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Students experiment with the scaling technique of gridding as a way to enlarge a smaller image and mimic the technique scenic painters use to create backdrops.

To continue exploring elements of the role of prop master.

Characters have a lot of value in empowering your students’ improv. In this lesson, students will start to explore character in improv with the warm up game “Character Walkabout” and the improv game “Hitchhiker.”

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of everything they have learned through scene performance. They will watch the scenes afterward to self-evaluate. An optional quiz is provided.

To practice planning and performing transitions between scenes in a smooth and well-prepared manner, with increasingly shorter time frames and other challenges.

Students will work in small groups to devise a one-minute long theatrical piece from a prompt. They will create a performance, create a prompt script, assign Stage Manager and Technical Operator roles, rehearse the piece, and perform it for the rest of the class. Depending on your time allowance, this lesson could be completed in one class using only items found in the classroom; or this lesson can be spread over four classes (one class to assign and plan, one class to rehearse, one class as a technical/dress rehearsal, and one class as a performance and discussion/reflection class).

Students hand in all the elements of this project referring back to the included Final Project Assignment Sheet. An assignment sheet is provided to make sure they have everything in the correct order. They must connect this assignment sheet to their packet of submitted materials.

Students will be given the expectations for the individual final project, starting with a playwriting assignment.

Students will read a handout and discuss what it takes to write a two character scene. They will then apply their knowledge through exercises done in class. Finally, they will write and hand in a two character, one location scene which will be assessed.

This unit will explore a couple of the Business roles: (1) Marketing and (2) Front of House. As a reminder: Artistic jobs create ideas. The production jobs implement those ideas. And the business jobs provide the framework that allow those ideas to be shared.

The objective of this lesson is to introduce the concept of “hard skills” (specific abilities or knowledge needed to do a specific job) versus “soft skills” (personal attributes and personality traits; transferable skills that can be used in any aspect of a student’s life).

In this lesson plan, students will take on the role of a producer. They have had their show approved, but, before they get started, they must create a budget to track the money coming and going. Budgeting is a job that must be completed by the producer for every show. What’s involved? What does a budget look like?

Students will identify and understand the roles and responsibilities in a theatre company: artistic, production, and business.

Students will identify and understand the roles and responsibilities in a theatre company: artistic, production, and business.

The objective of the lesson is for students to create and perform a spoken word poetry piece. Spoken word is poetry that is meant to be performed for an audience, rather than just read on a page. It allows students the opportunity to share their thoughts, and provides a platform for them to do so. It also builds on important performance skills taught in the drama classroom, including memorization and rehearsal, vocal projection, enunciation, tone, gestures and facial expressions, and confidence.

In this exercise, students will learn about the concept of status and how it affects character interactions. Using the good old system of “Rock, papers, scissors”, they’ll determine who moves up and down the status ladder.

In this highly structured exercise, students work in groups and use clearly defined goals to create the dialogue of a scene. Each member of the group has an assigned task and contributes to the final creation.

To explore the use of make-up as a theatrical tool.

The objective of this lesson is to introduce the concept of cold reading to your students, and provide them with an opportunity to practice and perform cold readings within the classroom.

Students discuss the scenes from the previous class and reflect as a group on the process.