wList 5 RiReflecti

Extensio

Discuss List 5 R

The Rul

You areWrite aWrite aDedicat


& Discuss yo

g on your rend/or Perfo

on:

he piece fro

te the piece

Rights ch the Interd www.unicefights of the on: Why do

on:

& Debate ‘Rights of the

e Book For

e an expert o ‘Parent Ru preface oute the book


our findings

esearch inteorm a short

om the pare

e from the c

rnational Co

f.org/crc/ Child.

o children n

‘The Rights e Parent/s

Parents

on parentinle Book’ utlining your‐ to a real l

uction Educat

s with the cl

erviews an t piece on p

ent’s subjec

child’s subje

onvention o

eed protect

of the Pare

ng.

r reasons folife or fictio

ion Resources

9

ass.

or links proparenting, e

ctive point o

ective point

f the Rights

tion?

ent’

or writing thnal person,

s 2012

ovided in Adntitled ‘It N

of

t of

s of

he rule book organizatio

“

dditional ReNever Did M

k. on, etc.

I mean no

a generat

scared an

Never Did m

“

sources on Me No Harm

o wonder w

tion of kids

nd fat.

me No Harm

Parenting’

we've got

that are

”


AIM: To

The drecombin

Physica

One of ttheatre In Physi

Subtext

Write aand onePerform

By takinWhat diWhat ha Repeat and tho

Solo Pe

Frantic theatre Stockhofollowinfrom th Frantic

Write awhere aExploreon youretc.


o explore an

eam is not jues the body

l Subtext

the featurethe body sical theatre

t Duet

2 minute de non‐parenm the scene

ng away theid you noticappens to t

the scene foughts.

rformance

Assembly iscompanies

olm in assocng solo & greir moveme

Assembly’s

naturalistica person site lots of natr elbows, on


nd develop

ust of a phyy, the imagi

s of naturalpeaks throusubtext ‐ w

dialogue betnt. without dia

e dialogue wce about thethe body wh

focusing on

s one of thes. They presciation with roup devisinent training

Hot Hands

c monologus in a chair.uralistic hann thighs, fol

uction Educat

skills in ph

ysical theatrnation, the

listic theatrugh physicawhat is not s

tween 2 cha

alogue.

what imagese characterhen words c

the charac

e world’s leasented theirthe STC in ng exercisesg improvisat

ue on theme nd movemeding arms,

ion Resources

10

hysical theat

re but of an emotions a

e is languagal movemensaid ‐ is ofte

aracters – p

s, feelings, trs? cannot be s

ter’s physic

ading physicr production2010. The s are adaptetions.

e of parenti

ents ‐ restinclasping ha

s 2012

tre making

embodied and the voic

Ph

ge and spoknt, action anen more imp

parent and c

thoughts ca

aid?

cal moveme

cal n

ed

ing

ng nds

TH

and perfor

theatre thace.

helim McDerm

ken dialoguend gesture. portant tha

child, two p

ame up?

ents in comm

One o

in the

three.

Never Did

“

HROUGH T

rmance.

at

mott

e. In non‐ n

n what is.

parents, one

municating

of my favour

world just

.

d Me No Harm

THE BODY

aturalistic

e parent

feelings

rite people

turned

”

Y

”

+

+


Repeat Every tielectricIt may bBut youYou mu

What efIs the chIs there

Film theWatch tNote th

ExtensioTaking tDevelop

Group P

Form twEach grorelation Form twMove toExplorecircles),Add moAllow foAdd muAdd vocAdd wo

ExtensioSwap ro

Pre‐perHow is mgesture ReferenFrantic


the monolome during tity that movbe a tiny or u do not wanst give the

ffect does tharacter les something

e monologuthe play bache best bits.

on: the best bitp this into a

Performanc

wo groups –oup devise nship. The g

wo parallel loward the oe variations in unison, oments of suor duets, sousic track cal sounds ords

on: oles – paren

formance Rmeaning cre?

nce: Assembly h


ogue the performves you sudextreme pant anyone timpression

his have onss or more sg not being s

ue to see if tck.

ts of choreoa scripted an

ce

– one group8 – 10 movroup must d

lines, facingother group– timing, usrandom, toudden stopolos, trios an

nt group be

Reflection: eated in the

http://www

uction Educat

mance whenddenly out oain. to notice. everything

n the monolsincere? said by the

there is any

ography nd choreog

p are parentvements/gedo their mo

g each othep enacting yse of space, a beat or s

pping, stillnend different

comes child

e performa

.franticasse

ion Resources

11

n the handsof the rest p

g is ok.

logue?

character?

y choreogra

raphed per

ts, the othestures exploovements in

r but leavinyour movem, direction (specific couness. t numbers o

d group.

nce through

embly.co.uk

s 2012

or arms reposition.

What could

phy that ha

rformance f

r children.oring differn unison.

ng some spaments. forward, bant.

of performe

h the use of

k/resources

st you rece

d it be?

as potential

or presenta

ent aspects

ace between

ackwards, s

ers to move

f physical m

/

ive a painfu

.

ation.

s of the pare

n both grou

ideways, zig

e at any one

movement, d

ul jolt of

ent‐child

ups.

g zag,

e time.

dance and

+


AIM: To

Force MincorpoDiscuss tone’ w

Drawing

theme o

Create a

stories.

