Theatre 101 Synopsis

     The goal of this class is to increase awareness and appreciation of the art of theatre.  Throughout the process of the class students will be evaluated on class discussion, project preparation and a willingness to participate in the exercises and warm-ups.  There will be some memorization to prepare for monologue or scene work.  Each student must attend 2 productions outside of Visitation and turn in a short summery/review of the piece along with the show program.  Although there will be no formal, written final exam students will have a final project which they will choose individually.  

Areas of discovery:
    Theatre Web- As a class we draw the network of positions held and objects needed to produce a play.  Through this exercise we discuss, in depth, the many areas of which the average audience member is unaware. 

    Theatre Around Town- Each student draws from a pack of cards containing the name of a theatre company in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and surrounding areas.  Students are to find the web site of their chosen theatre and make a presentation for the class that includes the mission statement, season of shows and three interesting facts about the theatre company.  The presentation should also include a small poster about the theatre.

    Tools of the actor- the class will discuss the basic tools the actor uses in the craft of acting:



Voice
    Our first work in this area involves vocal production.  We work through several actor warm ups used to relax and reposition the torso and back to support effective breathing and sound support. The class will explore sound focus, tone and volume (nasal, breathy, hollow, edgy, flat, round) and use these to express a simple phrase.  Each student will be given a paragraph or phrase and will be asked to explore many variations of sound, pitch, volume and focus.  These will presented in class.  They will be asked to observe others outside of class and bring in examples of speech patterns.  We will discuss the many ways these could be applied to a character.  As a final project each student will choose a partner and prepared a reading from a story of their choice.  Each group will decide on the vocal pitch, rhythm and focus of both the narration and the characters in the story.  The story will be divided among the readers so each had equal parts.  The goal is for each reader to match the others as they read.

Imagination

 Our next area of discovery is the imagination of the actor.  The students will be introduced to the Stanslavski method of acting.  They will use observation of themselves and those around them to build a storehouse of character traits used to create a character.  We will explore character descriptions used by playwrights and discuss how these help and hinder the actor. 

Body awareness

The third basic tool of the actor is the body.  We will discuss body language and how is expresses or conceals true emotion.  Movement styles, both natural and effected, will be explored.  We will discuss the importance of a well-trained body.

Monologue and scene work

These three tools will bring us to monologue and scene work.  Each student will be given a monologue to memorize and present in class.  Their presentation should include carefully made character choices that support the presentation.  Class members will be asked to carefully observe each presentation and offer supportive feedback to the actor.

Dramatic plays
We will explore the meaning of serious drama and how it is able to speak to the human condition.  There will be opportunities to study the work of great dramatic actors and scripts.

Comedic plays
Is it really more difficult to perform in a comedy than a drama?  We will experience the work of some of the comedic greats and discuss the many forms of comedy from slapstick to situational.  Using Neil Simon and other playwrights we will discover what makes a comedy “work”.


History of American Musical Theatre

This area of study focuses on the development and history of musical theatre.  We will look into areas such as Operetta, Vaudeville and Burlesque theatre styles.  There will be emphasis on the role dance plays in the development of a more sophisticated style of musical. 

Improvisation/physical work and more…
We will take some class time to play some improvisation games, which exercise the creativity and mindfulness of actors.  There are also times when we will take time just to relax, find center, breathe and reconnect.  The Alexander Technique will be introduced to increase understanding of correct body alignment, which is used by actors but applies to all of us.

We will end the year with final presentations that are individually chosen by the students. These can range from a report, paper, scenic design, monologue, presentation of a scene, writing a scene or any new idea relating to any of the topics we have covered.

If you have any questions throughout the semester please feel free to contact me.



                                                     How to get the most out of class and a good grade too!

-Class participation is 50% of your total grade!  There will be opportunities during each class to share observations, answer questions, participate in a theatre game or make a presentation.   If you are willing to try something new, speak up and think out loud you will gain from the experience.

-You will be required to attend two performances outside of Visitation.  These can be professional, non-professional, community theatre or a show at another High School… either a play or a musical.  Write a review of your experience which includes your impressions of the play and the production values.  The review should be about a page long.  You may also include the program from the production.  I would like you to be prepared to share your experience with the class.  Each play experience and review counts for 10% of your grade.  You have the entire semester to complete this assignment.

-Attend the VISTA Fall show.  You will have opportunities to participate in some of the technical preparation of the productions.  In the past my class has worked a bit on props and costumes (this is all during class time).  I also use the production as a segue to class material.  This will give you an "inside look" at the show as it is being developed.  The class will spend some time discussing the end result after the run of the show is over. 

-Everyone in class will prepare and learn a monologue and either a second monologue or a scene with other students.  I will provide the first piece, which will be the same for each student.  The second piece will be something you either find on your own or with my assistance.  The pieces must be memorized and a list of character choices must be submitted.  The pieces will be performed in front of the class.

-The Final Project is something we determine both individually and as an entire class.  You could choose to direct a scene, perform an monologue, write a piece, present a report on an aspect of theatre or create on your own.  The class may want to work on something as a group.  This assignment is open to creativity and could go in almost any direction.  We will discuss this in class and see how far our imaginations take us!
Just because we have to end with a grade, here is how it breaks down:
    Class participation 50%
    Outside show and review (2)
        10% each
    VISTA Fall Show 5%
    Monologue and scene/monologue
        15%
    Final project
        10%

How to prepare for class
    -Research
One of our initial projects will involve some minor research and preparing a poster to present in class.
    -Memorization
There will obviously be some memorization required to prepare the monologues and scenes.
    -Reading 
    We will be reading "The Making of West Side Story" along with our Musical Theatre unit.  I think it is an interesting and easy read.  You may also need to read some plays to prepare for the final project.
    -Written work
    There is some writing required, reviews, character descriptions and observations.  We will be using some videos in class and there may be short writing assignments.
    -Testing
I usually do not give tests.  Participation, focus in class, a willingness to try the exercises and well-prepared presentations all factor into your grade.


   Assignment: