Distance Learning

There are many things to think about when it comes to designing your virtual classroom. BackgroundWhen teaching classes via video conferencing, it’s good to think about what’s going on behind you. This doesn’t mean pets walking through your virtual classroom or visible piles of laundry in view of your camera, although those should probably be kept out of view as much as possible! Having an interesting and creative background can grab students’ attention, be a conversation starter, or make them laugh. It’s also fun to switch things up and create a fresh atmosphere for your virtual classroom. We’re talking old school and low tech here. Virtual backgrounds are always an option, but sometimes they can be visually distracting. Think about creating your own teaching set. In terms of materials, pretty much anything goes. This is very much an exercise in “use what you have!” • Blank canvas: Start with a plain wall, or hang a large bed sheet, blanket, or large pieces of paper (butcher paper, Bristol board, wrapping paper) on your wall. If you don’t want to attach things to your wall, you can use a curtain and pin items to it, or use a bookshelf and display items on it. • Adhesives: Use tape meant for walls to hang paper (make sure it doesn’t damage your walls). Safety pins for fabric, binder clips, or command hooks can all work well. • Loose parts: Your imagination is the limit here. Ribbons, magazine cutouts, post-it notes, clothing or costume items, pieces of fabric, books, props, household items… if you can hang it, attach it, or display it, use it! Here are some ideas for your virtual classroom background: Warm-Ups to Wake Up the Brain:• I Spy: Put a variety of small items in the background and have students search for specific ones. • Memory: Put a variety of small items in the background and have students study it for one minute. Turn off your screen. Remove one item. Turn your screen back on and have students figure out which item is missing. • Taboo: Put a variety of small items in the background. Have students describe the items without using the actual words for the items. For example, if one of the items is an apple, students can say “fruit,” “juicy,” “grows on a tree,” “round,” or “red,” but not the word “apple.” See if students can get you to guess the item they chose in fewer than five descriptors. Creative Challenges:• Colour Scheme: Create a background using only household objects all in one colour. For example, if your colour is red, you could display a red t-shirt, an apple, a toy fire engine, a rose, and some strawberries (or pictures/photos of these items). • Set Design: Make a background that looks like a set from a famous theatrical production, using only items from around your house. • Funny Frames: Attach cutouts to the wall that frame your head and shoulders when you sit in front of them, such as a hat, halo, wings, a speech bubble, or an animal sitting on your shoulder. Feel-Good Moments:• Student Stars: Cut out colourful or sparkly stars, write your students’ names on them, and stick them up. You could add small sticker stars on each student’s name star for answering questions, participating in discussions, or submitting assignments. • Inspirational Messages: Have students submit various positive messages or favourite quotes from plays, musicals, or performers. Make them into posters and display them on your background. • Virtual Scrapbook: Hang photos of your students, as well as rehearsal and production photos, posters, and playbills from past shows on the wall.

As we are quickly discovering, distance learning has its share of challenges. There’s new technology to navigate, lessons and assignments to adapt for use outside of the classroom, near-constant questions and clarifications, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The biggest challenge is that for most of us, distance learning is new and scary, and it has come upon us quickly. We’ve been thrown into the metaphorical deep end, and we’re trying to stay afloat. As we navigate this different way of learning, teachers and students alike are dealing with various fears and concerns that may have arisen in these uncertain times. These may include: • Dealing with tech issues (audio/video lag during live classes, ability to upload or share materials with students, ability to submit work using various platforms or apps) • For teachers, how to adjust current materials and lesson plans to accommodate distance learning, or make up entirely new material; for students, how to receive, understand, and complete this material • Teachers trying to encourage student participation and engagement during live class time; students dealing with obstacles to participation (shared device, lack of reliable internet, no privacy to participate, background noise, etc.) • Managing school/home life balance • Missing out on a “real” school production (or trying to figure out how to put on a “virtual” production, and dealing with pushback or disinterest) • Worries about the future (will distance learning become the “new normal,” will students continue on in drama studies, will this affect post-secondary pursuits, will graduation happen, and so on…) • Dealing with mental health concerns (feeling overwhelmed, underprepared, self-doubting, unmotivated, stuck, stressed out, confused, anxious, exhausted, etc.) How do we stay positive and not dwell on the negative? Read on for some tips and advice to help you on your distance learning journey. We hope they help to address your fears and concerns as well as your students’. 1. You’ve dealt with new, stressful, and/or unknown situations before, and survived.You are more experienced and resilient than you give yourself credit for. While nobody has dealt with this exact situation before, you have succeeded in difficult situations in the past, and have grown and learned lessons to get you to where you are today. Let’s look back on those times. Try this exercise with your students • Set a timer, and write for three minutes about how you feel right now when you think about your current distance learning situation. Take note of any thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations you experience. Do this in a stream-of-consciousness style – you can write in full sentences, or simply write down words, phrases, or even doodles of what’s going on in your brain. Get it all out on the page. • Think back to a time when you felt similarly. Describe the situation or event that caused those feelings. What happened? What was the final result? How did you cope? How did that situation or event affect you going forward? • If the situation had a negative result, what did you learn from it? How could you apply that learning to how you feel now? If the situation had a positive result, how can you duplicate that result now? You can get this exercise in worksheet form at the bottom of this page. *2. You’re not going to have all the answers. Be honest and forthcoming with your students. *Presumably, distance learning is not only new to your students, but is new to you too. Remind your students that you’re all learning together. When questions or problems arise that you don’t know the answer to or have an immediate solution for, say so. See if you can resolve the problem together, or let your students know that you’ll find out as quickly as you can and get back to them. Once you and/or your students find or create a solution, write it down or add it to a virtual FAQ page, so you and your students can refer to it if a similar question or situation occurs in the future. It may help to share your own fears and concerns with your students, when it’s appropriate to do so. For example, if they’re nervous about doing a virtual presentation on a new and unfamiliar app, share with them how you felt nervous the first time you led a class virtually using Zoom or Google Classroom. (The “What If” Game can be useful to help students with fears and worries.) *3. Work with your students to help them succeed – with their help. *Try polling your class to find out what they’re interested in learning about through distance learning, and HOW they want to approach their topics of interest. They may come up with interesting suggestions that you hadn’t thought of. Now would be a great time to work on devised theatre exercises for students to explore topics they’re interested in, in a theatrical manner. You might also want to use devising exercises to help students address their own thoughts, emotions, and concerns about their current situations and the state of the world at this moment. You can also lead your students in mindfulness exercises to help them (and you!) relax, let go of worries and stress, and focus on the present moment. 4. We are all figuring this out together. Reach out for help.Talk with your colleagues at your school, as well as other drama teachers, to see how they’re coping with distance learning, and share tips, tricks, and survival methods with them. Be sure to keep in contact with your administration as well, to stay up-to-date with news, changes, and policies, as well as to keep them informed of how you are faring. Don’t forget that Theatrefolk has a great section entirely devoted to distance learning and the Drama Teacher Academy has tons of resources as well. We’re here to help!

