Hands-On Theatre History: Creating a Modern Day Morality Play

Name: Hands-On Theatre History: Creating a Modern Day Morality Play
Author: Wendy-Marie Martin

Created by Wendy-Marie Martin

Who says theatre history has to be boring? Hands-On Theatre History: Creating a Modern Day Morality play is an interactive course by Wendy-Marie Martin, combining hands-on activities with research and analysis techniques leading to a full performance of the popular medieval morality play, Everyman.

This course gives students an overview of the medieval period and the various medieval play forms and teaches students the key points of storytelling and adaptation.

It includes dynamic individual and group exercises leading students from the first steps of the adaptation process through a final, full-class performance of Everyman—and proves, once and for all, that theatre history can be fun and exciting to learn.

theatre history

11 Modules
1 hours, 25 minutes
3 Credit Hours

Course Summary (PDF)

Standards Addressed

How to receive a Completion Certificate

Lesson 0: Introduction 8:06 FREE PREVIEW

This lesson introduces the material and breaks down the individual lessons that make up the course.

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Lesson 1A: Interactive Overview 10:53 FREE PREVIEW

Lesson 01A will focus on creating an interactive opportunity for students to gain an overview of the medieval period and the play forms found in medieval theatre.

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Lesson 1B: Politics and Play Forms 6:42

Lesson 01B takes students through a series of group activities centered around key events and figures of the medieval period as they create a classroom timeline together.

Lesson 2: Introduction to Everyman 7:07

In this lesson, students will be introduced to Everyman, the medieval morality play they’ll be adapting during this course.

Lesson 3A: Deconstructing Everyman, Part 1 10:27

Lessons 03A through 03C takes students through a series of interactive group exercises that help them to deconstruct and analyze the play scene by scene. These lessons focus on the playwright’s intention and the storytelling components of the play.

Lesson 3B: Deconstructing Everyman, Part 2 8:24

Lesson 3C: Deconstructing Everyman, Part 3 7:58

Lesson 4A: Adapting Everyman, Part 1 8:28

In lessons 04A and 04B, students look at ways to spark creative ideas and get students writing. Using prompt-based writing exercises, students are given a low-stakes opportunity to take their first shot at adapting a scene from the play.

Lesson 4B: Adapting Everyman, Part 2 6:57

In lessons 04A and 04B, teachers will look at ways to spark creative ideas and get students writing. Using prompt-based writing exercises, students are given a low-stakes opportunity to take their first shot at adapting a scene from the play.

Lesson 5: Revisions and Rehearsals 6:33

Lesson 5 gives students time to rehearse and make any final script changes.

Lesson 6: Performance 3:29

Students share their Everyman scene adaptations in order, creating a full-class collaborative performance of the play.

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