1. Realism
Year 10 Drama
© Anish Carmyn
Auburn Girls’ High School

2. Hints for finding information
 Don’t use sites like Wikipedia
which are complex and
theoretical.
 Look for sites which outline
Stanislavski’s ideas about
acting and tell you how you
can use them in your own
performances.
 Some of these sites might be
commercial sites – ignore the
advertising if you use them!

3. Stanislavski’s Life
 Brief biographies (which is all you need for this
task) can be found at:
 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/stan
 http://theatrehistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_potted_bi
 Longer biographies (if your’re interested) can be
found at:
 http://www.kryingsky.com/Stan/Biography/bot.html
 http://www.biographicon.com/view/55r2f

4. Stanislavski’s System 1
 This site has a great description of the Stanislavski
system in simple language:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-stanislavski-method-of
 This site has a biography and discussion. Be aware that
the information about method acting is, however, not
accurate.
http://quazen.com/reference/biography/brecht-and-stanislavs
/
 Youtube has some excercises you can watch/listen to at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=f8mvDisUeWk&feature=related and an interview with a
famous actor about Stanislavski’s system at: http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWEoPQVkSuU&feature=
fvw

5. Stanislavski’s System 2
 These quotes will help you understand his intention:
http://members.tripod.com/jim_68/stan.htm
 This is a very detailed summary of Stanislavski’s life and
work: http://
www.cothespians.com/ConstantineStanislavski.htm
 This lesson plan has a couple of exercises. You will have to
think about them in relation to Stanislavski’s theories to
relate them to your assignment.
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3352
 You can read a whole book about Stanislavski’s system at:
http://homepage.smc.edu/sawoski_perviz/Stanislavski.pdf

6. Choosing a Play
 Choose a play or film script that you find interesting!
(otherwise you won’t be able to perform it well)
 Choose a play which uses language that you can relate
to (otherwise it will be too hard to remember)
 Choose a scene with some
sort of conflict/emotion that
you relate to (so you will be
able to perform it
realistically)
 Looking at reviews will give
you ideas for your
performance.

7. About your play
Don’t get bogged down in
details. You only need to find:
 The name of the writer
 The context of the writer (dates,
countries, influences)
 Where they were educated (uni,
theatre, residencies, fellowships
etc.)
 What other works they have
written (plays, novels?)
 What awards (if any) they have
won

8. Australian Playwrights
Some of the famous playwrights are on your assessment
sheet, but the library also has plays by Australian writers
(including plays by top HSC Drama students) which are
aimed at children or young adults. They can be found in the
Non-fiction section at A822.3. Some scripts are found online.
 Angela Betzien
 Patricia Cornelius
 Jack Davis
 Nick Enright
 Paige Gibbs
 David Holman
 Jackie French
 Mary Morris
 Debra Oswald
 Richard Tulloch

9. Australian Playwrights
 Angela Betzien
http://australianplays.org/playwright/CP-betcoo

 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=
Angela+Betzien
 Andrew Bovell (you could also use his script for the film Lantana)
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Bovell (use their links too)
 http://www.australianstage.com.au/200910072892/features/melbourne/andr
 http://australianplays.org/playwright/CP-gowhig
 http://www.afc.gov.au/newsandevents/afcnews/converse/andrew_bovell/new
(his philosophy)
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes.html
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/bovell.html (trailer)
 Matt Cameron
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=Matt+Camer
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes.html
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/cameron.html (trailer)

10. Australian Playwrights
 Patricia Cornelius
 http://australianplays.org/bundle/21
 www.spoke.com/info/p6Uu3bj/PatriciaCornelius (blocked on school
computers)
 Jack Davis
 http://indigenousrights.net.au/person.asp?pID=998
 http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/22690
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=
Jack+Davis
 Nick Enright
 http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2003/s821038.htm
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=Nick+Enrig
 http://www.liveperformance.com.au/halloffame/nickenright3.html
 Jackie French
 http://www.jackiefrench.com/
 http://www.abc.net.au/tv/talkingheads/txt/s2691580.htm
 http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001986.shtml

11. Australian Playwrights
 Paige Gibbs
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=
Paige+Gibbs
 Michael Gow
 http://australianplays.org/playwright/CP-gowhig
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=Michael+G
 Ray Lawler
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=Ray+Lawle
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Lawler
 Kathy Lette
 http://www.kathylette.com/
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Lette
 Monkey Baa theatre for young people
 http://monkeybaa.com.au/MonkeyBaa-about.html
 http://www.currency.com.au/author-of-month-Monkey-Baa.aspx

12. Australian Playwrights
 Mary Morris
 http://australianplays.org/playwright/CP-morpot
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=
Mary+Morris
 Louis Nowra
 http://www.currency.com.au/search.aspx?type=author&author=Louis+Now
 http://home.vicnet.net.au/~abr/April00/mcc.html
 www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes/LouisNowra.pdf
 www.insightpublications.com.au/pdf_preview/TG-Cosi-10-pages.pdf
 Debra Oswald
 http://australianplays.org/playwright/CP-oswhab
 http://www.rgm.com.au/do_lit.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debra_Oswald
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes.html
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/oswald.html (trailer)

13. Australian Playwrights
 Hannie Rayson
 http://australianplays.org/playwright/CP-rayfit
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannie_Rayson
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes.html
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/rayson.html (trailer)
 Katherine Thompson
 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0860367/
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes.html
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/thomson.html (trailer)
 Richard Tulloch
 http://www.laterallearning.com/authors/tullochr.html
 http://www.scholastic.com.au/common/books/contributor_profile.as
=
 http://richardtulloch.wordpress.com/about/ (his blog)

14. Australian Playwrights
 Patrick White
 http://www.abc.net.au/arts/white/default.htm
 http://www.pictureaustralia.org/search/patrick%20white
 http://www.australianliterarycompendium.com/white.html
 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1973/white-auto
 David Williamson
 http://www.monash.edu.au/alumni/prominent-alumni/david-williamson
 http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/profiles/Transcripts/s1196118.htm
 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932011/
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/notes.html
 http://www.snodger.com.au/whatiwrote/williamson.html (trailer)

15. Don’t forget your bibliography!
Your bibliography should include these
details for EVERY text you use:
The date it was updated or published The title of the text
The author of the About Seniors. (2009). The A-Z of Aged Care.
text (might be an
organisation)
http://www.aboutseniors.com.au/index.php/articles/category/a_z_gu
[Accessed 9/11/09]
The URL (web address) or
The last date you looked at the
name and place of publisher
website (online sources only)
Ask the librarian or go to Student Handouts Library Bibliography for a bibliography scaffold