Search the Drama Teacher Academy

The Technical Director

by Drama Teacher Academy

Students will analyze the role of a technical director. They will also explore safety standards within a technical theatre scene shop and construct a budget for an imaginary production.

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The Stage Manager

by Drama Teacher Academy

Students will analyze the role of a stage manager as well as employ service skills to facilitate solutions to issues that a stage manager may face.

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Culminating Project

by Drama Teacher Academy

Students will identify skills of strong leadership in theatre management. They will employ leadership skills to create and accomplish project goals and objectives.

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Script Analysis: The Basics

by Lindsay Price

Students will begin their staging journey by compiling the basics of the scene. They will read the scene and identify some general knowledge that will help them in the rehearsal process.

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Script Analysis: Close Reading

by Lindsay Price

Students will do a close reading of the text, multiple times, to mine for as much information as possible. At the end of each read, students identify possible staging idea for their character and for the plot.

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Slide Deck Lesson 2

Blocking Brainstorm

by Lindsay Price

In this lesson, students will get on their feet and apply what they have learned through analysis in a blocking brainstorm.

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Slide Deck Lesson 3

Script Analysis: Scoring

by Lindsay Price

The last script analysis step is scoring. To score a scene means to divide the dialogue into beats and then add action words for each beat. Scoring gives students another avenue for exploratory blocking.

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Slide Deck Lesson 4

Beats and Action Words

by Lindsay Price

This unit now moves into the second phase of the rehearsal process: staging. Students will start by taking their script analysis work with beats and action words and apply it to their scenes through exploratory movement.

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Slide Deck Lesson 5

Character Physicalization, Part 1

by Lindsay Price

In this lesson, students will explore their character’s physicality. These exercises don’t require any assigned blocking, and students only have to memorize one line.

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Slide Deck Lesson 6

Initial Blocking

by Lindsay Price

Students will identify and notate existing blocking for their scenes. They will also walk through each section beat by beat and notate further blocking.

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Slide Deck Lesson 7

Memorization Techniques

by Lindsay Price

To apply memorization techniques as part of the goal of a staged scene with specific, dynamic blocking and three-dimensional characters. This lesson will focus on practicing a variety of memorization techniques.

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Slide Deck Lesson 8

Stage Pictures

by Lindsay Price

In this lesson, students explore a variety of ways to create dynamic staging pictures when blocking a scene. They will discuss the results and reflect on whether or not what they’ve learned should be added to their blocking.

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Slide Deck Lesson 9

Character Physicalization, Part 2

by Lindsay Price

Students will revisit character physicality choices and solidify that they are a part of their staging. Additionally, there is an exercise to further explore character physicality.

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Slide Deck Lesson 10

Rehearsal

by Lindsay Price

This lesson is a straight up rehearsal period. Students will have 30 minutes to rehearse and decide on a section they’re going to show the class. They will perform their section without scripts.

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Slide Deck Lesson 11

Purposeful Action

by Lindsay Price

In their rehearsal today, students will review their blocking choices with a specific objective of making every action in the scene purposeful and theatrical through character wants, audience connection, and vocal clarity.

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Slide Deck Lesson 12

Removing Actor-Driven Movement

by Lindsay Price

In this rehearsal, students will share their scenes with another group with the specific focus of examining it for actor-driven movement rather than character-driven movement: shuffling their weight back and forth between their feet, playing with their hair, vaguely gesturing with their hands, etc.

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Slide Deck Lesson 13

Final Rehearsal

by Lindsay Price

This is it! The final rehearsal before students perform. Students focus on getting those last few lines word perfect, reflect on where they are, and do final run-throughs.

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Slide Deck Lesson 14

Performing the Scene

by Lindsay Price

Students perform their scenes and complete a Post-Performance Reflection.

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Slide Deck Lesson 15

Creative Thinking: Writing the Next Scene

by Kerry Hishon

A common acting exercise for students is to imagine what their character is doing next when they exit a scene and what they’re doing when they aren’t onstage. In this lesson, students will explore this exercise through playwriting by writing the next scene for an exiting character. Where did they go? What are they doing? Why did they leave? Note: This lesson could also be used as an emergency lesson plan if you’re in the middle of a play study unit and have an unexpected absence. It could also work as an independent project.

# Playwriting