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Georgia Performance Standards - Theatre Arts
Grades 9-12 - TECHNICAL THEATRE LEVELS I-IV - Creating

53 units • 26 professional development courses aligned to
TAHSTT.CR.1 - Create technical elements of theatre (e.g. sets, props, costumes, makeup, lighting, sound).
a. Explore and utilize the elements of design and principles of composition for a theatrical context.
b. Create basic to advanced technical elements by choosing appropriate materials, tools, and techniques.
c. Analyze and/or develop choices in technical elements (e.g. sets, lights, costumes, sound) of informal and formal productions and theatrical texts as a part of the design process, considering mood, tone, and symbolism.
d. Create industry standard paperwork (e.g. budgets, cut lists, materials, cue sheets, lighting and costume plots, schedules, calendars) as it relates to completing design renderings and/or models.
e. Conceptualize and/or generate design elements for a dramatic work (e.g. scene, one act, full-length, musical).

View all Standards for Georgia Performance Standards - Theatre Arts

TAHSTT.CR.1 Create technical elements of theatre (e.g. sets, props, costumes, makeup, lighting, sound).
a. Explore and utilize the elements of design and principles of composition for a theatrical context.
b. Create basic to advanced technical elements by choosing appropriate materials, tools, and techniques.
c. Analyze and/or develop choices in technical elements (e.g. sets, lights, costumes, sound) of informal and formal productions and theatrical texts as a part of the design process, considering mood, tone, and symbolism.
d. Create industry standard paperwork (e.g. budgets, cut lists, materials, cue sheets, lighting and costume plots, schedules, calendars) as it relates to completing design renderings and/or models.
e. Conceptualize and/or generate design elements for a dramatic work (e.g. scene, one act, full-length, musical).

This page lists 53 units and 26 professional development courses aligned to TAHSTT.CR.1 from the Georgia Performance Standards - Theatre Arts . Designed for drama teachers, these resources directly address TAHSTT.CR.1 - Create technical elements of theatre (e.g. sets, props, costumes, makeup, lighting, sound).
a. Explore and utilize the elements of design and principles of composition for a theatrical context.
b. Create basic to advanced technical elements by choosing appropriate materials, tools, and techniques.
c. Analyze and/or develop choices in technical elements (e.g. sets, lights, costumes, sound) of informal and formal productions and theatrical texts as a part of the design process, considering mood, tone, and symbolism.
d. Create industry standard paperwork (e.g. budgets, cut lists, materials, cue sheets, lighting and costume plots, schedules, calendars) as it relates to completing design renderings and/or models.
e. Conceptualize and/or generate design elements for a dramatic work (e.g. scene, one act, full-length, musical).

Unit 7 of 7 in Drama Two Curriculum

Devising

by Corinna Rezzelle

13 lessons
While the Drama Two Curriculum has a focus on acting, it’s always important to include a unit on the technical theatre skills that are necessary to any production. Students will also be able to use what they’ve learned in this unit in their upcoming devising project. Students will begin by exploring design for the stage by experimenting with line, shape, texture, size, and color. They will expand their understanding of stage properties and scenic flats. They will then apply their knowledge of these building blocks of design to create a high-concept design for a miniature “stage.”

Ancient Greek Theatre

by Lindsay Price

8 lessons
In studying Ancient Greece, we’re looking at the foundations of theatre as we know it today. Without the Ancient Greek Era, we do not get actors, theatres, plays, and the definitions of tragedy and comedy. The issue with studying theatre history, or anything historical is that it can become an exercise in memorizing dates and reciting facts. When the truth of the matter is no one in the 21st century benefits from learning by rote. This is especially true when studying history in the framework of a drama classroom. We need exercises that bring history to life, instead of having students plot dates on a timeline. To that end, this unit does not focus on dates and data. The essential question for the unit is how can we connect the past to the present and this question is explored through the theatricalization of information. Students will access all four 21st century skills, critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration and communication as they explore this amazing world. Reflections, exit slips, and rubrics are included throughout the unit as well as a mid assignment evaluation for the culminating project.
Unit 5 of 14 in Drama One Curriculum

Ancient Greek Theatre

by Karen Loftus

4 lessons
This unit on Ancient Greek theatre focuses on the function of the chorus, the choral ode, and the details of the theatre space. It touches on plays and playwrights of the era, culminating in a final project of a modern version of Medea that includes a choral ode.
Unit 7 of 14 in Drama One Curriculum

