Theatre I/Theatre II
Mrs. Wurtz
Pleasantville High School
Room: D102
Teaching Methodology: This course is a performance-oriented course requiring daily participation in warmup activities, acting exercises, presentations, monologues, and scene work. This course also includes lectures and discussions on acting techniques, theatre terminology, theatre history and technology, script writing, directing, and auditioning technique/skills. Students will collaborate by working as an ensemble to perform and give feedback to other performers. Written assignments will be given to clarify concepts and techniques relating to theatre.
Course Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Identify and use stage directions
- Identify and use theatre terminology
- Discover the origins of drama by being introduced to the world of theatre
- Discover the keys to the creation of character by using improvisation, voice/articulation, movement for the actor and basic acting techniques
- Understand and demonstrate the underlying principles, approaches and techniques of acting and use these to make creative and effective acting choices
- Effectively use voice and body in expressing ideas, feelings, and character qualities
- Analyze and prepare roles through the rehearsal process for in-class performances or audience performances
- Effectively critique performances in live theatrical productions
- Identify historical events and figures who influenced acting and directing styles and technical theatre
- Demonstrate script writing skills
- Exhibit directing skills
- Display theatre audition techniques
- Adapt performance techniques to the characteristics of on-camera work
Grading: The instructor will make it clear which assignments are worth how much.
Summative: 30%
Formative: 30%
Classwork: 30%
Homework: 10%
Students who hand in completed work on or before the due date will not have points deducted for lateness. A 5 point deduction will be given to papers that are handed in after the due date.
Attendance:
Students will attend class. Class attendance is necessary in a performance and participation oriented class such as this. Students will receive credit for the classes they attend. When a student has an unexcused absence, they do not earn class participation points for that class. When students are late or leave early, they lose partial points for the class.
Each student will participate in warm-up activities, journaling, acting exercises, class assignments, rehearsals, presentations, performances, observations, and all technical theatre activities and responsibilities. Due to the nature of this course, these tasks cannot typically be made up through an alternate assignment.
Materials:
- A three-ring binder with loose leaf paper
- One journal notebook
- Pen or pencil
Procedure:
Upon entering the classroom, each student will sit in assigned seat and begin the journal entry on the board.
After the journal entry is completed, we will start a physical and vocal warm-up as a class. We will then begin the class assignment for the day, whether it is a group script reading session, script writing, acting exercise, improvisation skill building, or rehearsal for an upcoming performance.
*Please note: All school rules will be enforced in the classroom (NO cellphones, NO hoodies, NO headphones!)*
Respecting the safety of the space:
Every student will respect the safety of the space. Mutual respect, support, appropriate language, positive feedback, and polite behavior are requirements of the class. Students will be in their assigned seats and quiet until directed to move and beginning the warm-up. Students will stay in their seats, completing their assignments until dismissed from class by the teacher. Students will remain focused on the task at hand without interruption. Students will raise hands and wait to be acknowledged before speaking. One student will speak at a time without interruption from other students, and students will return classroom to original order before leaving the space.
Students who do not respect the safety of the space will:
- Lose points from their participation grade
- Receive a verbal warning
- Receive a detention that must be served within the same week (2:10pm-2:30pm) and parents called
- Be sent to the office with a formal write up