Drama Class

In the Drama class, we have 10 main units of focus, Beginning Students do not focus on every unit, but every unit is introduced. Advanced students further their knowledge and abilities in performing.

Unit 1: Improvisation and its Italian Origins This first unit has the students exploring basics os stage awareness, through acting exercises known as improvisation. During this time we also learn about the history and origins of comedy through the tradition and history of Commedia Del Arte from the Italian Renaissance. Projects may include making a Commedia Mask, Creaking a Commedia puppet, putting on a Commedia performance, putting on an improvisation show.

Unit 2: Modern Acting in Scene Work This unit focuses on learning basic acting techniques and how to research and apply that research to a theatrical performance, Students will be expected to prepare and perform with a scene partner in class.

Unit 3: Monologues! This unit is when the students are preparing for their mid year exams and are preparing their first solo monologues. Students will use the skills they have learned during this semester to work on and perform their first solo piece for the class exam in December.

Unit 4: Shakespeare Fest! During this unit we take a look at the classical theater of Shakespeare, Students learn how to break down either a sonnet or monologue and prepare it for performance

Unit 5: Musical Theater & The Business of Producing The modern Musical Theatre History is completely an American art form and we examine its history and how music and dance help to further tell a story. A musical theatre number will be taught in the class for the students to prepare and perform. We also look into the business of producing and how to choose a production for the following school year, Students will put together a proposal for an assigned musical looking at factors we have considered in class.

Unit 6: Crash Course Theater History Throughout the school year, students will have weekly assignments from the PBS video series - Crash Course Theater. These 10-20 min videos will help the students learn and understand the historical aspects of theater from the early days of Ancient Greece to Modern Day theater. IT will also examine different cultures ties to theater and their impact on theatre to the modern day

Unit 7: Writing with the Hamilton Project! For beginning students, we will examine how Lin Manuel Miranda used primary documents to create his musical Hamilton. Each student will create their own Hamiltonesque performance for the class. Later on, students will use the writing skills they learned in this unit to create their own monologues and scenes

Unit 8: Radio Plays: For Advanced Students, we will look at and produce for an audience a Radio Play. These plays will not be completely memorized, but will include a historical look of how actors and tech worked together to create a performance for the radio.

Unit 9: The One Act Students will work with either the instructor or an advanced student on a one act production. These One act productions will be performed at the ESUHSD Theater festival the first Saturday of February in competition.

Unit 10: Tech theatre for the actor: Throughout every unit, an element of technical theatre is also taught, These skills which are refined and focused more on in the technical theater classes give acting students an appreciation and basic knowledge of what happens behind the scenes in order to produce theatre.