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Theatre Arts for Advanced Secondary Schools

Aristotle suggests that what should be imitated must have a well-structured plot
that has to have beginning, middle and end. Drawing from Aristotle and Plato,
artists, as they imitate nature should consider the following.
(a) Expressive movements: Actors’ body movements should be as expressive
as possible as they convey emotions, actions and narratives.
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(b) Gesture and posture: Actors should make sure that the imitated actions
are carefully crafted to symbolise different characters, emotions or story
elements.
(c) Choreography: Dance and stylised movements should be integrated into
the performance to enhance storytelling.

Mehrabian’s Communication Model

The Mehrabian’s Commu nication Model was developed by Albert Mehrabian
around 1970s. His model suggests that human beings are overwhelmingly
impressed about a speaker based on their body language and tone of voice, rather
than a content of their speech. Albert Mehrabian’s model posits that communication
is comprised of three elements: words, tone of voice and body language. The
model quantifies the impact of non-verbal communication through what is now
known as the 7-38-55 rule of which 7 per cent of communication is words, tone
of voice 38 per cent, and 55 per cent for body language. The implication here is
that body language takes large percent of people’s communication and it is more
influential than verbal language especially in conveying emotions. Applying
Mehrabian’s Communication Model in theatrical performances, makes use of
eye contact effectively in conveying the message to the audience. Use gestures
effectively to communicate with the audience. Performers have to be as honest
as possible as they imitate characters they have been assigned. They must avoid
applying confusing gestures and facial expressions. Performers need to know
that body language takes a huge part of communication on stage. Thus, it should
be used carefully and wisely.

Nonverbal Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT)
The theory was developed by Judee Burgoon and abbreviated as EVT. The theory
predicts the effects of nonverbal behavior violations. The theory suggests that
human interaction is strongly governed by expectations which, if violated can
have negative or positive impacts in communication. While many believe that
violation always produces negative results, Burgoon categorises them into two,
namely negative violation and positive violation. Positive violations become
preferable when they produce more favourable outcomes. In theatre contexts, the
theory offers valuable insights to actors by highlighting the power that nonverbal

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