RI
Content
How to formulate a viable Research Investigation Question
‘Hints & Tips’ Sheet for IB Theatre teachers & students
Compiled by: James Lehmann (IB Theatre Teacher, International School of Geneva, La Châtaigneraie)
with contributions from: Anthony Cunningham (IB Theatre Teacher, American School of The Hague)
Firstly let us remind ourselves of the requirements of the RI task:
The IB Theatre Syllabus Guide (2007) states on p27: 'Students should select a specific aspect
of a play or theatre piece from the chosen theatrical practice to research, and then
formulate a research question to answer. Students should collect, edit and present their
research to contribute to a realization of the play/theatre piece from the chosen theatrical
practice.'
So your first questions regarding the RI assignment should be:
1. What theatre practice or practitioner am I interested in researching?
2. Is there a play/ text /piece of theatre from this practice?
3. What sources of research are available to help me write an essay on a
specific theatrical aspect of this play/ text /piece of theatre?
Question 2 (above) concerning a play/text/piece of theatre is important because there are plenty
of perfectly viable practices and practitioners but no play/text/piece of theatre borne out of that
practice. Interesting though these are to research (and perhaps apply to an IP) they should be
discarded for the purposes of the RI.
Question 3 (above) concerning research sources is important because it can prove challenging to
dig up satisfactory research on some of the more obscure theatrical practices. This is certainly not
a reason to avoid researching a less common tradition, and indeed originality is encouraged, but
students are strongly advised to investigate and consult the available research first before settling
on a final RI question.
The ‘specific aspect’ should be a specific theatrical aspect, such as ‘masks’ or ‘lighting design’ as
opposed to general aspects that happen to appear in the chosen piece such as ‘themes of
violence’ or ‘sociopolitical resonance’. See also the note below about Circular RI Logic.
The Research Investigation is NOT a creative exercise, it is a research exercise it should
inform a production rather than be a "how to" paper.
It is thus strongly encouraged that the RI is not addressed to a hypothetical individual taking on a
specific theatrical role.
For example, note the difference between:
A) “How would a costumier design a costume for Pantalone in Servant of Two Masters?”
B) “What are the costume requirements for Pantalone in Servant of Two Masters according to the
costuming tradition of Commedia Del'Arte at this time?”
Clearly in the above example Question A is addressed to a specific individual (the costume
designer) and should be avoided. Question B sets out to research the more general all
encompassing principles of the practice as applied to costumes and is therefore a more
satisfactory start to the RI task.
The ‘RI Question Validation Test’...
Formulating a viable question is absolutely essential to meeting the requirements of this
assignment successfully! Starting the task with a poorlyworded or inadequate RI question means
you are severely crippled from the beginning and have no hope of reaching the higher mark
bands in the assessment criteria.
So once you have drafted your question check to see if it can breakdown into the following
phrases:
The conventions/theories of ..................................... (theatre practice/practitioner I have
chosen) should be applied in the various ways that I will explain in the main body of my
essay to the ........................................ (specific theatrical aspect I have chosen) of a
realisation of ....................................... (play/text/theatrepiece from my chosen theatrical
practice/practitioner)
for example...
The conventions/theories of ....EPIC THEATRE.... (theatre practice/practitioner) should be
applied in the various ways that I explain in the main body of my essay to the
..........LIGHTING DESIGN............ (specific theatrical aspect)
of a realisation of..... BERTHOLT BRECHT’S ’MOTHER COURAGE’...... (play/text/theatre
piece from the chosen theatrical practice/practitioner)
Et voila!
If your RI question breaks down easily into something like the above then you’re probably good to
go write the essay.
If your RI question cannot be broken down easily into something like the above then it probably
lacks a key component of the task and you have little hope of meeting the assessment criteria
successfully go back to the three initial questions at the top of the page and start again!
Circular RI Logic...
Another thing to be careful of is Circular RI Logic whereby an RI question focuses on a Specific
Theatrical Aspect that is already itself a convention of the practice.
An example of this is:
"How should the conventions of Epic Theatre be applied to breaking the 4th wall in Brecht’s
Mother Courage?"
I advise avoiding this kind of question because otherwise this essay has to discuss how to apply
conventions of a practice to a convention of that practice, which makes no sense!
Unfortunately it’s often not that clearcut because it seems to me that something like 'Masks' or
'Chorus' in Greek Theatre can appear in Research Investigations either as a Specific Theatrical
Aspects or conventions or both. This is something I find students can have real difficulties getting
their heads around, as indeed do I depending on the day of the week! As always, do all necessary
checking well in advance before submitting a 2,500 essay that will score poorly because of a fatal
confusion in the question.
