Class Opening Activities - Acting Workshop - Activities from Improvisation for the Theater by Viola Spolin

exposure; seeing; hearing/listening; self-perception; touching; sensory; physical involvement; communication of ideas

Drama Club meets on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. in Room 214. Join us!

We are currently reading and discussing Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. This will be our Spring Show.

This is a sample of the work used in drama class. The actual work will be determined based on student needs and interest.

Introduction to Drama -- What is theatre?     First exploration in Drama One, August 20 - September 3

Students will explore the early origins of drama through mythology. Read and complete the Storytelling Tradition handout and perform lines from Sundiata: A Tale of Old Mali. After reviewing Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama, students will explore and discover the structure of various scenes and songs in the next unit.

Staging and Performance -- "Talk, Talk, Talk" African Storytelling       First exploration in Drama Two

Students will research, cast, rehearse, and perform an African Myth in the cultural style.

Stagecraft students will act as the technical designers and crew for this performance.      First exploration in Stagecraft

Stagecraft "building background" assignment - Due by August 29-- Click Here for assignment

Basic Performance Skills -- Development of a Monologue   Completed

Students will read through a grouping of monologues and choose, by interest, selections that "fit" them. Once cast, the students will develop the monologues through a series of activities designed to unlock the meaning of the piece. Activites will include determining key words, reading the punctuation, discovering the beats, beat titles, assignment of feeling to beats, memorization, and development of appropriate movement to communicate meaning and emotion. Evaluation Rubric click here

Drama Two and Three students will act as coaches, working in small teams to help students develop their first monologue.

Voice for the Actor -- The Art of Communication

Students will study the importance of voice and its role in communicating with the audience.

        The Actor's Voice PROJECT: In teams create a short script for a fairy tale. This script will be presented with voices only!!

        PROJECT 2: Radio Play Webquest. Student will create a radio show in the old time style using voice, music and SFX!

        Garage Band will be used to record the show on computers.

Dramaturgy -- Discovering How a Play Means

Students will be exploring how a play means. Focus is on play development and techniques the author uses to communicate with the audience. Participation in analysis of Once on This Island will help students understand the studied techniques.

Reader's Theatre -- Stylized Performance of Literature

Students will create Reader's Theatre style scripts for a portion of a prose work . Students may adapt a favorite text to this style or work on a more advanced version of Reader's Theatre and create a multi-media performance centered around a theme.

Stage Performance -- Interpretation of an Author's Work   In progress

Director's (Advanced Drama) will read and choose a scene to develop. Actors will be cast from Drama 1. Focus will be on Stage Composition techniques, and development of character in accordance with the author's intent. Plays will be The Competition Piece and Kalula and the Money Farm.

This play will be performed for a live audience during the school day to give the students an authentic performance experience.

Story Theatre - A unique look at story telling

All drama classes will combine to create scripts and performances in the style of Story theatre. A style of story telling created by Paul Sills and his mother, Viola Spolin, Story Theatre uses the actor for everything. No scenery, no props and only simple costumes!

Introduction to this style - we will explore the 10 characteristics of Story Theatre and find them in a presentation given in the style.

Then groups will be formed, each lead by an advanced drama student. Teams will adapt one of Aesop's Fables to the Story Theatre script style, rehearse it and perform for the class. Timeframe - two weeks

Performances scheduled for TBA - 100 points

Stage performance -- Interpretation of an Author's Work: Part Two

Puppetry -- A Unique World with a Unique Point of View

Individualized Projects - Students will choose from the above projects based on interest and skill level. Two will be chosen and completed by the end of the semester. Students will work together and apart to complete their chosen task.

Meet the "Cow Dra-moo-tic"