Pre-Show Activity: Character Predictions

For this activity, the teacher should reproduce the Character Descriptions in this guide. The sheets should be cut into strips so that one character description is on each strip of paper.

The students will work in groups of four; each group will receive four different characters to work with (duplicates between groups are fine, but each student within an individual group must have a different character). The students will be responsible for creating a short scene using the characters they were given. For example, “Harry Hay” and “Phyllis Lyon” are in a coffee shop talking about what life was like when they were growing up. The scene can take place in any time or place and can involve any situation, provided that the scene is titled “When I Was Young.”

The scenes should clearly identify who the characters are and what their relationships to each other are (some of this will come from the descriptions, and some will be invented by the students).

Some questions to explore may include:

• Who is there?
• Who speaks?
• What activities are you doing?

Scene Criteria

1. Everyone must have an equal role
2. The roles and relationships must be clear
3. The scene must relate to the title: When I Was Young

After the students have had a few minutes to brainstorm and rehearse, ask for volunteers to show their scenes to the class.

The teacher should use the discussion questions below in order to facilitate a reflective conversation about the activity. The questions have been designed to reflect on the activity in terms of content and performative aspects.

After viewing the full play, students should revisit their ideas about the characters and situations they explored in this activity and compare the two. What was the same? What was different or surprising?

Discussion Questions

1. What have we learned about these characters?
2. Do you think the scenes and situations we have seen in class today will be similar to what we will see in the full production? Why or why not?

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