Transcr

develop

Highligh

and ide

Use act

transcri

Include

Set a lo

Add a mperson Perform

ExtensioReplaceOR Add phy

Pre‐PerHow is mGive 3 e


o understan

The ver

Majeure coorates the acperformer

what will be

g on your re

of parenting

a short scen

ibe selected

ping into the

ht key word

as, text tha

ual words,

ptions

these in th

cation – caf

music track –sings, or listm the scene

on: e lines of th

ysical move

formance Rmeaning coexamples w


nd, develop

rbatim imm

nducted exctual words, Vincent Cmeaningful

esearch inte

g, What sto

ne with 2‐4

d interview

e piece

ds, repeated

t surprises y

phrases and

e scene.

fé, waiting r

– the musictens to. .

e text with

ement/danc

Reflection: onveyed thrwhere the wo

uction Educat

p and apply

ediately pu

xtensive ints of people rowley’s col and under

erviews and

ories emerge

people bas

s that you a

d words, co

you

d lines of di

room, train

c might be b

physical mo

ce to accom

rough spokeords were t

ion Resources

12

skills in ver

ts it in a vo

terviews ointo the scromments onrstood by an

d/or URL’s o

ed?

sed on one o

are interest

mmon them

alogue from

station, din

background

ovement/da

mpany spoke

en languagethe focus in

s 2012

rbatim thea

ice and ton

n the issueript. n the use on audience.

on the

of the

ed into

mes

m the

nner table

music like

ance seque

en text.

e? the perform

atre techniq

e that we u

Vin

es of famil

f verbatim

in a film, or

nce

mance.

I don'

desicc

becau

Never

“

SPOKE

ques.

understand.

ncent Crowle

y and child

to put into

r a song tha

't feel like s

cated old p

use I haven'

r Did Me No Harm

EN WORD

ey.

dhood and

o ‘voice and

at one

ome

rune just

't had a chil

m

”

D

ld.

”


+

OPINION NET

AIM: To create and critique the performance reviews of Never Did Me Any Harm.

Log onto the STC’s Never Did Me Any Harm Production blog http://ndmah.posterous.com/

Read the tweets from audience members

Write a tweet in no more than 140 characters expressing your opinion of the production.

Choose & Read one of the reviews that appears on the

blog

Follow the URL to read the full review

Do you agree with the reviewer? If so, why? If not, why

not?

Drawing on your post –production analysis

Write a ‘Letter to the Reviewer’ in no more than 200

words expressing your views of the production.

Extension:

Write a critique of the Never Did Me Any Harm blog in no less than 250 words.

Consider

Layout

Style

Navigation ‐ level of ease or difficulty

Use of texts – word, image, sound

Target Audience

What items in the blog were you drawn to?

Choose 3 items on the blog that contributed to your understanding of the devising, rehearsal

and production process.

Support your response with specific examples and direct quotes from the blog site.

Reflection:

How effective is the STC and Force Majeure’s use of social networking technologies like

facebook, twitter and blogs as strategies to communicate with their audience prior and post

production?

I've never been in love and I

think it's made me grow up

in a way that I wouldn't have

otherwise


“

”


SPRINGBOARD

AIM: To understand and appreciate the production’s use of theatrical and cross‐art form techniques.

Springboard a springy board for jumping or diving from anything which serves as a starting –point, or from which one can launch ideas, projects, etc Chambers English Dictionary

Kate Champion and her collaborators investigate a wide range of literary sources and while

inspired by Tsiolkas’s novel The Slap, she points out, "We're definitely not doing The Slap, it's

just the springboard."

Discuss your understanding of Kate Champion’s reference to the source text, The Slap, being a

‘springboard’ for the production.

STC Co‐director Andrew Upton is the dramaturg for Never Did Me Any Harm

Research the role of the dramaturg.

http://ee.dramaturgy.co.uk/index.php/site/comments/what_does_a_dramaturg_do

List 3 main tasks of the dramaturg.

Never Did Me Any Harm brings together actors and dancers and artists from different

disciplines and art forms.

Read the program

OR

Check out the STC Never Did Me Any Harm blog

http://ndmah.posterous.com/

Make a list of all the artists in the production and

their specific contribution to the project.

All my friends have kids.


“

”

NEVER DID ME ANY HARM Sydney Theatre Company Post‐Production Education Resources 2012 www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced © Sydney Theatre Company

2

+ Extension:

Form small groups.

You are forming a new physical (and or dance) theatre company in Australia.

Choose a name for your company that reflects your vision.

For example, Force Majeure means ‘superior force’. How does this title reflect their vision and

style of production?

Write a short statement outlining your vision about the kind of theatre you want to make and

why.

What kind of artists and art forms will you bring together to make new works?

Choose a topic or theme you would want to explore as your first project.

Name key text/s (literary, visual, audio, object ) that will become a springboard for developing

further ideas.

Post‐Performance Analysis

How would you describe the performance style?

How does the non‐naturalistic movement work in the piece?

Imagine the piece if you took away the movement. How would it work as a piece of naturalistic theatre? How did the use of video projections contribute to the storytelling?

How did the realistic depiction of a typical aussie backyard ‐ grass, tree, shed, back fence work in combination with the productions more abstract elements? What impact does the music have?

How did it effect the audience? You?

education pre production · 2015-08-16 · pre‐production resources about sydney theatre company...

Documents