With schools being closed, social distancing, and live productions being cancelled, how do you put together an online performance? What does it look like? Read on for an overview of Lindsay Price’s video on How to Do an Online Performance of a Play, which can be found at the end of this blog. It’s a different world right now, but if theatre teaches us anything it’s how to be flexible, resilient, and to think on your feet. A Zoom performance encompasses all of these things. Zoom is an online tool that allows for video conferencing. Many teachers have been using Zoom to hold online live classes and synchronous class activities. Whether you’re using Zoom or another online platform, these tips will help you and your students gather online together where everyone can see and hear each other. This will not take the place of an in-person live production. It’s not the same at all. And it’s not just plays. I can’t imagine a musical in this context, either. If you’ve had success, hats off to you. My family tried to sing Happy Birthday on Zoom and the lag was intense. So keep that in mind when you choose a play to attempt in this format. Unison speaking will not work on Zoom. It’ll just frustrate you. Tip #1: Students will not show up. You will need a procedure in place to deal with this situation.You have likely been dealing with students who are not engaging in online live classes, for whatever reason. It may not necessarily be that they don’t care. It could be because all the computers in their house are taken. It could be depression. It could be that they cannot engage in drama class in this way and don’t know how else to respond. So don’t be surprised if you’re planning a performance and three actors aren’t there. Have a plan for when that happens. Talk to your students about stepping up and being ready to take on additional roles. Maybe even have students practice taking on other parts so that it’s comfortable for them. Theatre requires flexibility and this is an excellent opportunity to discuss the “show must go on” mindset. This is also an opportunity to talk about ensemble, being there for your fellow actors and classmates, and how theatre is a team effort. These are things that you have likely been talking about since day one of your drama classes and now they are more relevant than ever. Tip #2: There is a place for tech. It’s different, but don’t push tech to the side.If you can, have a stage manager who gives silent gesture cues (e.g., thumbs up means ‘go’). Have someone who runs sound. Have your stage manager lead sessions for actors to practice mic and camera procedures. Have a costume design student talk to each actor about what they have in their home that they can wear. (Note: They may have nothing.) But let your tech students have the conversations, and encourage them to be flexible, to problem solve, and to get creative. Now more than ever, your students can put their critical thinking and creative thinking skills to the test. Tip #3: Have mic and camera procedures.Practice having everyone mute themselves and turn off their camera if they’re not in the scene or when they exit the scene, and then turn them both back on right before they enter. It takes timing, just as entrances and exits do in live performances. Connect the actions students do in this online performance to their live performances. Then practice them, just as you would practice entrances and exits in a live performance. Tip #4: Technology is not your friend.This might sound weird since that’s all this is, but here’s what I mean. Zoom can be inconsistent. Sometimes there’s an echo. Sometimes someone will freeze, or get kicked out of the call. Things will not be perfect. But just like live theatre, you can encourage students to think on their feet. You can also prepare for these situations. For example, have an emergency person who follows the script and steps in to say any lines if there’s a gap (because someone didn’t show up and a part isn’t accounted for, the new person forgot, they’ve been kicked off the call, etc.) It’s all about keeping the flow of dialogue going. This might be a good job for an assistant stage manager. Another reason technology is not your friend is that there will be varying degrees of quality in picture and mics from your students. The show will not be perfect. It’s just the way it is. What else?Short scenes will likely work best when you’re first testing out an online platform, rather than longer and more involved text. Students will just get frustrated. Start small, practice, establish procedures, try, fail, try again, and then dive into more complicated scenes. Again, it’s not what we’re used to, but there are plenty of skills that your students can maintain and develop during this time. Memorization. Annunciation. Character development. Character physicalization. A small space or a small screen does not limit character development. We hope these tips will help as you explore online platforms, such as Zoom, with your students. These are uncertain times, but theatre is resilient and theatre people know how to problem solve. So all the best, take care, and stay safe. *Watch the full video of Lindsay discussing these online performance tips below:

The following exercise has a straightforward premise: watch a movie musical and analyze it! This written exercise helps students practice skills including analytical and critical thinking, observation, problem solving, and creative thinking. Start by choosing a movie musical to analyze. You may select a movie for your students to view together in class, or let them each select one for approval and watch it at home. You may wish for all students to analyze the same movie musical, or have every student sign up for a different one. For this exercise, please ensure students select a live-action movie musical, rather than an animated film. Here are some suggestions: Mary Poppins, The Greatest Showman, Into the Woods, La La Land, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Across the Universe, Mamma Mia!, Moulin Rouge, Sweeney Todd, Dreamgirls, Grease, A Star is Born, The Sound of Music, White Christmas, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes… there are lots of options! Students will select five of the following ten questions to answer after watching the movie musical. Alternatively, you can make this an independent study project (ISP) and have students answer all ten questions. Students will answer in full sentences, and yes, grammar and spelling counts! Distance learning: This assignment can be adapted for distance learning by having students watch their selected movie musical at home, complete the questions, and submit them electronically via email, Google Drive, Dropbox, or a similar program/app. Questions:1. Summarize the plot of the musical in one paragraph. Then, summarize the plot of the musical in one sentence. 2. What was your favourite song from the musical movie? • What character(s) sang the song? • What was the purpose of the song in the musical? • If the song were a monologue, how would that affect the plot? • If the song were omitted, how would that affect the plot? 3. Identify a scene from the musical that could only happen the way it did because it was done in a movie. Describe in your own words what happened in the scene. How might you adapt that scene for the stage? 4. List five advantages of doing a musical movie over doing a musical on the stage. (For example, you can do multiple takes if you make a mistake.) 5. List five advantages of doing a musical onstage over doing a musical movie. (For example, hearing the audience applaud a wonderful moment.) 6. Would you rather watch a musical movie or a live musical in a theatre? Why? 7. Choose five characters from the musical movie. Identify the actors who play those characters. Re-cast those characters with five different actors (current or past). Who did you select and why? 8. What year was the movie musical made? • Is it based on a stage musical, or is it an original creation? • Is it based on anything, or adapted from anything (such as a book or musical album)? • If it’s based on a stage musical, what year was the musical itself written? • Has the musical been performed on Broadway, the West End, etc.? When? • Are there any different film or stage versions or adaptations to your chosen movie musical? Are there any sequels or prequels? • What are they, and when were they made? 9. Critical Eye: Did you notice any mistakes, editing errors, or inconsistencies in the movie musical? Describe what happened. (If you didn’t notice any, skip this question.) 10. Why do you think people enjoy watching movie musicals?

Distance Learning Note: This blog post is written for an in-class scavenger hunt. But, this is an activity that can easily be adapted for distance learning. Students can work independently to get as many items as they can in a certain time frame. Perhaps they pull family members in to complete the tasks! You’ll have to make sure your scavenger list works for an at home situation. If you want to do this scavenger hunt as a group project, divide students into virtual groups and then have the groups discuss (e.g. through Zoom) and divide up the tasks. If you do this as a group project, I’d suggest providing a shorter time limit. Have them working and executing on the project quickly! In the download for this post you can find an in-class scavenger hunt list *and an example of an adapted at home scavenger hunt list. * A drama class scavenger hunt requires creative thinking, decision making, teamwork, and time management. Students will work in small groups to earn as many points from the scavenger list as possible within a certain time frame. Students won’t be able to complete every item on the scavenger hunt list; they’ll need to come up with a plan and make quick decisions as a group. Will they complete a bunch of easy tasks that are worth fewer points, or go for a more challenging task worth more points? The scavenger lists will combine items to find as well as tasks to complete. Sometimes students will need to take photos or videos for proof that the task was completed. All tasks should be related to drama or theatre, of course! Materials Needed (one for each group):• A scavenger list (You can create your own, or see below for a free list. If you create your own, you’ll need to come up with more tasks than your students will be able to complete in the allotted time.) • A smartphone or digital camera to take photos and videos (students will most likely have their own) • A bag to hold items • A pen or pencil • (Optional) A projector that can connect to the phones/cameras to show the photos to the rest of the class Instructions:1. Before starting the scavenger hunt, determine whether students will be allowed to go outside the drama classroom for their tasks, or if they must stay in the classroom. If necessary, obtain permission from the principal and make proper arrangements for students to be out of the classroom, such as arranging for hall passes and being able to connect to students digitally to give them a five minute warning. 2. Divide students into groups of 4-6. 3. Give each group a scavenger list. 4. Set a time limit for groups to hunt. Remember to allow travel time back to the drama classroom (if necessary) as well as time for groups to tally up their points and/or show their photos. 5. Set your students loose! 6. If they’re out of the classroom send your students a five minute warning for when they need to return to the drama classroom to share their findings and tally up their points. 7. If you wish, you can assign bonus points for completing the entire list or making it back before time runs out. The best scavenger lists have a variety of easy, difficult, funny and serious tasks. Some of the tasks will require students to bring back an item. Some might require students to look something up online. Some tasks will challenge students to think creatively about how to interpret the requirement, and some will require students to figure out a theatrical reference. Some tasks are just silly! If you wish, students can complete a reflection afterwards, using the following questions: • What was the easiest part of today’s exercise? The most difficult? • How were you an effective group member today? • How can this exercise be applied to the real world?

