What is the Matter with Mary Jane? (4 page)

And so my life continues… one meal at a time.

IN THE MIRROR

SANCIA
looks in the mirror and finds some acceptance there.

She walks off stage.

Links to the Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum: English Year 9

Understand that authors innovate with text structures and language for specific purposes and effects (ACELA1553)

Compare and contrast the use of cohesive devices in texts, focusing on how they serve to signpost ideas, to make connections and to build semantic associations between ideas (ACELA1770)

Identify how vocabulary choices contribute to specificity, abstraction and stylistic effectiveness (ACELA1561)

Present an argument about a literary text based on initial impressions and subsequent analysis of the whole text (ACELT1771)

Explore and reflect on personal understanding of the world and significant human experience gained from interpreting various representations of life matters in texts (ACELT1635)

Analyse text structures and language features of literary texts, and make relevant comparisons with other texts (ACELT1772)

Listen to spoken texts constructed for different purposes, for example to entertain and to persuade, and analyse how language features of these texts position listeners to respond in particular ways (ACELY1740)

Interpret, analyse and evaluate how different perspectives of issue, event, situation, individuals or groups are constructed to serve specific purposes in texts (ACELY1742)

Create imaginative, informative and persuasive texts that present a point of view and advance or illustrate arguments, including texts that integrate visual, print and/or audio features (ACELY1746)

Review and edit students' own and others' texts to improve clarity and control over content, organisation, paragraphing, sentence structure, vocabulary and audio/visual features (ACELY1747)

Use a range of software, including word processing programs, flexibly and imaginatively to publish texts (ACELY1748)

The Australian Curriculum: English Year 10

Understand how language use can have inclusive and exclusive social effects, and can empower or disempower people (ACELA1564)

Understand that people's evaluations of texts are influenced by their value systems, the context and the purpose and mode of communication (ACELA1565)

Compare the purposes, text structures and language features of traditional and contemporary texts in different media (ACELA1566)

Analyse and explain how text structures, language features and visual features of texts and the context in which texts are experienced may influence audience response (ACELT1641)

Identify, explain and discuss how narrative viewpoint, structure, characterisation and devices including analogy and satire shape different interpretations and responses to a text (ACELT1642)

Compare and evaluate how ‘voice' as a literary device can be used in a range of different types of texts such as poetry to evoke particular emotional responses (ACELT1643)

Analyse and evaluate text structures and language features of literary texts and make relevant thematic and intertextual connections with other texts (ACELT1774)

Identify and explore the purposes and effects of different text structures and language features of spoken texts, and use this knowledge to create purposeful texts that inform, persuade and engage (ACELY1750)

Use comprehension strategies to compare and contrast information within and between texts, identifying and analysing embedded perspectives, and evaluating supporting evidence (ACELY1754)

Create sustained texts, including texts that combine specific digital or media content, for imaginative, informative, or persuasive purposes that reflect upon challenging and complex issues (ACELY1756)

Review, edit and refine students' own and others' texts for control of content, organisation, sentence structure, vocabulary, and/or visual features to achieve particular purposes and effects (ACELY1757)

Use a range of software, including word processing programs, confidently, flexibly and imaginatively to create, edit and publish texts, considering the identified purpose and the characteristics of the user (ACELY1776)

The Australian Curriculum: The Arts Years 9 & 10

Manipulate combinations of the elements of drama to develop and convey the physical and psychological aspects of roles and characters consistent with intentions in dramatic forms and performance styles (ACADRM048)

Structure drama to engage an audience through manipulation of dramatic action, forms and performance styles and by using design elements (ACADRM050)

Perform devised and scripted drama making deliberate artistic choices and shaping design elements to unify dramatic meaning for an audience (ACADRM051)

Evaluate how the elements of drama, forms and performance styles in devised and scripted drama convey meaning and aesthetic effect (ACADRR052)

Analyse a range of drama from contemporary and past times to explore differing viewpoints and enrich their drama making, starting with drama from Australia and including drama of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and consider drama in international contexts (ACADRR053)

Activities for English: General

Narrative point of view

What is the Matter with Mary Jane?
is a monologue told in the first person narrative. A monologue performed by one actor can also be called a monodrama. In the first person narrative, one character at a time narrates the story, telling the main narrative and any associated stories, from their point of view.

The first person point of view can be considered a limited point of view. Limited, because the narrator is part of the story and therefore may not be privy to information about other characters and events. This approach can make it difficult for an author/playwright to keep a narrative moving. However, this approach can also create intimacy and a stronger connection between narrator and audience as the audience is privy to the narrator's thoughts and feelings.

First person narrative enables a writer to use stream of consciousness (also known as internal monologue) as a narrative device. Stream of consciousness allows the reader to develop a more intimate knowledge of a character as they read the thoughts of the character as they are having them. Traditionally, stream of consciousness and the dramatic device of a soliloquy, while serving similar purposes, have been thought of as two different devices. Over time, as more playwrights create monodramas and the lines between monodrama and soliloquy have become blurred, the distinction between stream of consciousness and soliloquy has also blurred.

Activities:

1. As the students read the script, record the following:

a. all of the characters that Sancia plays,

b. all of the characters that Sancia speaks to in the play,

c. any other characters that are mentioned in the play.

2. Identify the ways Wendy Harmer and Sancia Robinson break from the first person narrative to:

a. keep the narrative moving,

b. provide additional information to the audience.

(Hint, the list of characters compiled in question one will help the students to complete this task.)

