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Acting Lesson Plans

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

Lesson 4 of 7 in Introduction to Mask Unit

The Qualities of Movement

by Allison Williams

In this lesson, students will explore the eight qualities of movement to give more variety, texture, and richness to their movement choices and then apply the qualities of movement to their mask work.

# Acting
Lesson 7 of 7 in Foundations of Acting Unit

The Scene

by Annie Dragoo

In this culminating exercise, students will prepare a scene using what they have learned throughout the unit.

  • Scenes
# Acting # acting
Lesson 2 of 4 in Pantomime Unit

The Specifics of Holding an Object

by Karen Loftus

Students are introduced to the techniques of hand position, tension, follow through, action/reaction/interaction.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 2
# Acting # acting # pantomime # popular
Lesson 3 of 5 in Script Analysis: The Actor's Perspective Unit

The Stanislavski Method

by Karen Loftus

Students continue their exploration with script analysis by learning about objective, obstacle, stakes, and tactics and applying it to an exercise.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 3
# Acting # Analysis # acting # analysis
Lesson 2 of 7 in Monologue Writing Made Easy Unit

The Story Mountain Framework

by Matthew Banaszynski

Students will understand the parts of a story and how it relates to a monologue through the story mountain framework.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 2
# Playwriting # Acting # monologue # playwriting # acting
Lesson 3 of 3 in Stage Movement Unit

The Technicalities of Stage Movement

by Karen Loftus

Students discuss and apply technical aspects of moving on stage: sightlines and staying open. They then apply these aspects in a short scene.

  • Slide Deck Lesson 3
# Acting # acting
Lesson 3 of 7 in Tools of Scene Work Unit

Thou Shalts of Staging and Performance

by Anna Porter

Students will participate in a demonstration to explore the rules of staging and performance and why they are important. They will perform a Bad Idea/Good Idea skit for the class, to demonstrate their understanding of the concept.

# Acting # acting # scene work

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
Lesson 4 of 4 in Pantomime Unit

Unit Project

by Karen Loftus

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.

# Acting # acting # pantomime # popular
Lesson 6 of 6 in Improvisation Unit

Unit Project

by Karen Loftus

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

# Acting # improv # acting
Lesson 5 of 5 in Commedia Dell'Arte Unit

Unit Project

by Karen Loftus

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

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

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.

# Acting # Analysis # acting # analysis
Lesson 4 of 4 in Voice Unit

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.

# Acting
Lesson 7 of 7 in Improvisation in Musical Theatre Unit

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
Lesson 3 of 7 in Foundations of Acting Unit

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
Lesson 2 of 5 in Abstract Scene Performance Unit

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

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
Lesson 2 of 3 in Voice Unit

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.

# Acting # voice # acting

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
Lesson 1 of 5 in Abstract Scene Performance Unit

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