Weighting: HL 35%

Introduction

Students at HL research a theatre theorist they have not previously studied, identify an aspect(s) of their theory and create, stage and present a solo theatre piece (4–7 minutes) to an audience that demonstrates the practical application of the aspect(s) of theory.

Formal requirements of the task

Each student submits the following for assessment.

1. A report (2,500 words maximum) plus a list of all primary and secondary sources cited.
2. A continuous unedited video recording of the whole solo theatre piece (lasting 4–7 minutes maximum).

Teachers must ensure that their students are appropriately prepared for the demands of this task through the careful planning and delivery of the “performing theatre theory” syllabus area. It is particularly important to ensure that the students have had experience of practically applying theatre theory to performance work prior to undertaking this assessment task.

Key terminology for the task

Theatre theorist A theatre theorist is a theatre practitioner who has contributed to the shaping and development of theatre through their published work and ideas (primary sources). In addition, there are published works by others (secondary sources) regarding the theatre theorist’s contributions, ideas and the effect they have had on theatre practice, signifying that the theatre theorist’s work has had implications beyond his or her own practice and an effect on theatre in general. Theatre theorists will often present frameworks, approaches, techniques and models of practice. They will often develop existing theatre practice or shed a new light on it, as well as innovating new forms and approaches. Theatre theory Theatre theory relates to ideas that inform the creation, purpose, performance and presentation of theatre. It encompasses ideas about theatre as an art form, genre, style and can also refer to theatre processes and theatre practices. An aspect of theory An aspect of theatre theory refers to one particular strand of a theatre theorist’s work. It may be an idea, a process, a stylistic element, a convention, a technique or an approach. Practical application of aspect of theory Practical application refers to using the aspect of theory in a piece of theatre in such a way so that it is visibly discernible to the examiner. Solo performance A solo theatre piece is a piece of theatre created, designed, directed and performed by an individual. Theatre-maker intentions Early on in the process students are required to formulate theatre-maker intentions for the solo performance. These defined intentions should clearly articulate what will be performed and the effect each student intends their piece to have on an audience. Each student’s theatre-maker intentions should be aligned with:the theatre theorist’s overarching intentions (which may be theatrical, social, political, philosophical and so on)the purpose of these intentions regarding the effect the theorist wishes their theatre to have on the audience. Audience The audience for this task can be fellow classmates, peers or an external audience selected by the student. The student will need to consider appropriate ways of gathering feedback from the audience following the performance of the finished piece, in order to gauge the extent to which their theatre-maker intentions were met. Approaches to gathering feedback might include a talkback, a survey, a focus group or other methods as defined by the student and depending on the nature of their intentions. Performance and production elements The student will need to consider their selection and use of performance and production elements in a specific performance space of their choosing to fulfill their stated theatre-maker intentions regarding the application of the aspect of theatre theory they have selected. Performance elements are defined as the placement and movement of performers on stage and the performer’s use of body (such as face, gesture, posture, body language or manipulation of objects, for example) and/or voice (such as pitch, pace, pause, tone, volume, emphasis or intonation, for example). Production elements are defined as scenic and technical components (such as the design of the space, set, props, costume, lighting, sound and/or special effects).These performance and production elements are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and are subject to the nature of the solo theatre piece, the aspect of theory and the specific theatre-maker’s intentions.  Students should consider the effect the performance and/or production elements they have selected will have on an audience.

Task details

Students should approach this task from the multiple perspectives of creator, director, designer and performer.

Selecting the theatre theorist and theory

Students at HL identify a theatre theorist they have not previously studied who has developed and contributed to theatre theory. Published or recorded material of the theorist’s actual words (primary sources) communicating their theatre theory must exist, along with published materials by others (secondary sources) writing about the theorist’s work. Students should have little or no previous experience of researching or practically engaging in depth with the theatre theorist or aspect(s) of theory they select for study. Students must ensure that the theory they select is related to theatrical theory, rather than to social, psychological, literary, historical or cultural theory. In some cases, it may be necessary to consider other theories alongside the theatre theory, with theorists such as Augusto Boal, for example, whose theatre theory cannot be considered without exploring the wider political components of his work. However, such an approach must be clearly justified in the report.

Formulating theatre-maker intentions

Students are required to formulate their own theatre-maker intentions that are aligned with the theatre theorist’s overarching intentions, in order to create, stage and present a solo theatre piece (lasting 4–7 minutes) that demonstrates the practical application of this aspect(s) of theory.

