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Students will rehearse and perform a scene plus song incorporating specific movement. After the performance, students will complete a self-assessment checklist.

In this compare and contrast lesson, students will read a dramatization of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of Red Death. This story is the ultimate example of “social distancing.” Students will compare and contrast the dramatization to the current events surrounding Coronavirus and then write an adaptation focusing on modern viruses.

In this pre-reading lesson, students reflect on their day-to-day life and look for the connection between the ordinary and universality. It’s important to have them connect the ordinary and universality in a modern context, before moving to the same connections in the text.

In this lesson, students will be introduced to Our Town through positive and negative reviews of the original production, examine and discuss a facts sheet on the play, and learn more about the world the playwright was writing in through a research activity.

After a warm up, student learn about onstage action. They will reflect on the question of how having something “to do” onstage can help overcome stage fright.

Students identify the stage directions and actor needs to know onstage and the necessary shorthand notation for each. They then apply their knowledge in an exercise and exit slip.

Students discuss and apply technical aspects of moving on stage: sightlines and staying open. They then apply these aspects in a short scene.

Students discuss and apply the different ways one can communicate through gesture.

Students are introduced to the techniques of hand position, tension, follow through, action/reaction/interaction.

Students continue exploring nonverbal communication through tableaux.

The final project for this unit is a simple two-person pantomime of up to one minute in length. The objective is for students to utilize mime, body language, and facial expression to tell a basic story: an activity that has an obstacle that they overcome or get past.

Students discuss and apply aspects of what makes a voice a “good voice:” projection, articulation, posture, proper breathing.

Students learn about the articulators and use them with tongue twisters and additional exercises.

Students are introduced to aspects of Ancient Greek Theatre and the performing space. The session culminates in students creating their own choral ode in groups.

Students apply this guidelines through the games “Yes and…” “Yes Let’s,” and Low Risk Experts.

Students learn the word “endow” and apply the concept through the exercise Low Risk Endowment.

Students discuss what it means to take the active choice and apply the concept in Quiet Scenes.

Students discuss what it means to not “force” the humour. They play all the games from the unit in a high risk setting, as volunteers in front of the class.

The final project will allow students to demonstrate their improv skills in a two-person scene.

Students continue their exploration of commedia dell’arte by practicing the specific character walks of Arlecchino, Pantalone, and Capitano.