Brigham Young University



CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT UNITUNIT OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their ability to create a character by exploring character development activities and exercises.**This unit was created together by a class of pre-service theatre education students – it can be used in conjunction with any performance unit (scenes, monologues, ensemble scenes, auditions, etc.) or lessons could be stand-alone lessons to further develop characterization.It does not lead up to a final performance, but rather a performance piece can be woven throughout the lessons in rehearsal time leading to a final performance (no rubric provided).**CLASS LENGTH:Created for 80-minute class periodsLEARNING LEVEL:Beginning theatre studentsNATIONAL ARTS CORE THEATRE STANDARDS:TH:Cr3.1.HSIb. Explore physical, vocal and physiological choices to develop a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant to a drama/theatre work.TH:Pr4.1.HSIa. Examine how character relationships assist in telling the story of a drama/theatre work.b. Shape character choices using given circumstances in a drama/theatre work.TH:Re7.1.HSIa. Respond to what is seen, felt, and heard in a drama/theatre work to develop criteria for artistic choices.TH:Cn10.1.HSIa. Investigate how cultural perspectives, community ideas and personal beliefs impact a drama/theatre work.BIG IDEAS:Characters should be real, relatable people grounded in experience and background.We can portray a personality and attitude with body and voice.ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:How can I use “myself” as I create a character?What part does relationship and honesty play in portraying a character?How can I find clues in the text and given circumstances to create a character?Lessons:LESSON 1:Text as a Resource for Character DevelopmentEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their understanding of character development by interpreting and performing a character based on a text. LESSON 2: Profile/Backstory/Quirks/Personality EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their understanding of character development by completing a personal profile worksheet. LESSON 3:Characterization Using ContextEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of utilizing context to create a character by performing a personalized version of a content-less scene as their character.LESSON 4: Voice Educational Objective:Students will demonstrate their understanding of voice by preparing a short scene focusing on various vocal techniques.Lesson 5: Introduction to MovementEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of movement skills by performing in a group scene with emphasized movement.LESSON 6: Character MotivationsEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of character motivations by analyzing a segment of a monologue in a group then sharing and performing it with the class.LESSON 7:Character RelationshipsEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of character relationships by writing a journal entry in their stereotype (from previous lessons) about another student’s stereotype.LESSON 8: HonestyEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their understanding of honest acting by honestly portraying their own emotions through an activity done in class.LESSON 1:Text as a Resource for Character Developmentby Allison Briggs & Maggie WoodburyEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their understanding of character development by interpreting and performing a character based on a text. MATERIALS NEEDED:Scene Side (enough copies for each member of the class)Various Scenes (see suggestions below)8 movie quotes and spoonsCopies of the Pride and Prejudice quote HOOK: (5 min)Students enter room normally. Introduce that we will playing a game “Guess Who?” Using a list of movie quotes, read each out loud without inflection/character, just focusing on the text. This will be a competition between two teams and every member will have a chance to guess. The teams will race to grab a spoon when they know the character who speaks the quote. Step 1: (5 min)Transition - Talk about how the students knew which character was speaking. Question: How could you identify the character without movement, accent, inflection, etc? What clues were in the text to tell us about the character? Guide the discussion to talking about text and textual evidence. Use one of the hook quotes as an example. (ie in the Darcy quote, telling he’s high ranking, he’s struggling with emotions, he looks down on someone else but has feelings for them.) Moving towards why text is important as a reference. Step 2: (10 min)Instruction - Why is the text important as a reference for character development? How can we use the text as a resource? Flush out the “clues” on the board.For identifying clues, have two students write ideas on the board while students shout out ideas about clues in the text. Narrow down list to a simpler focus (stage directions, dialogue, author’s notes, etc.) Step 3: (15 min)Guided Practice - Hand a scene side to students and tell them that as a class we will use the scene to “get-to-know” the characters. Ask students, enough to “cast” the scene, to read the script out loud while the rest of the class finds clues within the script about each character. Students should circle the clues during the read through. After the class will engage in a discussion about the clues they read and what they mean for the character. A Very Potter Musical (included as attachment)Step 4: (15 min)Group Practice - Students will be divided into groups (3-4) and will each work a different scene (with new characters) in their groups to identify clues and develop a character based on those clues. They will do the same thing we had just done as a class, making notes on their scripts, but now in their smaller groups. The students should know that they will perform their scene for the class applying those clues (particularly the three we chose) to perform their character.Group Scenes:A Raisin in the Sun Act 1 Scene 1Spamalot (the scene with Dennis)The Importance of Being Earnest Act 1 Scene 1 (Jack enters), Act 2 Scene 2(Gwendolyn enters)The Wizard of Oz (the scene where they storm the castle) Step 5: (30 min)Performance - Each group will perform their scene. As they perform, other students in the class will take notes of how choices made for the characters fit with the text. Write an example on the board of how the students can organize their notes, and to give them an idea of what they should be looking for.