CUNY Academic Commons

Lesson Title:  Devising A Scene For Culminating Theme Play

Unit Title : DEVISING ORIGINAL THEATRE

Grade Level :  11^th Grade

 

 

Central Question:   How can we begin to devise a theme play? How can we devise a short

Scene that reflects the central theme of our culminating play assignment?

PURPOSE OF LESSON:  To begin to prepare students for the culminating performance assignment

whereby they are to create a Theme Play exercising all of the technical theater aspects discussed

In the two proceeding units.     

 

LESSON OBJECTIVES                                

 

MATERIALS NEEDED               

“Playbuilding A Guide For Group Creation Of Plays With Young People” by Errol Bray, 13 copies of Pg, 6 (‘The Theme Play’). 

 

Students Previous Knowledge

 

 

Cultural Connections :  It will be interesting to see how cultural ideologies are incorporated into

 the theatrical devising process and which central themes are chosen for the play.

 

Standards:      

New York State Learning Standards :

Theater Making : Acting; TH 1-Benchmark-Imagination, Analysis and Process Skills

 – Students increase their ability as imaginative and analytical actors while continuing to participate as collaborative ensemble members.

-Students demonstrate the ability to reflect on and think critically about their work.

Acting; TH 1-Benchmark Performance Skills-Through sequential and sustained activities in various theater forms students improve upon and gain new performance skills.

Theater Making : Playwriting/Playmaking; Benchmark-Understanding Dramatic Structure-TH 2- Students explore personal voice and individual expression by applying diverse conventions of dramatic writing to their original work.

Theater-Making : Playwriting/Playmaking-Understanding Dramatic Structure TH 2- – Students refine their ability as playwright to express point of view and personal vision.  Student playwrights extend and revise their written work guided by peer assessments and self assessment.

 

 

WARM-UP :

• Have students push the desks aside, and stand up from their seats forming a circle around the room
• Instruct the students to shake out the emotions of the day and get their body into a state of relaxation.
• With the teacher leading and complete silence in the room , the situation is then proposed to the class as to close their eyes and imagine for a few minutes that they are in the paradise location of their choice.
• Ask students to fully immerse themselves in the sounds that and assure the students to relax and clear their minds.
• Ask the students to open their eyes after 3 minutes and discuss:
• Which sounds are most prominent? Which sounds were most effective in communicating the mood/tone of the environment?
• Ask students to share the vivid worlds they have created based solely upon the vehicle of sound and their imaginations.

 

Rationale: Allow students to analyze the role sound plays in augmenting nonverbal communication and how this is an important tool to consider when devising their theme play. I was also aiming to have a warm up activity that eases students into the lesson and puts them in a positive place before beginning class.

Role of The Facilitator : 

• Some students may not feel comfortable closing their eyes for long periods of time and it is important to offer the students the option to keep them open but looking down.
• It is important to tell the students to relax and really listen and imagine the sounds around them will aid in this activity.  Leading a soundscape can be challenging as students have to let their daily problems go for the minute, and commit themselves to focusing on just sound.

MINI-LESSON:

• While students are still standing distribute copies of the Bray article for students who did not bring their texts to class today.
• Ask students to go around the circle and provide a definition for the word theme and give an example of a common theme prevalent in dramatic literature.
• Allow for a few students to complete the task and then inform students that we will be focusing on small group work for today’s lesson.
• Count off around the circle (1,2,3,4), giving each student a number.
• Instruct the students for the  4’s to meet in the back of the classroom, the 3’s in the center of the room, the 2’s in the right space of the room, and the 1’s using the front space of the classroom.
• Inform students that these will be their groups for the rest of the academic year.
• Inform students that today, working in small groups, they will need to choose a central theme to focus on for their culminating Theme Play performance project.
• Review Errol Bray’s definition for Theme Play from Page 6 of the text highlighting key quotes.
• Explain to the class that this culminating performance project will be a Theme Play that focuses on a theme of their choosing, but they are free to change later on upon group approval.  The Theme Play will also incorporate all of technical theatre elements learned in future units.
• Inform students that they have the rest of the academic year to work on the assignment and that their culminating Theme Play must be at least three acts in length.
• Give students 2 minutes to choose a theme to focus on that all group members agree on.
• Ask students to devise a tableaux which reflects their groups’ central theme.
• Ask one group to volunteer and perform their tableaux.
• Debrief with group : What was challenging about the devising process? What could we work on if we had more time?  What is your perspective on Errol Bray’s thoughts on devising a Theme Play?

