Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91518 about?

Accepted Answer

This standard asks you to watch a live drama performance and explain how the various drama techniques you see on stage work together to create meaning. You need to identify specific moments and describe what the director and designers chose to do, then explain why those choices matter and what they communicate to the audience.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91518?

Accepted Answer

1. Identify specific moments or events from the live performance and explain how they create significant change or impact 2. Describe drama components (acting techniques, staging, lighting, sound, costume, movement) that you actually saw and explain what they communicated 3. Use precise drama terminology correctly when discussing techniques and performance choices 4. Support every point with detailed, well-chosen evidence directly from what happened on stage 5. Make connections between the director's creative decisions and their intended effect on the audience

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91518?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You explain what you saw on stage using some drama terminology, supported by basic evidence from the performance, but your explanations are simple and don't always clearly connect techniques to meaning. Merit: You give detailed explanations of drama components with well-chosen examples from the performance; you confidently use drama terminology and show you understand how staging, acting, and design choices worked purposefully to affect the audience. Excellence: You make insightful connections between drama techniques, the director's concept, and the wider context of the performance; you use precise terminology throughout, select perfect evidence, and discuss both the intention behind choices and their specific impact on the audience.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91518?

Accepted Answer

1. Telling the story of the plot instead of analysing the drama techniques—examiners want you to explain *how* things were performed, not *what* happened next in the plot. 2. Describing what you saw without explaining why it mattered or what it communicated to the audience—'the lighting was blue' is not enough; you must explain what that blue lighting conveyed about mood, character, or meaning. 3. Using sketch boxes or annotations without detail—your drawings need labels and notes that add extra information, not just sketches of the set or actors.

Live Drama

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