Children Of The Black Skirt Analysis

Children of the Black Skirt is an Australian gothic performance. Written by Angela Betzien, published in 2005, and directed by Leticia Caceres. (Realtv, n.d.) The storyline of this historical Australian gothic performance is of three lost children discover an abandoned orphanage in the bush and learn a national history of Australia through the spirits of children who are trapped there. As their stories are told their spirits are released. These stories range from convict times, World War Two and the Stolen Generation. This reminiscent play educates the youth audience through the traditional role of storytelling, of a fragment of Australia’s vast identity who have grown up living in a cycle of abuse. It tells untold stories of young children and teens with many different backgrounds. This performance contains many different stories which all associate with the same underlying central dramatic meaning. The performance educates youth through important national defining factors these factors have shaped Australia and its people to what it is today. Examples of these factors are: The importance of children, the misuse of power and the cycle of abuse.

Children have great importance to a nations identity as they carry the role of shaping the next generations, the children are powerless opposed to the adults. The beginning story of a young boy from London sent to Australia to bear seven years’ labour then be hanged. The skills of drama that function in this scene are movement: When he says, he is caught by police he stands straight which symbolises his powerlessness to authority by his stiff …show more content…
The insightful use of the elements, skills and conventions of drama created a deep and meaningful message, which composes a didactic directive to the audience about the cycle of abuse furthermore stopping the