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In this introduction lesson, students will begin with terminology, discussion about their own knowledge and views, and try out the role of the critic in a low-stakes exercise. Is it possible to give an informed opinion about a crumpled up piece of paper?

Students will continue to evaluate the role of the critic and the purpose of criticism. In this case study lesson, students will examine a 1891 production of Henrik Ibsen’s play Ghosts. The single-night performance resulted in 500 reviews, many of which were negative and caustic.

Students will continue to evaluate the role of the critic and the purpose of criticism. In this case study lesson, students will examine a single critic from a specific era. In 1918, at 24 years old, Dorothy Parker became the drama critic for Vanity Fair. This was a time period when there were upwards of 80 Broadway theatres and over a hundred shows opened each year. It was also a post-war era where audiences were looking for release, and the wit and tone of Dorothy Parker’s reviews were exactly what people were looking for. It also got her fired.

Students will continue to evaluate the role of the critic and the purpose of criticism. In this case study lesson, students will examine the power of the New York Times drama critic in the mid to late 20th century. While there were many outlets reviewing shows, there was an ongoing mythology that a review from the New York Times had the power to keep a show running or close it. Students will discuss and infer if this is true. They will also reflect on the role of the critic who has such power.

We have now made it to the 21st century. The 21st century is a time of great change for criticism and the role of the theatre critic. There is the tumultuous world of social media criticism with both pros and cons. People consistently choose online options over print. The audience has become the critic. What does that mean for the professional critic? Do we need professional informed opinions of art in the 21st century? Are audience reviews as valuable as critic reviews? Students are given a variety of culminating assignment options in order to apply what they have learned throughout the unit.

Close reading is a text-dependent analysis tool that allows students to read a text for in-depth comprehension. Students focus on the text to understand what’s being said, how it’s being said, and why. In this lesson, students will close read a teen issue play: Censorbleep by Lindsay Price. Reading something that was written specifically for them may help students connect to the analysis process.

In this lesson plan, students will compare four different film versions of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark using the same scene: Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech. How do the four versions tackle the same text? Film is a visual medium – what visuals do they use to tell the story? Do they cut or adapt any of the text? Students will discuss their findings and write a Reflection. A slide deck is provided as part of the materials for this lesson.

In this ELP, students will read a scene with two characters. Students will read the scene and then analyze the characters. Who are they? What specific character traits do they have? What evidence is there in the text to support your opinion? Students will then reflect on the characters: Who do they connect with most? Who do they connect with least? Who would you want to play/not want to play and why?

In this ELP, students will read an article and complete quick-fire questions. If you’re in the middle of studying Shakespeare, there’s a compare-and-contrast question that you can use as the class work, or students can complete and grade a quiz.

In this ELP, students will review words that have been invented by authors such as Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll and the methods for creating those words. Using these methods, students will invent five new words, explain their process, and then demonstrate those words in a scene.

In this ELP, students will analyze the skills they learn and have learned in drama class. What impact do the identified skills have in drama class? What impact do the identified skills have in life? For students who finish early, there is an optional Reflection.

In this ELP, students will take on the role of a working playwright in the process of having a play produced. The relationship between playwright and production is sometimes precarious – directors have been known to ban playwrights from rehearsals, actors have been known to change lines.

In this ELP students will take on the role of director. As the point person in a production for both the onstage and offstage departments, the director is the one who must problem-solve in a variety of situations. Students are asked to brainstorm solutions for a variety of problems and write out their answers. They will submit their work at the end of the class.

In this ELP, students will examine pictures with a person in them, infer what the person in the picture is going through based on their body language, create a character profile for the person, and then write two monologues. If you have a longer class, a Reflection is provided for students to then compare and contrast the two monologues.

In this ELP, students will review a scene written in a specific genre: Victorian ghost story. They will have to create lighting and sound without any equipment, and a costume design without any period pieces. How can students use atmosphere, found lighting, and live sound to visualize the genre using low-tech options?

In this ELP, students will read two ghost story texts: a prose version and a theatrical adaptation of the same story. Students will then compare and contrast the two texts: How does each handle the ghost story genre? How does each create mood and atmosphere for the genre? What are the similarities in the texts? What are the differences? In your opinion, which suits the genre better?

In this ELP, students will read a scene, identify the beats, apply action words to each beat, and reflect on how they would use this information to present the scene.

In this lesson, we will close read sections of an early modern text: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. This play fits the criteria well for a close read text: Lots of details both in story and character, lots of structural “hows” to analyze, and Oscar Wilde makes a lot of statements with this play about Victorian England, about how people behave, about marriage, and about being truthful (earnest). Students will approach the text through a variety of exercises, from close reading the title, to single sentences, to a small section, to a culminating assignment.

Close reading is a text-dependent analysis tool that allows students to read a text for in-depth comprehension. Students focus on the text to understand what’s being said, how it’s being said, and why. In this lesson, students will use this analysis technique on a monologue. They will go through the process on a model and then apply what they have learned in a culminating activity.

Close reading is a text-dependent analysis tool that allows students to read a text for in-depth comprehension. Students focus on the text to understand what’s being said, how it’s being said, and why. This tool can be an excellent method for getting students to connect to Shakespeare. Where students take a left turn with understanding Shakespeare is that they can’t see past the language. They can’t see using the same tools analyzing a Shakespeare play as they would a modern play. So use close reading to break the language down, move past it, and treat Shakespeare like a modern text.