Course Profile
Dramatic Arts, Grade 9 open, Public
Unit 3: Who I Can Be … Exploration
Activity 1 | Activity 2
| Activity 3A | Activity 3B
In this unit, students interpret a variety of roles from diverse texts, including memory, history, poetry, song lyrics, and other narratives. In addition, students develop roles from improvisation. A formal examination of historical improvisation (commedia dell’arte) allows students to see the evolution of comic characters and conventions. By developing characters, students demonstrate skills of speaking, listening, and concentration necessary in creating and sustaining a role. Students explore these roles by assuming different perspectives and by examining conflicts and problems between characters. This process leads to a better understanding of both the students’ identities, and their relationship with others. Through both written and oral responses, students reflect upon and evaluate presentation skills and forms of expression used in these performances.
Strand(s): Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations: DTV.01X, DTV.02X, DCV.02X, DCV.05X, DAV.02X.
Specific Expectations: DT1.01X, DT1.02X, DT1.03X, DT1.04X, DT2.02X, DT3.05X, DT3.06X, DC1.03X, DC2.02X, DC2.03X, DA1.01X, DA1.09X, DA2.01X, DA2.05X.
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Activity 1 |
Canadian Heroes |
375 minutes |
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Activity 2 |
Contemporary News Story |
525 minutes |
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Activity 3A |
Comic Characters and Conventions |
375 minutes |
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Activity 3B |
Shakespeare, Fate, and the Modern Family |
225 minutes |
Note: Activity 3 has two possibilities. Consider your students, time, and context when deciding which one to use.
Drama strategies from Units 1 and 2 are combined with more complex drama structures. As well, students rely on research skills they have already learned. A knowledge of which Shakespearean works are being done in the English department and commedia dell’arte resources is necessary.
Video equipment is required for “The Public Speaks” activity. A suitable location for videotaping and special guests also has to be organized.
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Theory/ Knowledge/ Understanding |
Thinking/ Inquiry |
Communication |
Creation/ Application |
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Purpose |
assessment |
assessment/ evaluation |
assessment |
assessment |
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Method |
self |
peer, teacher |
self, teacher |
self, teacher |
|
Strategies |
writing |
discussion, writing |
rehearsal, reflection |
presentation |
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Tools |
Appendix 14 - Writing in Role Checklist |
Appendix 12 - Journal Rubric |
Appendix 4 - Individual Work Skills, Appendix 12 - Journal Rubric |
Appendix 7 - Culminating Event, Appendix 12 - Journal Rubric |
Note: This chart is used as a curriculum planning strategy only in this unit. Comparison may prove this to be a useful strategy to use when teachers plan their own units.
The Activities are designed so that each includes Movement, Role Playing, Research, and Structuring Material into Dramatic Forms. Each activity focuses on selected key expectations. The Teaching/Learning Strategies are indicated within the grid.
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Activity Titles |
Movement |
Role |
Research |
Dramatic Form |
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Canadian Heroes |
- tableaux - guided movement - re-enactment |
- interview - diary entries, journal |
- case study - biography |
- whole class drama (convention of heroes) - monologues - vignettes |
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Contemporary News Story |
- tableaux - guided movement |
- interview in role - hot seating - writing in role - role on the wall - overheard conversation |
- case study - “The Public Speaks” - analogy |
- whole class drama - soundscape - duologue - forum theatre - vignettes |
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Comic Characters and Conventions |
-group composition with music or soundtracking |
- characterization |
- case study - analogy - mask, prop, costume |
- scenario/lazzi |
There are many available sources for male and female heroes both real and mythical. Students are encouraged to research heroes from all cultures. Students should be encouraged to use print and electronic sources – focusing on visual images of the heroes and their surroundings (time and place). Teachers can consult with Grade 9 English and History teachers and local or regional archives.
A useful source that can be used in this activity is Legendary Heroes A series on Canadian Folklore available from Canada Post Corporation. Canada Post’s quarterly magazine, Collections, provides the names of lesser-known but important “heroes” from a variety of fields - athletes, educators, scientists, inventors, artists, politicians, environmentalists, and human rights activists.
The teacher also needs a good history of theatre text, a good book on large group drama strategies, and a comprehensive newspaper story. In the bibliography refer to O’Neill and Neelands for large group drama strategies, Hartnoll’s book on theatre history, and Salerno’s book on Commedia dell’arte.
Time: 375 minutes
Through individual role playing, collaborative improvisation, and journal writing, students use researched information to reconstruct a heroic character. The movement work, character building, and work in role culminate in a full class drama, monologue development, and vignettes. The acting skill that students focus on is developing, assuming, and sustaining a role and reflecting on the transference of real-life sources to the fictional world.