Commedia Dell'Arte

by Karen Loftus

5 lessons
Students will discover, analyze, and explore the history, characters, and style of commedia dell’arte. Commedia dell’arte is a theatre history unit mixed with improvisation, physicalization, and exploring specific characters. In this unit, we’re going to focus on three main aspects: 1. Causes and Effects of Commedia (History) 2. Stock Characters 3. Commedia Performance Practices
Unit 12 of 14 in Drama One Curriculum

Scenic Design

by Karen Loftus

7 lessons
This unit will focus on the basics: what is scenic design? How do the scenic designer and director collaborate? What is the process that the scenic designer goes through? The unit will also explore basic drafting techniques, and rendering techniques. Based on what they learn, students will create a ground plan and a rendering. Please refer to the Pacing Guide for more details and ways to supplement with other DTA materials.

Theatre of the Absurd

by Lea Marshall

13 lessons
WARNING: This unit is ABSURD. However, instructor Lea Marshall decided to do something really ABSURD with the unit, which was make it a bit more predictable. First, the unit takes two lessons to go over the Historical and Philosophical background of Theatre of the Absurd. It starts with just a visual exercise to really bring students into the emotional bleakness of the landscape and then group work to look at some of the other foundational elements that will drive the Absurdist movement into the Theatres. Next, students break down absurd scripts into some “recognizable” elements of language, plot structure, acting choices, and storyline. With each lesson that introduces an Absurdist Element, there is an opportunity for students to “play” with the element. Then, students explore the element through an Absurdist text. This will help familiarize the students with the 4 Absurdist scripts used in the unit. These bite sized forays into the scripts will help students to choose a script to fully immerse themselves in for the final project. As a final project, students will choose one script to work with, and choose the format of their project (performance, costume or set design, or playwright).

Costuming

by Holly Beardsley

6 lessons
A costume designer and a costumer are two different things. A costume designer creates pieces from the drawing board to the stage, while a costumer pulls from already existing pieces to create fully realized characters. This means that the approach is different. In this six lesson unit students will learn the tools of a successful costumer. They will start by reflecting on their own personal style and the choices that go into that style. They’ll move on to look at versatility and adapting costume staples, creating a costuming vision, period clothing as the costumer, how to use the colour wheel as a costuming tool and everything culminates in a final project (two options).
Unit 6 of 7 in Drama Two Curriculum

Design

by Matt Webster

6 lessons
In this unit, students will explore and experiment with the basic building blocks of design: Line, Shape, and Color. Once students have a solid foundation of those concepts, they will move on to stage properties and scenic flats as additional building blocks of design. They will then apply their knowledge and skills to a series of assignments, so they can demonstrate their design knowledge and creativity.
Unit 1 of 6 in Technical Theatre Mini Units Curriculum

Lighting

by Josh Hatt

5 lessons
This is an introductory mini-unit to lighting that can be achieved whether or not you have a lighting system. Students will work toward being able to demonstrate their knowledge of lighting effectiveness. The questions of the unit include: How can light affect a scene? How can lighting affect the audience? What is the mood of the scene? How does lighting play a part in creating mood? How can you use shadows onstage? How does color impact the scene?
Unit 2 of 6 in Technical Theatre Mini Units Curriculum

Sound

by Josh Hatt

5 lessons
This is an introductory mini-unit to sound that you can use whether or not you have a sound system. Students will work toward being able to demonstrate their knowledge of sound effectiveness. The questions of the unit include: What is effective sound? What sounds and music do we need in order to make our scene effective? How will we know our sound cues are effective?
Unit 3 of 6 in Technical Theatre Mini Units Curriculum

Costuming

by Josh Hatt

5 lessons
If the costumes in a play are going to be effective, we need to be thoughtful about how we use them. In this mini-unit, students will demonstrate their understanding costume effectiveness and address the following questions: What is the role of costume in the performance? How does color contribute? How does the style of costume affect a performance? How does costume indicate setting? Do you need costumes in a scene?
Unit 4 of 6 in Technical Theatre Mini Units Curriculum

Staging

by Josh Hatt

5 lessons
This is a mini-unit on staging. Along with the driving question for the unit, students will explore about how staging affects the performance. Students will draw a plot design (ground plan) to emphasize the need to plan where scenic elements will be placed. They will also practice taking cues from the script, in order to create staging.
Unit 5 of 6 in Technical Theatre Mini Units Curriculum

