B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual Arts

Drama: Authentic Characters and Changing Relationships

B1.2 B2.2About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can tell the difference between an authentic character and a stereotype.
I can use gesture and movement to show who my character is.
I can show how a relationship changes a character over several scenes.
I can establish a clear setting and keep the audience believing in it.
I can name my favourite scene and explain why it works, using drama words.

Words to know

stereotype
A fixed, oversimplified idea about a whole group of people, such as "all old people are grumpy." Stereotypes are unfair and make flat characters.

authentic character
A character who feels like a real, specific person, with their own history, wants, habits and contradictions.

gesture
A movement of the hands, head or body that shows a thought or feeling, like rubbing your neck when you are nervous.

relationship
How two characters are connected and how they feel about each other.

setting
The time and place of the drama.

sustaining belief
Keeping the drama world real for yourself and the audience, for example by treating mimed objects the same way every time.

dramatic context
The situation of the drama: who, where, when and what is going on.

Remember from Grade 5

You built characters with an outer life (how they look, move and speak) and an inner life (hidden thoughts, wants and fears). You used simple props to show the setting and noticed how characters act differently with different people.

In Grade 6 you will go deeper: make sure your characters are authentic, not stereotypes, show how a relationship changes a character over time, and keep the audience believing in your setting.

Meet two Mr. Tremblays

Version A: an old man shuffles on stage, shakes his fist and yells, "You kids get off my lawn!" Everyone laughs. Then... nothing. We already know everything about him.

Version B: Mr. Tremblay kneels slowly by his tomato plants, rubbing his left knee (an old hockey injury). He hums a song in French that his mother used to sing. He talks to the plants. When a soccer ball lands in his tomatoes, he gets angry, but then he notices the kid looks scared, and he hesitates.

Version A is a stereotype: a fixed idea about a whole group ("old people are grumpy"). Version B is an authentic character: a specific person with a history, habits and mixed feelings. Which one do you want to watch for a whole play?

Version A gives the audience one fixed idea about a whole group. Version B gives a specific person with a history, habits and mixed feelings, so there is much more to watch.

How to turn a stereotype into an authentic character

Ask these questions about your character:

Specific history: What happened to this person before the drama began?
Wants and fears: What do they want most? What are they afraid of?
Contradiction: What is surprising about them? (A tough-looking person who is gentle with plants; a shy person who is brave when someone needs help.)
Habits and gestures: What do they do with their hands? How do they walk? Do they have a saying they repeat?
Respect check: Am I showing a real person, or making fun of a group because of age, gender, culture, ability or how they speak? If it's a joke about a group, change it.

Gesture and movement

Your body tells the audience who you are before you say a word.

Speed: quick and jerky (nervous, busy) or slow and smooth (calm, tired, careful)?
Space: do you take up a lot of room (confident) or fold in small (shy, scared)?
Signature gesture: one repeated movement the audience will remember, like Mr. Tremblay rubbing his knee or Jada tugging her sleeve when she is worried.

Relationships change characters

A character is not the same with everyone, and a relationship can change over a story. In good dramas, characters grow because of the people they meet.

Here's how Jada and Mr. Tremblay's relationship could change over four scenes of the Cedar Hill drama:

Scene 1: Jada's soccer ball crushes Mr. Tremblay's tomato plants. He is angry; she runs away.
Scene 2: Jada comes back to apologize. He grumbles, but hands her a trowel: "Help me replant, then."
Scene 3: At the town hall, Jada is nervous to speak. Mr. Tremblay gives her a small nod. She speaks.
Scene 4: Mr. Tremblay teaches Jada to save seeds from the best tomato "for next year, whatever happens."

A line graph of trust between Jada and Mr. Tremblay over four scenes. Trust starts low in Scene 1 and rises in each scene until it is high in Scene 4.

Setting: establish it, then sustain it

The setting is the time and place. In Grade 6 you need to make it clear at the start and keep it believable the whole time.

Establish the setting (show it clearly):

an opening tableau or a few seconds of action (kneeling, digging, wiping sweat in the hot sun)
a sound (birds, a lawnmower, the library door)
one or two real props (a trowel, a watering can)

Sustain belief (keep it real):

Mime consistently: if the garden gate is on the left, always use the gate on the left. If you put the watering can down by the fence, pick it up from the fence.
React to the place: squint in the sun, shiver on a cold spring morning, step around the plants instead of through them.
Stay in role even when you are not speaking. Listen and react as your character.

Element of drama	What it means	In the Jada and Mr. Tremblay scenes
role/character	who you are playing, inside and out	Mr. Tremblay rubs his knee and hums; Jada tugs her sleeve when nervous
relationship	how characters connect and change	from angry strangers to garden partners
time and place	the setting	a hot August afternoon in the garden; later, the town hall
tension	the feeling that something important is at stake	Will Mr. Tremblay forgive her? Will the garden be paved?

Using several elements of drama to build belief in a role

Worked example

Example: Building an authentic Councillor Beaulieu

Councillor Beaulieu could easily become a stereotype: "the boring politician." Let's make her authentic.

