DTA | Directing :: Drama Lesson Plans

Actor Memorization and Director Planning

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, student directors and actors have their own task. Actors will complete their cheat sheet and memorize 10+ lines with the cheat sheet. Directors will complete set design, props list, and 4+ blocking notes for each character.

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Auditions

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will run auditions, or participate in them, for the scene, and directors will cast their scenes.

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Challenging Stage Directions

by Drama Teacher Academy

Some plays have rudimentary stage directions or no stage directions at all, leaving the world of the play up to the director and designers. Some plays, however, have stage directions that to the ordinary person might seem impossible to stage. Shakespeare has “Exit, pursued by a bear.” Peter Shaffer has “They cross the Andes.” These types of challenges, however, are perfect for the classroom. Students work in groups with an impossible stage direction and come up with possible solutions. How would they stage it with a limited budget and no mechanical options? How would they stage it using the newest quality set design, lights, and sound?

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Character Physicality

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will complete a rehearsal checklist, focusing on character physicality.

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Directed Scenes Performance Assessment

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will perform their scene for assessment in front of the class. They will also complete an audience feedback sheet where they give their peers feedback on rubric skills.

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Directing: What Is the Purpose of Production?

by Lindsay Price

The director Max Reinhardt said that, “Our standards must not be to act a play as it was acted in the days of its author.” Use this quote as a reflection point for students. Students will take a play from another era and create a 1-minute presentation that demonstrates how a production can take a play beyond how it was acted in the days of its playwright.

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Emergency Lesson Plan: Directing Masterclass

by Lindsay Price

In this ELP, students participate in an online masterclass on directing and complete a viewing quiz.

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Emergency Lesson Plan: Theatrical Problem Solving - The Director

by Lindsay Price

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.

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Final Rehearsal

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will rehearse their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on the skills of their choice.

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Images on Stage: War Posters

by Lindsay Price

Students will discuss and analyze War Posters. What are the images? What is being said with those images? Describe the colours and shapes. Students will discuss how a director can use images as a jumping off point for staging. Includes five posters, assessment rubric, and analysis sheet.

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Introduction to Directors and Close Reading of Scene

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students are introduced to the different tasks the director and the actor take on in a scene, complete an application for which role they would like to take on, and tackle a close reading of the unit scene.

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Introduction to Physicality

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students start working on physicality elements. They will complete an Introduction to Physicality Notes sheet and give peer observational feedback.

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Levels

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will complete three to five rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on level changes.

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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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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).

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Objective and Tactics

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will complete four rehearsals of their scenes using Objective and Tactics Rehearsal Checklist, focusing on objective and tactics.

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Objectives, Tactics, and Blocking

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will complete a rehearsal checklist, focusing on objectives, tactics, and blocking.

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Performance Assessment

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will perform their final scene for assessment in front of the class. They will also complete an audience feedback sheet where they give their peers feedback on rubric skills.

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Planning and Memorization

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, actors will have their lines completely memorized using a cheat sheet, and directors will complete their scene prep (props, set design, blocking).

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Problem Solving for Student Directors

by Kerry Hishon

Students will work on a problem-solving scenario that may arise while working with peers/friends during the rehearsal process. They will first work together as a group, and then individually submit an Exit Slip.

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Projection and Final Rehearsal

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will complete three to five rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on projection skills (voice clarity, open body).

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Reflection and New Scene Ranking

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students complete self and peer reflections for Unit 6. They also apply for an actor or director role and rank scenes for their work in this unit.

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Scene Assignments and Close Reading

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students start working on their specific scene and complete a close reading.

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Staging the Location Exercise

by Lindsay Price

Students will stage locations using only a finite number of props and pieces. The goal is to show the location using action and imagination (as we often must do in the theatre) without a reliance on exact realism.

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Transitions

by Kerry Hishon

To practice planning and performing transitions between scenes in a smooth and well-prepared manner, with increasingly shorter time frames and other challenges.

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Voice Expression

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will complete three to five rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on voice expression changes.

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Voice Expression and Projection

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will rehearse their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on vocal expression and projection.

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What Is the Right Way to Direct?

by Lindsay Price

This lesson plan takes students through a variety of directing styles, asks them to assess each method, and then asks them to reflect on what’s most important when choosing a directing method. This is a great lesson to use for a directing class, or an advanced class that will be putting together their own scenes.

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