Here is how the unit progresses, and the estimated length of time needed to complete each section. All acting classes are double periods, for a total of eighty minutes, and meet three times a week.
I.
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Values assessment
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30 minutes
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II.
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Resumé and cover letter writing
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90 minutes
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III.
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Role-playing
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2 hours
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IV.
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Work skills assessment
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20 minutes
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V.
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Job indexing
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30 minutes
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VI.
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Playwriting
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2 hours
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VII.
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Acting & Production
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4 hours
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This curriculum unit concerns itself with encouraging cooperation, through practicing some of the communication styles used every day in the professional theater. Temporarily turning the theater classroom into a theater production office, a group of ten learners will explore the communication process of producing a play. Student learners will hopefully gain an appreciation of successful collaboration, improve their writing and communication skills, recognize themselves as workers in a work environment, and identify which vocations suit their education and employment goals.
Each section of this unit should include appropriate warm-up exercises and games to reinforce the skills and techniques being studied. For this unit, games can be any type as long as they increase skills in one or more of the following areas: team learning and information sharing, trust-building, conflict resolution, managing change, task and process evaluation, role fulfillment, embracing diversity, creativity and innovation, and/or group and individual empowerment. (These areas of concentration are some of the areas into which trainer Carolyn Nilson categorizes her team games. Viola Spolin also categorizes her Theater Game File similarly.)
Please note that every lesson plan below should include a brief physical and vocal warm-up, as well as the games and exercises listed. Since the physical warm-up I teach the children is standard and done every class, I have left it out of the lesson plan descriptions below. Please also note that students frequently need to be reminded to avoid physical and verbal violence when working on any game or exercise in the theater classroom. Violent scenarios interrupt cooperative learning and usually abruptly end the creative flow of ideas. Encourage students to find a different course for the scene to take. I do not allow violence at all, since drawing the line on acceptable and unacceptable violence also disrupts the lesson, requiring that we use our energies to debate instead of create.
Lesson One: What are Your Values?
Suggested focus exercise: Glowball
Objective: Individual empowerment
The teacher verbally leads the class through the following exercise. “Focus on a spot on the floor. Make it grow larger, and become your favorite color. Make the spot move into the air, and onto a wall. Make the spot dance on the wall, and jump into the space before your eyes. Shrink the spot to the size of a marble, and now make it begin to glow. Let it float down to rest in the palm of your hand. Pop the glowing marble into your mouth and swallow it. This is your personal glowball, and can never be turned off. No one can take it from you. It is always shining brightly within you. You can not choke on it; it will never harm you. Whenever you feel anything sad or displeasing, and before you go onstage, turn up the power of your glowball.”
Core Activity: Personal Values Assessment
Objective: Increase self-awareness
The teacher distributes to each student a list of personal values. Working independently, each student circles the values that best describe their personality. (This list can be used throughout the year as a template each time the students develop a character biography, choosing which attributes comprise their character’s personality.) Make sure there are a few dictionaries around, and go over the list aloud. If the group can not define a word, have one person look it up and share the definition with the class. Below is a partial list of attributes that could be used in this exercise.
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Helpful
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Esteemed
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Calm
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Relaxed
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Worrying
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Popular
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Exciting
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Sentimental
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Polite
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Assertive
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Adventurous
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Dynamic
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Patient
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Wholesome
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Energetic
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Conscientious
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Unassuming
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Escapist
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Sophisticated
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Likable
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Generous
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Persistent
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Agreeable
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Unobtrusive
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Earnest
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Gregarious
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Daring
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Outstanding
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Docile
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Tolerant
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Sympathetic
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Demanding
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Nice
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Loyal
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Charitable
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Compelling
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Self-starter
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Persuasive
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Resolute
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Conventional
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Careful
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Tranquil
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Eloquent
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Satisfied
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Cultured
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Cynical
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Understanding
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Dominant
Reflection/Assessment: After completion of the checklist, have each student identify the two traits that they possess which they consider the most valuable, and the two traits they would like to cultivate in themselves. Students may share their results with the class.
Lesson Two: Resumé Writing
Suggested focus exercise: When I Go to California
Objective: Memory recall
Have the group sit in a circle. The teacher begins by saying, “When I go to California, I’m going to take my….” Insert any article, including an adjective to describe it. For instance, “When I go to California, I’m going to take my fluffy slippers.” The next person in the circle repeats what the person before them said, and adds their own article. The game continues around the circle, getting more difficult as the list of things to take to California grows longer. This game can get zany; be sure that each student adds only one article with one adjective describing it.
Core Activity: Resumé Writing
Objective: Self-assessment of accomplishments
Distribute two pieces of paper to each student. Have them write their name, address and phone number at the top, in the center, of one of the sheets. Explain that they will write a student resumé, and discuss how this is more of a miniature curriculum vitae, than a resumé. Dates are not as important as on a typical work resumé. Take them through the following formula, allowing as much time as needed for everyone to complete each section before moving on to the next one.
