Classroom Exercise

Clear relationships onstage make characters’ interactions that much more interesting and engaging for the audience. The audience needs to know immediately how one character relates to another. No matter what the relationship is, whether the characters like or dislike each other, or whether the interaction onstage is positive or negative, students must work together to make strong choices on the stage. The following exercise challenges students to do just that: perform a short scene featuring two characters who are connected in some way. But the wrinkle is… the scene must be performed without words! Instructions:1. Divide students into pairs. 2. Give each pair a relationship for their characters, using these relationship prompts. You can have pairs draw slips out of a hat, or assign each pair a relationship. 3. Give students five minutes to prepare a short (30 seconds to a minute) mimed scene that demonstrates the relationship. It’s up to the students to determine what’s going on in the scene, and how they can clearly demonstrate the relationship. For example, if the prompt is a toddler and a daycare teacher, perhaps the students will have the daycare teacher do a counting lesson, or help the toddler put on their winter coat. They also need to consider how they will make clear choices. How would they differentiate the toddler/daycare teacher relationship from a toddler at home with their parent? 4. Remember: with mimed performances, there is no speaking. All actions and facial expressions must be communicated without words. Encourage students to use large gestures and lots of facial expressions. Make the movements exaggerated. For this exercise, bigger is better! Decide if you want to allow students to use sounds. If you wish, allow them to select a piece of background music. 5. After the preparation time is up, have each pair perform their mimed scene for the rest of the class. 6. After each pair performs, discuss: • • Is the relationship clear? How can you tell? What evidence onstage indicated that? • What worked well? What didn’t work? • How might students show the relationship between the two characters in another way? Rehearsal Exercise: If you are working on a class or school production, have your actors try this exercise as an acting challenge. Have students perform their scenes without speaking their lines — only gestures and facial expressions allowed. Are their movements enough to tell the story?

This is a fun project to do with your students at the end of the year. At first glance it looks like an art project (and it is!) but when you peel back the layers, you’ll see that it helps students develop their decision-making and reflection skills as well. On top of that, the final piece is a visual representation of students’ successes and happy memories in their drama class. So grab your markers and get to crafting! And if you aren’t artsy or craftsy yourself, feel free to let your students take the lead on this one. Materials Needed• Small, colourful pieces of paper to make cutouts (approximately post-it note size, but use whatever is appropriate for your students) • Scissors • Markers • Tape or glue • A large piece of poster board (or another item to make the base of the poster/art piece) • Any additional decorations you wish Instruction1. As a class, have your students choose a small symbol that is easy to reproduce or cut out. You might choose hearts, snowflakes, speech bubbles, stars, clouds, leaves, or whatever you like. You can also use found items such as postcards, Instax photos, ribbons, magazine cutouts, leaves that have fallen to the ground — whatever makes sense for your class and is easily available to you. Students will be writing on the cutouts — more details on that below. Ideally, your class will choose something personalized and representative of the subject or the students themselves. If you did a class production, you might choose something related to your show. For example, if you studied The Gorgon Sisters in your class, you might make cutouts in the shape of snakes (representing the snake-hair strands). If your class really enjoyed a unit on technical theatre, you could use cutouts of lights and microphones, or you could use fabric swatches for a class that loved costume work. If your class went on a field trip or had a guest speaker that really made an impact, you could design the cutout symbols around that. 2. Each student will take one of the cutouts and write down something they’ve achieved during the class (a success, a moment they’re proud of, something they learned, etc.). Keep the memories positive and encourage students to write in their own words: “I loved playing Heracles in The Gorgon Sisters,” “I learned so much from our stage makeup unit,” “I’ll never forget laughing really hard during improv class,” “I made so many new friends this semester,” “I’m proud of myself for performing a monologue for the first time.” It’s up to you whether you want your students to sign their cutouts or not. 3. Use the cutouts to make a poster or art piece, and display it with the class title and date, semester, or year. There are many different ways to create the piece. Going with the example of The Gorgon Sisters above, you might try one of the following: • Mount the production poster or a group photo of the students on a piece of poster board and attach the students’ cutouts to it. • Have a student who is a good artist draw or paint Stheno’s head on the poster board and place the snake cutouts around her head like hair. • Create a 3D art piece by decorating a mannequin head or foam head and attaching the cutouts. • Get a snake plushie and attach the cutouts to it with safety pins. 4. Eventually, if you continue this project over different classes and semesters, you can create an art installation with celebration posters/pieces from multiple drama classes to use as classroom décor. This way your drama students can look at the pieces and remember the good moments and their successes, and new students can look at the pieces as inspiration for the future. 5. If you wish, have students complete an exit slip at the end of the class (click the link below to get it!).

Negative self-talk is so common and can be very difficult to overcome, not only for students but also for teachers. It’s easy to fall into the trap of berating ourselves over mistakes and telling ourselves we aren’t good enough. We would never speak to a friend or even a stranger like that, so why do we do it to ourselves? If your students need a bit of a pick-me-up, the following exercise can help them become aware of their own negative self-talk and dismiss it. Instructions: 1. Individually, have students write a list of up to three negative things that they have thought or said about themselves. Allow them to share some of the negative thoughts and write them on the board if they want to. (This can help students see that others may have had similar negative thoughts about themselves, and that they aren’t alone.) • Another suggestion is to have students write out their negative thoughts on Post-it Notes and submit them to you so you can display them anonymously where everyone can see. Then students can see that others have similar negative thoughts but no one has to volunteer their thoughts. 2. Take a moment to think about this negative inner voice in your head. RuPaul (from RuPaul’s Drag Race) calls this negative voice the “inner saboteur.” Alberto from the movie Luca calls it “Bruno.” Give your negative inner voice a name. It can be anything except for your own name. 3. Come up with a character for the negative inner voice. What do they look like? What does their voice sound like? How do they move? If time permits, have students draw a sketch of the character, have them get up as a group and move around the space as their character, or have them partner up and try out different voices for their character. 4. How would you tell your negative voice to be quiet or stop putting you down? Make up a phrase. Alberto says “Silenzio Bruno!” when his negative inner voice talks to him. For example, students could say “Thanks for your input,” “That’s not true,” “Stop lying,” “Be quiet,” or any other phrase that dismisses the negative thought. 5. Have everyone stand up. Choose a negative thought to say. At the same time, have students say their thoughts out loud in their negative inner voice’s character voice/persona. 6. Then, students will stand up straight in a strong position — standing tall, feet flat on the floor, shoulders back, chin up. At the same time, in a powerful voice (their own), they will say the phrase that they chose to dismiss the negative thought. Feel free to repeat this step as many times as you wish. 7. Have students make a big show of scrunching up their original lists of negative thoughts and throwing them away. 8. Students will respond to the exit slip below.

