Improvisation by Michael Avila (part virtual/part in-person)

Improvisation Unit (part virtual/part in-person)

 

Author:  Michael Avila

 

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the skills of improvisation (establish a specific situation, listen, add conflict, plan less, and ‘yes,and’) by performing improvised scenes and reflecting on their understanding.

 

Learning level:Intermediate (Secondary Education)

 

Student Prior Experience: Students have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of theatre including body, voice, risk-taking, and performance experience.

 

National Standards

  • TH:Cr1.1.II.c. Use personal experiences and knowledge to develop a character that is believable and authentic in a drama/theatre work.
  • TH:Cr2-II.b. Cooperate as a creative team to make interpretive choices for a drama/theatre work.
  • TH:Pr4.1.II.a. Discover how unique choices shape believable and sustainable drama/ theatre work.
  • TH:Pr5.1.II. a. Refine a range of acting skills to build a believable and sustainable drama/theatre performance. 
  • TH:Re8.1.II.a. Develop detailed supporting evidence and criteria to reinforce artistic choices, when participating in or observing a drama/theatre work. 

 

Enduring Understandings

  • Listening is essential to theatre
  • Specificity helps actors make choices
  • Conflict makes stories more interesting
  • Agree and further the story in improv

 

Essential Questions

  • Why is it important to establish a specific situation?
  • Why is conflict important in drama?
  • How do actors listen effectively?
  • What is “yes and” and why is it important to improv?

 

Authentic Performance Tasks

  • Improvised scenes
  • Written Summative Assessment
  • Written self-reflection

 

Unit Lessons:

 

Lesson 1:  Intro to Improv

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of improvisation by playing the Where Game and reflecting on their choices.

 

Lesson 2: Basics of Improv (online)

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the basics of improvisation by responding to reading about Spolin, improvisation skills, and reflecting on an awareness activity.

 

Lesson 3: Establishing a Specific Scene

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of Given Circumstances by participating, reflecting, and observing various Spolin improvisation games.

 

Lesson 4: Listening and other Improv Skills (online)

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the more basics of improvisation by responding to a reading and reflecting on an awareness activity.

 

Lesson 5:  Conflict, and Plan Less, Listen More

Objective:  Students will demonstrate their understanding of conflict and listening in improvisation by performing a Scene From a Hat with a partner.

 

Lesson 6:  Analyzing an Improv Show (online)

Objective:  Students will demonstrate their understanding of the more basics of improvisation by responding to a reading and reflecting on an awareness activity.

 

Lesson 7:  Character Improv

Objective:  Students will demonstrate their ability to perform with a specific character in improvisation by performing a partner scene.

 

Lesson 8:  Improvisation with Shakespeare

Objective:  Students will demonstrate their ability to apply improvisational skills to Shakespeare by performing a scene as a class from Henry V without planning it.

 

Lesson 9:  Applying Improv Skills (Summative Assessment)

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the skills of improvisation by participating in activities from previous lessons and completing a written assessment.