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Birds flying in the sky appear as if they’re in perfect formation and synchronization. They’re aware of each other and the space around them at all times. Through this exercise, students will explore different types of movement and how it can express certain feelings and concepts. They’ll also build trust and ensemble by working together to create choral movement connected to vocal pieces.

In this exercise, students will learn about the concept of status and how it affects character interactions. Using the good old system of “Rock, papers, scissors”, they’ll determine who moves up and down the status ladder.

In this highly structured exercise, students work in groups and use clearly defined goals to create the dialogue of a scene. Each member of the group has an assigned task and contributes to the final creation.

Use this ELP if you have to be away from class unexpectedly for 1-2 class periods. This ELP is not only a great exercise for students but will help identify and categorize what’s in your current classroom play library.

Instead of presenting a lecture on influential acting teachers, students self-learn in this lesson plan. Have students research an acting teacher, prepare a presentation and teach an exercise in groups.

What should go on and what should stay off of an acting resume? What is an auditioner looking for? Students will discuss the purpose of an acting resume, review a model, create their own and reflect on the process.

Copyright and the Theatre go hand in hand, especially if you’re doing plays, but a topic about which many students (and even teachers) lack knowledge. Students will read about the aspects of Copyright and the Theatre, reflect on making changes to scripts, and complete a Copyright and the Theatre Quiz.

Copyright and the Theatre go hand in hand, especially if you’re doing plays. But a topic about which many students (and even teachers) lack knowledge. Students will reflect upon and discuss four questions introducing the topic of copyright. They will then improvise scenarios -- two of which establish copyright correctly, two of which establish copyright incorrectly. The lesson ends with students deciding which scenarios are correct.

In this lesson, students will take what they learn about the different types of props and how props are created or acquired in order to apply it to a specific project. Using their critical thinking skills, they’ll have to invent, design, and create a science fiction style prop for a hypothetical show.

There are a number of different acting techniques: Method, Stanislavski, Viewpoints, Meisner, Viola Spolin. Use this lesson plan as an introduction to a specific technique. Instead of learning by lecture, have students learn by doing. The Relaxation Exercise encourages students to focus on relaxing the body part by part. The Animal Exercise encourages students to observe an animal, take on the characteristics of an animal and reflect on how animal exploration would be helpful in character development.

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.

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.

Design, it’s not just for Art class anymore! A way to help your drama students understand abstract concepts is to let them take them for a test drive. In this very basic exercise, students explore the design elements of line and shape using only a pencil and a sheet of paper.

In this ELP, students will be introduced to pseudonyms and stage names and then create their own. This lesson can be extended to have students physicalize their pseudonym persona.

Writing a play review is an excellent way for students to apply critical thinking skills. A review is a subjective but educated response to a play. The reviewer gives an opinion and supports it with thoughtful analysis. What are the parts of a well written review? What should a student do before, during, and after a performance? The culminating exercise involves students writing a review of a show. Use this lesson as a precursor to students seeing a performance (i.e. a school production, a community play, or a touring show).

A review is a subjective but educated response. The reviewer gives an opinion, then supports it with thoughtful analysis. Students will examine existing reviews, identify the elements of a review, compare and contrast reviews, and practice supporting their opinions (i.e. not just “I like this” or “I don’t like that,” but explain the “why” behind their response).

In this ELP, students complete a Fallen Phrase Puzzle using quotes from plays.

In this ELP, students complete a Fallen Phrase Puzzle using quotes from musicals.

In this ELP, students complete a Fallen Phrase Puzzle using Shakespeare quotes.

When we think of Commedia dell’arte, we often think “mask.” But before we get to mask, it’s important to establish the foundation. Knowing the technical elements of playing comedy are essential before adding on the layers of mask, archetypal characters, and Lazzi. This lesson plan looks at one of the cornerstone tools for playing comedy: status. Status is at the heart of Commedia dell’arte. Students will explore high and low status through the game called Status Walks.