(Example: “Character does… Because the text says….”)Discussion- After each performance, the class will engage in a discussion about what they saw/heard. What were some of your notes that you wrote? What choices were supported by the text? Which weren’t? CLOSUREConnections-Some of the choices made from the actors were not from the text, because there is more characterization needed than just from the text. The text is a resource, but not the only one. Creating a character requires more work, and next time we will talk about more tools we can use! CLIFFHANGER!! ASSESSMENT:Students can be assessed on their performance and the engagement in the discussion (5pts). Also justifying the choices they made in their performance during discussion and how well they used the clues that we talked about as a class (specifically the three we had circled). They will hand in the scripts that they took notes on in their groups for scores (10pts) SUPPLEMENTS to Lesson 1 : Quotes: “You wanna know how I got these scars? My father, was a drinker, and a fiend. And one night, he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me and says, "Why so serious?" Comes at me with the knife. "WHY SO SERIOUS?" He sticks the blade in my mouth... "Let's put a smile on that face." And…” The Joker, The Dark Knight “But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.” Vizzini, The Princess Bride “Look, kid. Bad things happen, and you can't do anything about it. Right? Wrong! When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world. Repeat after me, Hakuna Matata” Timon, The Lion King “YOU ARE A *TOY*! [You aren't the real Buzz Lightyear!] You're - you're an action figure! You are a child's play thing!” Woody, Toy Story “Okay... you know what? I don't feel protected. You try living for 15 years thinking that you're one person, and then in five minutes, you find out you're a princess. Just in case I wasn't enough of a freak already, let's add a tiara!” Mia, The Princess Diaries “I can't believe I did this. *I can't believe I did this!* Mother would be so furious. That's OK though, I mean what she doesn't know won't kill her. Oh my gosh. This would kill her. *This is so fun!* I, am a horrible daughter. I'm going back. *I am never going back!* I am a despicable human being. *Woo-hoo! Best. Day. Ever!*” Rapunzel, Tangled “Yeah, I had a dream. I dreamed I would train the greatest hero there ever was. So great the gods would hang a picture of him in the stars for everyone to see. And everyone would say, "That's Phil's boy." That's right. Ah, but dreams are for rookies, kid. A guy can only take so much disappointment.” Phil, Hercules “Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you... I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgment, my family's expectations, the inferiority of your birth by rank and circumstance. All these things I am willing to put aside and ask you to end my agony” Mr Darcy, Pride and PrejudiceA VERY POTTER MUSICAL Act 1 Part 4 (Characters in the scene: Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore)(Harry, Ron, and Hermione are gathered in the Great Hall, finishing their meal. Everyone else has already left. Harry and Ron are sitting at the table, chatting excitedly, whereas Hermione is pacing nervously back and forth)RON: Harry, you‘ve got this tournament in the bag.HARRY: I don't know man, that Cedric Diggory is pretty awesome. NOT! He sucks we’re totally gonna win! It’s in the bag!HERMIONE: I don't know Harry…RON: OH MY GOSH Hermione, shut up! Why do you have to rain on everybody‘s parade?HERMIONE: Because Ron, this is dangerous!HARRY: Dangerous? Oh come on Hermione how dangerous could it be, especially for me?HERMIONE: You‘re not invincible, Harry. Somebody DIED in the tournament.HARRY: Uh, I'm the boy that LIVED not died, come on. What's the worst that could happen?HERMIONE: And I don't know about that Quirrell character. He bumped into you and your scar started to hurt. And you have to admit there was something really funky about the back of his head.HARRY: Think about it. Professor Quirrell is a professor, and who hires professors?RON and HARRY: DumbledoreHARRY: Who‘s the smartest, most awesomest, practical, beautiful wizard in the whole school. Why would he possibly hire somebody who‘s trying to hurt me?HERMIONE: What about Snape?HARRY: Yeah, what about him?HERMIONE: He’s hated you for years! And he’s hated your parents too, Harry, everyone knows that. And he just so happens to pick your name out of the House Cup out of hundreds of possible Gryffindors.HARRY: Yeah! What a coincidence! We lucked out.HERMIONE: No, Harry, I don’t think it is a coincidence. When you defeated Voldermort you made a lot of enemies.HARRY: (realizing something) OkHERMIONE: One’s you might not even know about.HARRY: Alright, so let me get this straight. You are saying that this tournament is all just one big ploy to try and kill me.HERMIONE: I don’t know, maybe. Anyway, I just think it’s dangerous and I don’t think you should do it.HARRY: Alright, Hermione, if it means that much to you, I‘ll just drop out. (Harry & Hermione hug)RON: (devastated) Wait, WHAT?! The House cup? What about all the eternal glory you could win!HARRY: Hey, eternal glory? I already got that. Besides Neville will be a great champion.RON: No, no, no, I do not want Longbottom to be my champion!(Dumbledore enters)HERMIONE: Look there's Dumbledore, now just go talk to him and tell him that you‘re dropping out.HARRY: (moving in closer to speak to Hermione) Hey listen, Hermione, Dumbledore and I are really cool, we‘re really tight and I don't want him to think that I'm being lazy so could you just tell him? Tell him I wanna focus on school or something? Alright?HERMIONE: (disheartened) okHARRY: You got this one.HERMIONE: (weary) yeah HARRY: You’re the best (Touches nose)HERMIONE: AlrightHARRY: You got it.HERMIONE: OkayHARRY: Don’t worry about itHERMIONE: (Cross to Dumbledore) Dumbledore?DUMBLEDORE: Yes Granger?HERMIONE: (hesitant) I need to talk to you for a moment, it’s about the House Cup Tournament. First of all I think it’s an awful idea and second of all I don’t think that Harry Potter should compete.DUMBLEDORE: Granger! Why do you always have to be such a stick in the mud, huh? Pray, tell me why you think that Harry Potter should not compete.HERMIONE: (searching for an answer) Because he wants to study.DUMBLEDORE: Granger, nobody studies at Hogwarts except for you.HERMIONE: Ok, well, he, he wants to focus on the O.W.L.S.DUMBLEDORE: Why couldn’t Harry have told me this himself? He thinks that I’m cool. We’re tight.HERMIONE: Ugh! Professor, I’m a really bad liar. I think it’s a ruse, a setup and I think that Snape might be trying to kill Harry Potter.DUMBLEDORE: Severus Snape is one of the kindest, bravest, gentlest men I have ever met. Severus Snape is trying to kill Harry Potter just about as much as he is trying to kill me. Even if I did believe that Harry was in danger, he has to compete. You see that cup? (points to House Cup)HERMIONE: YesDUMBLEDORE: It’s enchanted. Whosever name comes out of the cup has to compete otherwise the results would be bad.HERMIONE: What do you mean bad?DUMBLEDORE: Well, try to imagine your entire life stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.HERMIONE: (shocked realization) Total