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Paid work experience (babysitting, gardening, etc.)
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Volunteer work experience (especially supervisory positions)
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Community Service (with or without an organization’s sponsorship)
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Extracurricular activities (including athletics, after-school programs, etc.)
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Awards (from and for any accomplishment)
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Specialized training (computers, performing or martial arts, etc.)
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Acting experience
Reflection/Assessment: Sit back and watch most of the students glow with a sense of pride. Make a copy of his or her resumé for each student to take home. Encourage them to share it with their family, and even to type it.
Lesson Three: Production Team Role-Playing
Suggested focus exercise: Milling About, Occupation by Individual
Objective: Exploration of the various body movements required for different occupations.
Have the students “mill about.” This is a condition where students roam aimlessly, in any direction, within a specific large area. They must be fully aware of their kenosphere (the approximately three-foot area around their body) and not invade anyone else’s kenosphere. In this exercise, they work non-verbally. Have them mill about, having various parts of the body lead them. Occasionally, yell, “Freeze!” When they hear that, they must stop all movements immediately. After a brief period of time, introduce different occupations for them to demonstrate as they mill about. Using “Freeze!” and changing the occupations roughly ten times, isolate demonstration by one or two students at a time, for the rest of the class to observe.
Core Activity: Production Team Role-Playing, Part One: The Cover Letter
Objective: Increase self-awareness as “worker”; improve written self-expression
Distribute the following chart of production team jobs. Lead a group discussion of job descriptions for each position on the production team, having the students take notes on their chart. Include in the discussion an identification of which position or person each team member reports.
(chart available in print form)
Next, distribute the chart below that illustrates typical writing styles used in the particular areas of theater production. Next, have each student write a cover letter of two to three paragraphs stating why he or she would be an ideal candidate for one of the positions. They should include relevant skills and experience from their values assessment sheet and their resumé. Indicate that the job they write a cover letter for will probably not be the role they are assigned. It is preferable for the success of this portion of the unit to match weakest skill areas with a job that demands strength in a skill area, to allow for more discoveries, and ultimately, acceptance of self and others’ capabilities. In the real work world, a person has to possess the necessary skills and qualifications for a particular job when he applies for the job. In this unit’s academic setting, students may take chances, and apply for a position that requires greater strengths than they have in certain skill areas.
Types of Writing in Production Areas
(chart available in print form)
Core Activity: Production Team Role-Playing, Part Two: Assignment of Roles
Objective: Devise a production team; Group empowerment
Assign each learner a production team role to play in an imaginary production. It is important at this stage to not specifically match roles with already known skills, to allow for more discovery of how each learner receives and shares information. The teacher is the Production Manager, facilitating the process of production team members understanding and completing their assigned tasks. It is not important that each student is assigned the role they applied for. It is more important to have each role represented.
Core Activity: Production Team Role-Playing, Part Three: Concept Meeting
Objective: Foster cooperative collaboration
The group reads the script that the teacher has selected for this exercise. The imaginary production used in this exercise can utilize any script. I suggest a short children’s play which features some non-traditional aspects to production. I will use the play,
The Magic Bookshelf
, found in the
Drama Magazine for Young People
. This play tells the story of a boy who is bored in general, and bored with reading. Characters come alive from well-known fairy tale books on the shelf, and have a meeting about imaginary characters becoming real once they exist in a reader’s mind.
After reading the script, each production team member writes their ideas on how to fulfill their job requirements for this production, being as specific as possible regarding their designs and expectations. Students may use lists, diagrams, images, phrases or sentences. Next, team members verbally share their ideas with the rest of the team. This portion of the lesson is over when the group has reached a unified concept plan for production.
Core Activity: Production Team Role-Playing, Part Four: Conflict
Objective: Foster cooperative collaboration; improve written self-expression
At this stage in the role-playing, a conflict for each team member is introduced, and the team member must resolve the conflict using a form of writing. The conflict is presented using a form of writing typical to their primary area of production. The resolution can be a memo, letter, or report. The student must decide if they need more information before attempting to resolve their problem, from whom they should get it, and to whom they should present their solution. Possible conflict suggestions:
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Assistant Production Manager: The Director hates the Set Designer’s ideas, and has written a letter of resignation because of it.
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Director: The Costume Designer wants all the actors to wear pink tutus, and has provided sketches of their ideas.
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Stage Manager: The actors are on strike until they get a coffeepot in the rehearsal hall, and have all signed a petition stating this.
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Playwright: The Director wants a new ending to the play, one that features a musical dance number for the finale.
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Scenic Designer: The Producer needs clear plans to substantiate such a “big build” budget.
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Costume Designer: After taking costume measurements, it is evident that three of the cast members are over seven feet tall, walk with a hunchback, and would look lousy in bright colors.
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Actor: The new script is out, but the Director wants it performed with puppets instead of live actors.