Strand(s): Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations: DTV.01X, DTV.02X.
Specific Expectations: DT1.01X, DT1.02X, DT1.03X, DT1.04X, DT2.02X, DC1.03X, DA2.01X, DA2.05X.
For this activity, teachers need to provide each student with a data file on a pre-determined list of heroes from different areas in history, mythology, or literature including athletes, scientists, inventors, politicians, environmentalists, human rights activists, educators, or artists. Each file contains only the given name, dates, occupation, area of expertise, and a picture if available. The teacher should prepare an example of a short, factual biography.
· Knowledge of role play, tableau, movement, and presentational skills
· Knowledge of heroes, celebrities, and research skills are required
Teaching strategies are Guided Movement, Whole Class Drama, and the use of the Journal for recording and reflection.
Warm-up
Names/Movement compositional exercise: Have students develop a movement they display as they say their name. In pairs, share each other’s movement. Students can be divided into small groups to create a name/movement composition, which may be shared with other groups.
With a partner, students brainstorm the qualities that they feel are necessary for a real-life hero to have. (Encourage differentiation between real-life heroes, superheroes, and celebrities.) Individually, students determine the qualities that they feel are most important. Students repeat the movement exercise concentrating on displaying this quality and sharing each other’s movement.
Main Activity
In role as C.E.O. of a large advertising company, the teacher calls class together as ad agency designers to have them determine what they need for the company’s up-coming convention designed to promote heroes, maintain heroic images, and guarantee heroes a place in history. Modern advertising practices are elicited - including promotional T-shirts, sound bites, buttons, storyboards for TV moment in history ads, posters, action figures, stamps, and jingles. Methods are recorded for future reference.
Still in role the teacher/C.E.O. gives the designers a data file on the clientele to be promoted (a pre-determined list of heroes from different areas - athletes, scientists, inventors, politicians, environmentalists, human rights activists, educators, and artists.) Each file contains only the given name, dates, occupation, area of expertise, and a picture if available. Teacher in role introduces policy of presenting formal (but brief) biographies of the person to be promoted and of others who surrounded them (family members, rivals, friends), of designing and conducting interviews with the client, of looking for information that reflects the inside life of the hero, and of focusing on early life indicators that the person was destined to take a place in history. Teacher encourages finding music and visual art works that are contemporary with the hero.
Extension/Reflection
Individually, each designer studies her/his folder to determine the kind of research that they undertake - print, interview, electronic. To focus on sustaining a role, each designer records a personal report in her/his journal about the up-coming convention, the hero s/he has been given and the work that needs to be done to guarantee a successful promotional campaign.
Warm-up
Students do research in the library/resource centre.
Main Activity
After preliminary research students work in groups of four and share the information they have found. After comparing notes, they decide on one hero that they as a team choose to promote at the up-coming convention. Using the list of promotional techniques, their journals, and the research on their chosen figure as source, the designers meet in their groups to share and compare what they feel needs to be done and by whom. An action plan is decided on and tasks are assigned. Refer to Appendix 4 - Individual Work Studies for self-evaluation.
Extension/Reflection
“Using the researched information that you have, record in your journal what you feel are three of the most positive attributes of your hero to be the focus of your campaign. What things might you downplay? Justify the choices.” Also, have students continue designing and building promotional display material to take to the convention.
Warm-up
Variation on the Names/Movement compositional exercise: Have students develop a movement they demonstrate as they say the name of their assigned hero. In pairs from different groups, share each other’s movement.
In promotional groups, students focus on the research to determine who the important people were who surrounded and influenced the hero - either real or imagined. Each group member assumes one of these characters and determines the most important moment of his/her interaction with the hero and how it shaped who s/he became. Allow students time to develop their character. Teacher in role of moderator plays This is Your Life, based on an old game show of the same name. Each character is asked by the teacher/moderator questions such as: When did you meet the hero? What is your fondest memory of the hero? The group structures these interactions into three vignettes. The group refines and polishes these vignettes, which will be shared at the convention.
Extension/Reflection
Individually students record a diary entry in their journal from the point of view of their assumed character using the prompt, “What I feel, knowing that _____ is now considered a hero.” Each group’s hero should write a Hero’s Acceptance speech. These entries will be shared at the convention. Students refer to Appendix 14 - Writing in Role Checklist, for self-assessment.
