13 What is context? The context of a play is what was happening either when the play was written or when it is set. This can involve its location, social conventions, political movements and historical events, as well as the time period. Context is often broken down into: Social contexts, for example: • the role of women and gender issues • religion and beliefs • poverty, health, housing, employment • cases of injustice; social movements • technological developments, such as inventions and transport • education. Cultural contexts, for example: • theatrical conventions • artistic movements, including literature, music, visual art and architecture • popular tastes • production styles • fashions. Historical contexts, for example: • political and civil movements • wars and their effects • ruling classes and power struggles • the effects of past events on the present. How to explore a play for A Level Drama and Theatre Theatre maker insight Rosanna Vize, designer ‘The rst part of my design process is almost always talking. I enjoy long, winding, circular conversations. These usually begin with the text, but quickly veer off into a sharing of our own experiences. This allows us to process the piece through empathy rather than cold analysis. I nd this leads to an unlocking of something more base level, primal or human which will ultimately inform the shape of a design.’ Tip For more understanding and examples of scenic and set design, the ‘Working in Theatre’ videos produced by American Theatre Wing are an excellent resource (americantheatrewing.org/ working-in-the-theatre/scenic-design/). Tip Awareness of the playwright’s intentions for writing the play may be important to your understanding of it, but do not include a lengthy biography of the playwright in your exam answer. Understanding how context influences a play When writing about a play, you need to demonstrate an understanding of how the context in uences your choices of directing, acting or designing. All of the plays in List B are set in the 20th or early 21st centuries, so you might be aware of, for example, the typical role of women during this period, how they dress and how they might be expected to move and speak, as well as the theatrical conventions of the time. If, as a designer, you are creating a 20th-century residence in the USA, you will have researched its architecture and what items might be in the house. You will not be expected to list dates or discuss unrelated historical or political events, but your understanding of the context will in uence your practical decisions about the play. Task Imagine that you are exploring the context of a play written in the past year. What were the major contextual features you might look for? What were the main social, cultural and political events that affected people’s lives? Copyright: Sample material
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