URGENT! DRAMA ESSAYS IN 1ST PERSON OR NOT? ie aus contemp theatre (1 Viewer)

[redjelly]

Okay here's the problem.

Our school has feuding drama teachers who won't/can't cooperate. Both are pretty damn competent. One has done a major amount of hsc marking.

One teacher says drama essays must be utterly personal, written using "I" because students need to demonstrate their own very presonal understanding of the plays. Basically need to write essays that don't look like english ones but are full of the real experience of audiences and performers, not just the nuances of the script.

Teacher number two has given essays top marks that are NOT written in first person and are more about the scripts than the workshopping in class or the experience of being audience members and analysing the performers while seeing a performance.

So please help me and my class out. I'd ring the advice line but they don't bother with a little subject called drama (evil maths/science oriented organisers!)

DO you write essays in first or third person?
What do your teachers teach you?
How all-knowing are said teachers (ie if you have a teacher who marks or sets the papers...PLEASE REPLY!)

Huge thanks if you can help me out.
cheers!

 

[goosiegoo]

It depends on the question... if it says something about your personal experiences, then you obviously write a lot about that. If it doesn't ask much about experiences... or yourself... then don't so much.

 

[Desert Dessert]

Do we always have to refer to experiences, or only if the question asks for it?

 

[Amez...]

Dont write an english essay. They wanna see what you know about experiencing the play, not reading the play. Write in first person when it comes to doing this. eg. when viewing The Removalists, i felt that.... and this made me understand...... which is how Williamson is able to....
Generall write in third person throughout until it comes to discussing ur personal experiences. ALWAYS DO THIS! even if it doesnt ask- even if u havent seen the play, imagine how it would look and sound, how it maeks u feel. read it aloud and create staging so that u understand the performance, not just reading the play.

 

[StepBack!]

The markers' notes on the "board of studies" site frequently refer to "workshop experience" as a key feature in strong essays. So I'm guessing we need to talk about that sort of stuff in 1st person (it would be a *bit* hard not to!), but in that case should our whole essay be like that (to be consistent)? ...or is it okay to be inconsistent and only use the 1st person for that one section? ...or maybe we should use 1st person in the intro n conclusion, also?

H4lp pl0x...

 

[goosiegoo]

I think it depends on the question for that, StephBack! Just use 1st person when you need to... and 3rd person every other time.

 

[Absolutezero]

I generally write in third person. I believe it gives more formality and, in my opinion, makes the views expressed within appear to be more dignified or valid. However, as stated by "Noir" if the question asks "How did you respond? etc" then it's probably better to use first.

Of course, this is not always true, and, in many cases you can alternate between the two reletively easily. Generally, all this means is just starting a new paragraph.