Warm-up
Structuring the Names/Movement exercise: Have students develop a movement they display as they say the name of their assumed role. Within their groups, share each other’s movement. As a group, develop a patterned series of moves that display the dominant traits of each group member and can be used as an entry point into a staged position to read their journal entry in role. Sound or music that augments the mood and/or time period can be added.
Main Activity
As a full class determine what space your convention needs and why. Each group should know in advance what their presentation space is.
Within their groups, students continue to prepare their promotional displays. Within their groups, students also structure and rehearse their Name/Movement pattern, their journal monologue, and their vignettes.
Extension/Reflection
Assuming the role of the hero’s promoter or the hero being promoted, record your thoughts and predictions about the upcoming convention.
Warm-up
Prepare for convention by having each group organize a display space as a promotional “storefront” for their hero. Once all the storefronts are ready, have two groups at a time staff their booths as other groups circulate and ask appropriate interview questions in role as fellow promoters.
Main Activity
Teacher in role as Advertising Agency CEO sets the scene for the presentation of the Heroes Awards ceremony. Working in their designated space, each hero group makes their presentation to their fellow delegates. The vignettes, monologues and movement are connected. Mention at this point that the groups have just created an anthology.
Extension/Reflection
Following the ceremony, students reflect on the activity in their journals using the following prompts:
· I especially liked…
· I want to know more about…
· An idea that captured my interest is…
· I particularly valued…
· A question raised in my mind is…
· This activity shows…
· What I found especially meaningful was…
· I learned that I…
· If I were doing this again I’d…
Appendix 14 - Writing in Role
· Select materials that ensure all students can fully participate regardless of physical, cultural, or linguistic differences, for example, an overhead of the game rules for the hearing challenged.
See your English and History departments for books on heroes.
Appendix 4 - Individual Work Skills
Appendix 7 - Culminating Event
Appendix 14 - Writing In Role
Time: 525 minutes
Using a contemporary news story as source, students explore issues relevant to them as members of society. Exploration of the source uses movement, composition, tableaux, and research, which results in case studies, an opportunity to express opinions in public (“The Public Speaks”), and developing analogous scenarios. The focus is on role playing and developing a balance between self and others and the past and future of the character. The forms that structure the drama work are whole class drama, forum theatre, vignettes, and duologues.
Strand(s): Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations: DTV.01X, DTV.03X, DCV.02X, DCV.05X. DAV.02X.
Specific Expectations: DT1.01X, DT1.02X, DT1.03X, DT1.04X, DT2.02X, DC1.03X, DC2.02X, DA1.01X, DA1.09X, DA2.05X.
· The teacher needs to find, follow and clip a news story that covers an issue that is important to the community (e.g., poverty, kids who live on the streets, or water quality). They should also familiarize themselves with the drama strategies that are part of large group drama. Authors such as Neelands and O’Neill provide examples.
· Bristol board is needed for posting stories. Copies of the poem “Meaning What” and the “Peer Response” are required. Also arrange for video equipment for “The Public Speaks” and a location for the taping. Special guests have to be contacted ahead of time. Finally, Bristol board and markers are needed for making cue cards.
Drama strategies such as tableau, role play, and research skills are an important part of this activity.
Warm-up
Students are divided into small groups to create a Name/Movement composition, based on family roles, which may be shared with other groups (e.g., father, step-mother, brother, sister, aunt, grandmother). Use a percussion instrument to establish or reflect the rhythm of the movement.
Main Activity
Using newspapers as a source (provided by students or the classroom teacher) students look for stories that affect families. As the stories are found, collect and post them under similar categories. For example, use separate pieces of Bristol board for categories such as poverty, substance abuse, unemployment, and housing. When the research is complete and posted, review and discuss what has been found out about the problems that families face.
The class is divided into groups of four or five to form families. They decide on their roles and prepare for a family picture to be taken at a family picnic when the family was young. When the families are ready for their picture the teacher plays the role of the photographer and, when taking each family portrait, helps establish the role of the family by asking questions like: Where did the family picnic take place? Who was the prankster in your family? Who did you go to for advice? Statements like, “You look like a very happy family,” also help to establish the reality of the role of family that they have been asked to play. This first exercise should focus on establishing the role of family. At this time introduce the strategy of Tapping In which is done by touching the character on the shoulder in order to bring them to life and out of the frozen picture.
Note: As students and teacher find stories in the newspaper, be sensitive to articles which might be personally painful.
Extension/Reflection
In role as a family member students write a journal entry about the day the picture was taken at the family picnic. Allow time to share some of the diary entries.
