Theater III: Observation Paper Deadline Approaches

Theater II: Journal #8 - Character Assumptions

Choose one of the following characters and write what the audience can assume about him or her.  On what do they base their assumptions?

Margaret Narwin

Philip Malloy

Administrator/Intercom voice

Theater III: Don't forget that your OBSERVATION PAPER is due:

Friday, December 11th

45 days left!  Go see a show!  Write your observation paper!

Theater I: Journal #8 - Play Selection & Description

First: Select one of the following plays.  Choose wisely, as this will be the scene you will be working on for your next project.  (If you have not read the scenes with us in class, then a scene will be assigned to you.)

Pleasantville Dead Parrot Blithe Spirit Ferris Bueller Mean Girls

Second:  In your own words, describe a person that you know very well.  This might be a brother or sister, a friend, another family member, or a teacher.  WITHOUT USING THEIR NAME, describe this person IN DETAIL.  Please make sure to write about their appearance, their personality traits, their likes and dislikes -- anything that makes up who they are as a person.

Theater I: Journal #7 continues! Vocabulary!

Ch-ch-check it out!  Word on the street is, you'll need to know these terms for your next theater project!

 

Add them to your #7 journal entry for 10/20/09!

 

blocking: movement of actors onstage

 

staging: bringing to life onstage

 

director: a person who oversees the entire production (generally what you see onstage)

 

actor: a person who portrays a character

 

cross: movement from one place to another

 

cast: (noun) a group of actors who play the roles in a production, (verb) to be selected to play a role

 

"upstaging": stealing the focus in a scene

 

cue: signal for something to happen

 

prop/property: anything an actor handles onstage

 

set: the onstage physical environment that actors perform in/on

 

QUIZ Wednesday, October 21 on STAGE AREAS.  Be prepared.

 

Please make sure that you have your journal checked by Ms. Yanchak BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23.  Please arrange to make up any missed assignments by this time as well.

 

Theater III: Method Acting Teachers Poster Assignment

In this assignment, you will be assigned a partner to work with in researching  one of the following people involved in the teaching of acting.  You have read about method acting during class; sense memory, emotional memory, and action-generated memory are all forms of “The Method."

Choices for research include:

Lee Strasberg

Constantin Stanislavsky

Stella Adler

Sanford Meisner

Uta Hagen

Bertold Brecht

Richard Boleslavski

Your poster must include:

1) A brief summary of your subject’s life

2) A summary of what they taught: What was their “method” of acting?  What did they believe?  When did it become important in history, and why is it still important today?

3) At least 3 images (sketches, images from reliable websites, charts, graphs, etc.)

4) At least 3 online sources of information, and 2 books/print sources

 

Your poster may be any shape or size that you’d like.  I have some materials in the classroom, such as markers, colored pencils, glue sticks, crayons, scissors, construction paper.  If you wish to display your poster on poster board or another material, you must provide that yourself.

You will be given two days of research time in the library, and two days of independent work time in class. Some online resources are listed below. There are many more resources available should you do a search.  I have several books on hand for you to use in the classroom, but no book may leave my room!

(NO WIKIPEDIA, PLEASE!!!)

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/stanislavsky_c.html

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/actors_studio.html

http://www.wic.org/bio/hagen.html

http://www.stellaadler.com/

You will be asked to present your poster to the class on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22.  Please be prepared.

Theater II: Journal Entry #7 - No Dialogue Characterization

One of the most difficult things you will be asked to do as an actor is to create a character using your body.  We have learned that it is not only what your character says, but also what your character DOES (and HOW they do it) that defines them.

For your scene with your partner/group, please name the character you will be playing and list the following:

1. What specific actions can my character make?

2. What specific movement/walk does my character have?

3. What specific facial expressions does my character use?

4. What specific body language does my character use?

5. What emotion will my character experience during the scene?  How will my audience be able to tell?

6. For any of the above questions, list experiences YOU have had, or OBSERVATIONS that you have made that help you connect to your character.  (Think: sense memory, emotional memory, action-generated memory.)

Make sure you take time to create the WHO, WHAT, and WHERE of your scene with your partner/group.

Theater I: Journal #7 - Advantages and Disadvantages

Today's journal entry:

List the three types of stages and list at least 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of each stage.

Today was a JOURNAL CHECK for entries 4, 5, & 6.  Each entry is worth 5 points (15 points total possible).  Make sure to let me check your journals before the end of the day on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23.

Quiz on stages and stage areas on WEDNESDAY.

Theater II & III: Journal #6 - Notes

Notes from today:

Three types of stages and the stage areas...

A proscenium stage has an audience on ONE SIDE.

A thrust stage has an audience on THREE SIDES.

An arena stage (theater-in-the-round) has an audience on ALL SIDES, and is diagrammed like a compass (N, E, W, S, NE, SE, NW, SW, and C) or the face of a clock (digits 1 through 12 and C).

Homework for BOTH Theater II & III:

Listen to and observe 3 different people.  Describe what you see and hear in DETAIL.  DO NOT USE NAMES in your description.  DO NOT MAKE YOUR SUBJECT AWARE OF YOU.  Simply observe and describe.  (Theater II students place this assignment in your journal.  Theater III students will turn in your descriptions to Ms. Y tomorrow.)

Theater I: Journal #6 and Notes

#6: What is Theater? and Notes - 10/13

Answer the following questions in your own words:

1) What is theater?  (i.e. What is the performing art known as theater all about?)

2) What is A theater? (i.e. What is the place called theater?)

Notes from today:

Three types of stages and the stage areas...

A proscenium stage has an audience on ONE SIDE.

A thrust stage has an audience on THREE SIDES.

An arena stage (theater-in-the-round) has an audience on ALL SIDES, and is diagrammed like a compass (N, E, W, S, NE, SE, NW, SW, and C) or the face of a clock (digits 1 through 12 and C).

Theater II: Journal Entry #5

#5: Progress

What challenges has your group faced so far in the Greek Tragedy Project?  How have you resolved any arguments or disagreements?