Free HSC Drama Flashcard Review
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How many marks is the HSC Drama written examination worth, and how is it divided?
40 marks: Section I (Australian Drama and Theatre) is worth 20 marks and Section II (Studies in Drama and Theatre) is worth 20 marks.
How long is the HSC Drama written examination?
5 minutes reading time and 1 hour 30 minutes working time, with about 45 minutes suggested for each section.
How many questions do you answer in Section I?
One: Question 1 is mandatory for every candidate and is worded so that it applies to both Topic 1 and Topic 2.
What must a Section I answer refer to?
TWO plays you have studied from your core topic and your own experiential learning.
Where is the Section I answer written and how long should it be?
On pages 2–8 of the Drama Writing Booklet; the expected length is about six pages, roughly 800 words.
Name the three things every written answer is assessed on.
Knowledge and understanding of drama and theatre relevant to the question; expressing a point of view with appropriate supporting evidence; presenting a sustained, logical and cohesive response.
What are the five marking bands for a 20-mark Drama essay?
17–20, 13–16, 9–12, 5–8 and 1–4.
Which words distinguish the 17–20 band from the 13–16 band?
17–20 asks for an 'insightful' answer, 'insightful and relevant' evidence and a 'sustained' response; 13–16 uses 'substantial', 'relevant' evidence and a 'logical and cohesive' response.
What counts as 'supporting evidence' in NESA's Drama marking guidelines?
Examples, quotations, evidence from the text, real or imagined productions, and practical experiences related to the topic.
What was the focus of the 2024 Section I question?
How the space in which a play is staged influences its meaning.
What was the focus of the 2025 Section I question?
How Australian plays could be staged to share diverse concerns with audiences.
What was the focus of the 2023 Section I question?
How Australian practitioners create theatrical moments that challenge an audience's ideas about Australian society.
What was the focus of the 2022 Section I question?
How Australian plays create stage images that provoke audiences to consider social and personal concerns.
Who wrote Norm and Ahmed and when was it first staged?
Alexander Buzo; it was first performed in 1968.
Who are the two characters in Norm and Ahmed?
Norm, a middle-aged Australian war veteran, and Ahmed, a Pakistani university student, who meet late at night on a Sydney street.
How does Norm and Ahmed end?
After a seemingly friendly handshake, Norm suddenly attacks Ahmed, revealing the racism beneath his talk of mateship.
Why did Norm and Ahmed cause controversy in its early productions?
Its final racist obscenity led to obscenity charges against performers, making the play a test case for censorship of the Australian vernacular on stage.
Who wrote The Removalists and when was it first staged?
David Williamson; it was first performed in 1971 at La Mama in Melbourne.
Name the main characters of The Removalists.
Sergeant Simmonds, Constable Ross, the sisters Kate and Fiona, Fiona's husband Kenny, and the Removalist.
Where are the two acts of The Removalists set?
Act One in a suburban police station; Act Two in Kenny and Fiona's flat, where the police arrive with a removalist.