The exercises listed below can be adapted to distance and online learning opportunities. Students work individually (rather than with partners or in groups). Group work and discussions can be completed using video conferencing programs (such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom). Written work can be submitted electronically via email or uploading to Google Drive or similar. Performances can be done live via video conferencing programs, or filmed on a smartphone or digital camera and uploaded to a service such as YouTube or Vimeo (privacy settings can be adjusted to accommodate your school’s internet safety policies). Check out our round-ups of exercises for Vocal and Physical Performance, Monologue and Individual Performance, Playwriting & Written Drama and Analysis and Technical Theatre as well. Larger Projects / ISPs (Independent Study Projects)These are longer assignments that may be used as independent study projects (ISPs) or longer-range group assignments. With distance group projects, students should devise a way to divide up the work equally and can come together to discuss their work via video conferencing. Groups can use project management programs such as Basecamp to assign specific tasks and due dates to each other, and mark them as complete as they go. Written assignments can be submitted via email or Google Drive, and group oral presentations can be done via video conferencing with the teacher. Directing Challenge: - Script Analysis for Directors, Part 1: Scanning the Script - Script Analysis for Directors, Part 2: Going Deeper - Communicating Your Directing Vision Through the Senses - How to Pre-Block a Scene - Problem-Solving for Student Directors - Casting Challenge: Not Enough Actors! - Casting Challenge: Too Many Actors! Global Citizenship Challenge: - Global Citizenship in the Drama Classroom - Global Citizenship: A Cross-Curricular Opportunity Looking Back and Looking Forward Students will look over what they’ve learned and create a manual for future drama students Pitch Your Project: A Cross-Curricular Performance Challenge Putting on a Class Production Challenge: For this exercise, you might have every student select a monologue on a specific topic and then create a livestream for the public to watch. Alternatively, you could go through the process of producing a hypothetical show. • Part 1: What to Produce? • Part 2: Who Does What? • Part 3: Casting • Part 4: Problem-Solving • Part 5: Post-Show Reflection Staging Your Show: “Same Show, Different Stages” The Three-Dimensional Theatre History Project

The exercises listed below can be adapted to distance and online learning opportunities. Students work individually (rather than with partners or in groups). Group work and discussions can be completed using video conferencing programs (such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom). Written work can be submitted electronically via email or uploading to Google Drive or similar. Performances can be done live via video conferencing programs, or filmed on a smartphone or digital camera and uploaded to a service such as YouTube or Vimeo (privacy settings can be adjusted to accommodate your school’s internet safety policies). Check out our round-ups of exercises for Vocal and Physical Performance, Monologue and Individual Performance and Playwriting & Written Drama and Analysis Exercises as well. Technical Theatre ExercisesThese technical theatre exercises sometimes require a bit of adaptation or creativity to complete, but most can be done at home and submitted in a variety of ways, including via submitting a PowerPoint presentation, submitting digital photographs of physical creations (such as costumes or props), or presented via video conferencing. Many group exercises can be completed individually, with allowing more time for students to complete the tasks outside of class time. Since you are doing learning by distance, in many cases, your students will be doing their projects for a fictional or hypothetical production. 1. Costuming Your Show for $50 or Less 2. Create a Costume Vision Board Focus on the “Digital” vision board suggestion, using Pinterest or Photoshop. Alternatively, students can create physical boards and photograph them, or present via video conferencing. 3. Creating Atmosphere Using Music 4. Found Objects You can adapt this exercise by having students present monologues and use objects and clothing/costumes from their own homes 5. Getting Other Departments Involved in Your Production (Producing) Focus on the “ask” letter 6. How to Create a Budget When You’ve Never Done It Before (Producing) 7. How to Create a Master Props List 8. How to Create a Program for Your Production (Producing) 9. How to Prepare a Stage Manager’s Prompt Book 10. Lighting and Sound = Ambiance 11. Rehearsing In Layers (Directing / Stage Management) Students will practice creating a rehearsal schedule for a hypothetical show 12. Respect the Tech! A Technical Performance Challenge Students will create individual performances using items from around their homes 13. Shakespeare Set In Another Time (Design) Focus on DESIGN activity 14. Taking on the Producer’s Role: Elevator Pitch 15. Telling the Story Through Clothing: Choosing a Colour Palette for Your Show 16. The Running List: What It Is and Why You Need It (Props / Backstage) 17. Using One Item to Show Character (Costumes) Focus on THEORETICAL activity 18. 5 Props Challenges and How to Overcome Them Focus on prop problem-solving challenge (giveaway) 19. 10 Ways to Publicize Your Show (Publicity / Producing) Create a hypothetical show and challenge students to figure out how to get the word out.

The exercises listed below can be adapted to distance and online learning opportunities. Students work individually (rather than with partners or in groups). Group work and discussions can be completed using video conferencing programs (such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom). Written work can be submitted electronically via email or uploading to Google Drive or similar. Performances can be done live via video conferencing programs, or filmed on a smartphone or digital camera and uploaded to a service such as YouTube or Vimeo (privacy settings can be adjusted to accommodate your school’s internet safety policies). Check out our round-ups of exercises for Vocal and Physical Performance and Monologue and Individual Performance as well. Playwriting ExercisesPlaywriting exercises are great because they can be completed anywhere a student has access to a computer or tablet. They can also dictate their writing using speech-to-text software. Playwriting assignments can be submitted electronically, and feedback can be added and sent back, or given verbally/in person using video conferencing programs. 1. A Character is Not a Whole Person 2. A Picture Tells A Thousand Words: Cross-Curricular Drama Classroom Project 3. Brainstorming in the Drama Classroom: Coming Up With More Ideas Than You Need 4. Exploring the Greek Chorus Students will write their own Greek chorus, narrating an everyday activity. Students can also perform their piece if you wish. 5. Same Character, Different Choice 6. Shakespeare’s Words: Iambic Pentameter 7. The 5 W’s and Playwriting 8. Tips for Giving Feedback to Student Playwrights Focus on Feedback Form exercise 9. Top 3 Ways to Write a Character Specific Voice 10. Using Statistics as Scene Starters Focus on Serious Statistics – A PSA Project exercise Written Drama and Analysis ExercisesLike playwriting exercises, students can complete written drama exercises anywhere they have access to a computer or tablet, and submit their work electronically. 1. Brainstorming as a Group: Add Three 2. Dealing With Difficult Characters: 3 Tips for Success Focus on Tip #3: Your character is not “you” list 3. Do You Know Your Character? 4. Ensembles Are Characters Too! Focus on Tip #1: Character profile 5. Making Assumptions About Characters 6. Nine Questions Actors Need to Ask Themselves 7. Prompting Creativity in the Drama Classroom 8. Question of the Day 9. Questioning Your Character (Without Judgment) 10. Same Lines, Different Meanings Note – partners aren’t necessary to complete these exercises 11. To Research or To Not Research? 12. What Does My Character Want? 13. What’s the Difference Between What Characters Want and Need? 14. What’s Your Character’s Signature Gesture?

The exercises listed below can be adapted to distance and online learning opportunities. Students work individually (rather than with partners or in groups). Group work and discussions can be completed using video conferencing programs (such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom). Written work can be submitted electronically via email or uploading to Google Drive or similar. Performances can be done live via video conferencing programs, or filmed on a smartphone or digital camera and uploaded to a service such as YouTube or Vimeo (privacy settings can be adjusted to accommodate your school’s internet safety policies). Check out our round-up of exercises for Vocal and Physical Performance as well. Monologue & Individual Performance ExercisesStudents can find and read scenes and monologues from a variety of online sources (such as right here on Theatrefolk’s Free Resources page), or with a public library card and the Libby app). Teachers may also wish to supply monologues for students. Performances can be prepared at home as homework, and performed live via video conferencing or recorded and submitted. Written reflections and practice/rehearsal journals can be assigned for students to document their processes. 1. Auditions Exercise Part 1: Perform on Video 2. Auditions Exercise Part 2: Mock Auditions 3. Connecting the Past to the Present: Modernizing a Scene All exercises can be completed individually 4. Creating Your Audition Toolkit – Monologues 5. Exploring Spoken Word Poetry This is a combination writing and performance exercise 6. “Let’s Try That Again”: Taking Direction in an Audition 7. 5 Tips for Preparing A Monologue With Confidence Focus on Tip #4: Record your performance