Free Play Makeup

by Josh Hatt

8 lessons
This is a student centred mini-unit on makeup design. Makeup is useful in transporting an audience to a different world. The purpose is for students to understand that makeup is a tool that theatre technicians can use in order to contribute to effective performance aesthetics; to understand basic makeup rules and care instruction; to understand how to complete a makeup design plot; to look at a project and figure out for themselves what they need to succeed.
Unit 6 of 6 in Technical Theatre Mini Units Curriculum

Culminating Project

by Josh Hatt

Once students have completed the five Tech Theatre Units (Lighting, Sound, Costume, Staging, Free Play Makeup), you can give them this culminating project. Depending on how you structured your technical theatre unit, you can adapt this project to suit your needs and context. Up to this point, all the work in the units have been exploratory. This is where students will apply their skills and knowledge.

Stage Management

by Karen Loftus

10 lessons
A unit on stage management is a great way to link technical theatre, acting, and even directing. We spend so much of our class time on performance-related projects and, when we do address technical theatre, we often do so by talking about design. Why not introduce your students to a skill set that not only benefits your productions by ensuring a strong backstage crew and smooth production process, but also benefits the students individually? Through exploring stage management, students learn skills such as analytical thinking, organization, teamwork, and problem solving.

Commedia dell'Arte

by Todd Espeland

14 lessons
Commedia dell’arte is a 16th century masked acting form. It is the basis of all comedy, including all tv sitcoms. This form is characterized by masked types and archetypical characters and a specific way of playing comedy. To that end, this unit is divided into two parts. Part One focuses on the foundations of commedia - playing comedy. These principles will be important to learn when it comes to developing commedia characters, specifically the physicality of the characters. Part Two will cover lazzi. Note: there are links to video demos in many of the lessons of this unit.

Production Classroom Units Overview

by Karen Loftus

The overview lays out the all of the parts of The Production Classroom Units - which is divided into three parts. In Part One, you’ll take your students through a series of pre-production units designed to help students gain as much comprehension as possible about putting on a successful production. Part Two offers articles on each step in the process, samples and forms, a suggested pacing, role definitions and task checklists, an outline for a typical class, as well as performance duties. This section also outlines the assessment piece for The Production Classroom – the production binder. Part Three provides a Post-Performance Reflection. Unpack the experience with students, reflect back on what went right and what could be changed for next time. A written Reflection is included as well as a Rubric for student production binders.
Unit 1 of 4 in Production Classroom Units Curriculum

Part One - Pre-Production

by Karen Loftus

5 lessons
In Part One of The Production Classroom, you’ll take your students through a series of pre-production units designed to help students gain as much comprehension as possible about putting on a successful production.
Unit 2 of 4 in Production Classroom Units Curriculum

Part Two - Rehearsal and Performance

by Karen Loftus

7 lessons
Part Two offers articles on each step in the process, samples and forms, a suggested pacing, role definitions and task checklists, an outline for a typical class, as well as performance duties. This section also outlines the assessment piece for The Production Classroom – the production binder.
Unit 3 of 4 in Production Classroom Units Curriculum

Part Two - Documents

by Karen Loftus

7 lessons
This section provides samples and worksheets for actor forms, costume department, general binder, lighting and sound, marketing samples, scenic and prop samples, and stage management and production manager samples and forms.
Unit 4 of 4 in Production Classroom Units Curriculum

Part Three - Reflection and Assessment

by Karen Loftus

3 lessons
Part Three provides a Post-Performance Reflection. Unpack the experience with students, reflect back on what went right and what could be changed for next time. A written Reflection is included as well as a Rubric for student production binders.

East Meets West: Theatre Traditions

by Marsha Walner

9 lessons
We spend a lot of time in the classroom exploring, applying, and creating in a western theatrical tradition. But there are many more styles that students can explore, particularly to the east: Kabuki, Noh, Chinese Opera, and Sanskrit Theatre, for example. In this unit, students will be introduced to an element from each of these eastern styles, they will apply that element and build towards a culminating project. Throughout, students will develop a stronger understanding of both the theatre from their own culture and that of Eastern cultures.

