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Foundations of Acting

Created by Annie Dragoo

Foundations of Acting

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of acting. At the end of the unit, students will be able to understand the value of making rich acting choices on stage.

This unit gives students an opportunity to explore and develop acting skills on a more advanced level, regardless of experience. They will explore skills, including voice, movement, emotional recall, memory, playing objectives, and character development culminating in a final scene.

Overview
The overview lays out the lesson structure, timing, and assessment strategy for the unit.
1: The Actor and the Stage
In this lesson, students have an opportunity to explore all the different areas of the stage and the positions which an actor uses to command attention.
2: The Actor's Voice
In this lesson, students have an opportunity to practice vocal expression by reciting nursery rhymes with three different vocal varieties. They will receive instant feedback from their peers and teacher.
3: Using Emotional Recall
During this lesson, students will explore how the five senses can be used by actors as a technique to create a character.
4: Objectives and Tactics
During this lesson, the student will perform open scenes to practice using multiple tactics to achieve the character’s objectives in a scene.
5: Character History
During this lesson, students are challenged to devise interesting characters by creating a character history and then using that information in a character improv. This exercise will allow students to practice a portion of the necessary work to build a multi-dimensional character.
6: Enriching Your Choices
In this lesson, students will use the act of entering and exiting a scene in character to demonstrate character choice.
7: The Scene
In this culminating exercise, students will prepare a scene using what they have learned throughout the unit.
Attachments

Standards Addressed

National Core Arts Standards

Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation - Grade 7

TH:Pr4.1.7.a - Consider various staging choices to enhance the story in a drama/theatre work.

Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation - Grade 6

TH:Pr5.1.6.a - Recognize how acting exercises and techniques can be applied to a drama/theatre work.

Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation - Grade 8

TH:Pr5.1.8.a - Use a variety of acting techniques to increase skills in a rehearsal or drama/theatre performance.

Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation - Grade HS Proficient

TH:Pr5.1.HSI.a - Practice various acting techniques to expand skills in a rehearsal or drama/theatre performance.

Refine new work through play, drama processes and theatre experiences using critical analysis and experimentation - Grade 6

TH:Cr3.1.6.b - Identify effective physical and vocal traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/theatre work.

Refine new work through play, drama processes and theatre experiences using critical analysis and experimentation - Grade 7

TH:Cr3.1.7.b - Develop effective physical and vocal traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/theatre work

Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work - Grade 7

TH:Pr6.1.7.a - Participate in rehearsals for a drama/theatre work that will be shared with an audience.

Refine new work through play, drama processes and theatre experiences using critical analysis and experimentation - Grade 8

TH:Cr3.1.8.b - Refine effective physical, vocal, and physiological traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/ theatre work.

Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work - Grade 8

TH:Pr6.1.8.a - Perform a rehearsed drama/theatre work for an audience.

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