Superhero Series: Final Performance

Welcome to Part 5 of Theatrefolk’s Superhero Series. Your students have accomplished a lot: They created their own original superheroes, super sidekicks, and supervillains, and have experimented by bringing their super worlds together, through exploring writing, design, and improv activities. Now, it’s time to bring these characters to life with a final performance!

The following assignment puts what students have learned throughout the character creation and exploration process to practical use. There is a free rubric at the bottom of this page for evaluation purposes.

Final Performance Assignment

Students will complete the following:

• Write a one-minute monologue as one of their original characters (superhero, sidekick, or villain — student’s choice).
• Memorize and perform the monologue using appropriate facial expressions, gestures, and vocal inflections. If students are in-class, the performance will be live. If students are learning remotely, the teacher will decide whether students will perform live or record themselves and submit the video.
• Create a costume for their character using items from home. (This doesn’t have to be complicated — it can be as simple as choosing a particular colour scheme for the character’s clothing, making a cape out of a towel or blanket, or creating a logo out of paper and taping it to their shirt.)
• Find or create one prop or set piece for their character using items from home. (Alternatively, students might wish to use a virtual background if they are performing online.)
• Choose a theme song for their character, to be used somewhere within the performance (student’s choice).
• After the performance, students will complete and submit a one-page reflection, answering the following questions:
  • Give a brief (two- to three-sentence) description of your character.
  • Describe your design choices and the reasoning behind them (costume, prop/set piece, song).
  • What was the easiest part of this assignment? The most difficult?
  • What have you learned throughout this character creation process?

Final Assignment (Alternative)

If you have students who are reluctant to perform, or if you are teaching remotely and your school does not require or allow students to turn on their cameras, you may wish for students to complete the following alternative final project.

Students will complete and submit the following:

• A one-minute written monologue for one of their original characters (superhero, sidekick, or villain — student’s choice).
• A one-paragraph write-up of whom they would cast to play that character in a live performance, and why this person would be suitable to perform the role. This could be a professional performer, a friend or family member, a teacher, etc.
• A mood board or collection of sketches for the following items:
  • The character’s costume
  • The character’s home base — lair, hideout, headquarters, etc.
  • A tool or prop that is important to the character
  • The character’s theme song
• A one-page reflection, answering the following questions:
  • Give a brief (two- to three-sentence) description of your character.
  • Describe your design choices and the reasoning behind them (costume, set, prop, song).
  • What was the easiest part of this assignment? The most difficult?
  • What have you learned throughout this character creation process?

We hope you’ve enjoyed the Superhero Series! If you have any ideas or requests for future series articles, let us know!