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Students explore how body language can show a story (i.e. how someone is feeling, character traits, relationships between characters, etc.). The lesson culminates in students using a physical elliptical scene (a scene with just stage directions) and adding movements, gestures, and body language.

In this lesson, students will start their scene work first with a contentless scene, a one-minute scene, and then (for homework) write a one-page scene based on a real life experience.

In this lesson, students discuss and choose a topic for their devised piece.

In this lesson, students begin putting the pieces together for their devised work. Students brainstorm on their topic, then participate in a movement piece and a forum theatre activity to explore their topic.

In this lesson, students continue to build the play by writing and revising scenes, reading each other’s work, and providing feedback.

In this lesson, students will work in groups to create transitions in improvised tableaux and movement pieces. They will also participate in a “ren run” to practice improv blocking.

In this lesson students watch the Ren Run then discuss the topic of revision. What is the message of the play? How do the scenes communicate the message? Note: Depending on the amount of revisions your students feel the play needs, revising might take longer than one lesson. Feel free to add time, if need be.

In this lesson, students finalize casting, then start rehearsing. Focus the rehearsals on blocking. What is the necessary movement to communicate the content of the scene?

Students continue to rehearse. In this lesson, character development exercises deepen the students’ experiences and final products.

Students continue to rehearse. They also move on to the design phase of the project. The group will decide upon costuming and props for the performance. NOTE: Keep costumes and props simple. Black works well for costumes with colourful accents.

Students run the show before their performance. And then on the decided upon date and time, they perform!

This lesson happens after the performance. Post-show discussion questions are included as well as a post-show reflection.

Students will start the process of writing a monologue by storytelling. They will tell a story based only on what they observe in a picture.

Students will understand the parts of a story and how it relates to a monologue through the framework of a story mountain.

Students will plot the steps of the story mountain by using existing monologues.

Students will start writing their own monologues using a preselected phrase as a starting point.

Using their rough drafts from the starter prompts, students will work in pairs to edit their drafts to make cleaner stories. Students will also map out their drafts on a story mountain diagram to make sure that they follow the proper format.

Students will work in groups to turn their previous drafts into final drafts of their monologues.

Students will perform their monologues in front of the class and reflect on the process.

Students will begin their staging journey through script analysis. They will read the scene, identify some general knowledge that will help them play the scene, and do a close reading of their scene.