Students will explore the different aspects of what goes on behind the stage in the world of theater. Students will then work in the different departments by participating in a full-length theater production during the Fall or Spring. Students are expected to participate in the after-school rehearsals during production week (two weeks before the production) running and practicing their roles in the play and in all the performances. Exemptions can be made when arranged at the beginning of the course. Student must attend AT LEAST one performance.
What makes a great show?
How do I know I have created the world of the story well enough to enhance the performance?
What do I need to know about myself to participate well in a theater group?
How do these skills help me throughout life?
Essential Questions:
What do I need to know about myself to participate well in a theater tech group and performance?
How do these skills help me throughout life?
Major Concepts:
Theater tech people are as important to the play as the actors. We create the world in which the story takes place and how well the production goes overall depends on how seamlessly the tech crew works. If the audience doesn't notice the theater tech crew, then that crew has been successful. There are many departments that function under theater tech including set, costumes, props, lighting, sound effects, publicity, and sound. Each of these departments could be a separate career. During this course, you will be dabbling in each department. Everyone has something of value to contribute to the group. As a group we need to create an environment that makes everyone feel respected.
Major Content:
Creating guidelines for class participation
Looking at different programs and pictures of other performances
Brainstorming, watching videos of tech crew activities
Looking at props, costumes, posters, and programs from the past to get ideas for our current production
Unit Assessment:
Classroom discussion, participation, effort to enhance the classroom
How a student is working as a community member is important
Major Texts: YouTube videos, Broadway programs, images on Google
Essential Questions:
How can I help?
Major Concepts:
There are many ways of solving a problem. Use of imagination is big and useful in theater. Working steadily is important in order to get to the deadline. Your energy and insight contribute to the overall success of the play. Standing around and watching a person work is not the right thing to do. You have a lot to offer in your ideas, energy, and patience.
Major Content:
Students will be asked to do many different activities including: read the play, create a set design, create a poster design, create lists for all that is needed for this production, have many conversations of how we can problem-solve anything that happens in the play.
Students will then help with many different projects at different times. We will build the set or whatever is needed for the stage, collect costumes, build and collect props, create posters, and a program.
Unit Assessments:
Student is assessed by their willingness to help and work on projects. Also graded on the different projects they complete.
Essential Questions:
How do I know I have done well?
What do I need to know about myself to participate well in this performance?
How do these skills help me throughout life?
Major Concepts:
This theater group is a team and you are important part of that team. We are all dependent on each other and your part is important even if it does not seem important or you don't get much attention for doing your part. Not showing up for rehearsals or the performance lets everyone down and makes the team look bad. When you do your part and it goes unnoticed then you have done well! When the audience does not notice the tech part such as lighting etc. and you don't bring people out of the "bubble" of the story you have been successful.
Major Content:
Each tech student will be given a job to perform during the show. This could be running lights, sound, sound effects, moving set pieces, raising and lowering the curtain, and other things that may be needed for the show. Students will come to the evening rehearsals and practice and then perform for a live paying audience three times.
Unit Assessments:
The student shows up for all the rehearsals and does their job during the show. They show how reliable they can be.
The student will also write a reflection about something they learned about themselves, theater or the world around them.