3. Choose one scene in the play and write it so it is either a duologue (two characters) or a multi character scene. Compare the newly created scene with the original scene using a compare and contrast chart or similar. The comparison should focus on:

a. the effect on the audience (reader),

b. the different ways the audience (reader) receives information in the two version,

c. the relationship between the audience (reader) and the character,

d. any other important information.

Story Arc

The development of
What is the Matter with Mary Jane?
follows a traditional (sometimes referred to as Freytag's Pyramid) dramatic arc featuring: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and dénouement.

Sketch the story arc of
What is the Matter with Mary Jane?
annotating the sketch with key lines, actions or any other information from the play. The exposition refers to the set up of the story and imparting important information to the audience. The rising action is a series of events that builds towards the climax or crisis. In a traditional dramatic arc, the rising action occurs immediately after the exposition. The climax or crisis point is sometimes referred to as the ‘turning point' because it is the point of the play where fate of the character begins to change. Following the crisis point or climax is the falling action, at which point the protagonist will win or lose their battle. The dénouement is also known as the resolution, revelation or catastrophe.

Activities:
Divide the class into five groups. Allocate each group one element of the dramatic arc (exposition, rising action, climax or crisis, falling action and dénouement). Each group analyses the scenes that relate to their allocated area of the dramatic arc in relation to:

• language,

• character development,

• story development.

After analysing the scenes, each group should prepare a summary sheet and presentation for the rest of the class.

Themes and issues

Young adult fiction, or youth theatre, is often defined as being written and developed for young people from the ages of fifteen to twenty-five. The protagonist in young adult fiction or youth theatre is predominantly a young person overcoming a social, emotional and occasionally a political challenge. Another defining element of young adult fiction is that it generally explores themes and issues the reader is experiencing or familiar with. For example: body image, peer pressure, social acceptance, self-acceptance etc.

Activities:

1. As the students read the script, record the following:

a. the themes and issues that Sancia faces,

b. how these are revealed to the audience,

c. the language used to reveal the themes and issues,

d. any other important information.

Activities for English: Scene by Scene

Introduction

Read the beginning of the play stanza by stanza. After reading each stanza students should create a visual image for each. The image can be created either digital or by hand. After creating the images, divide the students into small groups to share their images. While discussing their images, the students should discuss what words, phrases and emotions inspired each image. After discussing all of the images, the group creates a multi-modal text that tells the introductory story. The students should use a storyboard, or similar graphics organiser, to plan the multi-modal text. Students present their work to the class.

Working in pairs, or small groups, students read sections one and two of the introduction for both the younger and the older Sancia. After reading the sections, the students use a compare and contrast chart, or a similar graphics organiser, to identify the similarities and differences in each scene in relation to: themes and issues, characters and language. After comparing the younger and the older Sancia, the students write a short statement about what they have learnt about the character and what they think will happen during the play.

After reading the introduction, work as a whole class to identify how the writers have used language to show the change in character and the development of the story. For example: On p.4 Sancia becomes the MD. The character of the MD uses colloquial language such as‘All ya gotta do'. This is against the traditional portrayal of an MD who would usually use formal language and jargon. This juxtaposition of language highlights the surreal nature of the situation from Sancia's point of view. Like satire, the surreal nature of her situation invites the audience to question the probability/likelihood of the situation.

In the mirror

As a whole class, read through the scene and discuss the use of rhyme/poetry. Working individually, the students choose one section of the scene and rewrite the scene in a different form or genre, for example, documentary drama, comedy, teen romance etc. Using a think, pair, share strategy, the student's share and then edit their work. After completing the edit, the students publish their work in any format of their choosing. After publishing their work, the students reflect on the similarities and differences between the original and the adapted version of the text. The reflections should include any changes to the language used; any changes to the character and any differences in meaning that may be interpreted by the reader/audience.

At the table

Read through the scene ‘at the table' and identify the language features that are used. For example: Sancia uses asides to talk to the audience and reveal information that she does not want her mother to know. The use of factual information in the asides, for example, ‘That's seven more calories', serves several purposes. It foreshadows Sancia's future challenges with her body image and self esteem and it shows the audience how consumed the character of Sancia is with calorie consumption and how she hides this from her mother. After analysing the language features and what these tell the audience, students use this analysis as the basis of an online blog/series of posts from the point of view of Sancia or Sancia's mother or another character that they think is of importance. The students swap and respond to another person's post/s in character, for example as a friend, relative or stranger.

This scene is also the first time we meet The Coach voice—or what is often called the Eating Disorder voice. The first introduction to this voice is passive and understated. As the play progresses The Coach voice becomes a more active voice (by becoming a stronger and more prevalent voice in Sancia's life). The final showdown between Sancia and the Coach voice occurs in the last scenes where Sancia finally breaks down and asks for help. Divide the students into small groups and ask the students to scan through the script and identify the language features that show The Coach voice as passive and The Coach voice as active.

The introduction of The Coach voice also indicates a change in the action of the play. This can be seen as the end of Act 1. The ‘fun and games' aspect of Sancia's life are now over and the play moves into a more in depth analysis of
What is the Matter with Mary Jane?
. This new voice is effectively a new character in the play, indicating the arrival and development of Sancia's Eating Disorder. The Coach voice is developed systematically as a character. Initially The Coach voice appears to help and support Sancia, however, as the character develops and grows it begins to take over Sancia's world, her health and her self-esteem. In clinical terms, the Eating Disorder Self (The Coaching voice) is quite commonly referred to during recovery. The Heathy Self, the voice that is used to help a patient get well, is also referred to in recovery. It is very common in recovery for the patient to be encouraged to ‘talk' to the Eating Disorder Self, to challenge the bullying and tyranny that a patient feels at the hands of this voice.