The exercises listed below can be adapted to distance and online learning opportunities. Students work individually (rather than with partners or in groups). Group work and discussions can be completed using video conferencing programs (such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom). Written work can be submitted electronically via email or uploading to Google Drive or similar. Performances can be done live via video conferencing programs, or filmed on a smartphone or digital camera and uploaded to a service such as YouTube or Vimeo (privacy settings can be adjusted to accommodate your school’s internet safety policies). Vocal ExercisesVocal exercises can be done together via video conferencing programs (such as Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts), or filmed on a smartphone and submitted to the teacher. 1. A Simple Breath Control Exercise for Actors & Singers 2. Can You Hear Me Now? A Peer-Led Volume Exercise Students should focus not only on volume, but also diction and enunciation 3. Create a Vocal Workout for the Articulators 4. The Vowel Tree 5. 5 Tongue-Twister Exercises for Ensemble Building For a written project, have students write their own tongue twisters. Have them answer the question: “How does using tongue twisters help them to become actors?” 6. 10 Rounds for Your Next Warm Up Physical Performance ExercisesStudents can practice physical exercises from their own homes using a video conferencing program and following along with the teacher’s prompts, while teachers can observe students’ participation on their own screen. 1. Bound, Punch, Float: Physicality Exercise 2. Character Development Game: What’s For Breakfast 3. Create a Commedia Dell’Arte Character Focus on “The Lazzi of the Sandwich” 4. Creating Your Own Commedia Lazzi Focus on “The Lazzi of Surprise” 5. Developing Your Character’s Physicality from Head to Toe 6. Exploring Different Voices Using Puppets, Masks, and Props “Props” is the easiest of the exercises to complete via distance learning. However, students could create puppets at home using socks or paper bags, and masks could also be made at home using paper. 7. High Status / Low Status Character Physicality 8. Stage Vs. Screen: A Comparison of Acting Techniques 9. Thinking of Your Character as an Animal 10. 3 Fitness Tips for Drama Students 11. 5 Tips for Physicalizing a Non-Human Character

Do your students know how to give effective peer feedback? If not, they may not know what that actually looks like. If they don’t know what effective peer feedback is, how can they benefit from giving and receiving it? The following exercise will help your students identify effective peer feedback, and then practice giving effective feedback to each other. Part 1: What is effective peer feedback?1. Start with a group discussion. Ask your students to finish the following sentences: “Effective peer feedback is…” and “Effective peer feedback is not…” Write down their suggestions on a large piece of paper or whiteboard for the class to see. For example: • Effective peer feedback is… • Useful/meant to help students improve • Action-oriented (able to put the feedback to use next time) • Thoughtful • Specific • Unbiased • Effective peer feedback is not… • Rude or insulting • A means to put people down • Name-calling • Vague • Only complimentary 2. At some point, a student will likely suggest that feedback should always be positive. Ask your students: Is this true? Should feedback always be positive? Can feedback be negative? How can students phrase negative feedback in a way that isn’t hurtful? 3. Have students give examples of feedback for each suggestion. For example, the feedback “I enjoyed your performance” is flattering and nice to hear, but it’s not particularly useful. Students need to give specific feedback. They can certainly offer praise, but they need to specify what it’s for. What about the performance did your students enjoy? What did the performers do that worked well (that they can do again next time) or didn’t work well (that they can avoid or improve on next time)? Distance Learning Adaptation If you are able to share your screen, open a blank word processing document to record students’ suggestions for effective peer feedback. Alternatively, assign one student to act as scribe and have them take notes and upload them to the class website, or email them to the rest of the students. You can assign a different note-taker each class, or offer bonus marks for volunteering to take notes. Part 2: Putting it into practice1. Select an improv game, such as Scenes From a Bag. I like to choose an improv game that often results in funny scenes, so students are forced to actively observe and think about the scene, not just passively watch and laugh. (Of course, students can still laugh while they’re actively observing!) 2. Divide students into pairs, or let students select partners. 3. Select a pair to perform the improv game. 4. Tell the pairs watching to observe and think about what feedback they would give – one comment for each performer. You will pick a pair to give feedback directly to the performers. 5. After the pair performs, select another pair to give the performers feedback. Each partner will give two pieces of feedback – one for each performing partner – for a total of four pieces of feedback per pair. All feedback must fit the “effective feedback” criteria that students identified in Part 1 – specific, thoughtful, useful, etc. 6. The pair giving feedback then becomes the performing pair, and another pair becomes the feedback pair. Continue until each pair has had the opportunity to perform and give feedback. 7. After all students have performed and given feedback, they will complete individual reflections. Distance Learning Adaptation Follow the game instruction as written, using a video conferencing program such as Zoom. For giving feedback, choose one of the following options: • Have pairs perform and give feedback verbally, live in front of the full class; • Have pairs perform live in front of the full class, but type up feedback and email it to their assigned pair (copying you in on the feedback) • Rather than rotating pairs as originally directed, group two pairs together into groups of four, and assign each group of four a virtual meeting room where one pair can perform and the other pair give feedback, and then the pairs will switch.

This is a simple and fun improvised game that is great to use in your show rehearsals. I’ve found it’s especially useful for younger, newer, or shyer students, who might be afraid of looking silly onstage. But it’s a great challenge for more experienced students as well. The purpose of the game is to challenge students to think beyond the world of the script, to experiment with “going bigger” with their character, and to explore their character’s likes, dislikes, and mannerisms in a deeper way. It can be used as a warm-up game before getting into the bulk of your rehearsal work, to get students’ minds out of school mode and into rehearsal mode. For this game, students will improvise the following scene individually, in character in their assigned role, using the following framework: 1. The character enters a place where food is served. This could be the character’s own kitchen or dining room, a restaurant, a banquet hall, etc. Whatever the student chooses, they must establish the location clearly. 2. The character decides what they want to eat for breakfast. What does the student think their character would eat? A simple bowl of cereal? A four-course meal? A slice of leftover pizza? Some hardtack bread with salt pork? 3. The character obtains the breakfast food. How do they do this? Do they prepare the meal themselves? Do they demand that a servant brings them their meal? Do they order their meal from an app on their cell phone? 4. The character eats a few bites of the breakfast food. Do they eat their food daintily or do they gobble their meal? Are they ravenous or not very hungry this morning? Are they still sleepy after getting up? Are they dressed or still in their sleepwear? 5. The character realizes they need to leave, and exits. What is the reason they need to leave? Do they leave willingly or reluctantly? Do they take their unfinished food with them? Do they clean up after themselves? Does anything else happen? Students are allowed to speak and move around the room as they wish. The only item needed for this game is a chair or a rehearsal block in case the student wants to sit down to eat their breakfast. Students aren’t required to use the chair though – perhaps their character stands to eat their breakfast. Any props or food items should be mimed. Scenes need not be long – one minute or less is perfectly fine, provided the student hits all five points. This game helps students to think about their character outside of the world of the play. Let’s say you’re doing Romeo and Juliet as your school show. What would Benvolio choose to eat for breakfast? What about Lady Capulet, or Prince Escalus, or Friar Laurence? Would Tybalt prepare his own meal or have a servant bring him his food? Would Mercutio eat breakfast at a fancy restaurant or at a fast food joint? It helps them to explore and make choices about their character. There isn’t a right or wrong choice – students just need to make the choice and commit to it. You can expand on this game by having two students improvise the breakfast scene together. In this case, students are not only challenged to complete all five tasks in the framework, but also while interacting (in character) with the other character. After completing this game, students can reflect on their experience using the included Reflection. Distance Learning Adaptation ImprovisationStudents will complete the improvisation at home by following the same steps as described in the existing exercise. One at a time, they will exit the frame of their webcam and re-enter, in character, to begin the scene. They will finish their scene by exiting the frame, pausing, saying in a loud, clear voice “SCENE” and coming back to their device. Breakfast AnalysisStudents will write and submit their answers to the following questions, answering in full sentences: • Where does your character usually eat their breakfast? (Kitchen? Dining room? Banquet hall? Bedroom? Outside? Somewhere else? Describe the location.) • What are your character’s preferred breakfast foods? (Something simple, like cereal or toast? A multi-course meal? Leftovers from dinner? What do they drink? Give a sample meal.) • How does your character obtain their meal? (Do they prepare it themselves? Does a servant bring it to them? Do they order the meal from an app on their phone?) • How does your character eat their food? (Describe it using adjectives. Are they dainty or do they gobble? Are they ravenous or not very hungry? Are they still sleepy? How are they dressed? Describe their place setting.) • What does your character do at the end of the meal? (How and why do they leave at the end of the meal? Do they finish or leave food behind? Do they take any leftovers with them, do they clean up after themselves, is the space left messy or neat? Does anything else happen?) • What do you think your character’s breakfast choices say about their personality?