The following exercise helps students identify their personal strengths and make connections with characters in a play that they are currently studying in drama class. It could also be used for students who are performing in a school production, to help them gain a deeper understanding of the character they are portraying onstage. Being able to identify one’s own strengths is a part of cultivating self-awareness, and is important for students. At the same time, it’s an excellent opportunity to allow students to identify similar strengths in characters (even characters that are dissimilar to themselves). Making those connections helps students gain a deeper understanding of others as well as themselves, while examining their personal biases. This is an individual exercise, and can be completed in person or via distance learning. Find a link for a free printable worksheet at the end of this article. Instructions:1. To start, students will list a minimum of three strengths they think they possess. This may be challenging for some, who might think they aren’t good at anything. Remind them that everyone has strengths! Some examples might include: • • I always get my homework done and handed in on time. • I’m a great babysitter. • I always choose the perfect present for my friends’ birthdays. • My cash till at my part-time job is always correctly balanced at the end of my shift. • I speak loudly and clearly when performing in drama class. • I make excellent chocolate chip cookies. • I’m a really good listener. • I’m good at fixing things. • I’m great at braiding my sister’s hair. • I always give my best effort at football practice. 2. Select two characters from the play your class is currently studying. You may assign the whole class the same two characters, or let students choose which characters to analyze. (If you are having student actors complete this exercise for a show you are producing, have them do the analysis for the character(s) they are playing.) 3. Take a piece of paper and draw two columns, or use the provided worksheet. Write one character’s name at the top of each column. Underneath each character’s name, create three rows. Label them as follows: Their Strengths, My Similar Strengths, Connections. 4. Look through the script for scenes that the first character is in, or instances where other characters are talking about the selected character. Identify two to three strengths the character possesses. Write those strengths down under their name, giving proof from the script (such as the act and scene number, page number, or direct quote from the text). Repeat this for the second character. 5. Once students have identified each character’s strengths, they will identify at least one strength that they themselves also possess. Some characters will be easier for students to identify with than others. But it doesn’t have to be one of the strengths that the student listed in the first section, and it doesn’t have to be exactly the same strength. Challenge students to find even a thread of connection between the character and themselves. For example, a villainous character might be great at plotting schemes, while the student is a whiz at planning parties and special events. A shy, quiet character might always have their nose stuck in a romance novel, but they do share a love of reading with a student who enjoys comic books. 6. Finally, students will respond to the exit slip question: Was it easier to identify the strengths of Character #1, Character #2, or yourself? Why?

Some students take drama class with the intention of becoming an actor, director, or playwright in the future. Many others take drama class simply because it’s fun. Some students take it because they think it’ll be easy, and of course there’s the group of students who are only in your class because all the other classes in that time slot were full. The goal of the following group exercise is to help students (particularly your more reluctant students or nay-sayers) learn about transferrable or “soft” skills that are taught and developed through studying drama, and how they can be applied to any career path or job they may choose to pursue. Even those students who think they’re not creative or only there because they have to be will be able to grow and develop useful skills that will serve them in the future. Instructions:1. Introduce the concept of transferrable or “soft” skills. These include skills like teamwork, communication, problem solving, time management, leadership, self-confidence, emotional awareness, and more. Discuss with your students what soft skills they can learn and develop while studying drama, and how. You can use these posts for reference: How Studying Drama Can Benefit Students Outside of the Drama Classroom and What Skills Do You Need to Work on a Show?. 2. Divide students into pairs or small groups. Give each group an occupation: doctor, lawyer, lifeguard, chef, prime minister, retail service associate, visual artist, esthetician, teacher, custodian, etc. Use the Tons of Occupation Prompts resource for more ideas. 3. Have students brainstorm or create a mind map of at least five skills learned and practiced in drama class that are related to the occupation, and how they are related. For example, in drama class, you practice time management skills by learning your lines promptly and completing your homework assignments on time. A doctor must have good time management skills to treat all their patients in a timely manner. An esthetician also must have good time management skills to see all their clients on time and clean their tools and work stations in between, so their appointments don’t run late. 4. Have each group present their lists to the rest of the class. After each group has presented, students will complete an individual reflection. Additional Resources: • Teaching Life Skills Through Virtual Drama Class • Finding Theatrical Opportunities Outside the Drama Classroom • Common Assumptions About Drama Class

We are all about character analysis — it’s a great tool for helping students develop a deeper understanding of characters in plays that they are studying, performing in, or creating. Read on to find four mini exercises that your students can do to analyse a character and come up with interesting backstory details. It’s time to go younger! These exercises could be used as writing prompts as well. They can be completed live in class, via distance learning, or assigned as homework. 1. Character overview in the present :To get a stronger handle on your character, start by creating a character overview using evidence from the script. Check out the article A Quick Tip for Character Analysis for more details about this. These initial notes will help you develop a good foundational grasp on the character as they are in the present time of the play. Action** :** Take a piece of paper and divide it into four sections. In the first section, write down what other characters say about your character. In the second section, write down what your character says about other people. In the third section, write down any events that occur surrounding your character. In the fourth section, write down how these quotes and actions affect the action of play. 2. Childhood :Think about the character’s childhood. Using your character overview notes, think about how the character is now, and what events from their past might have made them this way. Was their childhood happy or sad? Easy or challenging? How do you think the character was raised? Did they have parents or parental figures? Siblings? Were they cared for? Neglected? Cherished? Seen but not heard? Were there any major events that affected the character? Action** :** Write a brief descriptive paragraph about your character’s childhood. If you can’t find specific evidence in the script, make up the details! If another classmate is studying the same character, compare your paragraphs after completing them. It’s interesting to see others’ interpretations of the same character. 3. School days :School has a huge impact on people. Did your character attend school, and if they did, were they a good student? What was their favourite subject? Did they have friends? Were they bullied? What did they wear to school? If they didn’t go to school, how did they spend their time? Action** :** Write a one-page journal entry, as the character, describing a typical day at school. What are you studying? What activities do you do? Who do you spend time with? 4. Likes and dislikes :What was your character’s favourite toy as a child? Favourite activity? Favourite article of clothing? Favourite food? Best friend? Favourite memory? What about their least favourites? How did these favourite and least favourite things affect your character in a lasting way? For example, perhaps a romantic hero grew up reading fairy tales and romantic poetry, which inspired them to search for their happily ever after in the present. Action** :** Create a list of 10 childhood likes and dislikes for your character. For example: toys, food, activity, memory, holiday/trip, book, sport, scent, flower, article of clothing. You can choose different likes/dislikes if you prefer. Then, circle the likes/dislikes that your character still has in the present. Choose one that stands out the most and write a brief descriptive paragraph about how and why your character came to like/dislike that thing.

