Justifying and Practicing Thoughtful Performance Practices

Unit:

An Introduction to Playwrights and Their Work

 

 

Grade Level:

10-12 grade, 77 minutes

 

 

National Standards:

Content Standard #1:

Script writing through 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 #4:

Directing by interpreting dramatic texts and organizing and conducting rehearsals for informal or formal productions

 

Content Standard #6:

Comparing and integrating art forms by analyzing traditional theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and new art forms

 

Content Standard #7:

Analyzing, critiquing, and constructing meanings from informal and formal theatre, film, television, and electronic media productions

 

Content Standard #8:

Understanding context by analyzing the role of theatre, film, television, and electronic media in the past and the present

 

 

Materials Needed:

A piece of paper to complete the analysis

 

 

Learning Objective:

Students will practice applying contemporary performance practices to their work by carefully analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting choices/techniques that will best create new meaning for their work. They will show this process by writing an analysis of the choices they’ve made detailing why they chose them, how they benefit the piece, and what new meaning or understanding they bring to the work.

 

 

Hook (5 minutes):

Brainstorming time is over and it’s time to get to work! By the end of this class period everyone needs to be up on their feet rehearsing! But like we discussed, your group also needs to write up and submit a one page (written) analysis explaining and defending your performance choices. You should also detail how they benefit and add new meaning to the piece. This should be written collaboratively and handed in before the end of the class period. Also, remember that next class period is your peer performances in front of the other groups.

 

 

Activity 1 (70 minutes):

Allow students time to rehearse and write their analysis paper for the remainder of the class period.

 

 

Wrap-up (2 minutes):

Turn in your analyses and make sure you’re ready to perform tomorrow at the beginning of class! Make sure you have something to work with!