Friday 24 February 2012

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?



Wednesday 22 February 2012

Presentations: Greek Theatre and Medieval Mystery

Today you had the full class time to make certain your work was complete and to either a) prepare your oral presentation and/or b) prepare your oral presentation and then observe the ADA 3M's Commedia dell'arte presentations.

I am expecting great and wonderful things from you, since both groups chose to prepare for the entire 75 minutes.

Please take a few minutes to review the tips that I gave to the ADA 3M's on their blog regarding future presentations

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Yike! My bus was cancelled....

You will have time to organize yourselves at the beginning of class, as the ADA 3M students organize and then present their commedia work.

If your group is 'good to go', then you can watch the 3M's.  Otherwise, be ready when they are done.

Friday 17 February 2012

A little theatre history side-track.....

Since grad photos were being taken in our classroom this past week, we took a little detour to do some theatre history.

Three of you are creating an informational poster about the Mystery plays of the middle ages, while the other three are doing the same for Greek theatre.

Make certain that the work is divided equally amongst you.  Make sure you are honest on the reflection sheet regarding your own effort and contributions.  Attendance will obviously affect your role in these creations. 

You will be presenting your work to the class on Wednesday, February 22.

Here is the task sheet/rubric to remind you: 

ADA 4M – Theatre History Information Poster  Assignment                                                                                    

Your trio is responsible for creating an eye-catching poster that will provide people in the drama room with accurate information about_____________________________________________________.   You will include the following:  






Criteria
Level 4
Level 3
Next steps needed  to reach provincial standard
(Knowledge/Understanding)
Information
·         on Poster



·         in Presentation
Detailed accurate well-organized information provided for the audience (viewer) of the poster;  the images and words are attractive and combine well to effectively  conveying the information;
Presenters are able to answer questions correctly without hesitation
Information provided is accurate;  the images and words convey most of the required information;


Presenters are able to answer questions correctly

(Communication)

Presentation
·         content


·         form
The presenters are well-prepared;
the audience can hear and understand everything they say; vocabulary is subject specific and used effectively to convey the message; pace of presentation is appropriate for the audience’s needs
The presenters are prepared; the audience can hear and understand most of what they say without much effort; most vocabulary is subject specific; most of the presentation is done at a pace appropriate for the needs of the audience




Outline of each person’s responsibility and contribution:





Reflection:   (Thinking/Inquiry -  Level 4, 3, 2, 1, R)

1.       What was the most challenging aspect of this assignment?  How did you overcome it?  If there were no challenges for you, explain what it was that made it an easy assignment.


2.       Do you believe that your partner(s) would say that you were a good person to work with?  Why/why not?  Explain what strengths you have when working on this type of assignment.  Explain what weakness you might have when doing this type of assignment and how you could address it in future. 


3.      How might the skills you develop doing this type of assignment benefit you in other situations, for example, the workplace, another class, as a future parent……?

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Conflict and Gender

Make certain that you have completed the worksheet from Friday, February 3rd's class.

The three-person 'conflict' scenes you performed on Monday with the ADA 3M's were excellent.  Today, you focused on developing two-person scenes with a conflict centred on gender-based stereotypes.  We only got to see four scenes before the bell rang--looking forward to seeing the rest tomorrow.

Concepts we were reminded of from sharing our work: 

a) how an object can become a symbol (remote control);

b) how physical proximity can represent the distance between our points of view;

c) how our acting partners can support us in a scene when we forget what we had rehearsed;

d) how to hold for laughs while still maintaining a 'natural' flow of dialogue...

We will be using these scenes as a jumping off point as we look at the roles of actor/director/playwright.  In the meantime, check out this site:  http://brechtforum.org/abouttop

How does what we are doing in class around gender conflict related to Augusto Boal's vision of theatre and its role in society?

Thursday 2 February 2012

"How to succeed in Drama class...."

I am so impressed by the work that was shared today by the ADA4M/3M groups!  You've set the bar high--can't wait to see what you'll be accomplishing by May!

If you have been absent, make sure you have your admit when you return to class.

You will need a pen/pencil tomorrow, February 3rd.  Not a ton of writing, but you will need to record some of your thoughts.