Class 9 · ArtsNCERT 2026 Revised Syllabus
Chapter 2: The Stage Is Yours (0907AR02)
Madhurima
Explores creating theatre performances — finding stories, genres, puppetry and mime, building a theatre team, and the nine rasas of Indian performance.
Chapter code: 0907ar02 · Book: Madhurima · Class 9 Arts
Find complete NCERT solutions for Class 9 Arts, Madhurima Chapter 2. Every question has a clear, step-by-step answer for chapter code 0907AR02.
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Finding Your Story(1 questions)
1
Discussion circle: What should our performance be about? (stories of resilience, traditions, dreams, loneliness, pressures on students)
Ans.
Our performance could explore the everyday pressures students face today, balancing exams, expectations and personal dreams, aiming to build empathy and spark honest conversation among peers and families.
Genre(1 questions)
1
Discussion circle: What genre of plays would your team want to perform? Can your team mix genres?
Ans.
A team may choose a comic-tragedy that blends humour with a serious social message. Genres can certainly be mixed, such as combining comedy and mystery, to create a distinctive, engaging performance.
Forms of Theatre - Puppetry and Mime(2 questions)
1
Activity 2.2: Make a small puppet from recycled materials and create a two-minute performance using it.
Ans.
This is a practical activity. Students construct a simple puppet using recycled cardboard, cloth and buttons, and present a short two-minute scene showing storytelling through object manipulation.
2
Activity 2.3: Mime a Team Goal - perform an action representing what your team wants to achieve, without speaking.
Ans.
This is a practical activity. Students silently perform an action representing their team's shared goal using only body language and facial expression, while classmates try to guess its meaning.
Process of Making Purposeful Theatre(2 questions)
1
Discussion circle (Step 5, Building the story): What emotion do you want your audience to feel when they see your work?
Ans.
We would want the audience to feel empathy and hope, understanding the struggles shown in the story while leaving the performance with a sense of encouragement and connection.
2
Discussion circle (Step 6, Theatre team production): In putting together a theatre production, which role interests you the most?
Ans.
Direction is the most interesting role, as it involves shaping the overall creative vision, guiding actors, and combining story, sound and stage design into one cohesive performance.
End-of-Chapter Discussion Circle(3 questions)
1
What do you think is the biggest obstacle in forming a theatre team? How can you overcome it?
Ans.
Coordinating differing opinions, schedules and skill levels within a team is the biggest obstacle. Clear communication, defined roles, regular rehearsals and mutual respect help overcome this challenge.
2
Reflect on your experience of building a story and performing it. Which role did you play and in what ways did your work contribute to the team?
Ans.
As a scriptwriter, I shaped the narrative structure and dialogues, which helped the team visualise scenes clearly, rehearse efficiently, and maintain a shared understanding of the story's purpose.
3
Are you familiar with any theatre practitioners or teams? Explore the theatre professionals who perform in your region.
Ans.
Local theatre groups in my region perform both traditional folk plays and contemporary drama. Exploring their work helps in understanding professional staging, direction and performance techniques used regionally.
Exercises(5 questions)
1
Given themes (Hard work leads to success; Being kind and helpful to those in trouble is always appreciated), complete: (i) show an action using body language, (ii) speak five lines with proper voice and expression, (iii) write a short story with beginning-middle-end structure.
Ans.
• (i) Body language: Mime repeated, tiring effort followed by a triumphant raised-arm gesture to show hard work leading to success; or a gentle hand extended to help someone up to show kindness.
• (ii) Five lines (sample, hard work theme): 'Every day I practised, though my hands ached and doubts grew loud. I did not stop when others rested. Slowly, the impossible became possible. Today, success is not luck, but the reward of patience.'
• (iii) Short story (sample): A farmer's field failed for two years running (beginning). He studied better methods, worked tirelessly through a harsh season (middle). By the third year, his hard work brought a bountiful harvest, inspiring the whole village (end).
2
Match the rasas with the expressions: Raudra, Bhayanaka, Vira, Karuna, Adbhuta.
Ans.
