The students will demonstrate their knowledge of characters by completing a “Myspace” profile for a character in a play read in class. **Obviously another social media site could be substituted for the MySpace profile**
Materials Needed
• Classroom set of full-length contemporary comedic script (ex. Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park) • “Myspace” profile worksheets My Space Worksheet.Lesson Four
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook As the students enter the classroom the following journal writing assignment is on the board: “Welcome to Your Life: A Play in Three Acts. The person who has been cast as you wants to come interview you before he or she goes on stage. Write a half page journal entry about what you would want to tell the person playing you.” Give the students five minutes. Then have a group discussion and create a strong working list of what someone needs to know to play a character: hobbies, job, age, hopes, willpower, worries, socio-economic status, wants, etc.
Instruction
STEP 1: Transition: What does Aristotle say about characters in play? Have a volunteer read the definition of “character” from the “6 Elements” Handout. “These are the people presented in the play that are involved in the pursuing plot. Each character should have their own distinct personality, age, appearance, beliefs, socio economic background, and language.” Connect the definition to the working list.
STEP 2: Assignment/Activity: Present the assignment. The students will need to read the assigned full-length comedic play. As they read the play, they need to find clues in the text that show the character’s traits. Then, they’ll need to pick a character, and fill out mock-Myspace page for that character.
The students will be given the remainder of class to read the script (give students the option of reading it together, reading it in small groups, reading it as individuals, etc.) Pass out the Myspace worksheet (Have the students look over the sheet and answer any questions.)
The analysis will be due at the beginning of the next period. (Encourage the students to also keep in mind the plot and theme of the script).
STEP 3: Closure: Five minutes before class ends, bring the class back together and discuss any character insights that have been found.
