MATSEC IM Theatre and Performance study plan

Build a dated timeline of theatre history from Ancient Greek festivals to contemporary performance, marking at least 25 entries with era, key practitioners and one defining convention each

Define in your own words the terms text, dramaturgy and mise en scène, and explain how they differ using one play you already know

Read one set text twice: first for story, second for structure, annotating where the climax, reversals and turning points fall

Map the social and political context of one historical period (for example Restoration England or post-war Europe) onto a play written in it, listing three ways context shapes the script

Compare two theatrical movements (for example Naturalism and Expressionism) across staging convention, acting style and audience expectation, tabling at least five points of contrast

Analyse one set text scene by scene, writing a beat breakdown that names the objective, obstacle and tactic for each character in every beat

Identify the given circumstances of a chosen scene and explain how each one constrains what the characters can do

Trace how one practitioner (such as Stanislavski, Brecht, Artaud or Brook) changed rehearsal or performance practice, citing at least two concrete techniques

Prepare and rehearse two contrasting monologues, each 60 to 90 seconds, recording both and reviewing the playback against named criteria

Apply a warm-up routine covering breath, resonance, articulation and physical release, timing it and noting which exercises most improve your vocal clarity

Lead or take part in three ensemble exercises (for example mirroring, status work and image theatre) and write down what each revealed about group trust

Define your character's objective, super-objective and through-line for one scene, then test whether your physical choices communicate them

Devise a five-minute ensemble piece from a stimulus (a photograph, a news headline or a piece of music), documenting the devising process from first improvisation to fixed structure

Practise giving and receiving structured feedback in a rehearsal, using a format of observation, impact and suggestion

Rehearse one scene with a partner and adjust your playing in response to their timing, tempo and status choices

Identify three moments where ensemble timing or spatial awareness broke down in rehearsal and describe how you fixed them

Draw a ground plan and a simple front elevation for one set, showing sightlines, entrances and at least three acting areas

Produce a lighting and sound cue list for one scene, writing cue number, trigger line, action and intended effect for each cue

Write a director's concept for one set text in 300 words, stating your interpretation and how design, casting and staging will express it

Build a production schedule and budget outline for a hypothetical three-week rehearsal period, covering auditions, blocking, technical rehearsal and preview

Run a mock production meeting in which you present your concept and defend two staging decisions against practical objections

Direct a short scene of five to ten minutes, giving at least three notes that are specific, actionable and phrased positively

Write a critical evaluation of a live or recorded performance, judging it against stated intentions rather than personal taste

Apply a reflection model (such as describe, analyse, evaluate, plan) to your own rehearsal process and set two concrete next steps

Research the development of Maltese-language theatre, noting at least four landmark productions, companies or playwrights and their significance

Compare one Maltese work with an international work on a shared theme, discussing language, audience and cultural context

Examine how a global form (for example commedia dell'arte, physical theatre or forum theatre) has been adapted in a local context

Revise your earlier self-critique and identify how your evaluative vocabulary has sharpened over the course

Sit a timed mock exam under real conditions, answering questions from every domain

Review every wrong or weak answer and write a one-line correction for each, grouping errors by domain

Rehearse your two monologues and the devised piece once more, applying notes gathered across the course

Summarise each domain on a single revision card, limiting each to five key facts or terms