Unit
in Middle School Curriculum
Unit Six: Directed Scenes Take 1: Same Scene, Different Visions
Created by Lindsay Johnson
9 lessons
middle school friendly
Students will now start applying the skills they’ve learned thus far in the context of existing, fleshed-out scripts.
They will also have opportunities to shift from actor to director and hone such skills as collaboration, self-confidence, and problem-solving which can be used in many other areas of their lives.
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The overview lays out the focus of the unit, outlines each lesson, and describes the assessment tools.
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1Lesson 1Introduction to Directors and Close Reading of SceneIn this lesson, students are introduced to the different tasks the director and the actor take on in a scene, complete an application for which role they would like to take on, and tackle a close reading of the unit scene.
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2Lesson 2AuditionsIn this lesson, students will run auditions, or participate in them, for the scene, and directors will cast their scenes.
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3Lesson 3Planning and MemorizationIn this lesson, actors will have their lines completely memorized using a cheat sheet, and directors will complete their scene prep (props, set design, blocking).
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4Lesson 4Objective and TacticsIn this lesson, students will complete four rehearsals of their scenes using Objective and Tactics Rehearsal Checklist, focusing on objective and tactics.
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5Lesson 5LevelsIn this lesson, students will complete three to five rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on level changes.
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6Lesson 6Voice ExpressionIn this lesson, students will complete three to five rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on voice expression changes.
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7Lesson 7Movement ReviewIn this lesson, students will complete four rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on movement skills (blocking, tactics, levels).
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8Lesson 8Projection and Final RehearsalIn this lesson, students will complete three to five rehearsals of their scenes using a rehearsal checklist, focusing on projection skills (voice clarity, open body).
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9Lesson 9Directed Scenes Performance AssessmentIn this lesson, students will perform their scene for assessment in front of the class. They will also complete an audience feedback sheet where they give their peers feedback on rubric skills.
Standards Addressed
Grade 6 - Creating
- TA6.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.<br/>a. Identify artistic choices, utilize theatre vocabulary, and demonstrate non-verbal communication skills in the rehearsal process.<br/>b. Interpret a character’s motivation by understanding the relationship between their background and their behavior.<br/>c. Identify the variety of relationships between characters.<br/>d. Identify, define, and classify character traits.<br/>e. Recognize and demonstrate the roles, responsibilities, and skills associated with collaborative performance.<br/>f. Use resources to identify and create technical elements of theatre.
- TA6.CR.2 Develop scripts through theatrical techniques.<br/>a. Identify the elements of a story.<br/>b. Identify the theme and structure of a play.<br/>c. Articulate creative ideas in oral and written forms.<br/>d. Use the dramatic writing process to generate a script.<br/>e. Demonstrate the conventions of dialogue and stage directions.
Grade 6 - Performing
- TA6.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.<br/>a. Demonstrate effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills (e.g. rate, pitch, volume, inflection, posture, facial expression, physical movement).<br/>b. Execute character creation in a performance.<br/>c. Demonstrate a variety of types of theatre performances.
- TA6.PR.2 Execute artistic and technical elements of theatre.<br/>a. Incorporate technical elements in performance.
Grades 9-12 - ACTING LEVELS I-IV - Creating
Grades 9-12 - ADVANCED DRAMA LEVELS I-IV -Performing
- TAHSAD.PR.1 Act and direct by communicating and sustaining roles within a variety of situations and environments.<br/>a. Examine and implement the skills and tasks associated with acting, incorporating voice, body, observation, and imagination to create characters for formal and informal performances.<br/>b. Implement the duties of the stage manager, including communication and safety procedures, that will assist the director in all areas of production.<br/>c. Develop a schedule and organizational plan to prepare a scene for performance, including a rehearsal schedule and a prompt script.<br/>d. Conduct rehearsals and present a full theatrical presentation to a live audience.
- TAHSAD.PR.2 Execute artistic and technical elements of theatre.<br/>a. Engage as a creative team in script analysis to plan and create technical elements of a theatre production.
Grades 9-12 - FUNDAMENTALS OF THEATRE LEVELS I-IV - Creating
Grades 9-12 - MUSICAL THEATRE LEVELS I-IV - Performing
Grades 9-12 - THEATRE HISTORY AND LITERATURE I AND II - Performing
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