platonic reversalDUMBLEDORE: Yeah, so you see he has to compete. And if it makes you feel any better the last guy that died in the tournament was a Hufflepuff, so um, I’ll keep my eyes open and nothing’s going to get past old Dumbledore.HERMIONE: (crosses back to Harry and Ron) Harry, I’m so sorry, but I think that you’re to have to compete in the House Tournament, but don’t worry, I won’t rest until I find out what the first task is going to be.RON: And I’ll sabotage all the other champions so you win by default.HARRY: Alright, you guys are awesome.LESSON 2: Profile/Backstory/Quirks/Personality EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE:Students will demonstrate their understanding of character development by completing a personal profile worksheet. MATERIALS NEEDED:Computer, projector, internet, character papers, profile worksheets, Profile PowerPointHOOK: Hand out pieces of paper saying nothing except “don’t show it to anyone. Each paper will have a stereo-type character on it. After everyone has arrived ask students to close their eyes and imagine the following: Your character walks into a party, how do they walk? What do they do first? Do they find the host? Flirt with a pretty girl or guy? Do they have to be the center of attention, or do they go to a corner or find a secluded group of friends? What does their voice sound like? Your character sees the party food. What would they eat? How do they eat? Are they messy, are they proper? Are they picky? Have the students open their eyes, still thinking about their character. Say, “Alright, now we’re really going to go to a party.” STEP 1:Learning ActivityPlay “Party Game”. Have one student play the host and four other students play their characters coming to the party. Once the host knows who a character is, they can say “Thanks for coming, cowboy, you can go home now.” Show an example. Once the host knows all four they will sit down and a new host will come up and four new characters. Have a brief comment section in between each game and get feedback: what stood out to you? What really stuck? STEP 2: DiscussionAsk students to return to seats and reflect on what they saw/experienced. Ask: What were some character traits you saw in our game? What characters really caught your attention. How did you develop your own character traits? How did reacting with others challenge you to stay in character? Why is it important to prepare character traits like these before a performance? Does it make you think about how you act at parties? What characteristics do people notice about you? Did any of you think about where your character was before they came to the party? How many times has what happened just before a party influenced how you felt/behaved at the party? (ie fight with parents, hanging out with a cute guy).STEP 3:InstructionGo to character profiling power point. Power point will discuss the definition of character profiling and how to go about creating a character profile. At the end of the power point have class read monologue from “Proof”, and create a character profile for the text we’re using in class. (Text will change from year-year). STEP4: DiscussionHave students pull out their texts given to them from the previous class period. Students will pair off and discuss with their partners ideas for their character profiling for 5 minutes. ASSESSMENTStudents will fill out their character profiling worksheets in the last 10-15 minutes.CLOSURERead the following quote for the class: “All people – African, European, American – worry about being different. But I’ve learned that the traits we’d rush to get rid of are the very ones that others desire. People always covet what they don’t have, that’s why we should look at ourselves every now and then and say ‘I’m proud of myself, I like the way I’m made.’”– Freida PintoThen say something like: You’ve been creating a profile for this imaginary character that has flaws and weird physical features, a different way to talk, walk and look. But this can apply to us as well. We’re all human, we all have flaws and quirks just like these characters do. We shouldn’t be ashamed of who we are. Each of you are amazing, be proud of your character profiles.LESSON SUPPLEMENTSCharacter Papers (List of characters)Have each stereo-type listed written on an index card. CheerleaderPrincessCowboyNinjaSuperheroDoctorVillainGrandpaLittle Girl/BoyPriestAlienAstronautNewlywedJockNerdRock starSoldierKnightPirateIndianSecret AgentYour Name:___________________Points___/20Character Profiling WorksheetName:Age:General physical description:Hometown:Type of home/ neighborhood:Relationship status:Social Background: (family, friends etc)Job:Religion:Favorite pastimes:Favorite sports:Favorite foods:Strongest positive personality trait:Strongest negative personality trait:Sense of humor: YES or NOTemper: YES or NOHow other people see him/her:Opinion of him/herself:Objectives: Most important thing to know about this character:Bonus Questions!What are your character's bad habits?What is your character afraid of? In what situation would your character become violent?In what situation would your character act heroic?LESSON 3:Characterization Using Contextby Katie Jean Christensen & Shelby RandallEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of utilizing context to create a character by performing a personalized version of a content-less scene as their character.MATERIALS NEEDED: Film Clip, Content-less Scenes, and Character Sheet from Previous Lesson. HOOK: Have the students watch a clip from The Princess Bride. [The scene where Wesley and Inigo are fighting at the tops of the cliffs of insanity.] 1: Transition- Ask the students who the characters were and why they acted the way that they did. [For example: who is the Spaniard? Why is he chasing the six fingered man?] Discuss that the context (without using the word context) of the scene in a play is what drives the characters to make the decisions that they do. [Ask questions like: What clues do we have about the story from this moment? What do we know about individual characters from their actions?] State that there is a word that sums up all of these facts. STEP 2:Instruction- Write CONTEXT on the board ask for a volunteer scribe. Ask for definitions of the word. Decide on one answer as a class and have the scribe write it under CONTEXT. [Webster’s Dictionary Definition: The situation in which something happens: the group of conditions that exist where and when something happens. (Relate this definition if used to characters choices)] Ask: What are key identifiers or clues for the context of a characters actions? [Answers: who what when where and why.] Did you notice these in the scene we just watched?STEP 3:Discussion- Ask students to pull out their worksheets from the last class period (See Lesson 2 Supplements: Profiling Worksheet). Ask them to find the key identifiers listed for context from step 2 [the 5 W’s: Who what