HSC Drama case studies
HSC Drama · Put your knowledge to work in context.
HSC Drama is a Stage 6 course within the NSW Higher School Certificate, the senior secondary credential administered by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). NESA describes itself as setting "syllabuses, assessments, teaching and school standards for all schools in NSW," and the HSC as "a world-class credential that helps young adults on the path to work, training and further education." The course suits Year 11 and Year 12 students in NSW schools who want to combine practical theatre-making with critical study of drama and theatre. The HSC Drama case studies are 5 cases and about 3,566 words.
1The Group Devising Deadline
A Year 12 group of four students is devising an original 12-minute piece for the Group Performance. With three weeks until the trial performance, their work-in-progress runs 8 minutes and is built around a single physical-theatre motif: four performers moving as one body.
743 words, about 4 min2The Monologue and the Marking Criteria
A student, Alex, is preparing a 6-minute monologue for the Individual Performance. Alex has chosen a contemporary Australian play and has memorised the text accurately.
728 words, about 4 min3Reading a Production Against Its Stated Intent
A class attends a professional production of a classic Australian play. The program note states the director's intent: to foreground the play's treatment of class and to make it 'urgently contemporary'.
728 words, about 4 min4The Ensemble Scene and the Dominant Performer
In a class ensemble scene of eight performers, one student, Mia, has the largest role and consistently draws focus: she speaks louder than the group, moves on other performers' lines, and stands downstage centre for most of the scene. The teacher's notes say the ensemble lacks balance and that other performers are being 'upstaged'.
678 words, about 3 min5Choosing the Individual Project
A student, Noor, must choose an Individual Project pathway. Noor is strong in design and has produced excellent costume renderings, but is also a confident writer and has drafted a short script.
689 words, about 3 min