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Students will continue to evaluate the role of the critic and the purpose of criticism. In this case study lesson, students will examine the power of the New York Times drama critic in the mid to late 20th century. While there were many outlets reviewing shows, there was an ongoing mythology that a review from the New York Times had the power to keep a show running or close it. Students will discuss and infer if this is true. They will also reflect on the role of the critic who has such power.

This lesson looks at the historical and cultural context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This document outlines all of the potential roles and tasks for students in The Production Classroom. It includes the tasks each student is to complete for their production binder, as well as their particular role during the performance of the show.

In this lesson, students will work in groups to select a song, analyze its lyrics, and plan movements and gestures for a lip-sync performance. Use this lesson at the end of the year, after a major assessment, or following a year-end/semester-end production.

Use this lesson plan to introduce students to the act of reading aloud in a theatrical manner. Reader's Theatre emphasizes the sound of a piece as it has no costume, sets, blocking, or even memorization of lines. But that doesn't mean the reading is static - students will learn and practice how to incorporate volume, tone, pace, emphasis into a reading as a class, and then as a group assignment.

In this ELP, students will read a scene with two characters. Students will read the scene and then analyze the characters. Who are they? What specific character traits do they have? What evidence is there in the text to support your opinion? Students will then reflect on the characters: Who do they connect with most? Who do they connect with least? Who would you want to play/not want to play and why?

In this ELP, students will read a scene, identify the beats, apply action words to each beat, and reflect on how they would use this information to present the scene.

Beware the the Jabberwock! Not really, it’s actually a wonderful poem to use with students to get them to use their imaginations, rely on context clues, and explore word sounds and basic imagery. In this exercise, students will analyze a stanza from Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll in order to create a performance based on that analysis. This exercise is a great springboard into approaching Shakespeare.

To consider the difference between thinking critically about a character and judging a character.

Students start with a name exercise and a non-human personification exercise as an introduction to character creation. The purpose is to show students some of the details that go into creating an interesting dynamic character—in action and in writing.

In this lesson, students will explore character relationships before they start writing their scripts by answering 20 questions. They will also think about character specific vocabulary.

In this multi-class lesson plan students will construct a character from scratch. They will start with a name, decide on a physicality, come up with personality details based on that physicality and then answer interview questions in character.

In this lesson, students will consider what would happen if a character made a different choice within the context of their story. Students will work in groups to identify and analyze a decision made within the text by a character and then think creatively about what the characters might have done differently. They will then create and perform a scene demonstrating the character’s different choice. If you’re looking to incorporate Social and Emotional Learning in your drama classroom, this lesson would fit well into a discussion about responsible decision-making. This exercise can be done individually, in pairs, or in small groups.

This Lesson Plan introduces one of the important tools of an actor: the body. Student actors often have difficulty getting out of their own body, especially if they suffer from any kind of stage fright. How do we move on stage? What happens when we’re afraid to move? How can we get beyond nerves to become comfortable with our bodies? What do we “do” on stage?

In this lesson, students will take a task that has steps to it (the model for this activity demonstrates the process of making handmade candy) and turn it into a physical-movement piece. How can you theatricalize an ordinary task?

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.

Use this lesson plan as an introduction to onstage physical action. Students will demonstrate comprehension of nonverbal communication by identifying, discussing and demonstrating different aspects of body language. They will brainstorm examples of nonverbal communication. They will practice these gestures in exercises. They will come up with body language for different characters and relationships between characters. Their final task will be to put what they've learned into a short scene and then write a reflection.

In this lesson, students will create their own solo performance piece called “I Am From” and explore the different ways to tell a story through self-expression. This allows students to think about who they are and how they can communicate themselves theatrically. In African theatre, there are many ways to tell a story; this poem template allows the student to answer specific questions that will transform into a solo monologue which will be used for a performance.

The objective of this lesson is for students to delve deeper into their roles by experimenting with performing a variety of everyday tasks while in character. As well, it offers students the chance to explore different ways of moving and thinking while in character.

Use this lesson plan as a response activity connected to viewing a video of a musical in class. For example: At the end of semester or if you need a lesson plan during tech week - watch the musical and then do the exercise. After viewing a musical, students will exhibit their ability to analyze a specific character from a musical by creating a visual character profile.