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Students will engage in a guided relaxation. Through this exercise, students will gain insight into some relaxation techniques and what intentional relaxation may enable them to do more easily.

Copyright and the Theatre go hand in hand, especially if you’re doing plays. But a topic about which many students (and even teachers) lack knowledge. Students will reflect upon and discuss four questions introducing the topic of copyright. They will then improvise scenarios -- two of which establish copyright correctly, two of which establish copyright incorrectly. The lesson ends with students deciding which scenarios are correct.

The Ancient Greek Theatre is the birth of the modern theatre. We can look at the production of theatre in that time and see similarities to how we present theatre today. But where do we start? And how do we make theatre history more than the collection of data? It’s hard for students to conceptualize an era that happened so long ago as populated with real people. This lesson plan encourages discussion, application, and reflection on the Ancient Greeks. Be sure to check out the Ancient Greek Theatre handout as an accompaniment to this lesson. A powerpoint link is also included that is ready to use in your classroom!

The Ancient Greek Theatre is the birth of the modern theatre. We can look at the production of theatre in that time and see similarities to how we present theatre today. But where do we start? And how do we make theatre history more than the collection of data?

Students explore and play with Laban’s Efforts, then select efforts to use in their monologue.

Students understand what a property is and the various categories of props. Students explore how props are created and acquired.

This lesson introduces the idea of “Objective/Goal, Obstacle, and Action/Tactic” to simple scenes by scoring those scenes and playing the scored text.

This lesson incorporates physicality into stage relationships and learn to use stage position as an element of blocking that can show the dynamics of and changes in power in a scene.

Students will be able to brainstorm fitting characters, setting, and conflict for a contentless scene. Students will use a variety of methods they’ve learned in the previous unit to communicate meaning: setting, pantomime, relationship clues, objectives, stakes, and tactics.

In this lesson, students will create a script draft that includes scene setting, expression, and movement notes.

In this lesson, students will complete a rehearsal checklist, focusing on objectives, tactics, and blocking.

Character is one of the backbone elements of a good play. In this lesson, students will work on a character profile.

In this lesson, students will explore nonverbal communication. How do students determine what others are thinking and feeling? Can they read body language and other forms of nonverbal communication? When they look at a photo can they identify what someone is thinking?

In this lesson, we will close read sections of an early modern text: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. This play fits the criteria well for a close read text: Lots of details both in story and character, lots of structural “hows” to analyze, and Oscar Wilde makes a lot of statements with this play about Victorian England, about how people behave, about marriage, and about being truthful (earnest). Students will approach the text through a variety of exercises, from close reading the title, to single sentences, to a small section, to a culminating assignment.

Use this lesson plan as an introduction to a playwriting unit. This is a two lesson plan unit. Students complete exercises that demystify and reframe the four foundational elements of the playwriting process: Warm Ups, The Idea, Character, and Conflict. These plans are grounded in the statement: “You can’t build a house without a good foundation.” In order to write plays students need to know the basics first.

Birds flying in the sky appear as if they’re in perfect formation and synchronization. They’re aware of each other and the space around them at all times. Through this exercise, students will explore different types of movement and how it can express certain feelings and concepts. They’ll also build trust and ensemble by working together to create choral movement connected to vocal pieces.

In this lesson, students will take what they learn about the different types of props and how props are created or acquired in order to apply it to a specific project. Using their critical thinking skills, they’ll have to invent, design, and create a science fiction style prop for a hypothetical show.

The objective of the lesson is for students to explore historical events that are significant to them through various theatrical mediums that may seem unusual or “out of the box.” The inspiration for this lesson plan comes from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s theatrical hit Hamilton, which utilizes rap and hip-hop music and colourblind casting to tell the story of the American founding fathers.

There are two possible assignments for this unit. One that will take a week of class time, including performances and one that can be completed in a class period.