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Characters in a Scene

by Karen Loftus

Students continue their exploration with script analysis by learning about objective, obstacle, stakes, and tactics and applying it to an exercise.

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# Acting # Analysis # analysis # acting

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Noh Theatre

by Karen Loftus

In this introductory lesson, students learn about Noh Theatre, discuss its primary elements, and then do an exercise that puts those elements into practice.

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Slide Deck Lesson 1

# Genre

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One of easiest and earliest forms of puppetry, students will learn to create shadow puppets using just their hands. After they have practiced their creations, they will create a group/partner scene using the shadow puppets.

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Slide Deck Lesson 2

# Genre # puppetry

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Impossible Things are Happening Every Day

by Lea Marshall

Students will explore the Absurdist plot convention of impossible things seen as normal or unremarkable.

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Slide Deck Lesson 11

# Genre

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Introduction

by Lindsay Price

The Comedy of Manners is a style of comedy that uses satire to highlight the behaviours, actions, fashions, and “manners” of a segment of society. In this lesson students discuss the nature of comedies that make fun of a group of people and the definition of satire. They are taken through a slide deck that introduces the background and style elements of the comedy of manners. Students also complete a Viewing Quiz.

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The Comedy of Manners Slide Show

# Theatre History

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The Effects of Colour

by Karen Loftus

Students continue to explore design through the effects of colour and apply their knowledge.

# Stage Management & Technical Theatre # stagecraft

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Movement Review

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will complete four rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on movement skills (blocking, tactics, levels).

Attachments

Slide Deck

# Directing # directing # middle school friendly

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Show and Tell Switch

by Anna Porter

Students apply the questions used in a Character Analysis Worksheet to create a character background for themselves. Students use this to help them understand the importance of details and commitment to character choices by creating a believable Show and Tell presentation with an unknown object.

# Character Development # character development # analysis

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Show and Tell Characterization

by Anna Porter

Students will use “Show and Tell” to create a detailed background for their contentless scene character and improvise a personal interview with that character.

Attachments

Show and Tell Characterization Worksheet

# Acting # acting # scene work

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Bonus Lesson: The Three Vs of Storytelling

by Lea Marshall

This can be a standalone lesson, or an add-on to the unit. It introduces the concept of the 3 V's: VIEWERS are looking for a VICARIOUS, VULNERABLE, and/or VISCERAL experience.

# The Basics

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The Mock Audition

by Lindsay Price

Today is the Mock Audition. In this lesson, you will play director and audition students for one of four roles in the play Jealousy Jane. Use the Mock Audition Rubric to assess their performance.

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Levels and Movement Review

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will rehearse their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on level changes and movement in the scene.

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Slide Deck

# Directing # directing # middle school friendly

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Subtext: Pass the Salt

by Lindsay Price

Subtext is the underlying meaning in a text. What is a character thinking? Learning to apply subtext to a scene is an excellent character development tool. It encourages students to think about “the why” behind a line. “Why does a character say this line? Why do they use a particular inflection? What are they really trying to say? In this lesson plan, students explore the meaning of subtext, practice applying subtext in dialogue and to create their own scene.

# Playwriting # Character Development # playwriting # character development

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How Do You Give Feedback?

by Lindsay Price

The first draft is due in this class. The class will begin with a feedback exercise. Then students will read their draft aloud and receive feedback.

# Playwriting # playwriting

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Pitch Presentations

by Anna Porter

Students will demonstrate their understanding of design and collaborating on a costume team by presenting their costume design and costume team pitch presentations. Students will participating in survey activities to reflect on the design and collaborative process.

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# Costumes # hyperdoc # costuming

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Dialogue

by Lindsay Price

In this lesson, students will write two-character, one-location, ten-line scenes to practice getting to the heart of effective and efficient scene writing.

Attachments

Session 4 Slide Deck

# Playwriting # playwriting

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Session 2

by Lindsay Price

Students explore resonance and the resonators.

# Voice # voice

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Character Development in the Shakespearean Monologue

by Lindsay Price

To demonstrate how modern character development exercises apply to Shakespearean characters. Students apply exercises to a character from Shakespeare by examining at the character’s foreground and background, answering character questions, and creating the character’s physicality. This will demystify the process of preparing a Shakespearean monologue and give students the tools they need to prepare a monologue on their own.

# Shakespeare # character development # monologue # Shakespeare

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Audience Etiquette

by Lindsay Price

In a drama class there is often a focus on onstage activities: performance skills, staging a scene, ensemble building. But the audience plays a vital and necessary role in the process. Theatre does not happen without an audience. It’s important for students to be aware of and apply audience etiquette. In this lesson, students will explore the different ways an audience behaves depending on the event, what is bad audience behaviour, establish the rules, practice critical thinking as an audience member and complete an exit slip to demonstrate comprehension.

# The Basics # analysis

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