Student’s will demonstrate their understanding of the aspects of children’s theatre by writing and performing a small play based on a fairy tale to elementary school children.
Class Level:
Advanced
Main Concepts:
The art of the story. Acting in children’s theatre. Writing a fairy tale for children in a unique way, and performing it. The art of performing for children.
1994 National Standards:
CONTENT STANDARD 1: Script writing by improvising, writing, and refining scripts based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history.
CONTENT STANDARD 2: Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining characters in improvisations and informal or formal productions.
CONTENT STANDARD 3: Designing and producing by conceptualizing and realizing artistic interpretations for informal or formal productions.
CONTENT STANDARD 4: Directing by interpreting dramatic texts and organizing and conducting rehearsals for informal or formal productions.
CONTENT STANDARD 5: Researching by evaluating and synthesizing cultural and historical information to support artistic choices.
CONTENT STANDARD 6: Comparing and integrating art forms by analyzing traditional theatre, dance, music, and visual arts, and new art forms.
CONTENT STANDARD 8: Understanding context by analyzing the role of theatre, film, television, and electronic media in the past and the present.
Description:
These are 90 minute plans.
Prior Experience: The Students will…
-Have previously performed in an informal and formal setting.
-Know basic diction, projection, and voice techniques.
-Be familiar with pantomime.
-Have memorized and performed both monologues and scene work.
-Be familiar with props, setting, and costume elements of a production.
-Know the different types of stages and stage directions.
-Be familiar with fairy tales, myths, and other famous legends.
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Intro to Children’s Theatre Students will demonstrate their understanding of why children need their own theatre by writing a self-reflective journal entry.
Lesson 3: Stories Continued with Playwriting Students will demonstrate their understanding of the elements of a children’s play by turning in an outline for an original script.
Lesson 5: Characterization 1: People Students will demonstrate their understanding of the nature of children’s theatre characters by creating a character and presenting him/her to the class.
Lesson 6: Characterization II: Animals and Inanimate Objects Students will demonstrate their understanding of the nature of children’s theatre non-human characters by creating non-human characters and by talking about an experience in character.
Lesson 7: Skills and Scene Work Students will demonstrate their understanding of the overarching concepts of children’s theatre by taking a written test, and by performing their original short plays to the class.
Lesson 8: Performances for Children Students will demonstrate their understanding of audience reaction to children’s theatre by writing a self-reflective journal entry about their performance at elementary schools.
Author’s Notes: This is an extensive unit that could be expanded to cover an entire term. Some lessons will likely take longer than one class period.
