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During the run of a show, whether it’s one night or a show that runs for years, the stage manager is in charge. In this lesson, students will complete a performance problem-solving exercise, tackle performance reports, and reflect on whether or not they’d make a good stage manager.

This lesson plan is designed as a pre-study exercise before a unit on The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Students will discuss and dramatize questions surrounding a person’s “name” or reputation.

In this lesson, students will learn about the various background elements for The Crucible through readings and research. Students will then infer, based on what they’ve learned, what is going to happen in the play.

Students will read, analyze, and discuss Act 1 of The Crucible. They will then visualize and dramatize the ideas of Act 1.

Students will apply what they have learned through a creative project.

Calling cues requires the ability to analyze, strategize, and problem solve. Calling cues becomes easier each time, but every show is different and presents new challenges. In this lesson, students practice the act of calling a show. What are the types of cues that can be used? How are they notated in a script?

Students will read, analyze, and discuss Act 3 of The Crucible. They will then visualize and dramatize the ideas of Act 3.

In this lesson, students will continue to learn how they can use the basic screenplay elements in an advanced way to help tell their stories with character introductions, flashbacks, montages, and detailed action lines.

In this lesson, students will continue to learn some basic screenplay formatting elements: transitions and shots.

In this lesson, students will demonstrate their learned knowledge on the craft of screenplay structure. This project is structured as a group project, but it could easily be an individual project if you have a small class or if you have students working online.

In this lesson, students will reflect on their personal style, learn clothing vocabulary, and identify how to apply personal style to creating costumes for a show. They will also learn the difference between a costume designer and a costumer.

In this lesson, students will be introduced to The Crucible. They will examine and discuss a fact sheet on the play and explore allegory.

Students will read, analyze, and discuss Act 2 of The Crucible. They will then visualize and dramatize the ideas of Act 2.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of screenplay formatting by writing the first 10 pages of a screenplay.

In this lesson, students will be introduced to how they can use the basic screenplay elements in an advanced way to help tell their stories with extensions, detailed sluglines, and subheaders.

In this lesson, students will continue to learn some basic screenplay formatting elements: scene headers/sluglines, action lines, character tags, dialogue, and parentheticals.

In this lesson, students practice some of the tracking tasks required of the stage manager in rehearsal: blocking, scene shifts, and props/costumes.

In this lesson, students will get into the nitty gritty of adaptation: the close reading and annotation of the source material. You want your students to know the original text inside and out before they start to adapt. Students will use practice texts to try out the exercise that they will then use on their chosen adaptation source material.

Students will read, analyze and discuss Act 4 of The Crucible. They will then visualize and dramatize the ideas of Act 4.

In this lesson, students will learn a set of guidelines for theatrical adaptation for students to follow when they write their own. They will then apply those guidelines in a couple of smaller text section exercises.