Students will demonstrate their ability to become a Shakespearean character by performing a monologue or scene from a Shakespeare play.
**This unit is similar to another unit on this database by the same author: “Acting Shakespeare”. While some activities and assessments may be the same or similar, this unit is revised and updated with new exercises and activities and more challenging expectations.**
CURRICULUM PLACEMENT:
This unit is intended for use in an advanced theatre class with 85-minute class periods.
PRIOR STUDENT EXPERIENCE:
It is expected that students will have knowledge of script analysis, acting techniques, blocking, and some understanding of Shakespeare and his works.
2014 NATIONAL CORE ARTS THEATRE STANDARDS:
TH:Cr2.1.HSIII a. Develop and synthesize original ideas in a drama/theatre work utilizing critical analysis, historical and cultural context, research, and western or non-western theatre traditions.
TH:Cr3.1.HSIII a. Refine, transform, and re-imagine a devised or scripted drama/theatre work using the rehearsal process to invent or re-imagine style, genre, form, and conventions. b. Synthesize ideas from research, script analysis, and context to create a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant in a drama/theatre work.
TH:Pr5.1.HSIII a. Use and justify a collection of acting exercises from reliable resources to prepare a believable and sustainable performance.
TH:Pr6.1.HSII a. Present a drama/theatre work using creative processes that shape the production for a specific audience.
TH:Re8.1.HSIII b. Construct meaning in a drama/theatre work, considering personal aesthetics and knowledge of production elements while respecting others’ interpretations.
TH:Re9.1.HSII a. Analyze and assess a drama/theatre work by connecting it to art forms, history, culture, and other disciplines using supporting evidence and criteria.
TH:Cn11.2.HSIII a. Justify the creative choices made in a devised or scripted drama/theatre work, based on a critical interpretation of specific data from theatre research.
AUTHOR NOTES:
When Promptbook is mentioned in the lessons: it is a sort of journal/scrapbook/portfolio that my students keep all year long. Consider most assignments journal writing/responses.
The final evaluation and monologue/scene guidelines are based on Utah Shakespeare Festival High School Competition rules and ballots.
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the genres of Shakespeare’s plays by exploring play titles at genre stations and creating a list of play titles that they want to explore further.
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their understanding of their scene/monologue by translating their piece and researching any unfamiliar words or phrases.
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their understanding of scansion and making classical text sound natural by analyzing the text of their monologue/scene.
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their ability to self-assess their preview performance by reflecting on their preview and creating a goal for their final performance.
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their ability to become a Shakespearean character by performing a monologue of scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays.