The following distance learning exercise challenges students to take their performances outdoors. Students will select a monologue, perform and film it outdoors, and submit it for evaluation. Instructions1. Students will select a short monologue (30 seconds to a minute) to prepare and perform. It must be set in an outdoor location and make sense to perform outdoors, rather than a monologue they just happen to present outdoors. If students are having trouble finding one, they could start with a show like Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or Lord of the Flies, all of which have outdoor settings. Alternatively, have students write their own monologues that are set outdoors. Check out our post, Tons of Outdoor Prompts, for lots of monologue-writing ideas to get your students started. 2. Before they film their monologue, have students submit a proposal to you, responding to the following: • Name and author of the play the monologue is from • Technical considerations: • Setting/location (optional: include a photo of the selected location) • Time of day • Weather • Props or costumes needed • Safety considerations • Why is this character outside? • How will you incorporate the outdoor setting into your performance? 3. Once their proposal has been approved, give students a deadline to prepare, memorize, rehearse, and film the monologue. Students should create a basic appropriate costume (as best they can using items they already have or can easily acquire) and include props if needed. Students will need to ensure they can be seen and heard while filming, as well as decide on appropriate framing of the camera. Students also need to perform safely. For example, while it would be visually cool to perform outside during a thunderstorm, it could be potentially dangerous! (See our posts: Performing Outdoors Part 1: Technical Considerations and Performing Outdoors Part 2: Safety Considerations for some helpful tips.) 4. Students will submit their completed videos to the teacher, along with a written or verbal (filmed) response to the reflection found below. If students are completing a filmed reflection response, it should be in a separate video from the monologue.

In “Drama Class ABCs,” students work together as a class to create a children’s alphabet book of important theatre-related words and phrases. This project can be done in person or virtually. It challenges students to select and define 26 important theatrical vocabulary words and phrases, and explain those words and phrases in simple language that young children or non-drama students would understand. Materials Needed:• If you’re making a physical book, you’ll need: • 26 pieces of paper (one for each letter of the alphabet) • 13 page protectors (two letters per protector) • Art supplies – pens, markers, paint, magazines, printer, etc. • A binder, duotang, scrapbook, or access to a binding service • If you’re making an ebook/PowerPoint presentation/video, you’ll need: • Computers or Chromebooks with appropriate design or editing software Step 1: Word ChoiceAs a class, go through your drama and theatre vocabulary and choose one word or phrase for each letter of the alphabet. This part will be done as a group to avoid coming up with words or phrases that are too similar, and for students to help each other out when they get to more challenging letters. Here are some examples: • “A” is for Actor, or Audience, or Assistant Stage Manager • “B” is for Backstage • “C” is for Cheat Out, or Costumes, or Cables, or Characters • “D” is for Downstage, or Dressing Room, or Dress Rehearsal • “E” is for Entrances and Exits, or Ensemble Students will need to form a consensus on what word or phrase is most important to include and why. If your class is more specialized, you may wish to relate your words and phrases to that topic (e.g., musical theatre, dance and movement, famous playwrights, technical theatre). Some letters might be more difficult — what might your students choose for letters like Q, X, or Z? Step 2: Simple DefinitionsOnce students have selected a word or phrase for each letter of the alphabet, assign each student a letter (or more, depending on the number of students in your class). For each word or phrase, students will create a brief sentence using the word. For example, if your word for the letter C is Costumes, students might write, “Costumes are clothes worn by actors onstage to show their character.” Focus on keeping definitions clear and easy to understand. Alternatively, you might wish to challenge your students to create rhyming definitions, write the definitions in iambic pentameter, or use alliteration (“Creative Costumes keep Characters looking Cool”). Step 3: Design the PagesStudents will then design and illustrate their assigned letter page. They can draw, paint, use magazine tear outs, create a collage — whatever is creative and colourful and appropriate for the letter, word, and sentence. Students must include the letter, word, and sentence in the design in a way that is clear and easy to read. If your class is creating a physical book, choose a consistent size of paper that is easy to bind together using page protectors (such as 8.5 x 11” notebook-sized paper, or 12 x 12” scrapbook paper). If your class is creating an ebook, PowerPoint presentation, or video, give students layout and size proportions in advance so you don’t have to edit the images down and risk cutting off a portion of the design or skewing the size. Students will submit their completed page(s) as well as a response to the exit slip question below. Once your book is amassed, you can gift it to a local elementary school drama class, or keep it in your classroom as both a reference material and a memento of your current class. Be sure to note the year and the students’ names somewhere in the document. You may also want to enlist a student to design a cover image, perhaps for extra credit.

Students are hyper-aware of their looks and how they perceive their bodies. On top of this, they are also concerned about how others perceive their looks and bodies. With many classes occurring online this past year students may feel even more sensitive about their body image, as they can see themselves on their screens. Students may scrutinize their facial expressions and movements, worry that other students might be screenshotting them in an unflattering moment, or intentionally hold back in class for fear of looking foolish for being “too much” or “not enough.” As teachers, we want to encourage our students to have confidence in themselves and be proud of their bodies and what they can do. However, it’s a touchy topic, and it needs to be approached in a sensitive, thoughtful way. Our goal is to provide an environment where our students can feel supported and empowered. Try the following exercises with your students: Show & Share : Actively search for and show examples of performers of all shapes, sizes, and body types to your students (for example, Keala Settle’s performance of “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman, Alex Newell performing “Mama Will Provide” from Once on this Island, or Evan Ruggiero tap-dancing). How do these performers/performances make your students feel? Does their physical appearance or body type affect their performance? Acting Challenge : Have students mime or create a tableau of their interpretations of the following words: • Confident • Powerful • Strong • Capable • Dynamic If you wish, have students brainstorm a list of people (friends, family, actors, musicians, etc.) who they think embody one or more of those words. What makes them think that? Does the person’s physical appearance have anything to do with it? Why or why not? Discussion/Reflection : Have your students respond to the following questions related to body image and drama (either as a discussion or a written reflection): • Do you think certain performers get typecast (playing the same types of roles over and over) because of their physical appearance? Can you think of any examples? How can this cycle be broken? Can you name an actor who has changed how they are perceived? • How can we honour and celebrate all body types, shapes, and looks in drama class? Onstage? Backstage? • How could a costumer provide a positive experience for all performers, regardless of differing body types? Play Study : Study, read, and perform plays focused on body image, such as Body Body, Emotional Baggage, or Hoodie (all from Theatrefolk!) with your students. Mini Challenge : For one week, if students think a negative thought about their physical selves, they must give themselves two compliments. The compliments can be about any aspect of themselves (they don’t have to be physical). Students will write those compliments down on a piece of paper or in a Word document (only the compliments, not the negative thoughts). On the Friday of that week, have them reflect on the following questions: • How did you feel after giving yourself two compliments each time? Was it easy or challenging to do? • Re-read the compliments you gave yourself. How does re-reading them today make you feel? • How can this challenge help make you a better performer?

