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Students will understand the parts of a story and how it relates to a monologue through the story mountain framework.

Students will work in groups to turn their previous drafts into completed monologues.

Students will perform their monologues in front of the class and reflect on the process.

Using the guidelines provided and their previous scene, students will create a Puppet Company complete with a logo, the name of their production, and a picture that gives clues about the production. Students will also learn about professional puppet companies.

If you have the resources, purchase finger puppets for this lesson. It can also be easily done with drawn faces on index fingers, or faces on popsicle sticks. Using well known fairy tales like “Little Red Riding Hood” or “The Three Little Pigs,” students will retell these stories from a different perspective, using their finger puppet.

Students learn how shapes create interesting dynamics in shadow puppets. Students will have a packet of shadow puppet cut-outs. These cut-outs include animals that can be attached to a popsicle stick. In groups/partners, students will use the cut-outs in the packet to create a scene. They will also create an original cut-out.

Students will write their own puppet play using the same format as the prewritten scene. In pairs, students will go over guidelines for creating a character and writing a scene.

One of easiest and earliest forms of puppetry, students will learn to create shadow puppets using just their hands. After they have practiced their creations, they will create a group/partner scene using the shadow puppets.

Students learn proper hand puppet technique and practice these techniques with a prewritten scene. Teachers can also choose to use traditional hand puppets, or students can make their own using socks/paper bags.

This final lesson is a culminating performance. Students practice their scene using their hand puppets, then perform. Those watching will fill out a feedback sheet, which is discussed after the performance. A Unit Reflection and a Performance Reflection are included.

Students will explore the historical and philosophical background for the ABSURDIST style of theatre.

To compare modern-day clichés and stereotyped phrases to those used in Theatre of the Absurd Plays to convey that style’s message of language’s meaninglessness.

To visually introduce the existential angst of World War II’s aftermath; to provide a historical setting for Theatre of the Absurd; as students, write a reflection monologue.

Students will explore the Absurdism theatrical convention of using cliches, stereotypes, or overused repeated phrases to communicate (or not communicate) a larger theme of interpersonal relationships and misunderstandings in the text of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.

Students will create a character and design a puppet for performance.

Students will explore the Absurdism theatrical convention of using meaningless language to communicate (or not communicate) a larger theme of interpersonal relationships and misunderstandings.

Students will examine the effect of pauses in a scene and demonstrate the Absurdist dialogue convention of strange and ill-timed pauses.

Students will explore the Absurdism theatrical convention of circular plot lines that appear to go nowhere and end in unresolved situations by using the text from Max Frisch’s The Arsonists.

Students will explore the Absurdism theatrical convention of using meaningless language to communicate (or not communicate) a larger theme of interpersonal relationships and misunderstandings through the text of Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano.

Students will explore the Absurdist element of impossible things seen as normal or unremarkable in Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros.