Last Task....

Bravo for a very interesting and thought-provoking performance! 

Please report to the classroom at the beginning of the period to make sure everything is put away, as you were the last performers of the year.  Then come to the library so that you can complete your independent study questions.  These are very important--two or three weeks of 'term work' equivalency, so do not ignore them!  They are due Wednesday.

Rachel, I said you would be performing your monologue in 119, but we are going to be in the library.  We'll sort things out when I see you in person. :)  So glad you were able to be in class today!

Two last big things....

Monday is your performance, which is based around your Canadian monologues.  I am really looking forward to seeing what you've accomplished!

Don't forget the independent study work that you were given a couple of weeks ago...it's due on Wednesday...you'll have the library that day...make sure you e-mail it to yourself so you can easily access it.

Independent Study Questions

Please make sure that you get this work completed for the last of your term marks.  Hard copies will be available.

Independent Study Questions                                                                                 ADA 4M

32 Inquiry Marks;   110 Knowledge Marks

Remember to cite your sources.  To make certain you have accurate and up-to-date information, try to use three different sources for each of your answers.  Don’t forget the encyclopedia in the library—an excellent source for many items here!

A.     Playwrights                 /60 marks K             /9 marks Inquiry (3 sources)

Select six of the following playwrights, three from Column A and three from Column B.  In three to five sentences, provide basic biographical information for each as well as the titles of his/her most important works.  Explain his/her importance to theatre.

A	B
Waawaate Fobister	Anton Chekhov
Dennis Foon	Eugene Ionesco
Norm Foster	John Osborne
David French	Eugene O’Neill
Michel Tremblay	David Mamet
Tomson Highway	Arthur Miller
Ann-Marie MacDonald	George Bernard Shaw
Daniel MacIvor	Sam Shepard
Daniel David Moses	Neil Simon
Wajdi Mouawad	Tennessee Williams
John Murrell	Noel Coward
Morris Panych	Caryl Churchill
Sharon Pollock	Harold Pinter
George Ryga	Robert Bolt
Erin Shields	Tom Stoppard
Drew Hayden Taylor	Luigi Pirandello
Judith Thompson	Jean Genet
George F. Walker	Jean Anouilh
	Karel Capek
	Edward Albee

B.      Theatres/Theatre Festivals       /20 marks Knowledge             /6 marks I (3 sources)

            Select two of the following, one from Column A and one from Column B.   In three to      five sentences, indicate their location and mandate/ importance.  Which of the two          would you be most likely to visit?  Why?  (Location?  Types of plays performed?)

A	B
Winnipeg Fringe Festival	Sudbury Theatre Centre
Rainbow Stage	The Edmonton International Fringe Festival
Prairie Theatre Exchange	Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Le Cercle Moliere	Shaw Festival
Manitoba Theatre Centre	Tarragon Theatre
Merlyn Productions	Theatre Passe-Muraille
Magnus Theatre	Soulpepper Theatre Company
Manitoba Theatre for Young People	Native Earth
	Factory Theatre

C.      Write 250 to 500 words for each of the following topics.  Your information must be accurate and you must cite three sources.

a)       Bertolt Brecht and Epic Theatre         /10 marks K,        /3 marks I

b)      Stanislovski and Method Acting            /10 marks K,       /3 marks I

D.     Select one of the following topics.  Describe it and explain its importance to Western theatre.  Cite the three sources you use to collect your information.      /10 marks K, 3 marks I

a)      Antonin Artaud and Theatre of Cruelty   

b)      Kabuki Theatre

c)      Noh Theatre

d)      Jerzy Grotowski and the Theatre Laboratory

e)      Laban and Laban Movement Analysis

f)       The Duke of Saxe-Meiningen

E.            /8 marks Inquiry

1.      Go to  http://www.actra.ca/main/resources/stage-parents-guide/.  List three things that you expected to see in this type of resource and one thing that surprised you.  Explain why.

Waiting for Godot

Please read and view the items linked below and be ready to discuss on Tuesday, May 22.  Which design/interpretation of Beckett's play would you most have liked to see?  Why?  What questions would you most want to ask the designers/directors?

First of all, read Peter Hall's Production History -- http://www.samuel-beckett.net/Penelope/production_history.html   This will give you a sense of the world into which this play 'was born'.



Chan's New Orleans Godot 'event':  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/arts/design/02cott.html?pagewanted=all

The National Theatre - Czech Republic, 2010 http://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/Default.aspx?jz=en&dk=predstaveni.aspx&sb=2&ic=5458

State Theatre of South Australia, 2006 --read Victoria Lamb's design notes, view all the photos and the design process as well, please.  http://www.victorialamb.com/stage/Godotdesign.html




And finally, what do you think of the staging below?  What is its significance?   If you are able to find the name of the designer and the production, please let me know so I can properly credit it!  The biggest question in my mind:  does the platform actually teeter-totter?

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead - May 2 - 4 2012

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosencrantz_and_Guildenstern_Are_Dead

This 1966 Tom Stoppard play follows two minor characters from Hamlet.  We will be watching the 1990 film version written and directed by Tom Stoppard himself.  If you miss a class, arrange with me to view whichever portion of the film you need to see during lunch.


Notes and reader reviews of the published play.

We are watching this with the Grade 11 class.  Please go on to read this on-line http://www.samuel-beckett.net/AbsurdEsslin.html, as we will be watching Beckett's Waiting for Godot in another week or so.  The language and concepts will be challenging for you, so your task is to select five passages from this piece of text to bring to a discussion on May 14, 2012. 

Have a great Easter

We will resume scene studies/direction after Easter, so you will be splitting your attention between a polishing of your Shakespearean monologues and a new scene.

In the meantime, consider the elevation of a simple thing like water on the floor of a mine to a symbol of life and death, as portrayed in the portion of Gumboots we watched with the Gr.11's at the end of today.

Assignment: Shakespearean Monologue

You are continuing to work on your Shakespearean monologue. 

This includes: 

a) memorizing it so that you can recite it effortlessly (and    meaninglessly, LOL) like the alphabet; 

b) 'translating' it in writing into the language of a current resident of Dryden, Ontario 

c) rehearsing it with the 'punctuation walk' exercise you were shown in class on Monday

d) choosing a specific setting (place and time) for your 'production' and costuming yourself

e) establishing your staging of the monologue


Your performance will be on Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

We will develop the rubric together on Wednesday, March 28, in class.

Scene Studies #1

This semester you will each have an opportunity to direct two of your classmates in a scene.  Our first scenes are contemporary two-character scenes, due on Thursday, March 1st. 

Group 1:   Director:  Michael, with Jess and Meagan

Group 2:   Director:  Rachel, with Cassie and Neil

Evaluation:

Criteria	Level 4	Level 3	Below Standard—what you need to do next:
Prepared (Actors) ·         Knowing your lines ·         Knowing the script	Authentic interaction between two people in a specific situation at a specific time; confidant, no hesitation in movement/blocking may need one prompt; able to cover for partner if something goes wrong	Interaction between two characters in a specific situation, at a specific time; exhibits confidance, little hesitation in movement/blocking 2 – 3 errors May require a script on stage for occasional prompting
Vocal (Actors)	Audience experiences authentic  voice of the character being portrayed in this specific situation at this specific time	Appropriate volume, pitch, rate, pace, tone Correct pronunciation Holds for laughs if necessary
Physical (Actors)	Audience experiences authentic physical communication of the character being portrayed in this specific situation at this specific time	Appropriate use of gesture, facial expression, stance, movement to convey content (message) to audience

Application:  

            Prepared                    4          3          2          1

            Vocal                           4          3          2          1

            Physical                      4          3          2          1

           

Blocking (Director)	The planned movements and use of set add authenticity to the scene	The planned movements and use of set help to communicate/convey the scene/its message to their audience
Character Portrayal (Director)	The actors portray authentic characters true to the nature of the scene	The actors have a good sense of what is going on in the scene and use their voice and physicality to portray a definite character
Set/Staging/ Costumes (Director)	All elements combine to create a superior  theatrical experience for the audience (set/staging/costuming/ music/sound effects)	Most of the elements combine to establish a good theatrical experience for the audience

Application:  

            Blocking                                              4          3          2          1

            Character Portrayal                           4          3          2          1

            Set/Staging/Costumes                       4          3          2          1

           

Reflection Questions (Thinking/Inquiry Level 1 2 3 4 – degree/quality of thought/insight)

                                    (Communication Level 1 2 3 4 – use of proper terms; clarity of message

                                                                                                for purpose/audience)

If you were an actor, complete A.  If you were the director, complete B.

A.       

1.      In two to three sentences, summarize this scene from your character’s viewpoint.

2.      Explain how your director cast this scene.  (Note:  if it was determined by gender, say so. J)

3.      Did you get the role you preferred?  (Note: if it was determined by gender, say so and move on to question 4.)  If the role was NOT determined by gender, which of the two roles would you have preferred?  Why?

4.      What was the most challenging aspect of portraying this character?

5.      In what way(s) did you draw upon your own personal experiences to portray this character?

6.      In drama classes, you are often thrown into a group to create and perform a scene, or given a script to work on with others.  How did this experience of having an official director change the way you worked? 

7.      What did you like about having a director?  What did you NOT like about having a director?  Based on this experience, how do you plan to approach the role of director when it is your turn?

8.      As a drama student, what was the most challenging part of this task?  (working with others, memorizing, coming to class…. J)  Why?  How did you overcome it?

Reflection Questions (Thinking/Inquiry Level 1 2 3 4 – degree/quality of thought/insight)

                                    (Communication Level 1 2 3 4 – use of proper terms; clarity of message

                                                                                                for purpose/audience)

If you were an actor, complete A.  If you were the director, complete B.

B.

1.      In two to three sentences, summarize this scene.

2.      Explain how you cast this scene.  (Note:  if it was determined by gender, say so. J)

3.      Did your cast fulfill your expectations?  Explain.

4.      What was the most challenging aspect of directing your actors in portraying their characters?   If you could only pick one of these two people to work with again, which of the two would you prefer?  Why?

5.      In what way(s) did you draw upon your own personal experiences as you directed these actors in this scene? 

6.      What did you like about being a director?  What did you NOT like about being a director?  Based on this experience, how do you plan to approach the role of actor when it is your turn?

7.      As a drama student, what was the most challenging part of this task?  (working with others, conveying your vision, coming to class…. J)  Why?  How did you overcome it?