Students will demonstrate their understanding of Uta Hagen’s Outdoors by performing the exercise.
Materials Needed
· A variety of instrumental songs, revealing different moods · Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen · Here I Stand Handout
Lesson Directions
Anticipatory Set/Hook
Have students close their eyes. Inform them that you are going to play a song. Invoked by the song that is playing, have them imagine a specific place where they could be. Encourage them to be very detailed in this imagery. Where are they? Who else is there? What other objects are there? What does is smell like? What can you see? What is the temperature like? After a couple of minutes, discuss some of the images they imagined. Repeat this exercise and discussion for a few different songs.
Instruction
Step 1: · As a class, read Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting, pages 125-128, starting at “PART TWO”. · Throughout the reading, periodically asks students o to summarize what they’ve read o for examples from their observations of the hook o for personal experiences they’ve had
Step 2: · Pass out the Here I Stand worksheet · Using one of the images they envisioned during the hook, have students sketch out their surrounding in as much detail as possible NOTE: have students eliminate physical or emotional crises they could potentially have to deal with (see page 126 in Respect for Acting for elaboration) · Once their environment is clearly established, inform them that they are standing there, waiting for someone · Then have them spread out in the space and try the exercise prescribe by Hagen
Step 3: · As students are engaging in the exercise, have 3-5 students at a time inconspicuously walk around the room and observe their classmates · When the have made their round, have them return to the exercise and instruct 3-5 more students to observe their classmates · Continue this process until everyone has the chance to observe · To performers: emphasize that this exercise is to practice what you’re doing when you’re just “standing and waiting”
CLOSURE:
· Once everyone has participated and observed, discuss their process in doing this exercise (Possible questions: what did this exercise do for you? How did it help you? How do you think it can help the performance overall?, etc.) · Conclude by encouraging them to notice what they do, and what others do, when they “stand and wait”
Assessment
Participation: 10pts Implementation of Exercise: 5pts Here I Stand worksheet 5pts Total possible points: 20pts
Implementation of Exercise POINT VALUE Description of Qualifying Standard Points Barely understands the exercise and its application to improving one’s acting ability 1 Sufficiently understands the exercise and its application to improving one’s acting ability 3 Understands the exercise and successfully applies it to improve one’s acting ability 5
