Paul E. Turtola
Much of the course will be spent on performing scenes from plays on the reading list that follows the unit. The reading list covers a great variety of styles and time periods, and the instructor should prepare scenes using as many items from the list as possible. This will give students a chance to choose their own material, and give them a sense of theater history as well. In addition to the plays on the list, there will be a need to add productions of plays performed at local theaters as well as in school productions.
Before students can be encouraged to study the life of some unknown playwright, or understand the creative work of a director, they will want to find their own personal reasons for researching writers and directors. When students begin exploring their own talent (and the scenework in class will allow them the opportunity to do so), they will seek ways of helping themselves improve. By using scene work early in the course, students actively become aware of better ways of getting work done. If students have fun with acting and seek ways of finding out how to get better at it, they will accept the need to read plays and research people.
