DTA | Acting :: Drama Lesson Plans

Transitions

by Kerry Hishon

To practice planning and performing transitions between scenes in a smooth and well-prepared manner, with increasingly shorter time frames and other challenges.

# Acting # Directing # acting # directing

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The final project for this unit is a simple two-person pantomime of up to one minute in length. The objective is for students to utilize mime, body language, and facial expression to tell a basic story: an activity that has an obstacle that they overcome or get past.

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Slide Deck Unit Project

# Acting # acting # pantomime

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Unit Project

by Karen Loftus

The final project will allow students to demonstrate their improv skills in a two-person scene.

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Slide Deck Unit Project

# Acting # improv # acting

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Unit Project

by Karen Loftus

Students will be able to take everything they’ve explored about commedia and create a simple scene.

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Slide Deck Unit Project

# Acting # Commedia # commedia # acting

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Unit Project

by Karen Loftus

For the final project, give students an assigned scene to analyze as if they were going to perform it. One option is to have students continue working on the “Still as Stone” scene. Alternatively, you could provide a selection for them to choose from, or have students choose their own scenes.

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# Acting # Analysis # acting # analysis

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Unit Project

by Karen Loftus

This is a simple project. Your students are going to tell a joke or riddle to the class. The reason to use a joke or a riddle (rather than a poem, prose piece, monologue, or scene) is students in the audience will want to hear the answer. They will be more engaged in the simple joke or riddle than passively listening to something else. See the add-on if you wish to have students apply projection and articulation to a scene.

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Slide Deck Unit Project

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Unit Reflection (Essay)

by Annie Dragoo

Students will evaluate the value of improvisation in musical theatre by writing a five-paragraph essay.

# Improvisation # Acting # improv # musical theatre

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Using Emotional Recall

by Annie Dragoo

During this lesson, students will explore how the five senses can be used by actors as a technique to create a character.

# Acting # acting

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Using Movement to Convey an Idea

by Annie Dragoo

In this lesson, students will participate in several activities that will help them devise, create, and rehearse movement that can be used in abstract scenes. They will practice and demonstrate their understanding of blocking and physicality by being able to add and execute movement in their abstract scene.

# Acting # acting # scene work

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Using Theatre to Share and Celebrate History

by Kerry Hishon

The objective of the lesson is for students to explore historical events that are significant to them through various theatrical mediums that may seem unusual or “out of the box.” The inspiration for this lesson plan comes from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s theatrical hit Hamilton, which utilizes rap and hip-hop music and colourblind casting to tell the story of the American founding fathers.

# Playwriting # Acting # acting # playwriting

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Vocal Variety

by Anna Porter

Students will learn how to use vocal variety to communicate. Students will learn how to identify and apply Pitch, Tone, Rate, and Volume in performance.

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# Acting # voice # acting

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What Do We “Do” on Stage?

by Karen Loftus

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?

# Movement # Acting # acting # movement

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What is Abstract Theatre?

by Annie Dragoo

In this unit, students will create and perform an abstract theatre scene. Abstract is a genre that does not rely on realism and deliberately breaks the rules of a given form. In the case of theatre, this refers to the commonly presented rules of performance, acting, and the relationship with the audience. Movement is often stylized and symbolic. Ideas and themes are expressed visually and aurally with little dialogue using music, lights, costumes, and props.

# Acting # acting # scene work

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What is the Alexander Technique?

by Ruthie Tutterow

Students will learn about the Alexander Technique and its six principles. Students will begin to explore how to make personal adjustments in their movements using the Alexander Technique.

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