when where and Why], in their own characters. How can we use these questions and answers to identify things in our everyday lives?STEP 4:Guided Practice- Asking everyone to keep their characters in mind. Create the discussion about what a Content-less scene really is, pass around the Content-less scene. Discuss the fact that there is no provided content, explain that in a normal script you would be able to receive clues from the script as to how to portray a character, but for these they will be providing their own. Ask them to imagine their character saying these lines. How would they say it? What would need to be different about the directions/wording/etc… to make the scene true to the character that they created? Give examples of adding CONTEXT to the scene. Pull a character from the class, and as a class change a few directions/lines as a template. STEP 5:Practice- Pair the students up into groups of two and give them a short period of time to sort through their scenes. Each of the students using their own unique characters as the characters speaking in the scene. Ask them to rewrite the scene with new content and CONTEXT that applies to their characters.STEP 6:Group Practice - Have the students come up in pairs to perform their scenes as their characters. As each group finishes discuss with the class what made that scene unique. How could be really see what the students did to change the scene and make it their own with individual CONTEXT. STEP 7:Closure- Tie it all together by having a “what did we learn together today?” discussion. Ask questions like: Why is context important to you as an actor individually? Where else can identifying context be important for you in your life? [NOTE: If desired, have the students write a reflection entry in a journal about what they learned in class that day.]ASSESSMENT: Students are assessed by the use of their character in adding CONTEXT to their scene. Grading can be done using the performance and the physically re-written scene. Content-less SceneA: Where have you been?B: Didn’t you get my message?A: What did it say?B: Does it matter now?A: Why shouldn’t it?B: How good are you at keeping a secret?A: Have I ever let you down before?B: How would I know if you did?A: Are you going to tell me?B: Do you swear not to tell anyone else?A: What are you getting at?B: Can I trust you?A: Who can you trust?B: What does that mean?A: You can’t figure it out?B: Are you insulting me?A: Why would I do that?B: Can we talk about this later?A: Why not right now?B: Why are you pressuring me?LESSON 4: Voice by Devin Davis & Kaylie NinalgaEducational Objective:Students will demonstrate their understanding of voice by preparing a short scene focusing on various vocal techniques.Materials needed: index cards with different voice aspects, video clips, scene scriptsHook: As the students enter the room, there is a stack of cards with various voice techniques (i.e. loud, soft, emphatic, slurred, different accents). Tell the students to pick a card and go around the room and share a story from their day with five people using the technique written, then join them in the activity.Step 1: TransitionDiscuss how the students felt when using different vocal techniques. Ask how it affected their communication. Elaborate this question with positives and negatives, such as the level of understanding or hindrance to the conversation.Step 2: DiscussionWrite the word "VOICE" on the board. Ask the students what it is and what it means, and write what they say on the board as well. Narrow down the responses with the class to form a clear, simple definition. (i.e. voice: the vocal techniques and choices one uses in performance.)Step 3: InstructionWrite down the following aspects of voice and have the students explain what they think each one is. Afterward, once again come to a final definition as a class.Accent - style or settingAn accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation. An accent may be identified with the locality in which its speakers reside (a regional or geographical accent), the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class (a social accent), or influence from their first language (a foreign accent). Accents typically differ in quality of the voice, pronunciation and distinction of vowels and consonants, and stresses. Although grammar, semantics, vocabulary, and other language characteristics often vary concurrently with accent, the word "accent" may refer specifically to the differences in pronunciation, whereas the word "dialect" encompasses the broader set of linguistic differences. Often "accent" is a subset of "dialect." (Wikipedia)--demonstrative clip: International Accents - - volume and projectionVolume is the relative loudness of sound that is associated with the decibel levels of speech (whisper vs. shout). Projection is a technique that involves strong diction, frontal placement of sounds, and the intention to be heard that gets that volume further into the house (stage whisper).--demonstrative clip: And A Child Shall Lead 'Play House' Scene - - diction and paceClarity can be encompassed by diction, or the distinctiveness of speech. Diction means speech is clearly heard and understood to its fullest complexity and extremity. It has to do with your pronunciation and tone. Your pace or the speed at which you speak can also affect your clarity. Once can speak quickly but if they use diction can be understood. Using diction and pace together helps your clarity in speech, and helps define your character.--demonstrative clip: Singing in the Rain - - emotion or moodThe tone of voice is how a person says something. An individual's tone of voice is conveyed through changes in pitch, loudness, timbre, speech rate, and pauses. It is perceived or decoded slightly worse than facial expressions, but accuracy varies with emotion.--demonstrative clip: Community Season 2 Episode 9 "Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design" - (15:30-18:20ish)Explain how you can use each of these aspects to develop a character and enhance a performance. Show the following clip, but with no visual so as to better focus on the audio. Discuss what was heard. Then play the clip again with the visual and talk about how the voice and body work together to create a character. clip: Napoleon Dynamite - 4: ModelingHave everyone sit in a circle and choose a short, single line from the AVPM scene. Pick one of the four aspects of voice and go around the circle saying the line using that aspect. Each student will say the same line, but they must say it differently than what was done before. For example, if the aspect was tone, the first student could say the line happily, the next could say it angrily, then sadly, etc. As each round goes by, take a moment to observe how changing the vocal technique can change the interpretation and reception of the line. Do this four times, one for each of the four aspects of voice.Step 5: Group