Introduction to Set Design *Hyperdoc

by Lea Marshall

2 lessons
The purpose of this unit is to give students an introduction to independent learning as well as an overview of Set Design. Students will apply their knowledge throughout, and the unit culminates in a group activity. This unit is delivered in hyperdoc format. What does that mean? A hyperdoc is an interactive tool that encourages digital learning. In this case, students are given a document on a subject, and there they can read articles, watch videos, do some independent research, and apply what they’ve learned. Because they’re working on their own, students are in charge of their own pacing. Before you start the unit, ensure you read the Teacher Guide first. It will give you clear instructions on how to distribute the hyperdoc format and make it easy for you and your students.

Elements of Costume Design *Hyperdoc

by Anna Porter

10 lessons
In this unit, students will explore and collaboratively take on the role of costume designers. Students will explore the elements of design, director’s concept, and the considerations for costume design. They will then apply this knowledge in a culminating project. This unit has been designed to integrate technology into the curriculum. Students will utilize technology throughout via HyperDocs, internet research, and Google tools such as Google Drive, Google Forms, Google Slides, and Google Docs. A digital Learning Tools Introduction resource is provided for additional help in using the different tools and applications.
Unit 1 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Introduction to Theatre Production

by Karen Loftus

5 lessons
Students will explore the question of “what is theatre production?” They’ll be able to identify and describe each of the crafts of technical theatre as well as who does what in theatre production.
Unit 2 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Elements of Design

by Karen Loftus

3 lessons
Students are exposed to select elements of design, and they explore the effect those elements of design have on storytelling.
Unit 3 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Scenic Design

by Karen Loftus

6 lessons
Students will explore the creation of an environment through the art of scenic design. They will identify what scenic design is and how it helps to tell a story in theatre. Students will also identify and demonstrate some skills of a scenic designer as they analyze an excerpt of a script for scenic clues and demonstrate basic drafting and rendering.
Unit 4 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Scenic Construction

by Karen Loftus

4 lessons
Students will be able to identify the various tools used in a set shop, identify appropropriate shop safety procedures, including personal protective equipment, and demonstrate how to build a flat.
Unit 5 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Scenic Painting

by Holly Beardsley and Karen Loftus

3 lessons
Students identify and practice some basic painting techniques.
Unit 6 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Props

by Karen Loftus and Kerry Hishon

4 lessons
Students will identify categories of props and which people create or obtain props. They’ll analyze a script for needed props, use critical-thinking skills to problem solve prop issues, and create a prop.
Unit 7 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Lighting

by Karen Loftus, Josh Hatt, and Kerry Hishon

3 lessons
Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of lighting effectiveness. They’ll also be able to identify, analyze, and evaluate how lighting is used in a theatre production.
Unit 8 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Sound

by Karen Loftus and Josh Hatt

2 lessons
Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of sound effectiveness. How do we use sound to create a technically effective performance?
Unit 9 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Costume Design

by Holly Beardsley, Karen Loftus, and Josh Hatt

3 lessons
Students are exposed to research, concepts, and skill sets while they explore costume design and the different roles of the costume designer and the costumer. They will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of costume effectiveness.
Unit 10 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Costume Construction

by Karen Loftus

3 lessons
Students identify vocabulary, techniques, and roles of costume construction. They demonstrate costume measurement and other construction techniques, including a basic stitch.
Unit 11 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Make-Up Design

by Karen Loftus and Josh Hatt

1 lesson
Students will be able to explore the use of make-up as a theatrical tool and demonstrate their knowledge of make-up effectiveness.
Unit 12 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

What is a Stage Manager? (Extra Lesson)

by Karen Loftus

We have included a stage management “extra” lesson in this curriculum as an introduction to the stage manager role. Stage management is certainly an important role when it comes to the technical elements of a theatre production. If you want to include a more realized stage management unit, we have you covered. DTA has an extensive Stage Management Unit in the curriculum section of the DTA website (see link below).
Unit 13 of 13 in Stagecraft Without a Theatre Curriculum

Culminating Project

by Karen Loftus

Now it’s time for your students to take everything they’ve learned and creatively apply those skills. The goal is for students to take what they’ve been exposed to, explored, and researched about each of the arts and crafts of technical theatre and apply it to a project.