Unless you have perfect timing, when you’re producing a show with your students, you will be performing it at a different time of year than what the show is set in. For example, you might be performing Almost, Maine in April (when the show is set in the winter) or Disney’s High School Musical 2 in February (when the show is about summer vacation). Even if it’s snowing inside, you’ll need to make the audience feel as though they’ve entered a tropical destination (or vice versa). So, how do you make different types of weather come alive, either onstage or onscreen? Lots of different ways! Let’s explore them with your students. The Rain GameThis is a fun game that the whole class can do, in person (at a distance if needed) or online (mics on — video optional). The class will work together to make a soundscape of rain sounds. No talking allowed! The teacher will lead and the students will follow by watching and listening. Start with the full class gently rubbing their hands together, to mimic the wind. Slowly transition to tapping one finger on the palm of your hand. Add all four fingers, then move to gentle finger snapping, representing the pitter-patter of raindrops. The rain will get heavier as the class moves towards clapping, then a full out thunderstorm with stomping feet on the floor or slapping the floor with your hands. Then, move back through the actions in reverse as the storm goes away and the rain gets lighter and lighter. Ask your students: How could a soundscape like this be used to create atmosphere in a scene? What other sounds or actions could be included? Technical ElementsThere are lots of ways students can use technical elements to show the weather in their performances, including: • Costumes: snow suits, bathing suits, rain coats, mittens, gloves, hats • Props: umbrellas, beach toys, a bottle of sunscreen, seasonal sports equipment • Set/virtual set: an appropriate virtual background when performing online, or set décor elements such as fake snow, a beach towel, leaves, flowers, a backdrop of a tree (such as a palm tree in the summer or an evergreen in the winter) or a blue sparkly curtain to represent rain • Lighting: warm tones (yellows, reds, oranges) or strong spotlight for warm weather, cool tones (blues, purples) for cold weather • Sound effects: wind whistling, rain sounds, birds chirping (from a sound effects library or real-life sound effects using tricks such as a rain stick and a metal sheet for rain and thunder, or the soundscape from earlier) • Underscoring/background music: Beach Boys music to depict summer, or the song “Snow” from the musical White Christmas to represent a wintery scene Distance Learning Quick Challenge: Give your students four minutes to find four different “things” around their home they could use to represent each of the four seasons. For example, they might grab a pair of rubber boots to represent a rainy spring, the song “Summer Nights” from Grease to represent hot summer weather, a rake to represent raking leaves in autumn, and a GIF of a snowstorm for a virtual background image to represent winter. (Feel free to adapt as appropriate to your local climate and weather trends!) Performance TechniquesOf course, students don’t even need any technical elements to depict the weather; they can demonstrate or react to weather through performance techniques. Try the following prompts with your students: Physical Acting** :** Have students mime the actions that match the weather. • Cold weather: shivering, hugging themselves, burrowing into their clothes, catching snowflakes on their tongues • Rain: holding their hands over their head, scrunching up their faces, wiping away “drops” of rain from their faces • Hot weather: fanning themselves, applying sunscreen, sunbathing, jumping in a pool to cool off, wiping away sweat • Wind: struggling to move against the wind, trying to keep items from flying away (such as a hat or papers) Voice Only: Give students a short line to say while trying the following vocal techniques, such as, “Isn’t this weather something else?” • Cold weather: teeth chattering, stuffy nose • Hot weather: panting, taking a sip of a cool drink • Windy or thunderstorm: trying to be heard over the “noise” of the weather (students can increase their intensity depending on the “intensity” of the weather — for example, a light breeze versus a hurricane) Once students have practiced the two separate techniques (physical and vocal), have them combine physical actions with vocal techniques to create a mini solo scene. Have them start with the line, “Isn’t this weather something else?” and then improvise two more sentences to follow up. Extension Challenge: Have students combine physical actions, vocal techniques, and at least one technical element to make a mini performance. Start with, “Isn’t this weather something else?” and write or improvise four additional lines, interacting with their technical element in some way. You may wish for students to perform live, or to record their performances and submit them to you. Have students present their mini performances for the rest of the class.

First things first: what is a musical revue? A musical revue is a style of musical theatre that combines singing, dancing, music, and sketches. The material included in the revue focuses on a particular theme. Some musical revues feature a single musical artist (such as Smokey Joe’s Café, which features the music of Leiber and Stoller, or Side by Side by Sondheim), while others include pieces by many different artists. Some musical revues have a loose storyline, but the overall theme is the main focus. Musical revues are wonderful for schools to create and perform, because the musical choices can be tailored to fit the skills and talents of the students involved. The following exercise challenges students to plan their own mini musical revue, and can be done via distance learning or live in class. Students will decide on a theme, choose the songs and the song order, and “dream cast” the show with performers. Performing is not required, but if desired, a performance option is included at the end of the instructions. Instructions:1. Introduce the topic of musical revues to your class (feel free to use the definition above). You may wish to show example videos or audio clips of some musical revues, such as Smokey Joe’s Café, Side by Side by Sondheim, Putting It Together, Red Hot and Cole, The No Frills Revue, Jerry’s Girls, A Grand Night For Singing, or Ain’t Misbehavin’. You may also want to discuss the differences between a musical revue and a jukebox musical, which also uses pre-existing songs but focuses on a full storyline (such as Rock of Ages, Mamma Mia, Head Over Heels, or American Idiot). 2. Have students select a topic or theme for the focus of their own musical revue. Some topics might include: • • Young love • Heartbreak • Songs of a certain era (1950s, 1970s, etc.) • A tribute to a certain artist or group • Friendship • Villain songs • Funny songs • Loneliness • Growing up • Taking action Students will need to consider how vague or specific their topic needs to be to work, and how to narrow down a wide topic. For example, if they want to do a musical revue about heartbreak, is that enough to go on? Or do they need to narrow their focus to revenge songs, ballads about broken hearts, or country songs about heartbreak? 3. Each student will choose five songs that go with their topic and select the running order for the songs. Students must describe their reasons for including the song (two to three sentences minimum per song). Students may wish to talk about the lyrical content, the musical style, or how the song makes them feel. For the song order, students need to know why they put the songs in the order they did. Did they put two ballads back to back to create impact, or alternate ballads and up-tempo songs for variety? 4. Students will choose a “dream cast” to perform the songs — a different artist or group per song. The dream cast could be friends, family members, teachers, classmates, celebrities, or musicians — anyone except the original artist. For example, if the student wanted to include the song “Thank U, Next” in their musical revue, they could have anyone sing that song except for Ariana Grande. If they choose a duet song — say, “Seventeen” from the musical Heathers, they would need to cast two performers to sing the two parts. Students may select whomever they feel would be best to sing the song, regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, or race. Students must include their reason for selecting the performer(s) they did for each song. 5. Students will submit their write-ups to the teacher, as well as a brief response to the reflection at the end of this article. Optional Performance** :** If you are teaching a musical theatre class, or your students really want to perform, you can take this lesson a step further and have students stage and perform their mini musical revues. Students will form small groups and either use a musical revue that one of them created from the exercise, or create a new mini musical revue on a new topic. Each student must perform at least one of the songs (students may have to perform more than once depending on what songs were chosen, like if duets or group songs were included). Students should record themselves performing at home and submit their videos to the teacher, along with the running order. If your students are technically inclined, have them edit the videos together in the proper order. Have students include a written exit slip response that answers the following question: How did you determine which group member would perform each song?