Performance material

For their solo theatre piece, students may choose to use or adapt existing text, create new text or not use any text, as appropriate to the selected theorist and nature of the aspect(s) of theory being explored. If using a play text, this does not necessarily need to be from a play written specifically to put that theatre theorist’s theories into practice. For example, a student would not need to choose a play by Bertolt Brecht in order to explore an aspect of epic theatre. They could, perhaps, choose to adapt a naturalistic play text instead as long as this is appropriate and fulfills their intentions. If using a play text, this does not need to be one continuous speech but may be a number of sections of text edited and woven together by the student. Any creative choices made by the student will depend on their theatre-maker intentions and should be appropriate to the chosen theatre theorist, the nature of the aspect(s) of theory being explored and the theorist’s intended effect on an audience.

Suggested process

Inquiring

1. Each student carries out research on a theatre theorist they have not previously studied, a specific theory presented by that theorist, with a focus on the theorist’s overarching intentions (which may be theatrical, social, political, philosophical and so on).
2. Each student formulates their theatre-maker intentions for the practical application of the aspect(s) of theatre theory they have selected and the creation of a piece of solo theatre. These should be aligned with the theatre theorist’s overarching intentions.

Developing

1. Each student undertakes a process of developing the solo theatre piece, led by their theatre–maker intentions. They practically apply the selected aspect(s) of their chosen theory and incorporate performance and/or production elements to create, design and rehearse their solo theatre piece in order to fulfill their stated intentions.

Presenting

1. Each student performs the final solo theatre piece (lasting 4–7 minutes) to a live audience.

Evaluating

1. Each student gathers feedback from the audience to assess the extent to which the piece fulfilled the student’s theatre-maker intentions.
2. Each student evaluates the effectiveness of the presented solo theatre piece in terms of their theatre-maker intentions and the extent to which these have been met or not.

Further guidance

This is an individual assessment task that requires the student to present a solo theatre piece. Other performers are not permitted to appear in any part of the final presentation of the solo theatre piece.

Music and sound effects

Students are permitted to use pre-recorded music and sound effects in this task as part of their sound design. These can be original tracks or professional tracks, which must be referenced in the list of sources following the referencing style of the school. Students are permitted to get assistance in recording, editing or assembling any sound/music where necessary.

Sounds used in the solo theatre piece may not include extensive dialogue, such as sections of text from other “off stage” characters, unless this is the recorded voice of the student performer. A small number of spoken lines from other voices is permitted—as these short sections are considered as sound effects rather than dialogue, so students may record or source these as necessary—but the main focus must remain on the solo nature of the performance, and this should guide the student in making decisions about any additional production elements used.  

Technical support

The students may receive support in preparing and operating technical equipment during the theatre piece. Students may need to design and source specific technical or scenic elements for their theatre piece. These do not need to be made or operated by the student. A student who wishes to include an original sequence of music or projection in their theatre piece, for example, will be expected to design and stipulate the nature, duration and style of the music or footage required. It is acceptable, however, for someone else to capture, assemble and edit the material under the direction of the student, as well as operate any technology required to play back the original material for the theatre piece. This also applies to scenic design elements (such as costume makeup, props and set) and technical design elements (such as lighting, projection and sound).

Structuring the work

The report should be written in the first person. It should present the student’s research, theatre-maker intentions and the evaluation of their finished theatre piece.

The word limit for the report is 2,500 words maximum, which includes all labels, quotations and citations. This word limit does not include the list of sources used.

The report is assessed on-screen and students must ensure that their work is clear and legible when presented in a digital, on-screen format. The work should be created using a common page size (A4 or US Letter), be typed in a legible sans serif 12-point font and use standard margin sizes and single spacing.

The report should be structured using the following headings.

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Section	Focus	Recommended maximum lengths
1	Researching theatre theory With reference to their research, each student explains the chosen theory with a focus on the theorist’s overarching intentions and the selected aspect(s) of the theory. References to research should support the student’s explanation of both the theory and aspect(s) chosen, as examiners are interested in ensuring the student’s research is upheld and framed by pertinent evidence from the primary and secondary sources explored.	1,000 words
2	Developing the piece Each student presents their defined and clearly articulated theatre-maker intentions for the solo theatre piece and explains the process of developing the solo theatre piece, as informed by their chosen theory, through the use of performance and production elements.	750 words
3	Evaluating the performance Each student evaluates the presented solo theatre piece, explaining the extent to which their intentions were fulfilled and considering the feedback received from the audience.	750 words

Academic integrity

Students must ensure their assessment work adheres to the IB’s academic integrity policy and that all sources are appropriately referenced. A student’s failure to appropriately acknowledge a source will be investigated by the IB as a potential breach of regulations that may result in a penalty imposed by the IB final award committee. See the “Academic integrity” section of this guide for full details.

Use of images and other visual material

Students are permitted to include carefully-selected visuals in the report, where directly relevant to the student’s explanation. This may also include their own photographs, images or scans, as necessary, ensuring they are of an appropriate quality. All images must be clearly labelled and appropriately referenced to acknowledge the source, following the protocol of the referencing style chosen by the school. The labels, which are included in the final word limit of the report, should contain the minimum information to ensure the examiner understands the significance of the images.