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Lighting Designer: The current light grid in the theater has ten instruments, but the Director’s concept calls for thirty-five instruments.
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Publicity Director: The program layout is done, but does not provide any space for a cast list or Director’s notes.
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Sound Designer: The theatre is acoustically unsound, and there are only two stage microphones available.
Reflection/Assessment: team members meet with the team member who sent them a memo or report, and discusses the level of efficacy in communicating information.
Lesson Four: Work Skills
Suggested focus exercise: Mill About, Occupation by Group
Objective: Identifying parts of a whole
Ask two students to step out of the room. Ask the remainder of the group to decide on an occupation that the group can perform as a whole. For instance, they all could be performing separate tasks in a bakery, on a construction site, in a grocery store, etc. Give the group a couple of minutes to establish the performance of their tasks, and then ask the students who stepped out to guess the occupation that the group is performing.
Core Activity: Work skills, Part One: Assessment
Objective: Increase self-awareness; identify work skill areas that require improvement
Distribute the following list of work skills, and ask the students to choose the two strongest skills, and the two weakest skills they possess.
(chart available in print form)
Core Activity: Work skills, Part Two: Potential Applications of Work Skills
Objective: Matching work skills with potential vocational choices
Distribute the following job classification list, which lists approximately one hundred vocation and career choices. The list should be scrutinized by the students, revealing which vocations best match their preferences and abilities. Ask the students to circle their top five choices.
Please consider that before reviewing the following list with the students, it may be beneficial to discuss with them how studying theater can prepare a person for any occupation. Critical analysis, problem solving, discipline, creativity and team cooperation include some of the major skill areas improved when studying theater and acting. Lawyers and people preparing for vocations that require presentation skills often take theater classes, both in college, and as part of professional vocational training.
Job Classification List
(chart available in print form)
Lesson Five: Playwriting
Suggested focus exercise: Who’s Coming to Your House Party?
Objective: Exploring personalities in relation to their chosen occupations
One student volunteers to host an imaginary party at their house. He or she establishes the room where the party will be, turning on an imaginary radio, or hanging balloons, etc., while the rest of the group watches. Then four students select from a hat a piece of paper with an occupation written on it. One at a time, each of the four students goes to the party, behaving in a manner typical of that occupation. After all four have been at the party for several minutes, the host tries to guess their occupation.
Core Activity: Writing a short play
Objective: Exploration of potential vocational choices; improve creative writing; understand dramatic structure
Discuss the basic principles of dramatic structure: exposition, conflict, turning point, climax, resolution, and denouement. It may be useful to use the script used in Lesson Three, Part Two, although any traditional script will do. I would avoid non-traditional scripts that mix up the standard progression of dramatic structure, and avoid a lengthy script.
Next, distribute lined paper to every student. Ask the students to choose one vocation from the job classification list above that they may be considering as a potential vocation. Have them write a short play based on that choice, illustrating a typical happening or day in the life of a worker who performs the job they chose from the list. Make sure their play has a beginning, middle, and end.
Reflection/Assessment: Have the class read all the plays aloud. Ask the group to determine which play is the most interesting, best written, and worthy of production.
Lesson Six: Acting and Production
Suggested focus exercise: Machine
Objective: Combining individual parts to make a whole
Have one student stand in the center of the room. Ask them to think of a repetitive noise and a simple accompanying gesture. Be sure that they can maintain the noise and gesture for several minutes. After establishing their sound and movement, ask another student to add himself or herself to the previous student’s motion, making their own sound and gesture. Each student joins in, one at a time, adding to the conglomeration. After the last student has joined, ask the group what they think their “machine” may be making.
Core Activity: Rehearsing the Play, Part One: Expanding the Script
Objective: Application of skills and concepts studied in this unit
Distribute to each student a copy of the play that the class chose as the worthiest to be produced. Have the student who wrote it perform the role of the protagonist, and ask for volunteers to read the other parts. Then have the class read it aloud again, standing, and have the remaining students add themselves into the scene, as they desire. Afterward, discuss which aspects of the new version, with the extra characters, worked best. Repeat improvising the expanded script until the whole group likes the piece.
Core Activity: Rehearsing the Play, Part Two: Building the Production
Objective: Successful collaboration; establish work ethic; artistic expression
Ask the students to choose which production aspect they would like to develop for the play. They may choose to build costumes, props, sound or lighting effects (using whatever equipment is available,) or program or poster design. Assign homework: bring in at least two items to fulfill their production responsibility.
Core Activity: Rehearsing the play, Part Three: Performance
Objective: Application of all skills and concepts studied in this unit
Invite other students to watch an informal presentation of the piece the group built together.
Reflection/Assessment: After the performance, have the class discuss with the audience the process of writing and building the play. Ask the audience to answer the following questions:
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Did the actors maintain focus?
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Were the characters believable?
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Did the technical production elements contribute to the dramatic action?
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Did the cast work as an ensemble?