Edison 8th Grade Drama 

·       Control personal tensions

·       Control personal stage fright

·       Explore acting problems and evaluate solutions

Mrs. Harrington

Course Description and Expectations

Edison Preparatory School

Drama 1 is standards based two semester long course, which introduces all areas of the theatre to the student using Theatre Arts Standards.  

Artistic Perception – Vocabulary of the theatre

Creative Expression – Acting with continued emphasis on voice, movement, character and improvisation.

Aesthetic Valuing – Reviewing movies, live theatrical productions, and in class projects

Connections and Interconnections – Careers in theatre/film, television performance,

and literary analysis for character creations.

In order to accomplish all of these objectives each student must be aware of the some of

the basic rules of this class:

THE BASIC RULES

All my classes use the following rights:

            *The right to learn

            *The right to be safe

            *The right to be heard

            *The right compassionate treatment

            *The right to be yourself

In addition to these rights, Drama has the following rules:

1. Attendance – You must be here for class. Participation is an essential part of the class.

2. Be ready to rehearse…be memorized, be prepared with your supplies which may include costumes and props.

3.  Respect each other, respect the work, respect the process, and respect the teacher/director. This includes being respectful of times when students are acting or presenting a project.  Students are expected to listen and be a good audience.  This means no side conversations or head-phones in class.  Disrespecting the teacher or fellow students will result in removal from the class.

4. Keep the classroom clean – No food, drinks or gum. Throw trash in the trash can. Don’t leave personal items. Put away all props, costumes, and resources used for class performances.

5.  Keep the Drama related to class— I care very much about how your day to day lives affect you, but I won’t allow moods and acting out in the classroom or during drama sessions.  Before or after hours, you may have all my attention and I’ll do everything I can to listen and help you.  But your job is not to bring your troubles into the classroom.

ABsolutely no phones or audio devices allowed in class. 

Grade Overview

• An A grade indicates exceedingly high quality work. Masters all assigned work, shows originality and initiative, does more than required, is always attentive in class, always brings materials, and makes quality contributions in class.

• A B grade indicates good progress that is above the average. Masters portions of work, is alert and interested in work, completes work on time, is attentive in class, brings materials, and consistently participates in class.

• A C grade indicates a quality of work acceptable for this Drama 1 level. Satisfactorily completes most assigned work under normal conditions and directions, shows interest in work, is usually attentive in class, brings materials, and completes work on time.

• A D grade indicates a need for greater effort to meet requirements of this course satisfactorily. Achieves below Drama 1 standards, completes a minimum of assigned work, is not attentive in class, does not bring materials, and seldom responds in class.

• An F grade indicates failure to produce an acceptable quality of work for a Drama 1 class, is disruptive in class. Does not pay attention and does not respond or participate in the class.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Separate notebook for class notes and vocabulary words, handouts and scripts.                          

Pencil, highlighter and pens.

What you will do this year in Middle School Drama…

1. Acting: Voice, Movement, Character, and Improvisational Acting

• Review Teaching Lesson- Teach high school students basics of movement and voice for their class portrayals of a murder-mystery play. 

• Character Bio Project – Demonstrate the method of character acting through an in class performance of a scene. (Memorized)

• Improv and Pantomime – A variety of warm-up exercises and games that foster improv techniques.

•  Monologues- Performing 1 or 2 solo monologues each semester. (Memorized)

Scenes and Duets-You will be performing and memorizing many things this year.  

2. Writing and Theatre- 

*Theatre Reviews – Attending and writing one review of a live theatre performance per semester at an area theatre. This can be intermediate school, high school, college or professional theatre. (Required)

3. Production Involvement

Students involved are expected to participate in the following productions.  Creeps, Shakefest 2024, and the Veteran's Day Assembly.  Auditions for these productions will be conducted in class.  

“Respect for Diversity: It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups. In addition, if any of our class meetings conflict with your religious events, please let me know so that we can make arrangements for you.” 

By remaining enrolled in this course, you agree to the expectations and guidelines set forth above.