practiceGive the students some time to go through their scene and write down any notes or thoughts on how they can apply these voice techniques into their scripts. Inform them that this will be their grade for the day so they know to do it well. After enough time has passed for all the students to write their notes and practice a little, have a mini-performance. Each group will perform their scene, but they will only do it with their voice. Have the performers sit on the stage and speak their lines without moving, so they can focus on conveying their character through their voice.Closure: After the performances, gather the students back together for a discussion. Ask them what they learned and how they might apply it to every day real life. Talk about how having control of your voice and the different aspects we have talked about can help someone be more confident, professional, and sociable (they would be better at communicating with people in general, and it helps with interviews and presentations).Assessment: Check their script for notes and annotations. Score 5 points for writing something down, plus an additional 5 points for every technique they apply, and another 5 for their performance. Daily total points is 30.Supplements:Voice aspects to be written on index cards (two of each):British accentFrench accentSpanish accentBrooklyn/New York accentTexan/southern accentshoutspeak loudlyspeak quietlywhisperspeak excitedlyspeak happilyspeak sadlyspeak angrilyspeak lovinglyspeak very fastspeak very slowmumblespeak very emphaticallyLesson 5: Introduction to Movementby Meredith WalshEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of movement skills by performing in a group scene with emphasized movement.Materials Needed: Situation Cards (for Step 6), Chalk and Board, Internet ConnectionHook: Explain—Ask students for applicable examples of movement, how different motions are associated with emotions. Also, discuss how stage performance would be pretty dull if there was no movement—it helps tell the story! Ask (standing up, in circle)—how do you move if you are [emotions and actions]… excited, angry, happy, scared/ afraid of own shadow, with a false fa?ade of liking the person next to you, grief- stricken… swimming through Jell-O, like the floor is hot, in a winter wonderland, etc.—other possible examples from students.Step 1—Transition: Discuss with students what they thought about the movement in the circle. Ask—how did you know how to move with a certain emotion or in a particular setting? Discuss—stage performance would be pretty dull if there was no movement or expression, it helps tell the story and make it believable! Step 2—Instruction: Write MOVEMENT on the on the board (What makes movement significant? How does movement help give detail to your character?) Explain how motivated movement gives more power and emphasis to a character’s point or message. Every character’s movement should have a purpose. We use various strategies to get what we want. Step 3—Activity: Explain to students that music will be playing in the background. One by one, come up and create a situation. Let the music help you visualize what might be happening in that setting. They can internally decide who and where they are, but they can’t vocally tell anyone else. They must create the image through action and movement. Each student will add their own characters and movement without saying a word. The music will change, so adjust the scene as you see fit. Activity music link: 4—Reflect: What influence did the music have on your actions? How did a student’s actions influence your own and your interaction with them? Now, think of a movie score— for example, you don’t hear a happy-go-lucky tune when Harry Potter is facing Voldemort; music can help define movement. Ask—what made you know what was going on, though no one was speaking? Most actors on stage are SEEN before they are HEARD, if they are heard at all Clip that exemplifies stage movement: “Rowan Atkinson Live: ‘Pink Tights and Plenty of Props’” 5—Instruction: Movement and stage position are contributors to the significance of a characters actions and words (reflection of preceding lesson on stage direction, which I feel would be an appropriate order to a unit). For example, you can recognize the power of entering from stage left, and the finality of exiting from stage right. Significant aspects of movement:Body Language: How your stance conveys a message Emotion: How emotion is portrayed through motionPurpose: Emotion and motives influence purpose—active movement Step 6—Modeling: Ask two students to come to the front of the class. Give students the scenario that (student A) had just told them (student B) “no” to something they wanted. Give them the liberty of creating their relationship. Pose a question-- How would student B maybe use voice and movement to portray their feelings? How might student A interact? Have volunteer students give a short example, then discuss what the students saw. Explain to students how stage movement must be “bigger than life”—more exaggerated in than in a normal situation. Step 7—Individual Practice: Divide students into small groups. Each group will be given a situation card, in which each student will participate in portraying a scene. Within their scene’s situation, they must emphasize their movement rather than their voice. Give students time to organize and practice their assignment.Situation Card Examples:At a surprise birthday partyLooking for your lost dogAn argument with a sibling/ siblingsSeeing your best friend for the first time in a whileEncountering a reluctant customer service desk employeeStep 8—Performance: Have groups perform their situations. The rest of the class views the presentations and determine if the performer’s movements were motivated by what was going on. Pose the question—could you tell their movements had purpose, conveyed emotion, and had proper use of body language?Assessment: Students can be assessed on the situational performances based on how their movement was motivated, creating believable emotion, and active/ fitting use of body language. LESSON 6: Character Motivationsby Karlee Savage & Valerie LongEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of character motivations by analyzing a segment of a monologue in a group then sharing and performing it with the class.Materials Needed:“Part of Your World” lyrics (split into 5 segments) ; Class Practice PowerPointHook:Grab the first student that comes into class and tell them that when class starts you will turn on a song and ask them to start dancing, encouraging other students to dance with them. When the song ends, ask the students why they started dancing, what made them join in? If I had played a slower song, would you have reacted in the same way? Discuss how different styles of music affect the listener’s emotions and reactions.Transition: Write on the board: “How can a character’s emotions