Students will demonstrate a basic knowledge of what a Playwright, Producer, and Director are (and their jobs) by helping to create terms/definitions that they will be tested on.
Materials Needed
Picture of playwright, producer and director; Variety of resources (internet, textbook, theatre articles, etc), Specific Roles Handout
Have the room split into three distinct areas. Have a picture and name of a playwright hanging in one section, a producer in another and a director in the last. The students will be split into groups based on wherever they choose to sit when they enter the classroom. In their groups have them use the resources you have placed in their section (i.e. computer with internet access, text book, theatre magazine articles, printed internet articles, etc.) to figure out what type of “title” their person falls under in theatre. When they figure out what their person is, they need to write it at the top of the picture. Then, tell the students that it is their job to come up with at least 4 special duties their person might be in charge of in creating theatre. They are allowed to use any resources they can find and the ideas they come up with to determine a definition for their group’s term.
Instruction
Step 1:
After checking each group’s definition and making sure they are correct, have students present who their person is, what they do, and why they think they are important parts of theatre. Write notes based on their presentation on the board for the class.
Let the class know that they may want to write down their classmates terms/definitions because they are the terms that will be on their quiz at the end of the unit.
Step 2:
Explain to the students that they are going to choose their favorite “fairytale” ex: Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs, etc. In a group, each of them will get a theatre “job” and together produce a 5-10 minute production of their story. For each job they will get a paper that explains their specific roles (Specific Roles handout).
Put them into groups based on their preference as to what role they would like to do. (Use the roles created during lesson one).
Step 3:
Let them work in their groups for the remainder of the class period.
Tell them that the important things to get done in their groups are:
Picking a fairytale
Starting to write their script
Starting to think of direction ideas (for directors)
Starting to think of poster/publicity stuff (for producer)