The following distance learning exercise is active and flexible. It focuses on mask work, and challenges students to use their skills of observation, critical thinking, and creative thinking. It can be completed in one class period by just focusing on one area of observation, but also extended if students complete it quickly or teachers wish to delve further. The questions can be answered as full group discussions, in small group discussions, or entirely written. Feel free to mix and match the different sections to best suit your students’ learning objectives. 1. Preparation• Give students one minute to find an item in their home that obscures their faces to wear as a mask. • This could be an actual mask (like a full- or half-face Halloween mask), a medical mask (everyone has one nowadays), a scarf, a balaclava, a pair of sunglasses with dark lenses, a large hat, a protective sports mask (like a hockey helmet cage or a baseball catcher’s mask), a hair appliance (such as a wig or fake beard), a tensor bandage, or another item of the student’s choosing. • Have students put their face coverings on. • Throughout this exercise, there are points at which various student volunteers are needed. The teacher may decide to select students to use as examples when required, or allow students to volunteer. 2. Self-Observation• Have students turn off their microphones but keep their video cameras on. (If your school does not require students to turn on their video screens, have students take a moment to briefly describe their face covering, either in the chat box or verbally by turning their microphones back on.) • Students will start by observing themselves wearing the face covering, using an actual mirror or using their device as a mirror. • Students will then answer the following questions (written response): • What parts of the face does your mask obscure? • What kind of character might wear the kind of mask you are wearing? List three. • How might this mask make an actor’s performance challenging? (For example, does the mask obscure your eyes or mouth? Can you make visible facial expressions easily? Do you have to speak louder to be heard clearly through the mask? Is the mask hot, heavy, or itchy?) • How might this mask make the audience’s experience challenging? (For example, maybe they can’t see your facial expressions properly.) • Are there any outside factors that a performer wearing that mask needs to think about when performing virtually? (For example, if you are wearing large sunglasses, the overhead lights or your device might be reflected in the lenses.) 3. Peer Observation, First Impressions• Select a student to use as an example. • Have the rest of the students observe the example student and answer the following questions (written response or verbally as a class discussion): • What parts of the face does this student’s mask obscure? • What is your first impression about the mask that the student chose? • What kind of character might wear the kind of mask they are wearing? Come up with three ideas. • Repeat this exercise as many times as you wish with different students wearing different face coverings. Compare and contrast the masks. 4. Peer Observation, Movement and Expression (Non-Verbal)• Select a student to use as an example. • Most students will likely be sitting at their device in a medium close-up position (head and shoulders). Have the example student move closer (extreme close-up) and further away (long or wide shot) from their camera. • How does the group’s impression of the mask change depending on where the student is standing? • What are the advantages or disadvantages of the different positions in the room? • Have the student demonstrate various facial expressions (such as happy, sad, angry, surprised, or scared) while wearing their mask. • Does the mask interfere with the student’s ability to clearly portray the emotion nonverbally? Why or why not? • How does the student need to adjust their emotional portrayal to compensate for the mask? • Repeat this exercise as many times as you wish with different students wearing different face coverings. Compare and contrast the masks and non-verbal performances. 5. Peer Observation, Auditory• Select a student to use as an example. Have that student turn on their device’s microphone. • Give the student a short passage to recite aloud. If you’re not currently studying a play, Theatrefolk has a great selection of free monologues and scenes that you can use. • Have rest of the group observe the example student and answer the following questions (written response or verbally as a class discussion): • Did this particular mask interfere with your ability to hear the student? • How did the mask affect the student’s volume? • How did the mask affect the student’s diction? • How does the student need to adjust their verbal performance to accommodate wearing the mask? • Repeat this exercise as many times as you wish with different students wearing different face coverings. Compare and contrast the masks and verbal performances. 6. Extension Questions(These questions can be answered as part of a discussion or as a written assignment as you wish.) • What advantages do students have when using masks on screen or on stage? • How might a student’s performance in a mask be different on screen than in person? • What outside factors might affect how a mask is perceived onstage, such as lighting or special effects like fog? • Would the effects of stage makeup be similar or different from those of a mask? How? * Note: If your school does not allow your students to turn on their cameras, teachers could have a selection of masks and act as a volunteer for students to observe. You could also pre-film yourself wearing different masks to save and use for future lessons.

The following exercise is flexible. It can be completed via distance learning or live in class. If students are completing this exercise online, they do not need to turn on their cameras or microphones. It is a short exercise that can be completed in one class period, but also extended if students complete it quickly or teachers wish to delve further. Finally, the only materials needed are a piece of clothing or an accessory and a writing device. Get ready to create a new character, using clothing as a prompt!1. Each student will take 30 seconds and select a piece of clothing or accessory found in their home (or on their person, if you’re doing this exercise live in class). The item can be as large as a snowsuit or as small as a pair of earrings. 2. Have each student take a photo of their selected clothing item or make a quick sketch of the item, and write a brief description of the item (what the item is, size, material, brand/style, quality). The description should only include characteristics of the item without interpretation or judgment (that will come next!). 3. Students will create an original character outline using that item for inspiration. They can’t write about the actual owner of the item (for example, if they’re using their dad’s fishing hat, they can’t write about their own dad). Here are some character questions to get them started: • What is their character’s name? • How old is the character? • How long has the character possessed their chosen clothing item? • Where did they get the item? How did they get it? • Did they buy it at a store? Receive it as a gift? Find it in a lost and found bin? Steal it from their cousin? Win it as a prize? • What other items would the character wear when they’re wearing the item? Describe them. • For example, if the item is a black t-shirt, would the character wear it with jeans, a skirt, overalls? What shoes would they wear? What accessories, if any, would they wear? • Does the item have any flaws or unique characteristics? • For example, a loose thread, a scratch or scuff, a stain, a hole? How did it happen? • Is the item meaningful or valuable to the character? • Does the item hold any memories for the character? Is the memory happy, sad, funny, traumatic, or something else? Students may add any additional details they think are important or interesting. At the end of class, students will submit the photo/sketch, the written description of the item, the original character outline, and their response to the exit slip question found at the end of this article. 4. Extension Activities: • Write a monologue of a character using, wearing, or describing the selected item. • Write a scene where the character has lost, misplaced, or broken the item. What are the stakes? (Meaning, why is the item and situation important to the character?) What are the consequences if the item is not found/restored? If you wish, have students write two separate endings: one where the item is found/returned/fixed, and one where the item is lost forever/irreparably damaged. • If you wish to include a performance aspect, have students wear or use their own chosen item and improvise a brief scene as their character, interacting with the item at some point (“Brrrrr, it’s chilly in here. Better put on my nice, warm sweater.”) 5. Options to keep students on their toes: • Have students photograph and submit their chosen clothing item or accessory to the teacher. The teacher will then choose one student’s item for everyone to write about. • After they have done so, have students compare and contrast their interpretations. • For example, if the item is a pair of sneakers, one student might write about a basketball player describing their greatest game wearing their lucky sneakers, while another writes about a Nike store employee having to sell the sneakers, and a third might write about someone getting gum stuck on the bottom of their new sneakers on their way to a first date. • Or, the teacher may mix up the clothing choices. The items could be distributed randomly to different students in the class, so everyone has a different item — just not the one they originally chose. • Or, have students pair up and write about their partner’s item. * * *

