OPTION 1 - The PLay's the Thing
for your senior project
Senior Project 2018/2019
Enduring Understanding: Theatre is a collaborative art with several moving components each handled by a different people with differing skill sets. You all have a variety of skill sets and will use and explore your favorite portion of theatre in this three-quarter-year-long assignment will test your ability to work as a theatre company. You will choose your track: Acting, Directing, Production Management, Playwriting, or Technical. As a company your goal is to create and produce a play for the Rhode Island Drama Festival. Within the confines of this semester and a half, you will create a piece of art and form a deeper understanding of your favorite component of theatre as it works within a company.
Essential Questions: What is your role in a company and how is it significant to the outcome of a performance? How would you redefine your current understanding of theatre through the production of a show? What is your favorite component of theatre and why? How can you apply the knowledge of the last three years in a final product that best exemplifies your skills?
Skills:
Students will learn -
1. Collaboration
2. Creative Problem Solving
3. Communication
4. Critical Thinking
Students will be able to -
1. See a project from conception to execution
2. Understand the interwoven roles of all parties within a theatre company
3. Analyze and form a deeper understanding of a work of theatrical literature
4. Design, Direct, Perform, or Manage a full work of theatre
Activities:
Lesson one: Pre-production
Activity 1 - READ! Read and write a synopsis of at least three one act plays (from our library).
synopsis includes: Character description, plot brief, and opinion of script. (See graphic organizer)
Activity 2 -
OPTION A: Vision Statement. Choose ONE of the plays you've read. Write a three paragraph vision statement answering the following:
a. Why do you want to direct/design in this work?
b. How do you see the production happening from a design/directing standpoint?
c. What steps would you take to create this production from a directing/design standpoint?
OR
OPTION B: Using the structure of storyline that you have learned through reading plays this semester (and the skills in writing you have learned from your English teachers) you will write a 10 - 30 minute one act play (average one minute per page of writing).:
a. What is the story you want to tell??
b. What will develop your characters in the dialog?
c. How does your vision of the stage and staging work toward creating a cohesive product?
Activity 3 - Slide show presentation. Translate the vision statement to a 5 slide Google Slideshow OR print your play with enough copies for each character, yourself, and the instructor. Present the slideshow in class on the first day of class in September OR have a read through of your play. (The 5 slides do not include the title page)
Assessments -
1. Grade on synopsis (of play to be directed OR your own play)- Homework
2. Grades on Vision Statement and Slideshow OR Play - Project grade
Lesson two: The beginning
Activity 1 - As a company, decide upon one show to produce for the annual Rhode Island State Drama Festival.
a. We will watch all proposals and take a vote.
b. After a play has been chosen by majority vote, two teams will be created out of the company
i. production team
ii. performance team
Activity 2 - The audition process. As a company, we will determine the roles that everyone will take in the production (tech, directing, performance).
a. directors and staff will have to apply to the company to be "hired."
b. actors will audition in front of the producer (instructor). Standard audition practice is in place - monologue and cold read.
NOTE - ALL members of the Senior class will make up the company. Everyone will have a production/performance role.
Activity 3 - Once roles are determined, production staff will begin to assemble pre-show work.
a. directors will start a director's book which includes dramaturgy, character list, vision statement, rehearsal schedule, rough blocking ideas
b. designers will start determining the design of the show in conference with the director. The design should be made to be portable and utilize as much of the stock that is in Beacon's Scene shop/lighting stock/costume stock/props stock for a proscenium theatre.
c. performers will begin the process of memorizing and character development.
Assessments:
1. Process of work in journals and class (participation and Homework)
2. End product (director's book/audition/designs) are a project grade.
Lesson three: Production
Activity 1 - (Participation) Rehearsals will begin in class daily.
Production will start in class daily.
As a company, all members of the class will be active in some capacity toward the goal of creating this competition level performance.
Activity 2 - (Homework) Keep a journal of the experience in a blog format as a Google document which will be added to at least weekly (Thursdays).
Activity 3 - (Projects) Each goal will be an individual project grade (director's/production notes, actor's reflection).
Final: The Show
Activity 1 - Tech week - All students will prepare for the timed competition performance (setup, show, and strike within one hour).
Activity 2 - School performance - Company will perform the show for the student body at a town meeting prior to the Drama Fest Competition.
Activity 3 - "Taking the show on the road" - Company will compete in the annual Rhode Island State Drama Festival in March.
Standards Covered:
TH:Cr3.1.HSIII
a. Refine, transform, and re-imagine a devised or scripted drama/theatre work using the rehearsal process to invent or re-imagine style, genre, form, and conventions.
b. Synthesize ideas from research, script analysis, and context to create a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant in a drama/theatre work.
c. Apply a high level of technical proficiencies to the rehearsal process to support the story and emotional impact of a devised or scripted drama/theatre work.
