Dramatic Dreamers Club
Report of the Second Session
Date: 28 th June 2025
Venue: Audio Visual Room
Facilitator: Mr. Pravesh and Mr. Rajan from Swatantra Theatre
Classes Involved: VI to IX
No. of Students: 21
No. of Teachers: 3
Theme of Session 2: The Power of Voice
Date: 28 th June 2025
Duration: 4 hours
Learning Objective:
To help students understand the significance of voice modulation in drama, and develop control over vocal elements such as tone, pitch, pace, and clarity to enhance emotional expression and character portrayal.
Session Highlights:
In the second session, students explored the nuances of voice modulation and its impact in dramatic expression. The session began with reviewing the homework from the first session. Students had to come forward and perform the scene they had written themselves based on the outline given. Students learned about the importance of tone, pitch, and pace in conveying different emotions and character traits. The qualities of voice namely- Audibility, clarity, depth and projection were explained. Then the 9 parts of the stage were explained namely Up, Middle and Down stage which are further divided into Up Left, Middle Left, Down Left, Up Centre, Centre and Down Centre and Up Right, Middle Right and Down Right. This has to be kept in mind by actors from the point of view of the audience perspective. Accordingly, the actor’s left is the audience’s right. The mic line and the lights line appear at the front of the stage and the rest follows suit.
Interactive activities included playing three games namely “Oh My Chi Chi” based on an African song, which demonstrated the various emotions or the “Navrasa”, using various emotions, A Math game and the game “Kill”, all of which highlighted the importance of active listening, attentiveness and discipline. Movement using every part of the stage at varying speeds was also showcased. Stance and manner of walking were also demonstrated. Subsequently, students participated in short scene work to highlight how voice can transform a performance. Various words like ‘ball’, ‘clothes’, ‘doll’ etc. were given and students had to improvise their acting and dialogues on the spot. By the end, students gained increased awareness of their vocal range and confidence in speaking before an audience. NSB or Never Show your Back to the audience was emphasized along with how to lose self-consciousness and improve confidence even if you’re
laughed at.
Apart from the theoretical aspects of drama which included the background of how drama originated as well as the significance of drama in developing one’s personality, the objective or purpose of drama was highlighted. Drama is not just a medium of entertainment but is a
powerful medium of conveying a message and it has social implications as well. For e.g. A play about domestic violence was performed in many villages of Maharashtra and it proved life changing as many males, who witnessed them took an oath to henceforth refrain from inflicting violence on their wives and the females also became aware of their rights and were encouraged to stand up for themselves.
Learning Outcome:
By the end of the session, students were able to demonstrate improved breath control, vocal clarity, and projection, and effectively use variations in tone, pitch, and pace to express emotions and character traits. They also showed increased confidence in performing in front of their peers. All in all, it was an enjoyable and profound session wherein the students took away valuable insights into their lives and drama which are inextricably intertwined. Any career they choose or any hobby they pursue- all have some elements of drama in them. Priceless life lessons were also imparted which the students will always carry with them.
Dr. Bharati Kudchadker
Club in Charge