The following warm-up game uses found objects and allows students to work on their improvisation, storytelling, and character building skills. Take the well-known elementary school activity — show and tell — and give it a twist! DescriptionStudents will present a found object as multiple different characters. You may have played a version of this game before where the student sells a found item as if they’re in a commercial or on a shopping channel. In this version, students don’t need to sell the item, just talk about it for an extended period of time, while staying in character. This warm-up game can be done online or in person. Materials Needed• Found objects – whatever students have in their possession or find in the classroom • Timer (optional) • Remote control, bell, or buzzer (optional) Directions1. Have students grab a nearby object to use as their show and tell piece. It can be anything from a pencil to a stuffed animal to a piece of clothing. 2. Students may volunteer to participate, or the teacher can select the running order. The game is played in multiple rounds. 3. One by one, students will present their object. For the first round, students will introduce themselves, present their object, and describe it in detail, as themselves. They can describe what the item is, what it looks like, how they obtained it, how long they’ve had it for, whether it is meaningful to them, and so on. Students must speak using full sentences (not just a list of adjectives). For example, if the object is a pencil, the student might say something like, “My name is Indra, and my item for show and tell is a pencil. It is about six inches long, red, and has a half-chewed eraser on the end. It used to be my sister’s pencil, but I stole it from her room and never gave it back. If you look closely, you can see that she chewed on it. I try not to touch that part of the pencil.” If you wish, you can give a time limit. If you give a time limit, it’s the responsibility of the student to keep talking for the full time. Once they reach the time limit, cut them off. If you don’t want a time limit, have students figure out a conclusion to the story. If you think your students will go overboard, give them a limit — for example, ten sentences or descriptors. 4. For the second round, students will present the same item they picked, only as a different character. This time, they will pretend that they are five years old and are sharing their item with their kindergarten class (or whatever the equivalent is where you live). If students aren’t sure of what to do, brainstorm as a class how a five-year-old might present their item. Have them think back to what they were like when they were in elementary school, or if they have a younger sibling or babysit, what those young people might do. Five-year-olds might be enthusiastic or shy, silly or charming, excited to share their thoughts, or eager to get their turn over with. They might wiggle in their chairs, stumble over their words at times (their brains sometimes go faster than their mouths), or go off on tangents. Going with the example above, a five-year-old might say that they got the pencil from their sister’s room, but then start talking about the sister or the sister’s room, and forget that they were talking about the pencil. Have students present their item in character as five-year-old children. If you want to get silly, have the rest of the class react in character to each person’s presentation. 5. If time permits (or if you want to do this warm-up multiple times throughout the week), have students present their items as different characters or with different prompts. Some ideas for characters may include: • An elderly person, sharing an item they’ve had for a long time • A sports commentator, giving a play-by-play description of the item • An ASMRtist (autonomous sensory meridian response — soothing whispers) • A celebrity “sharing” the item with their fans, while trying not to let slip that they’re actually endorsing the product 6. Here are two twists you can use as well, to keep students on their toes: • Channel Change #1: Create a cue to “change the channel” by using a sound effect such as a bell or buzzer, or by “clicking” a remote control, and have the student present their item using a different character (for example, start as a five-year-old child and then switch to a sports commentator). You can also simply clap your hands or say “pause” or “switch” if you don’t want to use any props yourself. • Channel Change #2: Use your channel change cue plus a student’s name to switch from student to student (for example, start with Indra and then switch to Jonas). For this twist, don’t give your students a running order; they are responsible for paying attention and being ready to go when they’re called.

Welcome to part three of Theatrefolk’s The Other Side of the Story series! We’ve written about exploring the perspectives of the villain and the best friend. Today’s post brings into focus a character, or group of characters, that are even further out of the spotlight: the bystanders. These people fill out the world of the story and make it more realistic (those classrooms, towns, malls, and streets won’t fill themselves!), miming conversations and laughter, listening intently to the scene going on, and providing reactions while not pulling focus from the action going on — but these characters often don’t have lines or even unique names. In the world of theatre, this is your ensemble. Teachers who have a mandate to include everyone who auditions in shows are aware of the challenges of having to find places for every single student — it’s not uncommon to see hordes of dancers, townspeople, serving staff, cheerleaders, tourists, employees, and even people playing animals or fish depending on the show you’re producing. Regardless of the amount of people you have playing these parts, the role of the ensemble is key when you’re building the world within a play. It’s important to ensure that your students understand these roles and know that they’re important (and that they’re not just filling space). The following exercises will help students explore ensemble characters, breathe life into them, and gain a deeper appreciation for these smaller, yet vital, characters. The exercises can be completed individually, with a partner, or in small groups. 1. Discuss with students: • Are bystander characters important? Why or why not? • What purpose do they serve in a show? • What if we didn’t have them? How would the story be different? How would the actual show be different? (For example, without an ensemble, a show would have fewer jobs for working actors.) • Have you watched a play, musical, tv show, or movie where a bystander character caught your attention? What did they do? Do you think this helped or hindered your audience experience? 2. Go through the dramatis personae (character list) of a show you are currently studying (or a play you have on hand with a large cast). Identify one of the minor characters — for example, someone who only appears in one scene, someone who only has a few lines, or someone without a specific name (such as “Man” or “Waitress” or “Townsperson”). Write a character profile for that character. Give them a personality, a backstory, and a name if they don’t have one. The 20 Character Profile Questions would be helpful for this. 3. Select a scene from a play you are studying, and write a monologue or scene from the perspective of one of the minor or unnamed characters, giving their account of an incident that occurred while they were onstage. Think about what information they would know, or not know. Do they know the lead characters? If so, what do they think of them? If they don’t know the characters, or the situation, how would they describe what’s going on? (A random fish passing by in The Little Mermaid might be utterly confused when all the sea creatures start to sing “Under the Sea” — who is this mermaid everyone is looking at, and why is everyone singing?) 4. Shows like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard and Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic by Matt Cox are interesting examples of bystander characters becoming the leads in their own shows. In these examples, the former is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet from the perspectives of two minor characters in the show, and the latter is a comedic retelling of the Harry Potter book series from the perspective of one of the less featured Hogwarts houses. In the film world, The Lion King 1 ½ retells Simba’s story from Timon and Pumbaa’s perspective (it has even been compared to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern!). What are some plays, movies, books, or television shows that could have an interesting spin-off featuring a bystander character? Choose one and write an elevator pitch describing the show, the bystander character who would become the featured character, and what direction the show would take. 5. For a full class challenge, have students select a well-known story and tell as much of the story as they can from the perspective of the bystanders, or even different groups of bystanders. For example, students might create their version of The Wizard of Oz from the perspectives of the Munchkins, the Apple Trees, the Citizens of Oz (remember that line spoken by an Ozian citizen: “Dorothy? Who’s Dorothy?”), the Winkies (the Wicked Witch’s guards), and the Flying Monkeys. Start by dividing students into groups, assign each group a bystander (or group of bystanders), and give them a set amount of time to come up with an outline of what information the bystanders would know, what they wouldn’t know, and how they might react to the incidents that occurred in the original scene. From there, students can create scenes that put the bystanders into the featured roles.

