Search the Drama Teacher Academy

To learn the importance of an organized backstage – through discussion, solving issues through performance, and applying knowledge.

For this culminating project, students will perform their original monologue from the previous lesson.

In this lesson, students will create a scene outline by brainstorming and selecting the key foundations of their scene (setting, relationships, and conflicting objectives).

The final project for this unit is a simple two-person pantomime of up to one minute in length. The objective is for students to utilize mime, body language, and facial expression to tell a basic story: an activity that has an obstacle that they overcome or get past.

This Lesson Plan introduces one of the important tools of an actor: the body. Student actors often have difficulty getting out of their own body, especially if they suffer from any kind of stage fright. How do we move on stage? What happens when we’re afraid to move? How can we get beyond nerves to become comfortable with our bodies? What do we “do” on stage?

Students will continue their journey toward the Mock Audition by exploring audition etiquette. How can an actor’s attitude and behaviour affect an audition?

In this lesson, students will spend time rehearsing their abstract scenes. They will also practice and demonstrate movement skills such as facial expression, posture, gesture control, and balance.

Students will participate in a number of power activities that will encourage them to come up with ways to physically demonstrate a powerful/powerless character. A discussion about power in our society will follow.

In this lesson, students will review the “open body” element of projection. Using this technique, students will make it easier for audiences to see and understand their actions in the scene.

In this lesson, we define devised theatre and use a piece of music for students to create their own performance inspired by the music.

Use this lesson plan at the beginning of the year to introduce the concept of ensemble and what it means to work together. Part One: Students participate and then reflect on exercises where they have to work together to make the exercise successful. They are given an Ensemble Expectations Handout. Part Two: Students participate and then reflect on exercises where they have to work together as an ensemble in a theatrical context. Here the exercises add elements of character and story such as creating a family portrait, tableau, group objects, one word storytelling, and choral speaking.

The final project for this unit is a simple one-person pantomime. The objective is for them to utilize mime, body language, and facial expression to tell a basic story (an activity that has an obstacle that they overcome or get past).