Playwriting Lesson Plans

Lesson 4 of 7 in Monologue Writing Made Easy Unit

Monologue Writing

by Matthew Banaszynski

Students will start writing their own monologue, using a pre-selected phrase as a starting point.

Slide Deck Lesson 4

# Playwriting # Acting # monologue # playwriting # acting

Monologue Writing: The Need to Speak

by Lindsay Price

Students will complete exercises that demonstrate how a character’s need to speak results in a better monologue. They will then write a monologue that applies this knowledge.

# Playwriting # playwriting # monologue

Lesson 3 of 11 in Playwriting Unit: Beginner Unit

Monologues

by Lindsay Price

In this lesson, students will analyze existing monologues, identify the criteria for a good monologue, and write their own monologue in the practice session.

# Playwriting # playwriting # monologue

Lesson 6 of 7 in Monologue Writing Made Easy Unit

More Minds Are Better Than One

by Matthew Banaszynski

Students will work in groups to turn their previous drafts into completed monologues.

Slide Deck Lesson 6

# Playwriting # Acting # monologue # playwriting # acting

Lesson 1 of 4 in 30 Second Monologues Unit

Students start the monologue process nonverbally. They will present an entrance, an action, and an exit that shows a story without dialogue. In a monologue, the physical body is an important communication tool—just as important as dialogue. And that’s the focus of this lesson. Physical action can demonstrate location, mood, age, and subtext.

Slide Deck Lesson 1
Physical Warmups

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Lesson 2 of 4 in 30 Second Monologues Unit

One-Line Monologue

by Lindsay Price

Students further develop what they learned during the nonverbal monologue exercise by adding a single sentence. How can you communicate a character to an audience when you only have limited dialogue?

Slide Deck Lesson 2

# Playwriting

Lesson 1 of 7 in Unit Five: Intro to Script Writing Unit

Partner Scene Brainstorming

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will create a scene outline by brainstorming and selecting the key foundations of their scene (setting, relationships, and conflicting objectives).

Slide Deck

# Playwriting # playwriting # middle school friendly

Lesson 4 of 7 in Unit Five: Intro to Script Writing Unit

Peer Script Workshopping

by Lindsay Johnson

In this lesson, students will review and help workshop a peer’s script before hearing feedback and making changes to their own scripts.

Slide Deck

# Playwriting # playwriting # middle school friendly

Lesson 4 of 4 in Spoken Word Poetry Unit

Performance

by Quincy Young

Students will demonstrate mastery by presenting their original spoken word pieces for both a written and performance grade.

Slide Deck Lesson 4

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Lesson 7 of 7 in Monologue Writing Made Easy Unit

Performing a Monologue

by Matthew Banaszynski

Students will perform their monologues in front of the class and reflect on the process.

Slide Deck Lesson 7

# Playwriting # Acting # monologue # playwriting # acting

Lesson 2 of 13 in Devising Unit

Physicalization / Stage Movement

by Corinna Rezzelle

Students explore how body language can show a story (i.e. how someone is feeling, character traits, relationships between characters, etc.). The lesson culminates in students using a physical elliptical scene (a scene with just stage directions) and adding movements, gestures, and body language.

Slide Deck Lesson 2

# Playwriting # devising # playwriting

Lesson 2 of 13 in Devising Unit

Physicalization / Stage Movement

by Corinna Rezzelle

Students explore how body language can show a story (i.e. how someone is feeling, character traits, relationships between characters, etc.). The lesson culminates in students using a physical elliptical scene (a scene with just stage directions) and adding movements, gestures, and body language.

Slide Deck Lesson 2

# Playwriting

Playwriting: Analyzing and Applying a Form

by Lindsay Price

Use this as part of a playwriting unit or a devising unit. The goal of the lesson is to show students different ways to explore a theme through writing. Not every scene has to be linear, and not every scene has to follow a traditional format.
Students will read existing scenes that apply a specific form for a scene. They will analyze those scenes and then apply their knowledge by writing their own scene.

# Playwriting # playwriting

Playwriting: Forms and Prompts

by Lindsay Price

Use this lesson at the beginning of a playwriting unit, or a devising unit. Students practice the act of choosing a form for a scene and a prompt as a starting point. Drive home for students the importance of execution - instead of students ruminating on the perfect idea, they choose a form, choose a prompt and execute. The goal of the lesson is to show students that there are many different ways to form a theatrical piece and that execution is more useful to moving a piece forward than being stuck on the idea.

# Playwriting # playwriting

Lesson 13 of 13 in Devising Unit

Post-Show Discussion and Reflection

by Corinna Rezzelle

This lesson happens after the performance. Post-show discussion questions are included as well as a post-show reflection.

Slide Deck Lesson 13

# Playwriting # devising

Lesson 13 of 13 in Devising Unit

Post-Show Discussion and Reflection

by Corinna Rezzelle

This lesson happens after the performance. Post-show discussion questions are included as well as a post-show reflection.

Slide Deck Lesson 13

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Lesson 6 of 6 in Self-Management Playwriting Unit

Post-Writing Reflection

by Lindsay Price

Students will discuss and reflect on how they successfully or less-than-successfully engaged with writing a play using self-management skills. Were they able to write independently? Did they use the tools and actions they laid out in their plans of action? Students will then complete a Unit Reflection and a Self-Assessment worksheet.

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Lesson 11 of 11 in Playwriting Unit: Beginner Unit

Practice, Performance, Reflection

by Lindsay Price

In these last two lessons, students will focus on the performance aspect of playwriting. It’s important to include performance in the unit because the ultimate goal of all plays is to be performed (rather than read). Students have the opportunity to rehearse in groups, present to the class, and then reflect on their experience with the unit.

# Playwriting # playwriting

Lesson 1 of 5 in Play Adaptation Project Unit

Pre-Knowledge and the Definition of Adaptation

by Lindsay Price

In this lesson, students will participate in a couple of hook activities for theatrical adaptation and discuss the definition for adaptation that we will apply throughout the unit.

Slide Deck Lesson 1

# Playwriting

Preparing to Rewrite

by Lindsay Price

For some students, the first draft is the final draft. I got to the end. I’m done. For some students, writer’s block sinks in quickly after a couple of scenes. Use this lesson plan in the middle of a playwriting unit, after your students have completed some writing on a play - either a first draft or even a couple of scenes. When your students aren’t sure how to move their writing forward - ask questions, define purpose, address writer’s block.

# Playwriting # playwriting