ABSTRACT
Studying how dramatists construct beginnings provides a valuable insight into the art of the playwright but can also inform teachers’ and pupils’ approaches to their improvised drama. The example from A. Chekhov highlights the way the beginning can set a mood and establish central themes as well as communicate expository information. Many drama books contain interesting ideas for starting points for drama such as newspaper articles, poems, objects, letters, maps, and games. ‘Teacher in role’ is an extremely valuable technique which is particularly appropriate for younger pupils because it can make the drama more real, deepen the work, provide challenges to pupils’ thinking and set an appropriate tone. The possibilities are endless and the power of the technique widely acknowledged in the drama literature. Despite its effectiveness as a way of initiating drama, many teachers, having been faced by pupils who fail to take the teacher’s efforts, will attest to the fact that the technique is not without its risks.