Welcome to part two of Theatrefolk’s The Other Side of the Story series! (Find part one here.) Today’s post brings into focus a character that’s normally just outside of the spotlight: the main character’s best friend. A best friend character can be used in many different ways. They can provide support, advice, or encouragement to the main character. They can help advance the plot by helping the main character through the journey to achieve their goal — for example, Harry Potter had Ron and Hermione to help him throughout his adventures at Hogwarts. Best friends can help soften a challenging character’s rough spots, or push a meeker character out of their comfort zone. Some stories feature best friends who are of pretty equal status, such as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story films, or Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. A best friend might act as comic relief, or even create a secondary plot. They’re super useful characters! ExerciseFor this exercise, students need to identify best friend characters that are important to the plots of their stories (whether they are characters from plays, musicals, books, movies, TV shows, or comics), but are clearly not the main character. Some examples might include Ned from the MCU Spider-Man films, Diana Barry from Anne of Green Gables, Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings, Linus from the Peanuts universe, Charlotte La Bouff from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, Chad Danforth from the High School Musical series, or Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants. Have students create a table with the main character, the best friend character, and what story they come from. Students will choose a best friend character from the list they’ve just created. They will use that character as the basis for a playwriting adaptation exercise, writing from the perspective of that character. Students will then analyze the character and their place in the story — who are they, what are their personality traits, what are their goals, likes, and dislikes? What is their relationship with the main character? All of this will help students to get to know the character better. Give students time to write down as much information as they can. Then, have students complete one (or more) of the following writing prompts: 1. Best friend characters are often known for a particular character trait that defines them. Maybe they’re tall and clumsy, super smart, the class clown, indecisive, argumentative, or a feisty redhead. Write a monologue from the perspective of your chosen best friend about their “defining trait.” What do they think about this trait? Do they agree with it? Do they like being defined by this trait? Would they change, and if so, what would they change and how would they do it? 2. Rewrite a scene where the best friend becomes featured for a moment. What would happen if the best friend had the spotlight? How would they react? How would the main character react? What would happen to the story? (As a follow-up, have students explain how this would change the outcome of the rest of the story.) a) For example, in the Disney movie Descendants, what would happen if Prince Ben fell in love with Evie instead of Mal? Would Evie be excited, because she was secretly in love with Ben too? This might cause a fight with Mal, and would take the story in a completely different direction. Or, would she try to convince Ben that he’s mistaken and he should love Mal instead? This way she would try to make the story unfold as it “normally” would. 3. Write a scene where the best friend shares their true feelings about an important situation that occurs in the story. Are they happy for their friend? Angry? Jealous? Confused? Why? (Students could write the scene with the best friend talking to the main character about what’s happening, or the best friend talking to another character about what happened. Students might choose to write the scene as a monologue or song to be performed by the character.) 4. Write a flashback scene where you see a moment that was described by the best friend character. a) For example, in the movie and musical version of Mean Girls, it’s revealed that Cady’s best friend Janis used to be friends with Regina, the queen bee. In this example, students would write a scene showing Janis and Regina’s friendship in middle school, or perhaps an incident that led to the end of their friendship. If you wish, you can have students read the monologues or scenes aloud in front of the rest of the class, or take it a step further and have students rehearse, memorize, and perform the scenes as an acting exercise.

Welcome to our second series of exercises for 2021: The Other Side of the Story! This series of exercises will focus on exploring, expanding, and creating new stories from the perspectives of different characters from books, television shows, films, plays, and other media. First up: Let’s explore those dastardly villains! The hero of a story is written in a way that allows the audience to support and sympathize with them. But a story isn’t very interesting without a conflict, and that’s where the villain comes into play. The villain tries their best to thwart the hero at every turn, which makes audiences cheer for the hero even more. However, as we mentioned in our Villains article in the Superhero Series, in a villain’s mind, they are the hero of the story. They believe so strongly in their desire to achieve power that they feel their deceitful deeds are justified. So let’s put those villains in the spotlight and tell their stories. As a class, brainstorm a list of famous fictional villains. (Fairy tales and Disney movies are a great place to start!) Some examples might include Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin, Lord Voldemort or Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series, Miss Trunchbull from Matilda, the White Witch from the Narnia series, the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, or Count Olaf from _A Series of Unfortunate Events. _ You may also wish to have students think about modern story adaptations that feature the villain as the main character, such as the musical Wicked, the movie Despicable Me, the Disney Descendants series of books and movies, or the Maleficent movies starring Angelina Jolie. How do the stories with the villain as the main character differ from stories featuring the hero as the main character? Students may complete the following exercises individually, in pairs, or in small groups: • Students will select a villain as their focus character. • Students will fold a piece of paper in half, or using a computer, create a table with two columns. • In the first column, they will write a list of all the bad things the villain did or said. • In the second column, they’ll write the villain’s reason (in their minds) for doing or saying what they did. • If students don’t know the reason, they can invent reasons that make sense for the character/story. Students don’t need to stick religiously to the existing story — encourage them to see where their creativity takes them! Then, have students complete one or all of the following writing exercises: 1. Write a monologue in which the villain explains to the audience why they really aren’t the bad guy. For example, Ursula from Disney’s The Little Mermaid might say that she wasn’t to blame for all the troubles that happened, as she was only trying to help Ariel in her quest to win the heart of Prince Eric. (“Ariel should have read the contract more thoroughly, she chose to disobey her father, and how was I to know that King Triton didn’t know about this prince?”) 2. Write a monologue in which the villain defends their actions in front of a lawyer or judge, courtroom-style. Students might use similar phrases or reasons from the previous monologue, but the tone will likely be different — perhaps more defensive than conversational. You could even have students write both versions and compare how they would adjust certain words, phrases, tone of voice, or even how the villain might “alter” the story to serve their purposes. 3. Write an alternate scene to the story where the villain wins. How does the villain win? Where in the timeline of the story would the scene occur? How does that change the story? How can you dramatize the scene? For example, do you see the villain succeed onstage, does a narrator tell the story after the fact, is it told through a montage of action, or perhaps through song and dance? From here, you can have students rehearse and read/perform the monologues or scenes in front of the rest of the class. If you wish, have them swap scenes with other students for a fresh interpretation. You could also put the monologues and scenes together to create your own classroom “twisted tale.” Have fun being bad!