Warm-up
Guided Movement: Have students spaced randomly throughout the studio with sufficient room for personal movement. Ask them to close their eyes. Explain that you will be calling out a situation or a feeling. They are to instantly and without thinking move for three seconds in silence in response to what you have said and then freeze with eyes still closed. Begin with a concrete situation that is described in a sad or gloomy response phrase and then move on to a more joyous phrase e.g., “You have just won the lottery.” Repeat this sequence three or four times. In each case instruct the students to remain frozen but to open their eyes and glance around the room to see what others have done. Ask students to describe the primary emotion of all situations, plus the direction, level, focus, and speed of the movements associated with each of the emotions. Ask who taught them to move upwards and quickly when feeling happy or excited. Elicit their responses but do not comment. Emphasize that these movement responses are automatic and ingrained and therefore easy to understand.
Main Activity
Have the class work in their family groups from Day 1. Each family is to select a problem that was found during the Day 1 research and prepare a tableau that shows the effect of the problem. For example, a parent has lost his or her employment and they must move to a smaller cheaper home. Allow groups time to prepare the tableaux and then share them. On this occasion the teacher plays the role of an investigative journalist who is writing a story about the problems that face families. Begin with the tableau as they pose for the picture and then ask the family to relax and conduct the interview as a reporter would.
When the interviews are complete have each family prepare a movement composition that reflects the present crisis in the family. They should use direction, level, focus, and speed in order to express what the family is feeling.
Extension/Reflection
In role as a family member each student writes a second diary entry about the day the reporter came.
Warm-up
Defining Abstract and Concrete Movement Response: Put the students into partners A and B. Have them interpret the following scenario realistically without using words. For example the following is narrated as students respond:
“A is a wealthy person who is robbed by B who is poor and angry about it. A enters the scene and proudly walks by B, ignoring and disdaining him/her. B decides to rob A for revenge as well as monetary gain. B grabs the wallet or purse of A and knocks A down. B scorns the cowering and frightened A before running away.”
Have students focus on the feelings of the story rather than the plot: Using examples from the newspaper the teacher acts as side coach for the following scenarios. “B cowers on the ground but tries to look defiant through facial expressions. A circles B, walking proudly and arrogantly. A is holding an actual purse or wallet in a teasing manner. B rises slowly and A freezes. They make eye contact. B stares malevolently at A and intimidates A into the cowering, crouched position on the floor, moving slowly. B then takes the wallet or purse. B now circles A looking satisfied. They freeze.”
Conclude the warm-up with a discussion of the emotional impact created by the movement. Discuss real-life situations that have similar movement and emotions.
Main Activity
Now repeat both steps using material from the newspaper source. For example students are asked to realistically interpret the following: “A is a 9-year-old child, B is the parent. It is 5 am and they are walking through the deserted streets on this winter morning under the streetlights to the bus shelter where the child begins her two-hour trip to school. Neither has eaten. The parent reluctantly leaves the child and returns to look after her younger children. The young child huddles, hungry, tired, and alone in the corner of the shelter. S/he places his/her head on his/her knapsack to rest and dreams of…”
Now repeat the exercise, having the students focus on an abstract response to the feelings of the scenario.
Discuss the differences between realistic and the abstract interpretation. Have students choose one form of interpretation and perform it to suitable music, for example a blues or jazz tune.
Share diaries from Day 2 and have each family group prepare a movement response using the diaries. A family member reads as the others respond.
Extension/Reflection
As a family member, each student writes a diary entry that describes how she/he contributed to solving a problem for a friend. For example their friend is having problems with his/her parents and they need advice from a professional (social services, guidance). The student writes in role describing how they arranged the meeting and describes how it went.
Warm-up
With a partner from the family students established previously, have them read journal entries from the day before to each other.
Main Activity
With the same partner, develop a dialogue connected to one of the journals just read and based on the prompts within the following poem. The first character uses the prompt. “I wish...” and the other character responds with, “You wish what?” Once the poem prompts are finished each pair should extend the dialogue. Finally, students rehearse and share their dialogues.
Meaning What?
‘I wish…’
‘You wish what?’
‘I wish that I could…’
‘I wish that I could find a way to…’
‘Find a way to what?’
‘I wish that I could find a way to tell you…’
‘To tell me what?’
Maley, A and A. Duff. The Inward Ear. Cambridge University Press, 1989. pp. 78-79.
Extension/Reflection
Each student chooses one group’s dialogue presentation to respond to using the following:
Peer Response:
Some of your entries will be shared with others.
Be positive in your inquiry!