Rationale : I’m building towards the main activity whereby students will have more  time to devise their Theme Play.  I am also trying to scaffold the lesson planning so that any element of our work in class that is inspiring can be used for their culminating performance project.

Role of The Facilitator : The facilitator needs to side couch here and be more of an impartial observer than anything else.  The facilitator does need to be firm though on the time constraints as the next activity they will be able to devise a short scene from their Theme Play.

MAIN ACTIVITY :

 

• Have students form back into their Theme Play groups.
• The new challenge presented to the class is to create a short scene, adding dialogue from the tableaux’s that they just created.
• Instruct the class that they are also free to incorporate any dramatic performance element that they wish. (i.e. song, dance, mime)
• Instruct the class that their short scene also needs to give the audience insight into the central theme of the play.
• Give the students 5 minutes to work cohesively in groups.
• Ask two groups to volunteer and perform their short scene.
• Debrief with class and ask students to return their to their seats to be comfortable for discussion.
• Ask students :
• What is the value of devising a play which revolves around or addresses socially and culturally relevant issues?
  • Was it challenging in groups determining which central theme to focus on?
  • Did you incorporate the use of Errol Bray’s strategies into your theatrical devising process?  Which ones? Explain.
  • What in your opinion is the most difficult aspect of devising a Theme Play?
  • What issues could be addressed if we had more time?
  • Do  you feel that theme plays are effective in addressing social injustices?
  • Why is the process of sound and listening important in our devising work?

 

Rationale:  I want to analyze the role that adding dialogue has on the theatrical devising process.  I also want to see which dramatic performance elements are added to the students’ scenes.  I am also aiming to promote group cohesion and hone abilities for collaborative work.                                                         

Role of Facilitator: To float between groups and side coach.   Also included in this traveling between groups is the ability to question to the students if they have any questions about the main activity.  To be aware of time restraints.

 

REFLECTION   : 

• Ask students to write a 2 page journal entry on what they enjoyed most about today’s devising activity.   Also ask students to address what was difficult about this activity.
• Instruct students to also incorporate which group’s presentation incorporated elements of a Theme Play as stated by Errol Bray.   Students are also required to write about the role that dramatic work has in addressing modern social/cultural issues.

 

Rationale: Journal entries are constantly honing student’s writing skills and simultaneously they are using the creative/analytical sides of their brains questioning the reason behind why they enjoyed a given group’s devised theatre.

Homework : Write 2 pages in your journal as if you were the instructor and how you modify or improve this lesson plan.  Write a rough draft of one scene of your Theme Play using today’s work in class.

Theater Literacy: Theatrical Devising, Role-Playing, Scene Analysis/Creation, Acting, Soundscaping/Soundtracking, Scriptwriting, Playbuilding.

 

MODIFICATIONS :

• Not every student has to be involved in the performance aspect of the lesson.  Some students could be head script writer, director, stage manager or script supervisor.
• It is important to remind students to take care of themselves physically during the performance process, and to not do any movements which are too difficult to complete.

 

ASSESSMENT/INDICATORS: Looking for students’ ability to work cohesively in their groups, striving towards a common goal.  I am looking to see that effective problem solving techniques are being employed and that students are able to employ effective conflict resolution in the devising process.  I am looking to see in the journal entries that students are critically analyzing and reflecting on the day’s work and are thinking outside the box for ways to construct their Theme Play.