TH:Pr5.1.HSIII
a. Use and justify a collection of acting exercises from reliable resources to prepare a believable and sustainable performance.
TH:Pr6.1.HSIII
a. Present a drama/theatre production for a specific audience that employs research and analysis grounded in the creative perspectives of the playwright, director, designer, and dramaturg.
TH:Re8.1.HSI
a. Analyze and compare artistic choices developed from personal experiences in multiple drama/theatre works.
b. Identify and compare cultural perspectives and contexts that may influence the evaluation of a drama/theatre work.
TH:Re8.1.HSIII
a. Use detailed supporting evidence and appropriate criteria to revise personal work and interpret the work of others when participating in or observing a drama/ theatre work.
b. Use new understandings of cultures and contexts to shape personal responses to drama/theatre work.
c. Support and explain aesthetics, preferences, and beliefs to create a context for critical research that informs artistic decisions in a drama/theatre work.
TH:Re9.1.HSI
a. Examine a drama/ theatre work using supporting evidence and criteria, while considering art forms, history, culture, and other disciplines.
TH:Re9.1.HSIII
a. Research and synthesize cultural and historical information related to a drama/theatre work to support or evaluate artistic choices.
b. Analyze and evaluate varied aesthetic interpretations of production elements for the same drama/theatre work.
TH:Cn11.2.HSIII
a. Justify the creative choices made in a devised or scripted drama/theatre work, based on a critical interpretation of specific data from theatre research.
b. Present and support an opinion about the social, cultural, and historical understandings of a drama/theatre work, based on critical research.
Graphic Organizer - Play synopsis
Paragraph 1 - What is the spine of the play? (write in a brief paragraph the central theme of the play and a quick understanding of the plotline)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2 - What are the characters of the play (describe each in a sentence)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 3 - What is your opinion of the writing in the play? (positive or negative response to the work) OR (for playwrights) How did you come up with the concept of the play? What were your influences (other playwrights, life situations, etc.)?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Slideshow planner
Slide 1 Cover slide
Title of show in italics
Author of show
Presenter
Date
Slide 2 Spine slide
Enduring Understanding: Theatre is a collaborative art with several moving components each handled by a different people with differing skill sets. You all have a variety of skill sets and will use and explore your favorite portion of theatre in this three-quarter-year-long assignment will test your ability to work as a theatre company. You will choose your track: Acting, Directing, Production Management, Playwriting, or Technical. As a company your goal is to create and produce a play for the Rhode Island Drama Festival. Within the confines of this semester and a half, you will create a piece of art and form a deeper understanding of your favorite component of theatre as it works within a company.
Essential Questions: What is your role in a company and how is it significant to the outcome of a performance? How would you redefine your current understanding of theatre through the production of a show? What is your favorite component of theatre and why? How can you apply the knowledge of the last three years in a final product that best exemplifies your skills?
Skills:
Students will learn -
1. Collaboration
2. Creative Problem Solving
3. Communication
4. Critical Thinking
Students will be able to -
1. See a project from conception to execution
2. Understand the interwoven roles of all parties within a theatre company
3. Analyze and form a deeper understanding of a work of theatrical literature
4. Design, Direct, Perform, or Manage a full work of theatre
Activities:
Lesson one: Pre-production
Activity 1 - READ! Read and write a synopsis of at least three one act plays (from our library).
synopsis includes: Character description, plot brief, and opinion of script. (See graphic organizer)
Activity 2 -
OPTION A: Vision Statement. Choose ONE of the plays you've read. Write a three paragraph vision statement answering the following:
a. Why do you want to direct/design in this work?
b. How do you see the production happening from a design/directing standpoint?
c. What steps would you take to create this production from a directing/design standpoint?
OR
OPTION B: Using the structure of storyline that you have learned through reading plays this semester (and the skills in writing you have learned from your English teachers) you will write a 10 - 30 minute one act play (average one minute per page of writing).:
a. What is the story you want to tell??
b. What will develop your characters in the dialog?
c. How does your vision of the stage and staging work toward creating a cohesive product?
- Basic rules of playwriting (concerning one act plays)
- Keep it simple - One scene is prefered. Avoid blackouts and changing scenes/places the story takes place.
- You only have one act, make sure you include the five basic elements of storytelling: setting, character(s), conflict, climax, resolution (which does not mean it has to end well).
- Every character has a past and a future goal, these define the present moments we see in the play.
- Every character has a goal - something they want, the story surrounds the process by which they try to achieve the goal. (A character’s goal can be to stop another character’s ability to achieve their goal).
