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Course description:
This performance-based course offers the basics in theatre
experience. While open to all grades, it most often includes Freshmen and
Sophomores. Areas covered will be history and styles of theatre,
characterization, components of plays, theatre criticism, make-up,
movement, improvisation, and acting skills. This is also the prerequisite
course for the other acting classes here at JCHS. A
grade of C or better and the instructors permission are needed to
advance. Permission will be granted to advance as long as 1- the
grade is acceptable, 2- the student demonstrates the skills needed at the
next level, and 3- the student has been a positive, and not a negative
contributor to the class. Students and Parents will sign contracts
at the beginning of each semester regarding class expectations.
Text used:
The stage and the School (seventh edition) by Glencoe
General outline of semester
(may be altered due to semester length): *Students will be doing
activities in front of class almost daily.
1- Chapter one introduction
activities designed to control stagefright and begin the tapping into
of the imagination. (five weeks)
- "ME" presentations
- three and five-prop improvised scenes
(multiple)
- improvised situation scenes (multiple)
- personal inventory
- character analysis’
- chapter one test
2- Produce and present first major scene.
(two weeks)
- discuss movement
- discuss blocking and prop handling
- students divide into groups, choose scene
from text, block, rehearse, memorize, characterize, and present for
grade.
3- Dramatic structure and Plot - chapter
six. (three weeks)
- discuss structure/PLOT and types of
drama
- watch movie and pick out the five components of
plot
- students divide into groups, write an
original scene (#2) of any dramatic type studied, make sure it
contains the five components of plot, block, rehearse, memorize,
characterize, and present.
4- Theatre History unit. (two weeks)
- Filmstrips for each era - Greek, Roman,
Medieval, etc..
- Reading, both from chapter 7 and
supplemental.
- study guide and test
5- Tragedy vs. Comedy (one week)
- Aristotle’s Poetics (Rules for Tragedy), and
rules apart from Aristotle’s
- Watch tragic film and analyze it
(worksheet) comparing/contrasting with Aristotle’s Poetics
- Discuss the seven comedy tactics used by
playwrights to bring laughter
- Watch comedy film and pick out as many tactics
as possible (worksheet)
6- Produce and present scene #3
(approximately two weeks)
-students divide into groups, choose scene
from text, block, rehearse, memorize, characterize, and present for a
grade. This is to review and observe all of the elements studied thus
far and for added practice and confidence.
7- Parity unit, where a classic is
rewritten, modernized, mocked, and fractured (one week)
- "Cyrano De Bergerac" vs.
"Roxanne"
8- Final scene (two weeks)
- students divide into groups, choose a scene
from the text or a play, block, rehearse, memorize, characterize, and
present for a grade. This scene will be judged according to how well
each student has accumulated and displayed all of the information
learned this semester.
9- Each student will be required to read one
play this semester. Toward the end of the semester, an oral summary of
the play and an analysis of one of the characters will be due. This
will be a play chosen from a list I have compiled. An
assignment sheet will be forthcoming.
Supplies needed:
paper, something to write with, and student agenda.
Grading:
(90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, Below=F)
- Daily Participation/Citizenship grade
(worth up to 10 points)
- Improvisational scenes
- attendance (absences/tardies) prompt attendance
is expected
- All absences, excused or otherwise, will have a negative effect on the
student's participation grade, because there is no possible way to recreate
the events that happen with the entire class during a 90-minute period.
A student who is not present, is not participating. (Lectures, discussions, group activities, rehearsals, scene presentations,
video-watching, etc., are missed when a student is absent.) This will
not have a noticeable impact on the grade of the student who
occasionally misses, only the grade of the chronically absent student.
- attitude
- preparedness
- quizzes/ tests
- Worksheets and other assignments
- Graded scenes |