It’s easy for students to get hyper-focused on their lines when they’re working on a scene or on a show – counting how many lines they have, memorizing the lines, knowing what order the lines come in a scene, understanding what the lines mean. However, lines are not the be-all and end-all of theatre. There are so many ways to communicate a story without words. Try the following game with your students to work on exploring dramatic storytelling without using words. It’s inspired by the episode “Hush” from the fourth season of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the episode, the heroes have their voices stolen by a group of villains called the Gentlemen, and they are challenged to communicate with each other silently to figure out what happened and how to defeat the bad guys. They come up with a variety of useful and funny ways of communicating, to varying levels of success. The inspiration for the silent episode stemmed from critical praise for the show, stating that the dialogue was the most successful aspect of the show. In response, the series creator of Buffy, Joss Whedon, decided to write an episode almost entirely devoid of speech. For this game, students will work in pairs or small groups. Teachers, you will need to provide your students with a short scene (approximately 1-2 minutes in length). All the groups will work on the same scene. You can find some great two-person scenes and group scenes here or you may select or write your own scene. Read through the script with the full class and answer any questions that students may have about the content. Then students will re-read through the script in their groups, decide who will play what role, and start to prepare the scene to present to the rest of the class. (Memorization isn’t necessary – students will prepare their scene to be presented on-book until the twist is revealed.) Partway through the “rehearsal process,” share the game’s twist – all of a sudden, everyone’s voices have disappeared. Groups can’t use words to perform their scenes. How will they still be able to communicate what’s going on in the scene? What are the most important plot points and details that need to be conveyed? This is where each group is challenged to come up with a creative way to communicate the story without using their voices. Students might try using silent theatrical techniques such as mime, tableaux, facial expressions, body language, different kinds of alternative visual communication (such as pointing to words, using whiteboards, and so on), playing a charades-style game, puppetry, creating a dance, or coming up with another way of communicating the story visually. Sounds and noises from their mouths can’t be used, but other methods of creating sound (such as using instruments or music from their phones) are acceptable. Presentations should be approximately the same length of time as the scene would have taken to present as written – about one to two minutes in length. What makes this game fun is that, even though each group is presenting the same scene, each group’s interpretation of the scene will be different, depending on what technique they use to present the scene and what plot points and details they deemed most vital to the story. Encourage students to push themselves to make big and clear physical choices. Each group will present their interpretation of the scene. After each scene (if time permits), allow students to share the thought processes behind their presentations. Students will complete the game by completing and submitting an individual Reflection. Distance Learning Adaptation Exercise (minimum 2 classes + homework) 1. Discussion: How can actors perform on a digital platform without using words? Here are some ideas to get their brains going: • What is different from performing in person to performing online? • What limitations occur when performing online? How might they be overcome? • What advantages are there to performing online versus performing in person? • What household items could be used to facilitate a nonverbal performance? • What alternate methods of performance or storytelling could be used for online performances? 1. Assignment: • Divide students into groups. • Distribute scripts to the group members. • Assign each group their own digital breakout room. • Students will have the remainder of the class time to read the script and figure out a way to tell a one-minute long version of the story of their scene online, without using words. • Groups will need to decide if they will perform their pieces live, or record their piece and submit it. • Groups will need to meet outside of class time to either rehearse their live presentation or record their pieces OR assign an additional class period for rehearsal/recording. • At the next class, students will present their live or recorded pieces. • If time permits, allow students to share the thought processes behind their presentations. • Students will complete and submit an individual reflection.

Starting your drama class with a Question of the Day is a great way to get your students into the “drama class” mindset. It’s a way to help create a routine for your students – they know that as soon as they enter the classroom it’s time to open their minds and challenge themselves to think creatively. How you present the Question of the Day can be as simple as writing it on a whiteboard or posting it on a bulletin board. If you want to get really creative, you can present the question in a funny and interesting way – you could try writing the question out in code or hiding it somewhere in the room for students to find, scavenger-hunt style. You could also use a combination of the two presentation methods – perhaps your regular method is to post the question, but then once a week or once a month you can mix it up and have students search it out! It may seem silly or trivial to present the Question of the Day in a more playful manner, but I think it’s important to shake things up and show students that there isn’t just one way to present classroom work. As well, drama class and theatre are all about creativity and coming up with different and interesting solutions to problems and ways of communicating stories. What should the content of the question of the day be?Really, your Question of the Day can be anything that has to do with theatre. It’s best if it ties in with whatever topic you are currently covering in class, as a method of introducing the topic or as an extension of what was covered in the previous class. Sometimes the Question of the Day can be something totally random, just to get those creative juices flowing. The Question of the Day should be open-ended, so students don’t just give one-word answers. (This might happen anyway, but as students get used to the Question of the Day concept, encourage them to expand on their answers.) Some topics may start discussions with students of different opinions – and that’s great! Here are some questions to get you started: • If you could write a play about any topic, what would you write about and why? • What recent movie or television show do you think would make a great stage production? • What technical role do you think is the most challenging? • What would you do if the lead performer of your show got pneumonia on opening night? • How can actors help each other to succeed in their roles? • If you were to go back to a certain era or to a different country to learn more about a certain type of theatre, when/where would you go and why? (For example: ancient Greek theatre, Japanese Noh theatre, the Renaissance, commedia dell’arte in Italy, etc.) • Whose job is easier: onstage performers or backstage crew? Why? • What do you think will be the “next big thing” in the theatrical world? • How could you present an extreme sport or extreme activity safely and creatively onstage? (Such as downhill skiing, skydiving, rock climbing, surfing, bobsledding, etc.) • What historical or literary character deserves to have a show written about them? Once you get into the habit of presenting a Question of the Day, get your students involved in creating the questions! You can use the “idea machine” brainstorming method (read more about that here : Brainstorming in the Drama Class: Coming up With More Ideas Than You Need) to help students come up with different questions. And then once a week you can have different students prepare the question and determine the method of presenting it to the class. Finally, how should students answer the Question of the Day? The easiest way is for students to write out their answers individually and submit them, similar to an Exit Slip. However, should you wish to do so, students could also present their answers in a creative way. You might choose a small group of students to present their answers orally. You might challenge students to sketch their answers or to write them in rhyming couplets. Or you may permit students to work together in small groups and then present their thoughts in a variety of ways – as a group scene, to the tune of a song, as a mime scene, and so on. No matter how students answer the questions, ensure that the questions are answered within the first five minutes of class. Your students might feel that they don’t have enough time to answer the question when you first introduce this exercise, but stick to the five-minute time length. Eventually their “creativity muscles” will strengthen and answering the Question of the Day will become easier and quicker. Distance Learning Adaptation: Virtual Learning Questions You can continue to do the Question of the Day activity while doing distance education. You might choose to send your students the question the day via email and have them prepare a response to share during virtual class time; have them submit a written response; or share the question during class time and either allow them to have five minutes to write their own response or have a class discussion. Feel free to use the existing questions. As well, here are some new sample questions you could use for this activity that are related to distance learning. • What are some advantages of studying drama virtually? What are some disadvantages? • If you could change one thing about distance learning, what would it be and why? • What is something new you’ve learned since starting distance learning? (This doesn’t have to be related to school or drama class.) • What is one big change you’ve noticed in yourself since starting distance learning? • What play, movie, television show, or book would be fun to adapt to perform online? • What do you miss most about being in school? What do you miss the least? • Given the choice, would you prefer to continue online learning, or would you prefer to go back to school? (Perhaps you’d prefer a hybrid of the two – how would you make that work?) • How could theatres make physical distancing work for audiences? For performers? For technicians? • What should our school’s first in-person production be when we are allowed to do so? • If our class were to do a virtual talent/variety show, what would your act be? • How do you think people would have coped with a global pandemic if we didn’t have the internet? • What theatrical skills are easiest to study/practice virtually? What are the most difficult? Why?