‘Hints & Tips’ Sheet for IB Theatre teachers & students
Compiled by: James Lehmann (IB Theatre Teacher, International School of Geneva, La Châtaigneraie)
with contributions from: Anthony Cunningham (IB Theatre Teacher, American School of The Hague)
Firstly let us remind ourselves of the requirements of the RI task:
The IB Theatre Syllabus Guide (2007) states on p27: 'Students should select a specific aspect
of a play or theatre piece from the chosen theatrical practice to research, and then
formulate a research question to answer. Students should collect, edit and present their
research to contribute to a realization of the play/theatre piece from the chosen theatrical
practice.'
So your first questions regarding the RI assignment should be:
1. What theatre practice or practitioner am I interested in researching?
2. Is there a play/ text /piece of theatre from this practice?
3. What sources of research are available to help me write an essay on a
specific theatrical aspect of this play/ text /piece of theatre?
Question 2 (above) concerning a play/text/piece of theatre is important because there are plenty
of perfectly viable practices and practitioners but no play/text/piece of theatre borne out of that
practice. Interesting though these are to research (and perhaps apply to an IP) they should be
discarded for the purposes of the RI.
Question 3 (above) concerning research sources is important because it can prove challenging to
dig up satisfactory research on some of the more obscure theatrical practices. This is certainly not
a reason to avoid researching a less common tradition, and indeed originality is encouraged, but
students are strongly advised to investigate and consult the available research first before settling
on a final RI question.
The ‘specific aspect’ should be a specific theatrical aspect, such as ‘masks’ or ‘lighting design’ as
opposed to general aspects that happen to appear in the chosen piece such as ‘themes of
violence’ or ‘sociopolitical resonance’. See also the note below about Circular RI Logic.
The Research Investigation is NOT a creative exercise, it is a research exercise it should
inform a production rather than be a "how to" paper.
It is thus strongly encouraged that the RI is not addressed to a hypothetical individual taking on a
specific theatrical role.
For example, note the difference between:
A) “How would a costumier design a costume for Pantalone in Servant of Two Masters?”
B) “What are the costume requirements for Pantalone in Servant of Two Masters according to the
costuming tradition of Commedia Del'Arte at this time?”
Clearly in the above example Question A is addressed to a specific individual (the costume
designer) and should be avoided. Question B sets out to research the more general all
encompassing principles of the practice as applied to costumes and is therefore a more
satisfactory start to the RI task.
The ‘RI Question Validation Test’...
Formulating a viable question is absolutely essential to meeting the requirements of this
assignment successfully! Starting the task with a poorlyworded or inadequate RI question means
you are severely crippled from the beginning and have no hope of reaching the higher mark
bands in the assessment criteria.
So once you have drafted your question check to see if it can breakdown into the following
phrases:
The conventions/theories of ..................................... (theatre practice/practitioner I have
chosen) should be applied in the various ways that I will explain in the main body of my
essay to the ........................................ (specific theatrical aspect I have chosen) of a
realisation of ....................................... (play/text/theatrepiece from my chosen theatrical
practice/practitioner)
for example...
The conventions/theories of ....EPIC THEATRE.... (theatre practice/practitioner) should be
applied in the various ways that I explain in the main body of my essay to the
..........LIGHTING DESIGN............ (specific theatrical aspect)
of a realisation of..... BERTHOLT BRECHT’S ’MOTHER COURAGE’...... (play/text/theatre
piece from the chosen theatrical practice/practitioner)
Et voila!
If your RI question breaks down easily into something like the above then you’re probably good to
go write the essay.
If your RI question cannot be broken down easily into something like the above then it probably
lacks a key component of the task and you have little hope of meeting the assessment criteria
successfully go back to the three initial questions at the top of the page and start again!
Circular RI Logic...
Another thing to be careful of is Circular RI Logic whereby an RI question focuses on a Specific
Theatrical Aspect that is already itself a convention of the practice.
An example of this is:
"How should the conventions of Epic Theatre be applied to breaking the 4th wall in Brecht’s
Mother Courage?"
I advise avoiding this kind of question because otherwise this essay has to discuss how to apply
conventions of a practice to a convention of that practice, which makes no sense!
Unfortunately it’s often not that clearcut because it seems to me that something like 'Masks' or
'Chorus' in Greek Theatre can appear in Research Investigations either as a Specific Theatrical
Aspects or conventions or both. This is something I find students can have real difficulties getting
their heads around, as indeed do I depending on the day of the week! As always, do all necessary
checking well in advance before submitting a 2,500 essay that will score poorly because of a fatal
confusion in the question.