• Raudra: an angry expression, with a clenched jaw, furrowed brows and a tightened fist.
• Bhayanaka: a fearful expression, with wide eyes, raised eyebrows and hands drawn close to the body.
• Vira: a confident, assertive expression, with a raised chin and firm, steady posture.
• Karuna: a sorrowful expression, with downcast eyes, a gentle frown and drooping shoulders.
• Adbhuta: an astonished expression, with wide eyes, an open mouth and raised eyebrows suggesting wonder.
3
Prepare a questionnaire to collect information on what people expect from a theatre workshop you plan to conduct in your locality.
Ans.
• 1. What is your age group? (Below 12 / 12-18 / 18 and above)
• 2. Have you attended a theatre workshop before? (Yes/No)
• 3. Which aspect of theatre interests you the most - acting, scriptwriting, direction, or design?
• 4. What do you hope to learn or gain from this workshop?
• 5. What days and duration would be most convenient for you to attend?
4
Name the nine rasas in the Indian Performing Arts and perform each with either an action or a suitable line of speech.
Ans.
• Shringara (love): a soft smile and gentle gaze, e.g., 'Her smile stayed with me long after she left.'
• Hasya (laughter): a cheerful, open laugh, e.g., 'That joke was so silly, I could not stop laughing!'
• Karuna (sorrow): downcast eyes and a heavy sigh, e.g., 'I never got to say goodbye.'
• Raudra (anger): a clenched fist and sharp tone, e.g., 'How dare you break your promise!'
• Vira (courage): a firm stance and raised chin, e.g., 'I will not back down, whatever comes.'
• Bhayanaka (fear): trembling hands and wide eyes, e.g., 'Something is watching us in the dark.'
• Bibhatsa (disgust): a wrinkled nose and turned-away face, e.g., 'I cannot bear to look at this.'
• Adbhuta (wonder): wide eyes and an open mouth, e.g., 'I have never seen anything so magical!'
• Shanta (peace): a calm, relaxed posture and slow breathing, e.g., 'At last, my mind is still.'
5
Which qualities would you associate with this image? Give reasons for your answer. (i) Openness, new perspectives, and curiosity. (ii) Isolation and restriction. (iii) Discipline and strict boundaries. (iv) Confusion and unpredictability. Fig. 2.7. Window
Ans.
Correct option (i): Openness, new perspectives, and curiosity - an open window suggests connection to the outside world and possibility, rather than confinement or restriction.
Activities — How to Do(5 questions)
1
Activity 2.1 (team logo): make rough sketches, keep the design simple and replicable, choose colours that express your ideas, and finish the artwork with or without the team name. How should you proceed?
Ans.
Make several rough sketches; pick the simplest, most replicable one; choose colours that express your team’s ideas; render the final artwork (name inside or alongside). Keep every draft — the journey shows your thinking.
2
What do you notice in your team logo, and what do you think each element represents?
Ans.
List each shape, colour, letter and symbol; state what it represents (e.g., circle = unity, red = energy). Discuss whether a viewer would read the same meaning — that tests the logo’s clarity.
3
Discuss as you design: What does theatre mean to you? What do you believe in? What is your team about? What stories do you want to tell? What should the audience experience?
Ans.
Give one frank line per prompt: theatre’s meaning to you, your beliefs, the team’s identity, the stories you want to tell, the audience’s experience. Feed these answers directly into logo shapes, colours and the team name.
4
Step 4 (stories for theatre): after collecting responses, examine — what emotions and themes emerged? What surprised you? How can the information shape a story on this topic?
Ans.
Spread out responses; group them by emotion and theme; mark what surprised the group. Pick the strongest thread and ask: whose story is it, what changes, what ends it? That becomes your play’s spine.
5
Let us recall (Grade 8 Kriti, Ch. 2): which genres and forms will your team use? Which props, costumes and makeup fit best? How will you use available resources and assign backstage duties?
Ans.
Decide genre + form (e.g., puppet tragedy, street comedy); list props, costumes, makeup each scene needs; match them to available resources; assign named backstage duties (lights, sound, props, entries) so nothing is ownerless.