Theatre and Acting- High School

 Instructor: Ms. Heather 

This course is based on the curriculum maps of the NYCDOE (New York City Department of Education) world-class theatre program and the Los Angeles Arts Education Curriculum, aligned with US Common Core standards for Drama/Theatre Arts. In this course, students will continue to advance their expertise in art of theatre including theatre history, acting, dramatic literature, production techniques and stage design. They will increase their proficiency in acting, learning of lines, creation of character, projection of ideas and emotions, body control, voice, diction, directing, playwriting, stage management, design and technical theatre skills.

Students will demonstrate their learning through experience-based projects including writing and directing their own play, watching and writing a critical review of a play performance, participating in class Zoom performances/script readings and other class projects. Students will be exposed to a variety of performances from different periods of theatre and different world cultures.

Format

Course will emphasize experiential learning and real world virtual acting practice with regular independent and group rehearsals over Zoom. Students will have the opportunity to practice and memorize monologues, participate in group skits, improv, pantomime, tableau as well as learn about theatre staging, make-up, costumes, etc. Case studies and exposure to classical and modern theatre and the history of the theatre arts around the world will also be featured.

Some areas of focus for this level will include:

 Participating in performances from different historic periods of theatre and different types of theatre from around the world

 Developing the abilities to critically analyze theatre performances (self and others) and write critiques

 Participate in theatre performances as an actor and refine acting skills in group and solo performance

 Research and discuss a specific historic period and cultural context of theatre, and present to the class

 Independent and self-directed learning of personal interests within theatre will be emphasized and nurtured

Assignments

Students will have weekly assignments and practice pieces including monologues, character parts, playwriting and other fun and educational theatre-related activities. Students will each perform a monologue, perform in a classical piece of theatre, write a professional theatre critique of a play and present a world theatre project.

Materials

Students will require a notebook and access to a computer/printer/tablet.

AGES: Middle School, High School, College, Adults

DESCRIPTION

A character building/acting exercise using etudes from Great Scenes for Young

Actors - Volume II.

MATERIALS

A couple copies of the etudes from which your students can read

FULL LESSON PLAN

I found these Etudes in Great Scenes for Young Actors - Volume II edited by Slaight and Sharrar published by A Smith and Kraus Book.

According to Slaight and Sharrar - "No matter the role, the actor must make certain decisions about the life of a character in order to play the real 'want'.

Frequently what a character says isn't necessarily what the character wants - rather it is the vehicle through which the character attempts to get what they

want. Furthermore, it is only one vehicle in the attempt to reach the ultimate objective."

I take these simple etude studies and I have the students read them our loud with no infection in their voice. No pitch, rate, or volume change or any articulation is heard in their delivery. This way they simply hear the words out loud with no preconceived ideas. They are then given 15 seconds to decide who they think is saying these words and what that character wants in the scene. Perhaps a mother, or a best friend. The students make decisions about their character and their wants and the deliver the lines with that information. As partners it is interesting to see how the character and wants can develop the scene. After the 15 seconds the pair reads the etude together as the characters they just developed. These could be used with most age groups.

Below are two of the etudes from Great Scenes for Young Actors - Volume II:

Etude #5

A: We can't stay here.

B: Why not?

A: It's not safe.

B: You keep saying that.

A: Because it's true.

B: It seems quiet enough.

A: Don't kid yourself.

B: When do you think it will happen?

A: Could be any moment.

B: Or maybe never.

A: I doubt that.

B: Are you afraid?

A: Even more than yesterday.

B: At least we're together.

A: But for how long?

B: Does anyone know we're here?

A: I'm sure of it.

B: Did you just hear something?

Etude #7

A: I hate you.

B: You don't mean that.

A: More than you'll ever know.

B: Why are you telling me now.

A: Because I think you need to know.

B: That really hurts.

A: You've changed so much.

B: Not by choice.

A: I can't understand you.

B: I'm not asking you to.

A: It's her fault, you know.

B: Don't blame her.

A: She changed you.

B: Maybe.

A: I thought you were stronger than that.

B: So did I.

A: I don't think we should see each other again.

B: That sounds final.

A: It's the only way.

B: I feel lost.

AGES: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College

DESCRIPTION

• Students will learn to pick up on visual clues to create characters.

• Students will understand the importance of character back-story,

motivation, goals, problems and conflicts.

• There are additional objectives with each exercise.

MATERIALS

PREPARE CHARACTER CARDS

The preparation for this exercise can be quite time consuming, but with the help

of your class you may be spared much of the work.

