Video transcript
Kia ora and welcome.
This webcast is intended to provide guidance on the requirements for Drama standards 91214 and 91513.
Specifically, this webcast will focus on the use of symbolism in devised drama. Moderation shows that symbolism is often described clearly in the Statement of Intention yet remains obscure in performance. For coherent drama, meaning must be communicated through the performance itself.
Symbolic use of props, costume, set, lighting, movement, and sound needs to be visible, activated, and purposeful for a new audience.
A common issue is that a symbolic idea stays at the level of concept. Here, ‘activated’ means it’s realised through what happens on stage through action, interaction, repetition, or focus.
Symbols should be discovered in performance, not decoded from the Statement of Intention. If symbolism remains conceptual, audiences are often unsure what it’s meant to communicate.
For example, a student might say, “My character wears a yellow scarf to show fading optimism.”
On its own, colour symbolism rarely reads clearly on stage. If the scarf is never noticed, handled, or contrasted, its meaning remains invisible. Without action that draws attention to it—adjusting it, passing it to another character, or discarding it at a key moment—the audience is unlikely to connect it to an emotional shift.
A suitcase representing emotional baggage becomes meaningful if the character drags it, struggles with it, or keeps returning to it during key emotional sequences.
A notebook representing secrets is clearer when the character guards it, refuses to let others see it, or tears out pages in a moment of crisis.
A ticking clock showing pressure is effective when the sound grows louder as tension rises or stops abruptly at a turning point.
A low drone symbolising fear works when actors respond physically, freezing, shrinking, or shifting their movement quality.
Symbolic use of space becomes clear through repetition, such as consistently moving to a higher level during conflict or returning to a corner of the stage to show isolation.
A pounamu pendant becomes meaningful when the character touches it during moments of doubt, holds it tightly when gathering courage, or removes it only when feeling disconnected from their ancestors or sense of identity.
Effective symbolism can be developed through repetition, by returning to the symbol at key dramatic turning points; through interaction, where the symbol shifts relationships, status, or power; through contrast and focus, using deliberate changes in light, sound, pace, or stillness to draw attention; and through integration, where the symbol is embedded within the action rather than relying on design choices alone.
A simple activity to develop symbolic clarity is the 60-second Symbol in Action challenge. This quick activity helps students test whether their symbolic choices are genuinely legible in performance.
Symbolism must be realised in performance to be understood.
Assessors can consider these questions.
Explanations in the Statement of Intention do not compensate for unclear stage action.
For more explanation and examples of what is required for this aspect, see the exemplars on the NZQA website.
Further assessor support for the internal achievement standards in Drama can be found in our assessor support catalogue, available on the NZQA website.
Thank you.
Effective use of symbolism in devised drama (04:34 mins)
This webcast focuses on the use of symbolism in devised drama and provides guidance on the requirements for Drama standards 91214 and 91513
Video transcript
Kia ora and welcome.
This webcast is intended to provide guidance on the requirements for Drama standards 91214 and 91513.
Specifically, this webcast will explore the requirement for the drama to realise its intention or concept solely through performance.
Moderation continues to indicate that devised drama performances often rely too heavily on the accompanying Statement of Intention or Concept to communicate key ideas. While teachers and peers who are ‘close to the work’ may already understand the intended themes and messages, these are not consistently realised to a new audience through performance alone.
To produce the coherent work required for Merit, the drama needs to ‘stand alone’ from the written statement and clearly realise the intended concept.
Students need to ensure elements such as role, time, place, and situation are communicated. Simple, early cues—such as spatial arrangement, projected image, props, dialogue, and action—help to anchor audience understanding.
So, what does this mean for classroom practice? Let’s look at how students can set up clarity early.
Students need to devise brief, targeted expository moments that establish the critical circumstances of the drama, especially when nonverbal or highly physical styles dominate. A possible activity is described here.
A concise opening exchange can quickly signal who the characters are, define their relationship, and hint at the central conflict. A ‘one-sentence wonder’ can work here—a one-line announcement that sets up the situation and characters. For example: “The shop girls knew that striking would not please Mrs. Roberts, but what choice did they have?”
This orients an audience unfamiliar with the devised drama with vital information at the outset.
Teachers can enable students to realise their ideas by using an ‘Intentions to Dramatic Action’ activity.
Sharing sequences with the wider group helps test the clarity of dramatic action for an audience coming in with no prior knowledge of the performers’ intentions.
Outside-eye feedback is also essential in strengthening coherence. Observers can help identify unclear character relationships and symbolic choices or transitions that disrupt pacing.
Firstly, are the drama elements clearly visible? We should be able to identify who the roles are and how space, mood, tension—whatever they’ve chosen—are developed as active tools to communicate meaning.
Next, does the performance stand on its own? In other words, can a new audience understand what’s going on without needing the written explanation?
It is also important to consider whether the exposition is purposeful. Do we get just enough setup to understand the situation?
Outside eyes help test whether the dramatic action is reading clearly and whether the intention is landing.
Some theatre forms, such as Artaudian techniques, can create powerful sensory or visual experiences. However, if style takes precedence over clearly communicating the ideas, the audience may find it difficult to grasp the intention or fully understand the concept.
Further assessor support for the internal achievement standards in Drama can be found in our assessor support catalogue available on the NZQA website.
Kia ora and thank you.
Realising an intention or concept solely through performance (4:02 mins)
This webcast explores the requirement in Drama standards 91214 and 91513 for the drama to realise its intention or concept solely through performance