Your Name:
To:
About:
Sharing Date:
Things to consider:
A thought I especially liked is…
I want to know more about…
An idea that captured my interest is…
I particularly valued…
A question raised in my mind is…
An idea that sparkled for me was…
Something I identify with is…
This shows…
What I found especially meaningful was…
Something you wrote that pushed my own thinking was…
I learned that you…
Thank you for reminding me how important it is to…
Rolheiser and Stevahn. Communicating Student Learning. 1993.
Warm-up
Introduce the concept of “The Public Speaks” to poll the spectrum of emotional responses around a specific issue that affects the community. Develop a list of issues that families face in crisis. Issues like poverty, violence, unemployment, illiteracy, and dwindling social services emerge. Now develop questions that could be used for the “The Public Speaks” that will be created for the school community around the problems that face families. Questions should be provocative, open-ended, and encourage a thoughtful response.
Decide who in the class will videotape, who will be guests, who will invite special guests, and who will be studio audience. A simple shooting script (a list of shots the camera will take) is prepared by the production crew.
Main Activity
Organize “The Public Speaks”.
Set up and run “The Public Speaks” in your school.
· The question(s) from the diary and the news story to be used are put on large cue cards.
· A location(s) has to be selected and approved. The time of day must be decided.
· A camera and crew have to be organized. (Make sure you have a tape.) This could be done in class or it could be set up in the school community. If it is done in class ask individual students or small groups of students to play roles that reflect various perspectives.
· Invite special guests to respond, for example, the principal or guidance counsellor.
· When taping, have someone hold the cue cards and assume the role as timer. Each speaker is allowed a maximum of two minutes.
· Arrange for the broadcasting of the video.
Extension/Reflection
Allow time at the end of class for a production meeting in order to check that everything and everybody is ready for the next day. A who? what? where? when? checklist is done during the meeting.
Warm-up
Set up for the taping of your school’s “The Public Speaks”. The venue includes a place for the guests to speak to the camera and the production crew. Students in the class, who are not part of the crew, are the studio audience and/or people who speak at “The Public Speaks”.
Main Activity
Tape “The Public Speaks”. During the taping those students who are not crew are the live audience. The teacher acts as facilitator for the production and acts as host for the special guests.
Extension/Reflection
View “The Public Speaks” tape.
Warm-up
Have each family group return to the newspaper articles, their journals, and “The Public Speaks” tape as sources for developing a scene that includes: movement, dialogue, and music as material for a vignette that includes a soundscape and sound bites.
Main Activity
Using the structures explored in the activity students create a short scene of movement, dialogue, and music that reflects the story of their family. Allow time for students to develop a script, choreograph movement, and select music. Share scenes.
Extension/Reflection
As a class use the following questions for discussion. What will a family need to survive the new millennium? How do you now feel about the issues that faced your family? How does your school feel about these issues?
The teacher collects the “Family Journal” in order to make written comments.
· Rubrics and checklist. Appendix 4 - Individual Work Skills, Appendix 12 - Journal Writing, Appendix 13 – Role Playing, and Appendix 14 - Writing in Role Checklist
· A peer helper could assist with journal writing.
The newspaper as a source is crucial.
Appendix 4 - Individual Work Skills
Appendix 12 - Journal Writing
Appendix 13 - Role Playing
Appendix 14 - Writing in Role Checklist
Time: 375 minutes
Students trace the evolution of the convention of slapstick comedy (which can include clowning, lazzi, the chase, stock characters, scenarios, and transformations) from its origin to the present. They demonstrate their understanding of comic timing and apply it to the presentation of a modern scenario based on their understanding of commedia dell’arte.
Strands: Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations: DTV.02X, DCV.02X.
Specific Expectations: DT2.02X, DT3.05X, DT3.06X, DC1.03X, DC2.02X.
The teacher uses a history of theatre text such as Phyllis Hartnoll, The Theatre - A Concise History and a commedia dell’arte source such as Scenarios of the Commedia dell’ Arte by Henry F. Salerno as the basis of an introduction to slapstick comedy. Pictures of the performance areas, costumes, masks, props, and examples of standard scenarios and stock characters provide a background for study. Salerno observes that commedia dell’arte was part of the Italian renaissance and the scenario’s revived Greek and Roman plots of mistaken identities, love, and enchantment. These in turn are echoed in Shakespearean plays such as The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, and The Tempest. Within these plots students find the conventions of slapstick comedy such as masks, props like the slapstick, physicality such as the chase, and comic timing such as “miss - miss - grab.” Connections with modern comedy can be found in media and modern theatre. Italian renaissance music is used for movement exercises and exploration. A selection of percussion instruments is needed for the movement exercises.