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 AssignmentStudents 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!

Welcome to Part 4 of Theatrefolk’s Superhero Series. So far, your students have created their own original superheroes, super sidekicks, and supervillains. Now, we need to get those characters into some action! There are many fun exercises that your students can do with these characters. Take any of the following suggestions and mix and match them to suit the needs of your class. The goal of these exercises is not to create a finished performance yet; rather, it is to help students create a deeper understanding of the characters they created and help them shape their characters into more defined, well-rounded, interesting personalities. Writing Monologues• Write a monologue for the superhero for one of the following situations: • Putting clues together to figure out who the villain is • Interrogating a criminal who refuses to answer • Giving a speech to the public after making a daring rescue • Explaining to their sidekick how they assumed their superhero persona (backstory) • Write a monologue for the sidekick for one of the following situations: • Convincing the superhero to take them on as a sidekick • Convincing the superhero to let them help when the superhero doesn’t want them to • Apologizing to the superhero for having to bail them out of a sticky situation • Defending the superhero to a bystander (news reporter/police officer/angry mob) • Write a monologue for the villain for one of the following situations: • Explaining their dastardly crimes to an incapacitated superhero • Giving a public speech — either as themselves or in their public identity. Are they trying to fool the audience into believing them, or threatening the public and creating fear? • Recounting some of their best evil deeds to a minion or captive • Admonishing a minion for messing up Writing Scenes• Write a one-page, two-person scene between two of the characters. How does the scene change depending on who is in the scene? (Hero and villain, hero and sidekick, or sidekick and villain?) Here are some prompts to try: • Hero meeting the sidekick for the first time • Hero being bested by the villain and the villain getting away • Villain capturing the sidekick to use them as bait • Hero and sidekick creating a plan to capture the villain • Hero and sidekick disagreeing on what to do • Villain taunting the hero while the hero is stuck in a trap • Change the tone of the scene the student wrote. For example, try writing the scene as a comedy, an action sequence, a dark and gritty drama, or a horror scene. (Try showing clips of different Batman series as examples — compare and contrast the 1960s television series starring Adam West to the 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton and The Dark Knight series starring Christian Bale.) • Write a scene featuring all three characters. Have other students read the scene aloud to see how it sounds. Do the characters each have unique, interesting voices, or do they all sound the same? Have students look at the “voice” of the written lines, rather than the performances of the other students. Challenge them to differentiate their writing tone. Design (can be for one or all of the characters)• Costumes: Create a logo or symbol for the character (like the Superman “S” or Captain America’s star). • Costumes: Sketch and colour a costume for the character. Include notes such as a description of material/fabric requirements (e.g., flame-retardant, waterproof, etc.) and reasons for choice of colour scheme. • Props: Design a special tool or weapon for the character (such as Batman’s utility belt or Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth). • Set: Make a sketch of the superhero’s headquarters or the villain’s lair. Include details such as location, equipment, special features, and choice of furnishings. • Sound: Choose a song that could be used as the character’s theme music. The James Bond movies are great examples of this; each movie features a unique song and musician but they all have a common theme and chord progression. Describe why that song (lyrics, tone, instrumentation, vocal quality, etc.) works well for the character. (If you have some musically inclined students, they may want to compose their own theme song for their character.) Improv• Have a student select one of their characters and answer questions from the rest of the class in character. • Have two students each select one of their characters and have a conversation. How does the conversation differ depending on the combination of characters? (Two heroes, two sidekicks, two villains, a hero and a villain, a hero and a sidekick, or a sidekick and a villain?) • Divide students into groups of four to five. Have all the students select one of their characters (all the same — all heroes, all villains, or all sidekicks) and improvise a scene in which they must come together for some reason (such as a group of heroes assembling to work together, like the Avengers). These exercises will help your students explore and learn more about their characters while practicing many different theatrical skills. You can combine some of the exercises to create a longer project if you wish. Keep an eye out for our fifth and final installment of the Superhero Series: Final Performance.

Welcome to Part 3 of Theatrefolk’s Superhero Series! In our last posts we’ve created original superheroes and super sidekicks. Now it’s time to create some conflict and add a dash of mayhem with some supervillains! Villains commit horrible crimes, perform heinous acts, and push our heroes to the edge. But with no conflict, heroes are boring — that’s why villains are so important. They become a vital part of the superhero’s existence. They often become icons in their own right — nobody forgets incredible characters like The Joker, Darth Vader, Lex Luthor, and Catwoman. Villains are also lots of fun to play onstage — they usually get great catchphrases, cool costumes, and possess a wicked evil laugh. With villains, there are two important points to remember: 1. Villains need a clear WHY. What is their driving force, their purpose, their raison d’être? What motivates them to commit horrible deeds? Is it revenge? Insanity? Jealousy? Money? Desire for power? Fear? Anger? Once you know what your villain’s driving force is, then you can figure out how far they’ll go to achieve their goals. The higher the stakes, the more intriguing and exciting the stories are. 2. In the villain’s mind, they are the hero of the story. Villains are absolutely convinced of their purpose, and will go to any means necessary to get what they want — lying, cheating, stealing, causing destruction and even death — and they are right to do so. They may have their own rules, guidelines, or philosophies that guide their actions, but they are truly the heroes in their own minds. For example, in the movie Avengers: Infinity War, the villain Thanos believes he will free the world from suffering due to overpopulation and lack of resources, by using the Infinity Gauntlet to snap his fingers and turn half the world’s population to dust. Yes, half the world’s population will be gone (randomly too — nobody knows who will be turned to dust) but the remaining survivors will have more than enough resources to prosper. With that, start your supervillain lesson with a class brainstorm and discussion: • List as many villains from movies, tv, and books as you can think of. • What drives the villains to do what they do? • What personality traits do villains possess? • Are all villains truly bad? Do they have any good aspects? Could they show (or have they ever shown) redeeming qualities? Why or why not? • What makes villains such great characters? What makes them appealing? • If you were in a play, would you rather play a hero or a villain? Why? • What does the phrase, “In the villain’s mind, they are the hero of the story” mean? Describe it in your own words. Have students use the Villain Character Profile Worksheet (found below) to create their own original supervillain. One of the challenges of creating a “bad” character is creating the character without judgement. You may not agree with their mission, but remember that in the villain’s mind, their purpose is right and just. Students must find a balance to make their villain character horrible and foul while also being fully thought-out and compelling. Your students now have three original characters at their fingertips, and now it’s time to take them to the next level. Stay tuned for our next instalment of the Superhero Series: Bringing Your Super World Together.