portray to the audience their intentions?” After the discussion, cross out emotions and replace it with expressions, and cross out intentions and replace with motivations. Ask students “How does changing these words imply a different meaning?”Pre-Assessment: How does a character’s expression convey their tactic? What other tactics can actors use to convey their character’s motivations? Have students write their tactic ideas on the board.Analysis Practice: Pull up the Practice Monologue Analysis PowerPoint. Have a student read the monologue aloud. Discuss with the class the tactics and motivations of the character. How would you portray this character based on the motivations present? Mono Practice: Separate the class into 4 groups (2 groups of 3 and 2 groups of 4). Hand each group a segment the same monologue. Write on the board things to look for while reading and to be discussed in their groups: pay attention to how they react as the reader. What tactics are being used? How do they display the character’s motivation?Sharing: Come back together as a class and have each group present their answers in chronological order. To receive credit, each student must provide an insight previously discussed in their groups. Ask the other groups to provide input and insights they might have for the presenting group’s segment. After each group has presented, discuss with the class the overarching objective and motivation of the character.Practice Time: Students will rehearse their portion of the monologue to be performed for the class for 5 minutes. Have one person from each group come to the front of the class, standing in order of the monologue. Each student will perform their excerpt, continuously flowing as if one actor. Make sure students focus on the tactics discussed earlier and bodily expressions, always keeping in mind the character’s overarching motivations. After the first group recites the monologue, have time for students to give feedback to performance members. One thing they did well and one thing they could improve on. Then the next group will recite the monologue. For the remaining 2 students, they do not have to perform if they don’t want to or someone from the other groups can go again to provide the full monologue.Closure:After the performance, ask students what tactics did they see being used? How did they express their motivations? Why did you choose to either speak or sing the lyrics? What could have been done to better express the character’s motivations? How can we use this to better understand our own emotions? How can we use what we’ve discussed to better understand and interpret the motivations of others?Assessment:Students can be assessed on their participation in the presentation (10 points) and in group/class discussions (5 points).LESSON 7:Character RelationshipsEducational Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of character relationships by writing a journal entry in their stereotype (from previous lessons) about another student’s stereotype.Materials needed: 15 pieces of paper w/ character relations organized into 3 rounds, tape, powerpoint presentation ready to go.15 pieces of paper with tape: ?On one side, write the character relationship and on the other the corresponding round. ?Round 1:Your MotherYour Sister/BrotherYour Best FriendYour Worst EnemyYour Favorite High School TeacherRound 2:A Police OfficerA Judge (and YOU are the Defendant)A MailmanA KingA Movie/Rock StarRound 3:The President of the United StatesYour ExAn Alien from Another PlanetYour DogA ConvictHook: (15 minutes)Have relations papers ready as students walk in. At the start of class, gather one ? of the students and have them stand in front of the class. ??Don’t allow any of the students to see what is on the card while you tape index cards labeled ROUND 1 on the chosen students. Tell the rest of the students to walk around the room and interact with the chosen students according to what is on their card (without telling them what is on the card). ??Allow 3-4 minutes per round (it is okay if students figure out what’s on their card early as this will be important later). ?At the end of each round, have chosen students guess what was on the card. ?Once everyone has guessed their card, play another round following the same process (this time ask for volunteers). Do three rounds, taping the corresponding paper with each numbered round. By the end of 3 rounds, all students should have had a chance to go (but not required that they do). ?After all rounds, have students return papers and sit down.Step 1: Transition (5 minutes)Ask the following questions in relation to the activity: How did you know what was on your card? ?Did your perception of these people change when you saw who they were? ?How were their movements and voice different with you compared to everyone else?For those of you who figured it out early, did that affect the way you interacted with others?Step 2: Instruction (10 minutes)Open PowerPoint. ?Go to slide two and have a student read the quote. ?Then proceed to slide three and ask the questions on the slide. ??Then proceed to slide four: ?“The Principles Apply to Acting!” ?Have a student read the two quotes on the screen. ?Explain that relationships affect everything in acting. You are portraying a character, and that character has a unique set of likes, hopes, fears, etc. that determine how they interact with others. This goes back to the character worksheet they made. It affects their ability to love, to cope with challenges, and how much of themselves they’re willing to give to others. But your character isn’t the only one on the stage. Every other character has all of these things going on, as well.Step 3: Movie Clips and discussion (15 minutes)Proceed to slide 5 and view the clips on the slide.. ?Before viewing each clip, ask the students to think about how the relationship between the characters develop. ?Ask for what they observe in their physical actions as well as attempt to guess what they are feeling inside as well as how they feel about each other. ?Ask how each clip was different than the other.Step 4: Guided practice (25 minutes)Go to slide six labeled “Practice.” Remind students of the stereotypes students have been assigned for the past few lessons. Have students pair up and act out a first meeting between their characters. Then have them discuss (still in pairs) how their relationship will develop. Make sure students understand that relationships can develop positively OR negatively, or on a spectrum in between. Have them improv a scene that takes place six months later, then another one three years later. Have each pair take a turn individually with the rest of the class watching them. Conduct a short discussion on observations and thoughts on this exercise. What did they see? What sort of things transpired between scenes? Step 5: Conclusion and assignment (10 minutes)Have students take out their notebooks. Explain that their