Activity 3 - Slide show presentation. Translate the vision statement to a 5 slide Google Slideshow OR print your play with enough copies for each character, yourself, and the instructor. Present the slideshow in class on the first day of class in September OR have a read through of your play. (The 5 slides do not include the title page)
Assessments -
1. Grade on synopsis (of play to be directed OR your own play)- Homework
2. Grades on Vision Statement and Slideshow OR Play - Project grade
Lesson two: The beginning
Activity 1 - As a company, decide upon one show to produce for the annual Rhode Island State Drama Festival.
a. We will watch all proposals and take a vote.
b. After a play has been chosen by majority vote, two teams will be created out of the company
i. production team
ii. performance team
Activity 2 - The audition process. As a company, we will determine the roles that everyone will take in the production (tech, directing, performance).
a. directors and staff will have to apply to the company to be "hired."
b. actors will audition in front of the producer (instructor). Standard audition practice is in place - monologue and cold read.
NOTE - ALL members of the Senior class will make up the company. Everyone will have a production/performance role.
Activity 3 - Once roles are determined, production staff will begin to assemble pre-show work.
a. directors will start a director's book which includes dramaturgy, character list, vision statement, rehearsal schedule, rough blocking ideas
b. designers will start determining the design of the show in conference with the director. The design should be made to be portable and utilize as much of the stock that is in Beacon's Scene shop/lighting stock/costume stock/props stock for a proscenium theatre.
c. performers will begin the process of memorizing and character development.
Assessments:
1. Process of work in journals and class (participation and Homework)
2. End product (director's book/audition/designs) are a project grade.
Lesson three: Production
Activity 1 - (Participation) Rehearsals will begin in class daily.
Production will start in class daily.
As a company, all members of the class will be active in some capacity toward the goal of creating this competition level performance.
Activity 2 - (Homework) Keep a journal of the experience in a blog format as a Google document which will be added to at least weekly (Thursdays).
Activity 3 - (Projects) Each goal will be an individual project grade (director's/production notes, actor's reflection).
Final: The Show
Activity 1 - Tech week - All students will prepare for the timed competition performance (setup, show, and strike within one hour).
Activity 2 - School performance - Company will perform the show for the student body at a town meeting prior to the Drama Fest Competition.
Activity 3 - "Taking the show on the road" - Company will compete in the annual Rhode Island State Drama Festival in March.
Standards Covered:
TH:Cr3.1.HSIII
a. Refine, transform, and re-imagine a devised or scripted drama/theatre work using the rehearsal process to invent or re-imagine style, genre, form, and conventions.
b. Synthesize ideas from research, script analysis, and context to create a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant in a drama/theatre work.
c. Apply a high level of technical proficiencies to the rehearsal process to support the story and emotional impact of a devised or scripted drama/theatre work.
TH:Pr5.1.HSIII
a. Use and justify a collection of acting exercises from reliable resources to prepare a believable and sustainable performance.
TH:Pr6.1.HSIII
a. Present a drama/theatre production for a specific audience that employs research and analysis grounded in the creative perspectives of the playwright, director, designer, and dramaturg.
TH:Re8.1.HSI
a. Analyze and compare artistic choices developed from personal experiences in multiple drama/theatre works.
b. Identify and compare cultural perspectives and contexts that may influence the evaluation of a drama/theatre work.
TH:Re8.1.HSIII
a. Use detailed supporting evidence and appropriate criteria to revise personal work and interpret the work of others when participating in or observing a drama/ theatre work.
b. Use new understandings of cultures and contexts to shape personal responses to drama/theatre work.
c. Support and explain aesthetics, preferences, and beliefs to create a context for critical research that informs artistic decisions in a drama/theatre work.
TH:Re9.1.HSI
a. Examine a drama/ theatre work using supporting evidence and criteria, while considering art forms, history, culture, and other disciplines.
TH:Re9.1.HSIII
a. Research and synthesize cultural and historical information related to a drama/theatre work to support or evaluate artistic choices.
b. Analyze and evaluate varied aesthetic interpretations of production elements for the same drama/theatre work.
TH:Cn11.2.HSIII
a. Justify the creative choices made in a devised or scripted drama/theatre work, based on a critical interpretation of specific data from theatre research.
b. Present and support an opinion about the social, cultural, and historical understandings of a drama/theatre work, based on critical research.
Graphic Organizer - Play synopsis
Paragraph 1 - What is the spine of the play? (write in a brief paragraph the central theme of the play and a quick understanding of the plotline)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2 - What are the characters of the play (describe each in a sentence)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 3 - What is your opinion of the writing in the play? (positive or negative response to the work) OR (for playwrights) How did you come up with the concept of the play? What were your influences (other playwrights, life situations, etc.)?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Slideshow planner
Slide 1 Cover slide
Title of show in italics
Author of show
Presenter
Date
Slide 2 Spine slide
- Plot points
- Overall theme
- Your thematic choices
- Contextual evidence (things in the script that helped you determine your choices)
- Sketches, inspirations (pinterest board, etc.)
- Notes on what you see for the overall production that will make it successful.
- Define your closing arguments as to why your vision and work is the one the company should produce.
