In this chapter I have connected some of the key components of the LTD
with Bondian drama. I have not tried to present a full methodological toolkit
for creating Bondian drama lessons, but I have defined the most important
practical components that can be used in this process. I started out by
presenting a drama lesson by Davis and looking at possible problems and
questions arising from it.
I discussed the similarities and differences in the role of the participants
and actors. The nature of understanding that the two practices aim to bring
about was explored. I looked at metaxis and the DE and came to a conclusion
that the situations used in the drama lessons need to provide three different
functions. They need to be:
¢ engaging enough for the group so that they are motivated to enter it and
be involved in making it
+ the meta-text of the situation needs to contain elements or expressions
of dominant cultural narratives that can surface and be reflected on
from within the story
s the fiction needs to have a powerful angle of connection with
the participants’ actual social context so that the metaxis function can
step into operation
I then compared the crises that the examples of LTD and some of the Bond
plays examined engaged in. Here I came to the conclusion that in the problems
used for a Bondian drama lesson the paradox created by the clash of
the ontological and the existential should be identified and brought into
the centre of the situation. The following questions can help in identifying
or creating these elements in a story:
« What is the fundamental human need expressed in the story/situation?
« How are these human needs manipulated by social narratives?
s How can the conflict between the two be expressed in concrete actions
in specific situations?
I discussed the central role of ‘being’ in the drama and placed the concept
of Enactment beside it. I argued that being in role and concentrating on
the situation is important to enhance the experiential learning and juxtaposed
this with building character, which takes attention away from the situation.
I carried on by looking at structural elements that help in enhancing being
in the fiction.
Story was placed as the basic framework for the fiction and I argued that
opening the story up through incidents that cannot be ‘captured’ by the story
is a crucial element in Bond’s work that offers new possibilities in LTD.
The concept of Site was discussed next, which is a structure offered by
Bond that helps in connecting the actual social site and the imagination of