Fear of failure is a huge concern in drama class. Nobody wants to fail – it’s not a good feeling, and students are hyper-aware of not only their own feelings, but their perceptions of what others in the class think of them. Making a mistake can be paralyzing because students are afraid of looking foolish, unintelligent, or unaware in front of others – so they often won’t even try a task without a huge amount of anxiety. However, the following improvisation game, The Alphabet Improv Game, is great to try with your students because it’s a pretty challenging one. It is inevitable that your students are going to make mistakes and “fail” while playing it, because even the most seasoned improv performers find this one difficult. The point is to try the game, make mistakes, and see that making mistakes is not the huge deal that students can make it out to be. The goal is that your drama students will realize that everyone makes mistakes – it’s not just them, stuck in their own heads. And at the same time, they get to have a lot of fun! InstructionThe Alphabet Improv Game is played as a full class. • Have students sit in a circle. • Select three to four students to start the scene. • Have the rest of the group choose a location (e.g. supermarket, classroom, movie set, theatre rehearsal, corporate office, desert, jungle). • The first group of students will start the scene. However, each sentence spoken by a new person must start with the next letter of the alphabet, from A to Z. (Each word in the sentence doesn’t have to start with that letter.) • Students need to listen carefully and remember what letter they are currently on! • For example, if the scene is taking place on a movie set: 1. Student 1: “Annnnnnd…action!” 2. Student 2: “But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?” 3. Student 1: “Cut, cut! Can you do that again, please? We can’t hear you!” 4. Student 3: “Don’t speak so quietly.” 5. Student 2: “Everyone else on this set can hear me…can’t you guys?” …and so on. • If a student starts their sentence on the wrong letter or repeats a letter that was already used, then they have to sit down and the next student in the circle replaces them. The scene continues on, with the new student either taking on the same role or coming in as a different person. The location remains the same. • If there is a long pause and none of the students can think of the next sentence, all of the current students have to sit down and the next three to four students in the circle replace them. They pick up from the last letter used. So if the last line was “Man, it’s so hot out here!” then the next sentence must start with N. • The scene must be completed by the time the students get to the letter Z. Then the scene may start again with three to four new students in a new location until the full class has had the opportunity to play. • If your students find this game too easy, have them go through the alphabet backwards, from Z to A! If your students ask, there is no prize or reward for one person/group being able to complete the game in one try. This is not a competitive game and that’s not the point of it. After each student has had a chance to participate, have a debrief conversation with the class. How do they think they did? What were the easiest and most challenging parts of the game? How did your students feel if they made a mistake? If you notice students are getting overly critical of themselves, acknowledge that there is always room for improvement but that everyone makes mistakes and it’s completely normal to do so. Then ask them to discuss positive moments that arose while playing the game. They will explore their thoughts further while completing an individual Reflection. Distance Learning AdaptationsAlphabet Warm-Up (Full Class) • The goal is for students to recite the alphabet out loud, from A to Z, one person at a time. One student says “A”, another student says “B”, another student says “C”, and so on, without following an assigned running order. • If two students say the next letter at the same time, or a letter is skipped, the group starts over at A. Students cannot cue or coach each other, or give visible hints. • Ask students: What is the purpose of this exercise? What are the benefits to students of doing this warm-up? Alphabet Storytelling (Full Class) • Determine a running order of students. • Students will tell a story, one sentence at a time, starting with the letter A. The next student will start their sentence with the letter B, and so on, from A to Z. (Each word in the sentence doesn’t have to start with that letter. See the example in the article above.) Students must focus on starting with the correct sequential letter, as well as ensuring their sentence has a specific beginning and ending, and that it makes sense with the story topic. • If a student starts their sentence on the wrong letter or repeats a letter that was already used, they are out. The story continues on until the students reach Z. • Once students are able to tell a story with an assigned running order, try the exercise again without a running order. Students will need to listen that much more carefully to avoid interrupting each other. Virtual Alphabet Improv Game (Full Class) • This game can be played using a video conferencing program, pretty much exactly the same way as the in-person version. Assign 3-4 students to create an improv scene, and have the rest of the students ready to jump in if a letter is missed or a long pause occurs. If you wish, determine a running order for participating students in advance, so students know when they are “on deck.”

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. If you’re ready to explore the power of the rumour, you’ll want to check out Have You Heard? by Krista Boehnert. This monologue-based one-act drama is extremely relatable and a great way to stretch your performers. “Did you hear? Have you heard? Promise not to tell anybody?” Everybody knows a secret. Some keep them quiet. Some let them loose. Some make them larger than life. Secrets, lies and rumours are the subject of Have You Heard? This monologue-based play follows what happens in a school when rumours and secrets spin out of control. What makes a secret more powerful: When it’s the truth? Or when it’s a lie? Why did we publish this play? Have You Heard? not only presents a great acting challenge, but also a directing challenge. And to top it all off, it has a thought-provoking theme. It’s a one, two, three punch and that’s why we published it. If you’ve got a small program, or you’re doing multiple one acts, or you want to stretch your group in competition, have a look at this play. Why is this play good for online platforms? This play is monologue based – all the characters share the story through individual monologues. This makes it ideal for an online platform performance where students are in their own spaces. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? I wanted to explore a couple of things with this piece. First was the power of rumour. Rumours grow and change and morph as more and more people breathe life into them. When rumours gain momentum it’s hard to find the truth. Things get murky. I wanted to look at all the various angles of that. The other thing I wanted to present with the piece was a play where the two main characters never set foot on the stage. They don’t have any lines whatsoever. The characters you do meet are forced to speculate on the motivations and feelings of Josh and Mr. Pender, but the audience never hears from them directly. The audience is ultimately left to formulate their own opinions of what the truth is. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. A not-so-innocent lie is believed to be true. The ripple effect leaves no one untouched. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The opening and closing scenes where the cast appears as an ensemble. For the majority of the play they appear individually, but in those opening and closing moments they’re united in their vulnerability and strength. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? It’s a monologue-based play, but don’t be shy about involving the cast throughout. There are many opportunities for the whole cast help bring the monologues to life through tableau, silently acting the story as a character tells it, small interactions with the speaking character like placing a comforting arm around their shoulders as they speak, etc. The script lends itself to collaborative staging despite its monologue-based structure. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? On the content side, I think its extremely relatable. Openly talking about the impact of rumours is a good way to shine light on something we all grapple with. On the performance side it’s a great opportunity to work with monologues. It allows students to really grow a character, and in a different way than they’re used to – through dialogue with other characters. With this play, they must build their character using the clues in the monologue and develop it for themselves from there. In addition to character development, it’s also a great acting challenge for learning and performing long sections of text. The experience of performing a piece like this will help build skills for more complex performances in the future, like Shakespearian soliloquys. 6. Do you have any tips for those looking to perform this play online? Both Have you Heard? and Puzzle Pieces? lend themselves nicely for online performance. As a monologue-based play, it allows for that intimate connection between the audience and a single performer. Settings in the performance space provider (such as Zoom) can be set to highlight the speaker, which results in the performer filling the whole screen, rather than the audience seeing all actors at once, if the director wishes to present it this way. The plays are flexible, however, and do lend themselves to an ensemble performance as well. While actors are performing their monologues, the remaining actors can support the performances in a variety of ways. The director and cast can choose if all actors participate, or if only a select number do. If not all actors are participating in the scene, the director can ask them to simple turn and face their back to their camera, or walk out of frame thus “leaving the stage.” The staging for Have you Heard? and Puzzle Pieces is flexible regardless of the staging environment – live, virtual, live-streamed. In their simplest form, each scene can be performed with only the actor(s) in the scene who are speaking being “on stage” (or on screen depending on the scenario). The bulk of both plays are monologues, so for the majority of the play, you could have a single actor on stage/screen. To enrich the performance experience for the audience, I would recommend engaging cast members to enhance the monologues by employing tactics such as mime, tableaux, use of props and costume add-ons, virtual backgrounds and reaction buttons. This creates a space where the audience and the cast are all part of each “monologue moment” and heightens the impact of each characters’ story/experience by bringing it more fully to life.

