Theater 2

Take Your Performance Skills to the Next Level

Theater 2 is an intermediate high school theater course designed for students who are ready to build on their previous theater experience. In this class, you will strengthen your acting skills, explore more challenging characters and scenes, collaborate with other performers, and develop greater confidence both onstage and behind the scenes.

Theater 2 is a hands-on, performance-based class. Students should expect to participate, rehearse, perform, create, reflect, and work as part of an ensemble.

What Will You Learn?

Throughout Theater 2, you will continue developing the skills needed to become a confident and thoughtful theater artist. Areas of study may include:

• Advanced acting techniques

• Character development and motivation

• Voice, movement, and physical expression

• Improvisation

• Monologues and scene work

• Script analysis

• Ensemble performance

• Theater vocabulary and terminology

• Stage movement and blocking

• Audition techniques

• Playwriting and creative storytelling

• Directing and production concepts

• Technical theater and backstage responsibilities

• Theater history and different theatrical styles

• Performance critique and reflection

What Will We Do in Class?

Theater 2 is an active class. You will not spend every day sitting at a desk. Be prepared to move, speak, rehearse, collaborate, and perform.

Class activities may include warm-ups, theater games, improvisation, acting exercises, rehearsals, script analysis, group projects, performances, written reflections, peer feedback, and technical theater activities.

Some projects will be completed individually, while others will require you to work closely with a partner or ensemble.

What Is Expected of You?

Participate

Your participation matters. Theater requires active involvement, so students are expected to participate in warm-ups, rehearsals, discussions, performances, and class activities.

Trying is more important than being perfect.

Be Prepared

Come to class ready to work. Bring required materials, know your lines when assigned, meet rehearsal deadlines, and be ready to contribute to your group.

If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and make up necessary work.

Be Respectful

The theater classroom should be a space where students feel comfortable taking creative risks.

Students are expected to:

• Listen when others are speaking or performing.

• Support classmates during rehearsals and performances.

• Give constructive and respectful feedback.

• Use appropriate language and behavior.

• Respect different ideas, interpretations, and performance choices.

• Take care of scripts, costumes, props, equipment, and classroom spaces.

Collaborate

Theater is a team effort. Your choices affect your scene partners, ensemble, and production.

You are expected to communicate, cooperate, solve problems, contribute ideas, and complete your responsibilities. Being a dependable ensemble member is an important part of success in Theater 2.

Rehearse

Strong performances require preparation. Students should use rehearsal time productively and stay focused on the assigned task.

Depending on the project, you may be expected to memorize lines, develop blocking, make character choices, practice movement, rehearse with partners, and revise your performance based on feedback.

Perform

Performance is an essential part of Theater 2. Students should expect to perform throughout the course.

You do not have to be the loudest or most outgoing person in the room to succeed in theater. You do need to be willing to participate, practice, take appropriate creative risks, and show growth.

Performance Etiquette

When someone is performing, the audience is part of the performance environment.

As an audience member, you are expected to give performers your full attention, avoid distracting behavior, respond appropriately, and show respect for the work being presented.

As a performer, you are expected to be prepared, remain focused, support your scene partners, and continue working through mistakes rather than stopping unnecessarily.

Memorization

Students may be required to memorize monologues, scenes, blocking, or other performance material.

Memorization takes time. Do not wait until the night before a performance to begin learning your material. Use class rehearsal time effectively and practice outside of class when necessary.

Feedback and Critique

Giving and receiving feedback is an important part of theater.

You will learn how to discuss performances using appropriate theater vocabulary and provide feedback that is specific, respectful, and helpful.

When receiving feedback, listen carefully and consider how you can use it to improve your work. Feedback is about developing the performance, not criticizing the performer.

How Will You Be Assessed?

Grades may be based on a combination of:

• Performances

• Rehearsal and preparation

• Daily participation

• Scene and monologue work

• Ensemble projects

• Script analysis

• Written assignments and reflections

• Theater vocabulary

• Technical theater assignments

• Quizzes or assessments

• Professionalism and collaboration

• Growth and application of feedback

Specific grading categories and percentages will be provided by your teacher.

What Does Success Look Like?

A successful Theater 2 student does not need to be a perfect actor.

Successful students:

• Participate consistently.

• Arrive ready to work.

• Take creative risks.

• Practice and prepare.

• Meet deadlines.

• Respect their classmates.

• Accept and apply feedback.

• Contribute to their ensemble.

• Stay focused during rehearsals.

• Demonstrate growth throughout the course.

Classroom Mindset

Theater involves experimentation. Sometimes a scene works immediately, and sometimes it does not. Sometimes you will make a choice that feels awkward or does not produce the result you expected.

That is part of the process.

Be willing to try, revise, and try again.

What Makes Theater 2 Different?

Theater 2 builds on the skills introduced in beginning theater. Students are expected to demonstrate greater independence, preparation, creativity, and responsibility.

You will be challenged to move beyond simply performing lines and begin making intentional artistic choices about character, movement, voice, relationships, objectives, and storytelling.

The goal is not just to perform.

The goal is to understand why you are making each choice and how those choices communicate a story to an audience.

Ready to Begin?

Come prepared to participate, collaborate, create, and perform.

Be willing to challenge yourself.

Support your ensemble.

Take creative risks.

And remember: theater works when everyone contributes.