Introduction to Technical Theatre: Flipped Learning

by Lindsay Price

6 lessons
When an audience watches a piece of theatre, they never see what goes on behind the scenes or know the people who work to make the production look its best. But theatre is a collaboration between what happens onstage and off. This flipped learning unit will introduce students to the world of technical theatre. Through video, they will learn information on specific technical theatre roles and how they work together, types of stages, parts of a theatre and stage geography, and then apply this knowledge through in-class active-learning exercises. For example, students will take on the role of a producer and decide how a budget will be divided among different departments. They will practice the calls a stage manager uses. The culminating assignment has students solve a common technical theatre issue: to design, create, and implement a solution for a unique stage direction in a play.
Unit 9 of 11 in Distance Learning Curriculum

Introduction to Technical Theatre: Distance Learning

by Lindsay Price

6 lessons
When an audience watches a piece of theatre, they never see what goes on behind the scenes or know the people who work to make the production look their best. But theatre is a collaboration between what happens onstage and off. This distance learning unit will introduce students to the world of technical theatre. Through video, they will learn information on specific technical theatre roles and how they work together, types of stages, parts of a theatre and stage geography, and then apply this knowledge through synchronous exercises. For example, students will take on the role of a producer and decide how a budget will be divided among different departments. They will practice the calls a stage manager uses. The culminating assignment has students solve a common technical theatre issue: a unique stage direction in a play. NOTE - Please read the Troubleshooting Hyperdocs instructions in the Overview, if you are having issues. If your students have trouble accessing the videos, try VERSION 2 Hyperdoc links provided under each module.
Unit 7 of 11 in Distance Learning Curriculum

Theatre of the Absurd

by Lea Marshall

13 lessons
We included this unit in our Distance Learning Curriculum because if any group of students would understand how the world turned upside down and then apply it to theatre, it would be the students dealing with a global pandemic. First, we take two lessons to go over the historical and philosophical background of Theatre of the Absurd. We start with a visual exercise to bring students into the emotional bleakness of the landscape and then group work to look at some of the other foundational elements that will drive the absurdist movement into the theatres. Next, we break down absurd scripts into some “recognizable” elements of language, plot structure, acting choices, and storyline. In each lesson that introduces an absurdist element, there is an opportunity for students to “play” with the element.

Designing with Light: No Tech Required

by Kerry Hishon

5 lessons
The exercises within this unit are meant for students to explore the concept of lighting for theatre without the need for extensive tech or even a theatrical lighting grid. This unit is useful for students with no prior experience with lighting or students who may be intimidated by the idea of theatre technology. Each exercise is meant to build upon the previous one, as students grow in their confidence with thinking about lighting in different ways.

Character Creation: Superhero Series: Multi platform

by Lindsay Price and Kerry Hishon

6 lessons
This unit focuses on character creation: How do you create a character from the ground up? Use this unit as a precursor to a playwriting unit, to a devising unit, or to a class production. Using the archetypes of the superhero, the sidekick, and the supervillain, students work on exercises to help them create unique characters through physical and vocal qualities, character profiles, and theatrical writing. Because many of the exercises have an individual focus, this unit works in a distance learning environment or for your no-technology students.

Indigenous Storytelling Unit

by Allison Green

6 lessons
This Indigenous Storytelling unit is brought to you in a different format than a traditional lesson plan. It uses a learning circle format. It was developed by Allison Green, a member of the Algonquin Band of Mattawa Ontario, who is also the author and instructor of the DTA course Approaching Drama Class with an Indigenous Perspective. Students will discuss origin stories, research the background and land connection of a variety of Indigenous creation stories, create a plot graph of their story, share with the class what they have learned, and then retell the story in their own words. Once students have practiced this process, they will repeat the steps with an Abenaki creation story: Research | Recreate | Understand.

Anti-Realism

by Wendy-Marie Martin

7 lessons
This unit gives students an overview of the anti-realism movement of the late 19th century and early 20th century and introduces them to some key theorists, playwrights, and theatre makers involved in this movement. Students will be introduced to the “isms” of symbolism, Dadaism, surrealism, expressionism, and absurdism along with various manifestos and theories as we track the characteristics of each “ism.” In a culminating project, students will design an “ISMS’’ Theme Park, which they will share with the class at the end of the unit. Their project will feature each of the five “isms” in the form of rides, themed concessions areas, entertainment options, and in-park characters.