One of the exciting aspects of rehearsal is experimenting with the text of the script and figuring out what the characters are saying and how they should say it. Each approach to the text will differ from student to student, actor to actor, and director to director – and that’s what makes theatre so interesting! Here are three fun exercises that allow students to explore different ways of approaching their lines and thinking about the emotions behind them. These exercises can be used in rehearsal as well as in the drama classroom, for students to try different ways of presenting their characters’ lines. Exercise 1: Emphasis1. Students will select a partner. 2. Select one line from a play, or use one of the sample lines provided (found in the handout). 3. Count how many words there are in the sentence. For example, the line “Can you help me please?” has five words. 4. Write out the line as many times as there are words in the sentence. From our example, students will write the line out five times. 5. For each sentence, underline a different word. - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? 6. Say the lines out loud one by one, emphasizing the underlined word. 7. How does the emphasis of the different words change the meaning of the line? Note the differences in tone and emotions. Exercise 2: Emotion1. With the same partner, students will brainstorm a list of ten different emotions/feelings (for example: happy, sad, surprised, angry, bored, exhausted, annoyed, ecstatic, disgusted, hopeful). 2. Using the same line (“Can you help me please?”), students will say the line out loud ten times, using the ten different emotions they brainstormed. 3. How does the line meaning change when spoken with a different emotion? Does the line still make sense? (If it doesn’t, can you think of a reason or situation where the line would be said with that feeling?) Make note of these thoughts. Exercise 3: Sliding Scale Variations1. Using the same line, explore different ranges of emotions. For example: • Loud angry (screaming in rage) versus quiet angry (death glare) • Loud sad (sobbing) versus quiet sad (tears and silence) • Loud happy (screaming in delight) versus quiet happy (fainting away) 2. Try interacting with your partner in a scene, each feeling the same emotion but to the opposite extreme (for example, loud angry versus quiet angry). 3. Try a sliding scale of emotions. If “level 1 anger” is a silent death glare and “level 10 anger” is screaming in rage, what is level 3 on the anger scale? Level 5? How about level 8? 4. Use your senses. What do the emotions look and sound like? For example: “loud angry” might involve yelling and screaming, flailing, and pacing, while “quiet angry” might involve death glares, stiff posture, and clenched fists. 5. How do these different approaches to the text affect the meaning of the lines, as well as your performance? Reflect on your explorations. Distance Learning Adaptation All three of these exercises can be practiced and performed using video conferencing programs. The focus will be on rotating volunteer performers (rather than pairing up) and having the rest of the group observe and analyze the performances. Decide whether you wish your students to report their observations verbally in a class discussion, or if you want your students to submit written observations. Exercise 1: EmphasisHave one student say the selected line out loud as many times as there are words in the sentence, emphasizing a different word each time. Observe: • How does the emphasis of the different words change the meaning of the line? • Which emphasized word makes the most effective line? Why? • If the selected line is from a play, compare the line out of context (by itself) to the line when it’s in the context of the scene. Does the same emphasized word work? Why or why not? • If the selected line is not from a play, invent a line to come before and after the line. Does the same emphasized word work? Why or why not? Exercise 2: EmotionAs a group, brainstorm ten different emotions/feelings. Have one student say the selected line out loud ten times, using the ten different emotions that were brainstormed. Observe: • How does the line meaning change when spoken with a different emotion? Does the line still make sense? • If the line does not make sense, think of a reason or situation where the line would be said with that feeling. Exercise 3: Sliding Scale VariationsUsing the selected line, have students explore different ranges of emotions. First, choose two students to try two wide ranges of emotions: loud angry versus quiet angry, loud sad versus quiet sad, loud happy versus quiet happy. Second, choose five students to try ascending the range of emotions: the first student starts with “level 1 anger” and the last student will finish with “level 10 anger.” The three middle students need to figure out how to increase their levels of emotion without going too big or too small. Then, choose five students to try descending the range of emotions, from level 10 to level 1. Observe: • How does the level set by the first student affect the rest of the students when ascending or descending the emotions? • When analyzing a script, how do you determine how big or small your emotions need to be? What factors affect your choices? • What gestures, postures, and facial expressions can help demonstrate the emotion you are trying to portray? • How do these different approaches to the text affect the meaning of the lines? Overall Observations: How does these exercises help you to become a better actor? How can you use these exercises in rehearsal for a show? How do strong emotional choices by actors make a scene or show more interesting to watch?

What is a signature gesture? It’s a nonverbal, repeated movement your character is known for, that you perform in a particular way that is unique and identifiable. Common, well-known gestures include the thumbs-up/thumbs-down, the peace sign, air quotes, shrugging, pointing, eye rolling, saluting, and tipping your hat. The list goes on and on! Some famous examples are Matilda’s defiant power pose (hands on hips, feet splayed, face in profile), Hamilton’s triumphant fist punch towards the sky, the cocky hair-combing of the T-Birds in Grease, and J. Pierrepont Finch’s fourth-wall–breaking look towards the audience in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. TaskHave your class brainstorm a list of well-known physical gestures. How many can you name? What do they mean? Do they mean different things to different people? Why use gesture?So why should you create a signature gesture for your character? For starters, it creates an interesting physical layer to your character. A signature gesture helps to identify your character from the others through their unique movement, and defines your character as someone different from you, the actor. It shows off your character’s personality. For example, eye rolling immediately identifies you as impatient, a high-five indicates a playful personality, and a firm, close-up handshake demonstrates a person not to be messed with. Some gestures can indicate multiple personality traits. For example, a pointed figure could indicate someone of a scolding or authoritative nature (such as a parent or a teacher), but it could also be used by a helpful person giving directions. Conversely, different characters might have similar personality traits, but use different gestures to demonstrate them. A well-placed smirk and shrug of the shoulder can be flirtatious, but so could a raised eyebrow, a wink, or a hair toss. Signature gestures also give the audience something to look forward to. When your character enters the stage, the audience will immediately be drawn to you, anticipating your signature gesture and when it will be used next. It creates a sense of familiarity and fun. TaskFrom your list of physical gestures, have your class identify a personality trait that goes with each gesture; for example, pointing = authoritative, thumb sucking = immature or babyish. Some gestures might work with multiple personality traits. How do you differentiate them? (Feel free to demonstrate the differences!) When should you use gesture?When should you use a signature gesture? The best times to employ your signature gesture are at significant moments in the show, to make your point stronger – such as a funny comment, a fit of anger, or as an exclamation at the end of a sentence – or on a repeated phrase or joke. Signature gestures are also commonly used on the “button” at the end of a song, where the music finishes. The High School Musical jump is a well-known gesture that is repeated in each of the films and stage musicals, and is always used on the button of the final song of the show. How can you find your character’s signature gesture? This is something you’ll explore during your rehearsal period and on your own time. Try different gestures to see what works for your character. Work with your fellow actors to ensure you are the only one doing your signature gesture, to keep your movement unique to your character. Or, look for places where others could “steal” or use your signature gesture – perhaps to taunt your character, to mimic your character, or to achieve or get something your character wants or has. For example, think of when Roxie Hart uses Velma Kelly’s gestures (such as crying into a handkerchief and fainting) while on trial in the musical Chicago – this prompts Velma to sing the song “Class.” Work through your script and note important or significant moments where your signature gesture could improve or emphasize what you are saying or doing. Ask for feedback from your director, to ensure that your signature gesture works for your character and doesn’t upstage you or the other performers. TaskHave your students come up with three possible signature gestures. Try using them during rehearsal. What feels most natural, and/or what looks best onstage. Distance Learning Adaptation 1. Have students list as many gestures as they can think of, such as pointing, raising an eyebrow, winking, tipping a hat, shrugging shoulders, and so on. 2. Have your class brainstorm a list of well-known physical gestures from plays, television shows, or movies. How many can you name? What do they mean? Do they mean different things to different people? 3. One at a time, have students perform the sentence “Hey, how’s it going?” using a different gesture. Each student should aim to do something different. Experiment with different gestures, and where in the sentence the gesture is used. For example: • “Hey” (finger point) “How’s it going?” • (wink) “Hey, how’s it going?” • “Hey, how’s it going?” (tip of the hat) Ask your students: Does the positioning of the gesture in the line change the meaning of the line or perception of the character? Does a different gesture change how it feels to play that character? Does adding a gesture make it easier to portray a mood or emotion? 4. Have students try performing the same sentence and gesture, but portraying different emotions (scared, flirtatious, angry, secretive, etc.). How does that affect how the audience (i.e. the rest of the class) perceives the character? 5. Try this exercise again with the following sentences: • “What do you think about that?” • “I have a fantastic idea.” • “It’s 9 o’clock… you know what that means.” 6. If you are currently studying a play in class, have students suggest signature gestures for the characters. Have them read lines from the play aloud and figure out where the signature gestures would be used in different scenes.