character has a journal. Have them write a character journal entry about the character they just did the exercise with. Journal should include a brief description of how you met, a brief history of how your relationship developed, and how the character feels about the other. this assignment will be worth 10 points. ?Dismiss class with the closing quote on PowerPoint. (slide 7) ?LESSON 8: Honestyby Kayla Doyle & Daniel FifieldEDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate their understanding of honest acting by honestly portraying their own emotions through an activity done in class.MATERIALS NEEDED:A box full of stuffed animalsVideo clip of Anthony Hopkins in Shadowlands (8:40-10:22)Video clip of Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven’s 7th Symphony 2nd Movement (1:58-3:34)Songs: Bernard Hermann’s love theme from VertigoRachmaninoff’s Prelude in C sharp minorGinastera’s Wheat dance from Estancia Op. 8Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini”Video clip of Bernadette Peters - Rose’s Turn - Tony Awards (1:48-5:40)STUDENTS WILL NEED:Personal notebooks and something to write with.STEP 1 (HOOK):Dump a box full of stuffed animals on the floor. Everyone grab a stuffed animal. Give him/her a name. Now, create a personality for that animal. What does it’s voice sound like, how does it walk around. Now, walk around the room and interact with each other.STEP 2: Transition - After they’ve had time to do this activity with each other, call everyone’s attention to you. Ask:Who would like to introduce their animal to the class? (Use this person in the next step)STEP 3: Discussion - Write the word “Honesty” on the boardBelieve it or not, there is a purpose to this silly activity. Think seriously about this. Ask yourselves in all honesty, is this stuffed animal real (a real animal)? Not really. But you gave it personality, voice, movement, a name, a character. Can it possibly be real?Never forget (Point #1: Becoming like a child. Believing like a child)Did you know that small children literally believe that stuffed animals have feelings. They are incapable of comprehending that they are fake. They truly believe that they are real. How does that relate to theatre?What we’re doing in theatre is taking a character with no life and giving life to it. But instead of portraying that character through a stuffed toy, we portray it through our bodies.Does this make sense?STEP 4: Modeling Explain that we will watch a video of Anthony Hopkins playing C.S. Lewis. He is talking with his colleagues about one of the opening chapters of his book, “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” They call him Jack. Pay attention to how the actors don’t seem like actors in the film. They seem like the real people. How do they do that? How does Anthony Hopkins pull off being C.S. Lewis without us going, “No way! You’re not really C.S. Lewis!” What about his acting causes us to believe in his performance?Show the clip from Shadowlands.Ask the students: What did you observe?Make sure they understand in some way that as an actor, he was invested in his character. He believed himself to be C.S. Lewis.STEP 5: Discussion continued - (Point #2: Understand what is real vs. what is fake)Have the class shout out their favorite broadway musicals. Shout them out.Has anybody seen Wicked? You may be familiar with the music.If not, imagine that you are in a Broadway theatre, best seat in the house: smack dab center, third row from the front, the show’s about to begin. The overture begins (sing the first snippet of the overture). The curtains open and you are totally caught in that moment in time. You fall in love with the story, the spectacle, the music, the characters. You laugh, you whoop and holler, you cry, you become so attached to this show that by the time you walk out of that theatre, you feel inspired maybe, uplifted, entertained, perhaps even changed.But, is what you saw on that stage real or fake? Why?In the minds of the actors, were they being real or fake?An actor has to be real.What is “honest acting?”Honest acting does not mean telling the truth. It means being true to your character. It means being real.Honest acting requires an “emotional reality”It is being real vs. pretending.STEP 6: Instruction - (Point #3: You have to feel it)Write on the board “X=X”As you are well acquainted via math class, this is the same as saying 4=4, brick=brick, or in our case, emotion=emotion: the emotion you feel as an actor is the emotion the audience will feel- if you portray it honestly(Point #4: After you feel it, you must learn how to show it: take off your mask)Acting is becoming like a child. If you take a candy bar from a little kid, what happens to her face? What she feels on the inside will show on her face 110%.As we grow up, we try to fit in, right? Try to be cool- keep it fresh.Talking to the boys here- when was the last time you cried in public? Pretty much never, right? Boys are supposed to be TOUGH!Girls, when was the last time you yelled at someone in public? Got really, truly angry and let it show? Pretty much never, right? Because we’re supposed to be nice and polite. This is how society has taught us to e join me on the floor- we’re having a heart to heart. I just want a show of hands on the next one, no one has to elaborate. How many of you have been so happy you could’ve sung? How many of you have been so excited you wanted to tell everyone you met about what happened or was going to happen? How many of you have been so scared you couldn’t speak? How many of you have grieved and felt that pain of loss?How did it feel, knowing society wouldn’t let you sing, or talk, or cry? Did you feel trapped? Alone? Ignored or neglected? These are painful things that no one should have to suffer, and yet society runs like none of it ever happens.I’m going to read you guys something my theatre teacher once read to me:Read “In the dark of the theatre”In the theatre, you can be honest. There is nothing to hide. We are extraordinary by virtue of these deep feelings society wants us to suppress. We are amazing. And in the theater, we can show it. We don’t have to hide.If you take one thing away from this lesson, I want you to know that the theater is safe. Here, we only laugh with you. We cry with you. We’re afraid with you. You are not alone in the theatre. But you have to show us what you’re feeling. You have to be honest with us, and we will be honest with you.STEP 7: Checking for Understanding Now I want you guys to jump up. We’re going to practice.Find your own space in the room- move the chairs if you need to. Don’t look at anyone, don’t touch anyone. This is your time. Before you can be honest with your audience, you must first be honest with yourselves. Once you’ve found your space, stand there, and close your eyes.Think about your week. For me it’s been long and hard. For you it may have been easy and full of joy. Go over the events in your