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Acting Lesson Plans

A library of lesson plans to help you effectively plan your workshops and classes.

A Cross-Curricular Performance Challenge

by Kerry Hishon

To use theatrical techniques to present a short lesson from another class in a creative and entertaining way. The lessons and methods of presentation are only limited by the students’ imaginations.

# Acting # acting
Lesson 5 of 5 in Abstract Scene Performance Unit

Abstract Scene Performances

by Annie Dragoo

Students will perform their abstract scenes for classes who have been invited to observe.

# Acting # acting # scene work
Lesson 1 of 6 in Improvisation Unit

Accept the Offer

by Karen Loftus

Students apply this guidelines through the games “Yes and…” “Yes Let’s,” and Low Risk Experts.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 1
# Acting # improv # acting

Acting Techniques: A Method Exercise

by Lindsay Price

There are a number of different acting techniques: Method, Stanislavski, Viewpoints, Meisner, Viola Spolin. Use this lesson plan as an introduction to a specific technique.

Instead of learning by lecture, have students learn by doing. The Relaxation Exercise encourages students to focus on relaxing the body part by part. The Animal Exercise encourages students to observe an animal, take on the characteristics of an animal and reflect on how animal exploration would be helpful in character development.

# Technique # Acting # acting

Acting the Monologue: Sugar and Salt

by Lindsay Price

This is a great exercise when students are in the middle of preparing a monologue. Students will apply variety to a monologue in the following ways:
- Variety of pace (choosing a line to slow down or a place to pause)
- Variety of tone (choosing a line to deliver with an opposite tone)

Includes two sample monologues.

# Acting # acting # monologue
Lesson 5 of 6 in The Actor in Transition: From Presentational to Three-Dimensional Unit

Acting the Other and Intensifying the Tactics

by John Minigan

This lesson includes a series of improv games to focus students on “the other” rather than “the self,” on listening, on sharing their energy with scene partners, and on collaboration in acting.

# Acting # acting
Lesson 1 of 4 in Musical Theatre Unit

Acting the Song - Musical Tactics

by Anna Porter

Students will understand how they can identify and create their own musical tactics and interpretation of a song by breaking down its music and lyrics. Students will build upon/review their understanding of basic music terminology and apply it to performance.

# Acting # Musical Theatre # musical theatre
Lesson 2 of 4 in Musical Theatre Unit

Acting the Song - Textual Analysis

by Anna Porter

Students will understand how to analyze a song to find meaning, objective, and tactics through textual analysis.

# Acting # musical theatre

Acting vs. Performing a Song

by Annie Dragoo

In musicals, it is important to remember that acting does not stop when the music begins. In this lesson, students will learn to find meaning behind the lyrics of a song so that they can convey the character’s feelings while performing.

# Acting # Musical Theatre # acting # musical theatre
Lesson 11 of 11 in Mock Audition Unit

After the Audition

by Lindsay Price

How did students feel about their audition? Did they get a part? What is their response if they didn’t? This wrap up lesson allows students to unpack their experience with this unit and participate in a final reflection. This is not a full class lesson.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 11
# Acting # audition # acting
Lesson 1 of 6 in The Actor in Transition: From Presentational to Three-Dimensional Unit

An Organic Approach to Objective, Obstacle, Action/Tactic

by Rachel Atkins

This lesson introduces the idea of “Objective/Goal, Obstacle, and Action/Tactic” as a powerful building block for actors and to introduce the concept of working with verbs as tactics.

# Acting # acting
Lesson 3 of 7 in Monologue Writing Made Easy Unit

Analyzing Monologues

by Matthew Banaszynski

Students will plot out the steps of the story mountain by using existing monologues.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 3
# Playwriting # Acting # monologue # playwriting # acting
Lesson 3 of 6 in Introduction to Stanislavski Unit

Analyzing the Play and Given Circumstances

by Drama Teacher Academy

This lesson marks the shift from working on exercises to working directly on the scenes. Students will revisit their scenes and do some preliminary analysis about the plot, style, and main ideas of the plays these scenes come from. They will learn about given circumstances and their importance. Students will complete a character analysis in order to give them information about the given circumstances of their character to use in scene work.

# Acting
Lesson 3 of 6 in Virtual Introduction to Stanislavski Unit

Analyzing the Play and Given Circumstances

by Drama Teacher Academy

This lesson marks the shift from working on exercises to working directly on the scenes. Students will revisit their scenes and do some preliminary analysis about the plot, style, and main ideas of the plays these scenes come from. They will learn about given circumstances and their importance. Students will complete a character analysis in order to give them information about the given circumstances of their character to use in scene work.

# Acting
Lesson 3 of 14 in Commedia dell'Arte Unit

Appetite

by Todd Espeland

This lesson introduces the second tool: appetite. An appetite is a primal need that drives a character in a scene.

# Acting # commedia
Lesson 4 of 5 in Script Analysis: The Actor's Perspective Unit

Applying Analysis to Performance

by Karen Loftus

Students continue their exploration of script analysis by applying objective, obstacles, tactics, and stakes within an open scene. They learn that they must apply their script analysis to their performance.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 4
# Acting # Analysis # acting # analysis
Lesson 1 of 3 in Voice Unit

Articulation

by Anna Porter

Students will learn the importance of articulation, how to identify the articulators in their mouth, and how to use good articulation when speaking.

# Acting # voice # acting
Lesson 3 of 4 in Voice Unit

Articulation

by Karen Loftus

Students learn about the articulators and use them with tongue twisters and additional exercises.

# Acting # voice # acting
Lesson 4 of 11 in Mock Audition Unit

Audition Etiquette

by Lindsay Price

Students will continue their journey toward the Mock Audition by exploring audition etiquette. How can an actor’s attitude and behaviour affect an audition?

  • Slide Deck Lesson 4
# Acting # audition # acting
Lesson 5 of 15 in Scene Staging Unit

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.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 5
# Acting