When creating a theatrical piece, it’s important to engage as many of the five senses as possible, including sound. It’s easy when you’re working on a musical; the sounds of the show are written right into the libretto. However, when working on a play, this may be more challenging. Choosing just the right music can evoke immediate feelings of a certain era: think of the big band sounds of the 1920s and 1930s, the swinging sounds of the 1960s, or the synth-pop bubblegum sounds of the 1980s. Similarly, an eerie, dark pipe organ playing in a minor key can put an audience in mind of a haunted house, while medieval harps and flutes immediately bring to mind pastoral fairy tale imagery. For this exercise, students will create a playlist of songs/musical pieces that would be appropriate for a selected play (not a musical). Students may select their own play, or the teacher may assign a specific play to the entire class. The playlist must include:• One song for pre-show music (while audience is entering the theatre and taking their seats). • Songs for three important scene changes within the show. • Songs for three important/significant moments within the show (for example, a dance, a death, a moment when two characters meet for the first time, etc.). • One song for intermission music. • One song to use during bows. • One song for post-show music (while audience is exiting the theatre). • TOTAL: 10 songs The songs may include vocals or may be instrumental pieces. Students will either burn the songs to a CD or USB drive, or create a playlist on an approved app (such as Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music). Students will also submit a written component, which will include the following:• A written list of the ten songs, including title of song, artist, and album. • For the scene changes, students will identify which scene change they selected a piece for, and why they selected that particular scene change. For example, they could choose a scene change where the setting of the play changes location, or one that foreshadows an event to come. • For the significant moments, students will identify which moment they selected a piece for, and why they selected that particular moment. • For all songs selected, students will indicate WHY they selected that particular piece. Examples may include evoking a certain time period, mood, or theme; significant lyrics in the song; creating a contrasting feel from the previous moment; and so on. • Students will also complete a final reflection, describing the overall mood/feeling that they are going for with their song choices. Distance Learning Adaptation This exercise can be completed individually by students as written, as an independent study project. Students will select songs to create their own 10-track playlist for an assigned play. They should create the playlist on an approved app, such as Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. Students will also complete the written component, and submit it electronically along with the link to their playlist. Alternatively, you can do this assignment as a full class project. 1. For the play your class is currently studying, act as director and decide the time period / atmosphere / mood of the piece that you would like for the play. 2. Each student will select one song or instrumental piece of music that they feel evokes the atmosphere you have chosen. Students should consider different aspects such as the tone, musical style, and mood of the song, lyrical content, and the time period of the song (either when it was actually written or the style it sounds like). 3. Along with the title and artist or composer of the song (as applicable), students will find and submit a link to the song (such as on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube). 4. As well, students will submit a written paragraph describing why they feel this song is appropriate for the atmosphere of the play. Students can reference a certain character, scene, line, moment, etc. 5. Create a playlist with all the songs selected by the students. Send students the link to the playlist for them to listen to. Do not include a list of what song each student submitted – keep it anonymous. 6. Students will listen to the playlist and submit a written response to the following questions: • In your opinion, which three songs were the most appropriate for the mood/atmosphere of the play? Why? • In your opinion, which three songs did not match the atmosphere of the play? Why not? • What was your favourite song on the playlist, other than the one you selected? Why did you like it? • What a was a song that you had never heard of before, that you discovered on the playlist? What was your reaction to it?

The following exercise is the first of a two-part class exercise (Part 2 will come later this month), giving students the opportunity to practice audition prep in a safe environment. Although auditioning is a skill that students can practice and improve, students don’t always have the chance to do so outside of preparing an audition for an actual show. This classroom exercise will give them that opportunity. This exercise is broken down into steps that push students to make smart choices when selecting their monologue, when performing it, and when looking critically at their performance. Part 1 consists of selecting a monologue and recording it on video–almost like creating and submitting a first draft of an essay. Part 2 consists of students refining their monologue and preparing to present for the entire class. 1. Selecting a MonologueStudents will select a monologue that they would like to work on–but not just any old monologue. Before students select their monologue, you should set out parameters for them to follow. Consider the following: • Length of monologue • Style of monologue (comedic or dramatic, contemporary or classical) • Where the monologue comes from: • Ideally, the monologue should be from an actual play. It is up to you whether you wish to allow students to select a monologue from a different source, like a play, musical, novel, long poem, movie, online source, book of monologues, monologues that you or your students have written… • Theatrefolk has some great, free monologues here! • If you wish, you can be even more specific and select which plays/playwrights students must select their monologue from. • Be sure to mention that the monologue must be memorized. (This should be a given, but students will still ask.) For the exercise, give your students your parameters and the Monologue Selection Handout to complete ( get the sample version below ). For example: “Students will select a 45-second to 1-minute long monologue. The monologue should be from a contemporary play and may be comedic or dramatic. The monologue must be memorized and may not be from a film or television show.” 2. Preparing the MonologueStudents rehearse their monologues (it is up to you whether this is done during class time or at home as homework). Encourage them to focus on fully performing the material: memorization, emotions, facial expressions, appropriate movements, diction, and projection. Talk to students about what it means to prepare a monologue for an audition. They have to showcase their best work in a short period of time. How will students showcase themselves through action, expression, diction, and projection? 3. Performing the Monologue on VideoStudents select a partner, and using a smartphone or digital camera, their partner will record them performing their audition piece (and vice versa). Students should “slate” their audition recording, by first stating (in their own voice, out of character) their name, age or grade level, and the title of the play and playwright of their monologue. For example: “Hi, my name is Susan Jones, I’m in grade 9, and my monologue is from the play Hoodie by Lindsay Price.” 4. Viewing the RecordingAfter both partners have recorded their audition pieces, they will watch the videos back and complete both a self-evaluation and an evaluation of their partner’s performance. On the evaluations they will note three things that they/their partner did well, and three things that they/their partner can improve upon for next time. Here are some things to look out for: • Memorization (First and foremost!) • Volume (Could you hear what your partner was saying?) • Diction (Were they speaking clearly?) • Emotions (Did your partner display emotions through their face, voice, and body language? Or did they just stand and talk?) • Appropriate gestures/facial expressions • Posture/body language • Habits/tics (Were these character choices or actor displays of nervousness? These could include things like playing with hair, smoothing clothes, swaying, shuffling feet…) • Focus (Could you tell who your partner was speaking to in their monologue?) Students will then submit their video files, self and partner evaluations, and monologue selection handouts for you to evaluate. Distance Learning Adaptation 1. Depending on the size of your class, select a number of monologues that would be appropriate for students to perform for this exercise. There should be a minimum of four monologues: one comedic, one dramatic, one classical, and one contemporary. Be sure to include characters of different genders. Include the title of the play, playwright, character name, and one-sentence synopsis of the monologue. Prepare these monologues into a document that can be shared with your students. 2. In class, go over the monologues with your students. Have volunteers read aloud each of the monologues. Have students identify what type of monologue each one is, and why it would be a good choice for an audition. 3. Have students choose a monologue from the options you provided to memorize, rehearse, and record at home. 4. Students will record themselves on their devices performing the memorized monologue. Have students slate their audition, however, ask students not to include their last names or grade level if you upload the videos to a private YouTube channel or class website, for privacy purposes. (“Hi, my name is Jamie, and my monologue is from the play Hoodie by Lindsay Price” should be sufficient for this exercise.) Instruct students on how to safely and accurately submit the video footage to you for evaluation purposes. 5. Send each student another student’s audition video. The students will evaluate the video performance they receive, indicating three things that the auditioner did well and three things that could be improved upon for next time. Since students are working with technology, ensure that the evaluations focus more on the actual performance over technological issues (evaluating students can include that information – such as background noise, echoes, or weird shadows in the recording – but that may be something the auditioning student has little to no control over). Students will submit their evaluations to the teacher, who will send the notes anonymously to the auditioning student. 6. Have students review and consider the notes they received. They will write and submit a written reflection on the following: • Do you agree with the feedback given to you? Why or why not? • What was the most useful piece of feedback you received? How will you put that feedback to use? • What is the difference between feedback and criticism? • Given the opportunity to re-record your audition, what (if anything) would you do differently? Why? Kerry Hishon is a director, actor, writer, and stage combatant from London, Ontario, Canada. Check out her blog at www.kerryhishon.com.