Video recording

The full performance of the solo theatre piece must be captured in a video recording that is submitted for assessment. This must be a continuous, single-camera, unedited record and must capture the full presentation of the piece from the best vantage point possible. The video recording device must not be switched off during the performance.

As each student will be assessed on use of theatre-maker skills and techniques to deliver the solo theatre piece, it is crucial that all action can be clearly seen and heard in the recording. The video recording device may pan and zoom in order to capture as much of the live action as possible and it is permitted to use close-ups for moments that have been pre-determined by the student.

During the assessment task the teacher should assist with video recording the solo theatre piece to ensure it accurately captures the assessment task. In preparing to video record the assessed solo theatre piece teachers are encouraged to allow students time to walk through their performance prior to filming to give the operator of the video recording device an indication of how the space will be used and the most appropriate way of framing each section.

Ethical theatre-making

DP theatre students must be supported in maintaining an ethical perspective during their course. Schools must be vigilant to ensure that work undertaken by the student is appropriate for the context of the school and the age of the students. Students should be guided to make ethical and responsible choices when it comes to the use of ideas or language that could be deemed offensive, inappropriate or inflammatory.

In addition, student work for this assessment task must not:

1. damage the environment
2. express ideas or use language which incites or condones prejudice or discrimination
3. glamorize the taking of illegal drugs
4. inappropriately reference socially taboo subjects
5. incite or condone intolerance or hatred of others
6. include excessive or gratuitous violence
7. make reference to, or represent, explicit sexual activity.

Examples of possible approaches

The table below outlines possible ways in which theatre theorists and an aspect/s of their theories could feasibly form the basis of a solo theatre piece. The table also identifies examples of primary and secondary sources for these theorists. These examples are for guidance only and are neither prescriptive nor restrictive.

Theorist: Anne Bogart
Primary source: Book: The Viewpoints Book by Bogart and Landau (2004)	Secondary source: Book: Anne Bogart: Viewpoints by Dixon and Smith (1995)
Aspect(s) of theory: Space and time
Potential theatre-maker intentions:	Potential theatre piece:
Create audience awareness of the banality of beauty and how the passage of time is inevitable and pervasive.	Solo presentation of an original piece of theatre based on Shakespeare’s Sonnet 60 and exploring time/tempo through repetition, and space through gesture and their spatial relationships. Directed and performed by the student with a floor cloth designed and painted by the student.

Theorist: Robert Lepage
Primary source: Interview: “Connecting Flights” (1999)	Secondary source: Book: The Theatricality of Robert Lepage by Dundjerović (2007)
Aspect(s) of theory: Film projection
Potential theatre-maker intentions:	Potential theatre piece:
Immerse the audience in an experience of the senses, to make them feel what it would mean to lose everything in life while seeing there is always “light at the end of the tunnel”.	Solo theatre presentation of a monologue about a tsunami. Created, directed and performed by the student using film projection designed by the student.

Theorist: Zeami Motokiyo
Primary source: Book: On the Art of the No Drama translated by Yamazaki and Rimer (1984)	Secondary source: Book: Zeami: Performance Notes by Zeami and Hare (2011)
Aspect(s) of theory: Quality of movement
Potential theatre-maker intentions:	Potential theatre piece:
Present to the audience an aesthetic piece where the poetry of movement will transmit the happiness of an encounter with the celestial or sublime.	Solo presentation of the dance from Hagoromo (The Feather Robe). Directed and performed by the student with costume designed by the student.

Theorist: Julie Taymor
Primary source: Book: Julie Taymor: Playing with Fire by Blumenthal, Taymor and Monda (2007)	Secondary source: Book: The Re-emergence of Mythology, Fantasy and Fable by Stewart (2009)
Aspect(s) of theory: Use of puppets as a device for storytelling
Potential theatre-maker intentions:	Potential theatre piece:
Engage the audience with a well-known story/fable that will show the universal and inter-cultural quality of the human condition.	Solo presentation of one of Aesop’s fables adapted for the stage. Directed and performed by the student using puppets.

Theorist: Robert Wilson
Primary source: Lecture: “1. Have you been here before? 2. No this is the first time” (2008)	Secondary source: Book: Robert Wilson: From Within by Safir (2011)
Aspect(s) of theory: Use of light
Potential theatre-maker intentions:	Potential theatre piece:
Create a piece that aims at stimulating the senses of the audience. The focus will be on power and its effects on who holds it.	Solo presentation of an original piece of theatre without words based on Macbeth by Shakespeare. Directed and performed by the student focusing on lighting, multimedia, and body language.