Students move from tableau to group compositions as they explore comedy. Their knowledge of role and drama structures helps them create scenarios. Research skills are essential.
Warm-up
Play a piece of Italian renaissance music and have students walk around the room. Suggest that they carry themselves gracefully, tall, erect, and with pride. Suggest that they are being lifted by a piece of aviation wire that is attached to the top of their sternum. Suggest the opposite. Perhaps they walk hunched, slowly, and leading with their shoulder. Stop the music and the movement and discuss the effect of the music in both cases.
Next introduce and demonstrate a bow suggested by one of the pictures you have collected for the main activity. After some practice, explain that when the music is started everyone moves (gracefully or ungracefully). At an agreed upon signal students stop and bow to the people nearest to them. The bow should reflect their style of movement.
Stop the music and discuss the feelings created by the music and movement combined.
The final variation includes the music, the bow, and a brief, “How do you do fair lady/sir?”
Main Activity
In the role of theatre historians or archaeologists students explore pictures of the artifacts the teacher has prepared. Divide the class into groups of four or five and provide five or six stations. Each station should have examples of one of the following:
· a picture of commedia actors performing;
· a picture of a mask or an actual mask;
· a picture of an actor with a slapstick or other prop;
· a picture that shows an example of costumes used in commedia;
· a picture that suggests a plot or lazzi;
· a picture that suggests the characters’ relationship.
Each group moves from station to station collecting information using the following headings.
When each group has been to each station arrange for each group to share their research with the class.
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Commedia
dell’arte What is it? A checklist |
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Where does the performance take place? |
The mask is like a caricature drawing. What characteristic(s) do its features suggest? |
What does the prop suggest about the action of the plot? |
What do the costumes suggest about character? What music do they suggest? |
What is about to happen in this picture? |
How will this relationship turn out? |
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Extension/Reflection
In their journals have each student prepare an imaginary case study for one of the characters they saw in the pictures provided. The case study should include: important childhood memories that influenced the character, a personality profile based on an interpretation of the picture, a profile of the characters employment, an idea of who their friends are, and the character’s hopes for the future.
Use suggestions from the class if you need more information for a case study.
Warm-up
Agony/Ecstasy exercise with emotions, music, and movement. This exercise is usually a part of clowning and the concept that clown characters are child-like and see their world innocently as full of beauty or full of horror. Students explore this emotional world of the clown physically through the following exercise:
Students go to a space in the room where they can concentrate, focus, and move. When they are ready explain that you will be giving them a scenario to which they are to react. For example: “As I describe the following scene react physically and vocally as you think they would in the situation. You are a young child and your aunt has just bought you an ice cream cone and it’s your favourite flavour. It tastes so good that you can feel it tingling through your whole body.” (Allow time for reaction and then give the following situation.) “All of a sudden the ice cream falls from the cone to the asphalt. Your ice cream lies in a pool of motor oil and melts. The sadness and anger overwhelm you.” As a class discuss the exercise and how it worked. One question to consider is: Do you need a strong image in order to react physically and vocally? As a class create at least three similar examples that could be used for the exercise and try them.
Main Activity
Share case studies from the previous day’s journals. In small groups use the case studies to create tableaux that show character types and their relationships. Be sure to use an exaggerated physicalization such as suggested by the Agony/Ecstasy exercise. Share the tableaux series and then animate them and add sound and dialogue.
Extension/Reflection
In a journal entry students refer to a comic book, television show, or film they have seen and describe the use of love, entrances, exits, mistaken identity, or chases. For example they may describe Kramer’s entrances on Seinfeld. They may know of Charlie Chaplin’s waddle exit from silent film or Superman and Lois Lane’s love affair.
Warm-up
Chase with “miss - miss - grab” and music. Explain the 1 - 2 - 3 timing of the exercise. In pairs students prepare a chase scene. They establish the reason for the chase, chase each other, and finish with a “miss - miss - grab and capture”. Once each pair has created the movement composition play a brief musical tune that suits the chase. Do the same chase with sound effects created live with instruments. Students can strike, shake, or scratch the percussion instruments in order to accompany the movement exercise.
Main Activity
In groups share journals and then write a short scenario or lazzi that has characters from the case studies developed from the original commedia research and includes music, sound effects, elements of plot from Day 2 journal, (chase, miss - miss - grab) emotional extremes, a prop, and suggestions for costume. The lazzi could take place in the school at a locker where a couple are fighting over how messy their shared locker is, or it could be more connected to the other sources of commedia lazzo (a scene from a Shakespearean play for example).