Buy some stiff paper and guillotine in half to make 8.5 x 5.5 cards. From old

magazines, discarded school text books, etc., collect a large range of character

pictures – including cartoons and animals. Use rubber-based glue (which doesn’t

wrinkle the paper) to stick the cut-outs on the cards.

Be attractively random! These will become a great resource for years. Look after

them.

FULL LESSON PLAN

1. IMPROV.

- Students will experience what is to get into character.

Spread out Character Cards, face up.

Each student selects a card then takes 1 minute to name the character and

determine his job, family relationships, obsession and physical oddity.

Put students into groups of 2-5, select a situation and problem. The characters

improvise the solution to the problem.

Repeat, but this time starting with cards face down! This should lead to far more

comedy and inventiveness.

2. MONOLOGUES

- Students will develop a sustained narrative in the voice of the character.

Students again select cards, either face up or blind. Give them from 5 to 10

minutes to write a dramatic monologue. The scenario might be:

a self-defense in court; a letter to a relative; a proposal of marriage, a job

application or the opening scene of a play, an audition, etc.

The class shares the monologues.

3. SCENES

- Students will work to translate the immediacy of improv into a more controlled

and studied development of a scene.

Students select cards by your chosen method. For their characters they select

name, age, job, guilty secret, pet hate and desire. Each student briefly presents

their character to the rest of the class (or group of 10 max).

Then, selecting two other characters, they write the opening two pages of a play.

Students present the scenes.

4. SHORT PLAYS

-Student will discover the creative surprises that come from putting their

characters together in their chosen situation.

As with SCENES, except that the students get together in groups of 2-4 to

collaborate in writing a 5 minute play. Set a time limit for the

assignment.

Students present plays.

EMILY’S MONOLOGUE FROM “OUR TOWN”

AGES: Middle School, High School

DESCRIPTION

Three easy steps

1. I begin the class by having one student perform Emily’s monologue or by showing the video clip.

2. I then pass out this work sheet and an index card to each student. They can only use the space on the index card to write their own goodbye speech.

3. They then have to perform it for the class. It is amazing to see the emotions that this exercise produces.

Our Town: Written Responses to Emily's "Farewell, Earth!" Monologue

Before returning to her grave on the hill, Emily emotes, "Good-bye Grover’s Corners.... Good-bye to clocks ticking... and Mama's sunflower. And food and

coffee. And new ironed dresses and hot baths... and sleeping and waking up.

Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you!" Emily's impassioned speech is a response to her realization that she had not been aware of the

wonder of life as she lived it. "I didn’t realize...all that was going on and we never noticed?"

Now it is your turn to write a monologue...well, actually two...reacting to Emily's

“Take me back to my grave” speech. In your first monologue, you should follow Wilder's style and Emily's pattern and list several things that humans would miss about the earth. This soliloquy should praise what you would miss most about life. For example:

“Good-bye Pleasant View...Mom and Dad. Good-bye tickling breezes and soft lips. New blue jeans and flickering candles and energy and exhaustion. Good-bye, my car...CD player and CDs. Good-bye bright blue interior and bucket seats. And the turbo engines. And the starting up every morning and the shutting off at night. Oh earth, you're too wonderful for anyone to realize you.”

In the second version of your monologue, you will incorporate irony. Again, follow Wilder's style and Emily's pattern, but list several things that humans would not miss about the earth. For example:

“Good-bye, world hunger, violence, hate, racism. Good-bye, war, nuclear arms, police brutality. Good-bye to killers and robbers...” etc, etc Or, on a less serious note...

“Good-bye long lines at the crowed supermarket. Good-bye soggy 

Cheerios, and people who don’t brush their teeth. Good-bye to homework and in-school suspension. And getting dressed up and going to dances and worrying about dates. Good-bye accidents caused by icy roads.

Good-bye world! Good-bye to numb feet in the winter. Good-bye to paper cuts and broken bones. It's all gone now! See ya, responsibility and pressure! Ha, Ha! What a world! Good-bye spiders, snakes, cold showers, and rebellious siblings. Good-bye mosquito bites, bad weather, and all of the lectures my parents gave me. Good-bye all the stomach aches and the nervousness! Good-bye zits, headaches, and being short. Good-bye cold hands and feet during hunting season. Good-bye to political commercials and geometry, drippy noses and sub-zero temperatures.

Good-bye, bad hair days and lawn mowers. Good-bye speed limits and broken hearts—I wish I could take you with me.”