Theatre Radically Reimagined: Exploring Artaud, Grotowski, and Boal

by Ruthie Tutterow

2 lessons
In this unit, students will learn about Antonin Artaud and how his ideas influenced avant-garde theatre in the 20th and 21st centuries. They will also learn how Jerzy Grotowski took Artaud’s theories into new directions. This is done through direct instruction. A culminating presentation will ask students to take common stories and reimagine them using some of these ideas. They will present a “pitch” of an avant-garde version of their story. In the second lesson, students learn about some of the ideas of Augusto Boal and try a session of Forum Theatre.

Character Development with an Indigenous Perspective

by Allison Green

5 lessons
Students will develop characters based on the character traits of the Seven Grandfather Teachings. The unit begins with a focus on the traits (Love, Wisdom, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth) and the story of elders passing on teachings to the youth. Students will use tableau, viewpoints, and movement and explore how to develop a character with a clear backstory and identity. The unit uses open, neutral scenes as a partnered task that students can use to apply their learning followed by reflection and class discussion.

Indigenous Symbolism in the Drama Classroom

by Allison Green

4 lessons
The objective of this unit is for students to be able to engage with Indigenous symbolism in art, and then interpret it in a theatrical context. It begins with an introduction of symbolism through a retelling of an Indigenous story with wolves representing human traits. Students develop a scene that focuses on how to “show and tell” an Indigenous story, clearly showing the symbolic meaning from the oral story. Students will then explore symbols by looking at the characteristics of Canadian Indigenous Art, delving into the symbols and story. Students then share their interpretation of the art by creating and presenting a piece of theatre, followed by reflection and class discussion.

Tech Theatre Unit: Costuming When You Don't Sew

by Drama Teacher Academy

8 lessons
In this unit, students will take on the role of the costumer, which is different from a costume designer. It introduces costuming concepts in order to execute a costume. No complicated sewing is required, which is great if you don’t have the background, the access, or the resources to have a class of students create costumes. Instead of making costumes from scratch, as a designer would, students will create costumes from stock, borrowed items, or low-cost finds. They will take finished products and adapt them into what they need to create the right atmosphere. In order to help with their adaptations, students will try different distressing techniques and learn three SIMPLE stitches that they’ll be able to use over and over again. It’s a valuable tech theatre skill to teach students how to execute on costumes when you (and they) don’t sew!

Old Age Makeup

by Matt Webster

8 lessons
In this unit, students will learn the terminology, technology, and application of old age makeup. It is designed to lead students through a hands-on exploration of the techniques used to create an old age effect with makeup. By breaking the entirety of the human face down into different, distinct areas, students will be able to concentrate on smaller, more focused lessons, building up to a complete old age makeup design.

Technical Theatre: Leadership in Theatre

by Michelle LoRicco

6 lessons
This Technical Theatre unit is designed to empower student leaders to analyze management roles in producing theatre while also using collaborative activities and reflection exercises to strengthen soft skills that every student should have. The unit covers the roles of producer, director, technical director, and stage manager, and ends in a culminating project.

Scene Staging

by Lindsay Price

15 lessons
The goal for this unit is to give students a process to work primarily on their own to create a staged scene with specific, dynamic blocking and three-dimensional characters. This unit would work well as a culminating project for a semester. In this unit, students will work independently to analyze, block, build character, experiment, and rehearse a scene. Their performance can count as a summative assessment for the class. Material: This unit requires that students have access to scenes from plays. Ideally, students should work in pairs and prepare duet scenes.

Absurdism: Beyond the Origins

by Drama Teacher Academy

6 lessons
In most units that cover the Theatre of the Absurd, the number of playwrights addressed are few and the time period is limited. While it is certainly true that the era identified as “The Theatre of the Absurd” was a reaction to the distorted reality of life after World War II, there are many environments that create distorted realities and many playwrights who use those realities as catalysts for absurdist plays. In this unit, we will start with a traditional look at the Theatre of the Absurd and then expand our exploration beyond its origins.

Blood, Blisters & Bruises Makeup

by Matt Webster

5 lessons
The most common special-effects makeup technique used with student performers is wounds such as cuts, bruises, and blisters. In order to create these wounds, students must understand what physically happens to the human body when a wound is suffered and then successfully recreate that wound with specialized makeup. This unit will provide students with information they will need to successfully design and execute specific wound makeup techniques for the stage. This unit is designed to lead students through a hands-on exploration of the techniques used to create a wound effect with makeup. By focusing on a variety of materials and techniques, students will learn the process of creating simple special-effects wound makeup designs.

View all Standards for Georgia Performance Standards - Theatre Arts    Standards Master List