Year 9 Drama · Making Drama — Create and Perform · 10m read

Devising Ensemble Theatre

Devising means creating theatre from scratch as a group. It is central to VCE Drama — and a great test of creativity and teamwork.

Learning objective: Devise an original ensemble performance from a stimulus.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can respond to a stimulus.
• I can structure devised work.
• I can collaborate effectively.

Devising is a jigsaw with no box lid. You have pieces (ideas, images, moments) but no picture showing the final result. The ensemble experiments, rearranges and discovers the picture together.

Creating from a stimulus

DEVISING PROCESS:
• Stimulus (image, quote, object, issue) → brainstorm → improvise → select → structure → rehearse → refine.

STRUCTURE:
• Linear or non-linear; episodic scenes; transitions.

ENSEMBLE SKILLS:
• Shared ownership, listening, compromise, roles (director, scribe).

DOCUMENTATION:
• Rehearsal journal: decisions, techniques, reflections.

| Devising strategy | How it works |
|---|---|
| Stimulus response | Each member improvises a response to one stimulus |
| Hot seating | Explore characters through questioning |
| Moment of truth | Find the scene's most powerful moment first, then build to it |
| Cross-cutting | Interweave two scenes |
| Marking the moment | Use slow-mo, freeze or spotlight on a key moment |
| Episodic structure | Short scenes linked by theme |

Key ideas at a glance

• Start with a question: What do we want to say?
• Explore widely, then select: Not every idea survives.
• Structure deliberately: Linear, episodic or cyclical.
• Document everything: Photos, notes, scripts.

Worked example (Medium)

Stimulus: an old suitcase. Generate three directions.

1. Ideas. A refugee journey; a grandparent's memories; a mystery left on a train.
2. Select. Choose the idea with the strongest conflict.

Answer: Brainstorm several ideas, then choose the most dramatic.

Worked example (Hard)

Use cross-cutting in a devised piece about social media pressure.

1. Scene A. A teen edits a perfect selfie.
2. Scene B. The same teen alone, crying.
3. Cross-cut. Alternate 10-second moments between A and B.
4. Effect. Contrast between online and real life.

Answer: Cross-cutting juxtaposes the online image with private reality.

Common mistakes

• Sticking with the first idea Better ideas may emerge. Fix: Explore several options first.
• Too many ideas in one piece Message gets lost. Fix: Choose one clear theme and cut the rest.

The Theatre of Tomorrow

Devising is how many contemporary companies make work. Complicité (UK), The Wooster Group (USA) and Australia's Back to Back Theatre develop performances over months through improvisation, research and collaboration.

The final script is often written down only after the performance is made.

Practice questions

1. The starting point for devised work is the:

   1. Script
   2. Stimulus
   3. Costume
   4. Audience

   (1 marks)

2. What is an episodic structure?

   (2 marks)

3. Cross-cutting means:

   1. Cutting scenes
   2. Interweaving two scenes
   3. Removing actors
   4. Editing a film

   (1 marks)

4. "Marking the moment" highlights:

   1. A key moment
   2. The interval
   3. The script
   4. The audience

   (1 marks)

5. Explain why a devised piece needs a clear intention.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Stimulus to performance.
• Structure and transitions.
• Collaborate and document.
• Devise with intention and structure.