Assessment procedures

Teachers are required to meet with students at each stage of the assessment task to discuss the progress made to date, and to verify the authenticity of the coursework being created by each student. The key outcomes of these one-to-one interactions, which might be formal meetings and/or informal discussions in the classroom, must be summarized by the teacher on the DP theatre Coursework authentication form (6/TCAF), which is submitted to the IB as part of the upload of external assessment material.

The procedure for submitting the assessment materials can be found in Diploma Programme Assessment procedures. Students should be informed that where the submitted materials exceed the maximum word limit and/or time limit, examiners will only assess the work that falls within the prescribed limits. Submitted work must not contain any appendices as these will not be read by examiners.

External assessment criteria—HL only

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Solo theatre piece	Marks	Total
A	Researching theatre theory	8	24
B	Reflecting on the performed solo theatre piece	8
C	Theatre theory in performance	8

A: Researching theatre theory

Evidence: report and list of sources

1. With specific references to their research, to what extent does the student explain their chosen theatre theory with a focus on the theorist’s overarching intentions?
2. With specific references to their research, to what extent does the student explain the chosen aspect(s) of the theatre theory?

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Mark	Descriptor	Possible characteristics
0	The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1–2	The student lists features of the theatre theory. The student lists features of the chosen aspect(s) of the theatre theory.	Limited Irrelevant Simplistic Superficial
3–4	With specific references to their research, the student outlines the chosen theatre theory with a focus on the theorist’s overarching intentions. With specific references to their research, the student outlines the chosen aspect(s) of the theatre theory.	Adequate Attempted Underdeveloped Uneven
5–6	With specific references to their research, the student describes the chosen theatre theory with a focus on the theorist’s overarching intentions. With specific references to their research, the student describes the chosen aspect(s) of the theatre theory.	Good Accurate Focused Relevant
7–8	With specific references to their research, the student explains the chosen theatre theory with a focus on the theorist’s overarching intentions. With specific references to their research, the student explains the chosen aspect(s) of the theatre theory.	Excellent Discerning Insightful Thorough

B: Reflecting on the performed solo theatre piece

Evidence: report and list of sources

1. With reference to their theatre-maker intentions, to what extent does the student explain the process of developing the solo theatre piece, as informed by their chosen theory?
2. With reference to audience feedback, to what extent does the student evaluate the effectiveness of the presented solo theatre piece, explaining the extent to which the piece fulfilled its intentions?

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Mark	Descriptor	Possible characteristics
0	The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1–2	The student lists the process of developing the solo theatre piece, as informed by their chosen theory. The student comments on the effectiveness of the presented solo theatre piece, listing the ways in which their theatre-maker intentions were achieved.	Limited Irrelevant Simplistic Superficial
3–4	With reference to their theatre-maker intentions, the student outlines the process of developing the solo theatre piece, as informed by their chosen theory. The student considers the effectiveness of the presented solo theatre piece, outlining the extent to which their theatre-maker intentions were achieved. References to audience feedback are mostly appropriate.	Adequate Attempted Underdeveloped Uneven
5–6	With reference to their theatre-maker intentions, the student describes the process of developing the solo theatre piece, as informed by their chosen theory. The student appraises the effectiveness of the presented solo theatre piece, describing the extent to which their theatre-maker intentions were achieved. References to audience feedback are relevant.	Good Accurate Focused Relevant
7–8	With reference to their theatre-maker intentions, the student explains the process of developing the solo theatre piece, as informed by their chosen theory. The student evaluates the effectiveness of the presented solo theatre piece, explaining the extent to which their theatre-maker intentions were achieved. References to audience feedback effectively support the student’s evaluation.	Excellent Discerning Insightful Thorough

C: Theatre theory in performance

Evidence: video recording

1. To what extent are the selected aspect(s) of theatre theory applied in the solo theatre piece?
2. To what extent does the student use performance and/or production elements effectively in the solo theatre piece to fulfill their intentions?

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Mark	Descriptor	Possible characteristics
0	The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1–2	The application of the selected aspect(s) of theatre theory in the solo theatre piece is limited.The student’s use of performance and/or production elements in the solo theatre piece is limited.	Limited Irrelevant Simplistic Superficial
3–4	The application of the selected aspect(s) of theatre theory in the solo theatre piece is moderate.The student’s use of performance and/or production elements in the solo theatre piece to fulfill their intentions is moderate.	Adequate Attempted Underdeveloped Uneven
5–6	The application of the selected aspect(s) of theatre theory in the solo theatre piece is competent.The student’s use of performance and/or production elements in the solo theatre piece to fulfill their intentions is competent.	Good Accurate Focused Relevant
7–8	The application of the selected aspect(s) of theatre theory in the solo theatre piece is effective.The student’s use of performance and/or production elements in the solo theatre piece to fulfill their intentions is effective.	Excellent Discerning Insightful Thorough