head. Remember how you felt- not how you said you felt, but that raw, powerful, honest emotion. Let it boil up inside you and spread through your body, down every artery to the tips of your fingernails. Were you angry? Sad? Happy? Excited? Feel it now. The emotion is yours, you can call on it whenever you want! Let it flow through you and out of you, because there is plenty where that came from! Now open your eyes and walk- go wherever you want, just don’t crash into anyone. Show me in everything that you do how you felt this week- show me in your face, in your stride, how you swing your arms, embody that emotion.Now stop. Close your eyes again, wherever you are. Let the emotion slip out of you again. It’s still there- it’ll always be there and you can always call it back. But right now, let it go. Don’t push it away, just watch it leave.Now we’re going to watch a clip and see how Leonard Bernstein speaks to us with his emotion. See if you can feel how he feels.STEP 8: Modeling Explain to the students that you will show a short video clip of Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven’s 7th Symphony 2nd Movement. Explain that at this point in Beethoven's life, he had just been told that he was deaf, and he moved out of the city into a cottage and was struggling with suicide. Then he decided that God had given him a gift and that he was to give all of himself to the world before he died.Ask the students to watch the conductor’s face. Tell them to see if they notice when tears fall from his face. Pay close attention to how he outwardly portrays the emotions he feels inside.Play the video from 1:58 to 3:34.Ask the students: what did you observed? Do you think you can do that?STEP 10: Modeling - Bernadette PetersBecause it’s Bernadette Peters, we’re going to watch her be amazing in this clip:Bernadette Peters - Rose's Turn - Tony AwardsTell the students to think of everything discussed in the day and observe how she is a good example of “honest acting.”Play the clip.Ask the students what they thought of Bernadette’s performance. What did they learn? What did they see in today’s lesson that she applied in her performance.STEP 9: ReflectionReturn to the classroom to discuss what the students learned.Ask each student think of 3 things they learned about themselves and record them in their personal journals.STEP 11 (CLOSURE): Write on the board the main points of honest acting and tell the students to record these in their notes and engrave them in their souls. Point #1: Believe, like a child, that your character is real.Point #2: Don’t fake it. Be real.Point #3: You have to feel it inside before you can show it.Point #4: Learn to take off your mask and show what you truly feel inside.ASSESSMENT: The activity combined with writing assignment is the assessment of today. If they participated in the activity and did their best effort and wrote, they get full 5 points for the day. If they slacked, they get … less.“In the Dark of the Theatre”, Prologue Dylan: A Play in Two ActsIn the dark of the theatre we remember ourselves. And we know we are not average men and that Madison Avenue shall not sell us that we are. In the inner space of the theatre, our blood turns red. Our nerves signal us again, as via Telstar, directly across the ocean of the orchestra pit, straight to the pit of our stomachs with the pitiless speed of feeling which, if not faster, is more revealing than light.In the ball and siren of the theatre, the dormant half of the brain wakes up. Speaks up, saying, “Who can identify with ordinary men?” For none of us is ordinary to ourselves. And it is to ourselves that we awaken, in the morning of the theatre. Nobody is Joe Doakes, but everybody is Hamlet-prince, insane, with murders to commit, with trap-door graves of Ophelia-loves to leap into, with wit and poetry on the tongue’s apt tip. And everybody is Falstaff, gross drunk, thief, liar, scoundrel, lead-weight clown, tipable but up-popable, whose wind-bag blarney has a quotable beauty. All men want to turn a flower girl into a princess. And all women, once having been turned, want to turn about and tell the teacher off. And both may relish having the mind of Shaw to do it with.In the free country of the theatre, our private selves are as differing pearls that yet hang integrated on a one strand the force that through us runs and tethers us up together, be it called Heart or Soul or God or Being, but that enables us to seat ourselves all facing one way and pray for miracles; and if the miracle is laughter, up goes the general roar, and if the miracle is tears, out come a thousand handkerchiefs and dab two thousand eyes, and if the miracle is terror, we all have our hearts in our throats at once, and we share the fear, and the courage to face the fear, just as we do when our President takes a-life-or-death stand in our name and we spill over with pride and are shoveled full of the fuel of love, and we are never more solidly alive or crisply human. For weeks after the fire-ice event, we stride in boots, and our lives have meaning; we are newborn and the air seems cleaner, for we have identified with an action which is just and courageous, and beautiful to us for those reasons. The theatre is not one speck a thing less than that.True, if as we walked about in the usual slim of day, we were to act like beanstalk giants, we’d be abruptly hoosegowed by the society whose Jacklike modesty we’d shaken. But that does not mean that if there is no place where we can go and remember ourselves, we won’t equally endanger that society by corroding it from within, sickening the whole apple because the core has gone brown and rots. We have as good a need, genuine as a gene, to partake of that sweet resurrecting occasion that nourishes us, in the survival kit of the theatre, as good a need as a bum has for his nightcap, a child for making shadows on the wall, or men and women for the love and respect of one another.In the weightless crater of the theatre: that is where Hamlet’s palace is, and Lear’s asylum moor, and the town square of Thebes. There grows the cherry orchard. And there stands the butternut tree. And over it flies a wild duck. And a sea gull. And a bluebird. That’s where Desire lies to which the streetcar ran. And Willy’s Brooklyn with its skeleton house and encroaching apartments. And that’s where the bus stop is and the girl who lives upstairs of the summer bachelor. And the French planter and the Navy nurse are raising their Polynesian children there.And that is where we live. In the reality of the theatre. Not in the fiction of society. But where we can identify. Where we are extraordinary. Where we speak like angels, feel like saints and act like heroes. Where life is as romantic and true as the telescopes tell us. Where we remember ourselves. In the passionate, compassionate, tall, large, deep, bright, dark of the theatre. ................
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