History: she grew up in Cedar Hill. Her family ran the hardware store for forty years.
Want: a decision the whole town can live with. Fear: letting down people who voted for her.
Contradiction: she seems calm and organized in meetings, but she lies awake worrying the night before big votes.
Gesture: she taps her pen twice on the table before she speaks, and she looks at each speaker when they talk.
Relationship: she coached Jada's soccer team two years ago, so she is extra careful to be fair and not to play favourites.
Respect check: she is a specific person, not a joke about politicians.

A specific history, a clear want and fear, a contradiction, a signature gesture and a relationship turn a flat stereotype into an authentic character.

Worked example

Example: Explaining a favourite scene with drama words

After playing all four Jada and Mr. Tremblay scenes, you are asked: "Which was your favourite scene, and why?"

Name the scene: "My favourite scene was Scene 2, when Jada comes back to apologize."
Role/character: "Mr. Tremblay grumbles, but his gesture of handing her the trowel shows he's softening."
Relationship: "It's the turning point of their relationship, from angry to working together."
Time and place: "We established the setting with the sound of birds and kneeling by the beds, so it felt real."
Tension: "There was tension in the pause before he answered: would he forgive her?"

A strong answer names the scene, gives reasons, and uses drama terminology (role, gesture, relationship, setting, tension) to explain why it works.

Just for fun

Why did the tomato turn red?

It saw Jada's soccer ball heading straight for the garden! ⚽🍅

Avoiding stereotypes

Never use a fake accent, costume or gesture to make fun of a culture, religion, ability, age or gender.
Give every character a name and a specific detail (a hobby, a pet, a favourite food).
Ask, "Would a real person like this feel respected watching my scene?"

Hands-on activity

Four scenes in the garden

You need: a partner, two or three real objects to set the scene (a gardening glove, a plant pot, a ball), and a small open space.

Build two authentic characters. Use the five questions (history, wants and fears, contradiction, gestures, respect check). Write two lines for each character.
Set the space. Decide together where the garden beds, the gate and the fence are. Place your real objects. Agree on where the mimed objects are too.
Play Scenes 1 to 4 of Jada and Mr. Tremblay (or make up your own four scenes about two characters whose relationship changes).
Start each scene with a 3-second tableau that establishes the setting.
Sustain belief: your partner watches for one "mime mistake" (like walking through the fence). Replay and fix it.
Graph it: draw a quick trust graph like the one above for your scenes.
Favourite scene: each person names their favourite scene and explains it with at least three drama words.

Your turn

What is the difference between a stereotype and an authentic character?

Give two gestures that could show a character is nervous.

How does Jada and Mr. Tremblay's relationship change from Scene 1 to Scene 4?

What does it mean to sustain belief in a setting?

Name two ways to establish a setting at the start of a scene.

What is a contradiction in a character? Give an example.

Why should you avoid fake accents when playing a character from another culture?

More practice: warm-up

True or false: A stereotype makes a character more interesting.

What is the setting of a drama?

Name one element of drama besides role.

What is a signature gesture?

You put a mimed watering can down by the fence. Where should you pick it up later?

More practice: on your own

Turn this stereotype into an authentic character: "the mean substitute teacher." Give a history, a want, a contradiction and a gesture.

How would Mr. Tremblay move differently in Scene 1 compared with Scene 4? Explain why.

Your audience looks confused about where your scene is happening. Give three fixes.

Name your favourite scene from any movie, show or play, and explain why it works using two drama words.

Why does playing a scene where a relationship changes make a drama stronger than one where it stays the same?

Challenge

Write a short plan for three scenes showing how the relationship between Dr. Haddad and Mr. Tremblay could change. Include one gesture that changes.

Explain how time and place and relationship work together to build belief in a role. Use an example.

A classmate plays an Indigenous character in a drama using a fake headdress and "movie" language. Explain respectfully why this is a stereotype and suggest a better choice.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a stereotype?

A signature gesture is ___.

Sustaining belief in the setting means ___.

In the trust graph, trust between Jada and Mr. Tremblay ___.

Which explanation of a favourite scene uses drama terminology best?

Which question helps turn a stereotype into an authentic character?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 6 students show understanding of the element of role by selectively using other elements (time and place, relationship, tension) to build belief in a role and establish its dramatic context (B1.2). The curriculum's Grade 6 focus for character includes considering the inner and outer life in depth, differentiating between authentic characters and stereotypes, and using gestures and movement to convey character; for relationship, how relationships influence character development and change; and for time and place, establishing a clear setting and sustaining belief in it. Students also identify a favourite scene and give reasons, using drama terminology (B2.2).

How to help:

While watching shows, ask: "Is this character a real person or a stereotype? What makes you say that?"
Be the scene partner and keep your mime consistent; it models sustaining belief.
Ask for a favourite scene and push gently for drama words: "What did the actor's body do? How did the relationship change?"

Common difficulties:

Going for easy laughs with stereotypes (accents, "grumpy old man"). Ask, "What is this person's name, history and want?"
Characters who never change. Use the trust graph to plan how the relationship moves.
Disappearing mime objects. Agree on a map of the space before playing.

Respect note: the challenge question discusses stereotypes of Indigenous people (fake headdresses). Explain that items like headdresses have deep meaning in some First Nations communities and are not costumes.