Extension/Reflection
Draw a profile of the mask your character would wear for the scenario your group created. If your character does not wear a mask draw the costume your character would wear.
· The commedia dell’arte checklist, the journal and the guided response questions guide student learning.
· A peer helper can help fill out the chart and record the answer to the guided response.
Hartnoll. The Theatre A Concise History.
Salerno, ed. Scenarios of the Commedia dell’Arte.
Appendix 12 - Journal
Time: 225 minutes
Students build on the exploration of dominant issues that govern family interactions from Activity 2 and, by looking at a scenario of Shakespeare (e.g., Romeo and Juliet), translate the character relationships into modern day relationships to demonstrate their understanding. The plot conventions of the interference of Fate, the necessary sacrifice of innocents to solve a man-made problem, and the creation of heroes are examined. The Prologue is used as a textual source for storytelling and also as an introduction to group choral speaking skills. This activity can be extended by applying the skills and themes to classic poetry such as Poe’s Annabel Lee or Browning’s My Last Duchess or Noyes’ The Highwayman or by conducting a news search to find thematic parallels and then writing a Prologue of their own.
Strands: Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations: DTV.02X, DCV.02X.
Specific Expectations: DT2.02X, DT3.05X, DC1.03X, DC2.02X.
· Teacher must be familiar with selected Shakespearean text, e.g., Romeo and Juliet.
· Teacher provides students with scenario of play, e.g., copies of “The Prologue”, from Romeo and Juliet.
· Teacher designs secret information cards.
· If the teacher chooses to extend the activity, s/he needs tragic poems that deal with “star-crossed” lovers involved in secretive relationships such as Poe’s Annabel Lee or Browning’s My Last Duchess or Noyes’ The Highwayman.
· Teacher provides:
· materials for “Want Ad” posters;
· copies of The Prologue, Romeo and Juliet;
· cards with Snippet statements so that within class each group of 3-4 students has one card reading:
Snippet 1 -“Two households, both alike in dignity…From ancient grudge break to new mutiny”;
Snippet 2 - “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; / Whose misadventured piteous overthrows/ Doth with their death bury their parents strife”; or
Snippet 3 - “The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,/And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which but their children’s end, nought could remove”.
· Shakespearean plays previously studied in English.
· Individual Improvisation Technique
Warm-up
Individually, students list the qualities that they value and which they think are essential for i) a perfect parent, ii) a perfect friend, and iii) a perfect partner. Using these lists students create one creative, colorful want ad. Students present their ads to the class.
In groups of four students view the posted ads to determine what love is and what love isn’t (e.g., love is friendship, closeness, commitment, caring, sex, communication, openness, recognizing differences). Each group compiles a list and shares with another group of four.
Main Activity
Divide class into two groups - A’s are teenagers; B’s are parents. Use the secret information technique - i.e., the teacher gathers together all A’s and informs them that they have just met the perfect person who has all the positive qualities that they admire and who has invited them to a party on the weekend - they will die if they don’t go; the teacher then gathers together all B’s and informs them that they only have one enemy in the world and that person is the father of the person their teenager wants to go out with. They will never allow it! A’s don’t know what the B’s know and vice versa. Have students form A/B pairs. A introduces the situation and then each must try to persuade the other of the necessity to see his/her point of view. Then B’s become the best friend of the A’s. The teacher gathers together the B’s and informs them that they know the parent’s secret and have promised to dissuade the teenager from going to the party. Questions to consider: How will you do this and still keep your friendship? How will you help your best friend through this bad time? Will you be able to keep the parent’s secret? To allow the A’s to anonymously hear the truth of the situation, the teacher uses the inner/outer circle technique and in the role of the parent interviews the friends. Then, assuming the role of another good friend, the teacher talks to the A’s. Back in A/B partners, the A’s try to convince their best friends to deliver a letter to the person s/he is in love with, outlining a secret plan which will enable him/her to go to the party. B is free to decide to do it or not.
Extension/Reflection
Students in role either i) assume the role of the teenager and write a desperate letter to the person they are in love with explaining the dilemma and proposing a plan which will enable them to meet (with the assumption that if s/he doesn’t show up, the feelings aren’t mutual) or ii) assume the role of the enraged parent and write a letter to the enemy’s son/daughter warning him/her to stay away from his/her child, or else. This letter becomes a central prop. Refer to Checklist - Appendix 14.
Warm-up
Have students share letters with their partners. Then, using individual improv techniques (i.e., each student works independently in own space and physically and vocally responds to prompts from teacher as side coach), students assume role of: i) letter writer making up excuse to use on parent to enable him/her to sneak out to meet new friend; ii) best friend realising that s/he has ‘misplaced’ the letter they were to deliver tries to repeat the message s/he thinks was in the letter, but gets the information wrong; iii) parent finding note from son/daughter which says the letter writing teenager is running away because of the parent’s treatment; iv) the teenager waiting at designated spot for new friend who doesn’t show because s/he hasn’t received the letter; v) new friend going to the letter writer’s house to confront the parent in spite of the parent’s threatening letter; vi) letter writer debating what his/her next action should be, i.e., to return home, run away, or try to find the new friend.
Main Activity
In groups of four or five students compare their improvised responses and draw on them to structure a scene with a beginning, middle, and end that reflects the scenario of the fated friends.
With students, teacher determines and posts the focus, e.g., inventiveness of interpretation, believability of characters, concentration within the scene. The structure should be determined by each group and could be tableaux framing the most important scene that is delivered with full dialogue, or a tableau that shows the main plot line but where the story is told by having each character emerge from the frozen picture to narrate the events from his/her point of view or in vignette form - beginning at the end of the story and using individual vignettes to deliver flashbacks. Refer to Appendix 1 - Collaborative Problem Solving Rubric. Students perform their scenes. Class as audience comments using the developed criteria.
Extension/Reflection
In their journals have students use the poem prompt from Activity 2 to show the inner thoughts of either the parent or the teenager talking to the other.
‘I wish …’
‘You wish what?’
‘I wish that I could find a way to…’
‘Find a way to what?’
‘I wish that I could find a way to tell you…’
‘To tell me what?’
Warm-up
Creating sound poems. Groups of three to four students brainstorm a minimum of ten emotional words that connect to the scenario of the two fated friends. Share words with full class by recording them on a master list. Students return to their small groups and choose five words from the master list to experiment with vocally, not realistically but abstractly, by attempting to express the meaning through the delivery, e.g., altering the speed, the pitch, the volume, the syllabic emphasis, and stressing consonants and/or vowels. As a group, students determine a sequenced order for presenting their five words and the way that they express each word. Students rehearse this ‘poem’. Students remain with their group members but return to large group which becomes a ‘choir; teacher becomes conductor. Teacher explains that each group’s poem will become one stanza within a larger work. Students focus on teacher, and on his/her command, perform their word sequences focusing on their words and the words of others. As a large class, discuss the exercise focusing on the emotional impact of being part of the large group.
Main Activity
Students remain in small groups. Teacher distributes snippets of the text from the prologue of Romeo and Juliet to each group, i.e., Snippet 1 -“Two households, both alike in dignity…From ancient grudge break to new mutiny”; Snippet 2 - “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;/Whose misadventured piteous overthrows/Doth with their death bury their parents strife”; Snippet 3 - “The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,/And the continuance of their parents’ rage, Which but their children’s end, nought could remove”. Groups are told by teacher that the lines that they have are all that is left of an ancient play and that they need to understand what the lines mean, re- code them into modern English and build and record a story line that encompasses the meaning of the lines. Students do this and share their translations and scenarios with the class. Teacher checks that the meaning is clearly understood and then distributes a complete prologue to each student. Students return to their small groups to determine an effective and engaging way to divide up the lines so that the presentation of the prologue by the group convincingly tells a story. Each group has a buddy group to rehearse the prologue with. Refer to Appendix 4 - Individual Work Skills Rubric. Each group presents a polished reading of the prologue to the class.
Extension/Reflection
In their journals have students reflect on why they feel we face the same family problems as were faced in Shakespeare’s time and/or why teenagers still turn to suicide as an escape. “If you knew a friend was having serious problems with his/her parents, what positive advice would you offer him/her?” “If you knew a friend was considering ending his/her life what advice would you offer him/her? What positive alternatives could you suggest?”
If time allows, students can extend this activity by examining tragic poems that deal with star-crossed lovers involved in secretive relationships such as Poe’s Annabel Lee or Browning’s My Last Duchess or Noyes’ The Highwayman. In groups, they apply choral speaking skills. Another extension could be to conduct a news search to find thematic parallels with Romeo and Juliet and then write a prologue of their own using Shakespeare’s as a model.
· Self-assessment of Role Playing (Appendix 13); Writing in Role Checklist (Appendix 14)
· Teacher assessment of Role Playing (Appendix 13)
· Teacher observation
· Students are given copies of the script before the unit to read ahead of time.
· All writing may be scribed by a tutor or may be taped.
Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet.
Appendix 13 – Role Playing Rubric
Appendix 14 – Writing in Role Checklist
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