Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Primitive Theater Clan Project


Welcome to your Primitive Clan!

You have learned that theatre is one of the Humanities because it attempts to answer the eternal questions:  “Who am I?”  “Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?”  You have also learned that some of the first theatre took place thousands of years ago around campfires, where people of primitive cultures gathered, telling stories, trying to make sense of the mysterious universe in which they lived.  People of primitive cultures did so in much the same way as you are constantly trying to make sense of the changes in your world.

You are now part of a cultural group way back in a time when nature seems dangerous and wonderful, but is not explainable in modern scientific terms.  As part of this group, you must imagine that you have to find new ways of explaining and acting out the strange mysteries of your world.

The goal of this unit is to show that, essentially, drama is rooted in our souls—creating stories is how we make sense of our world and the human experience.

The Primitive Theater Project: Step By Step


Naming and Symbolizing
            Complete the following tasks by the end of class on _________9/16__________.

1.     Choose a name for your “clan.”
2.     Each member of the group will choose a name for themselves, based on their JOB in the clan.
3.     Design TEN (10) symbols that represent your clan.  Decorate your folder with them.

Clan Story Assignment
Complete the following task by the end of class on ________9/21____________.

Write a clan history – a STORY – that explains:

1.     Where your clan lives and how they got there (5 points)
2.     What you believe in or worship, and WHY (5 points)
3.     What type of leadership your clan has – Kingdom? Matriarch? Chief? Elders? (5 points)

Make sure that each member of the clan KNOWS the story!


Clan Myth Assignment
Complete the following tasks by the end of class on _______9/29_______________.

Your clan will be given a “mystery question.”  Each clan is responsible for developing an answer to their question based on what their clan believes. 
Your clan will be expected to write a script – 3 short scenes – that can explain your answer to the question for the other clans in the class.  (Think of it as sharing your knowledge of the world with the other clans!)

Your script requirements:

1.     Each member of the clan must speak.
2.     Each member of the clan must have ACTION.
3.     The dialogue of the script should be PRIMITIVE.  (Modern life doesn’t exist; think “caveman.”) AND NO MODERN OBJECTS!
4.     Once completed, your script must be APPROVED BY ME.  The script should be typed and a copy printed for each group member before you can rehearse.

Rehearsal and Performance
Our clan’s performance will be on  _________TBA___________.

Rehearsing your scene is very important to make sure everyone knows what they are doing and to make sure your story flows together properly.  You will also need to get used to working with any props or costume items you choose to use, so it will feel natural when you actually perform.   Only 2 days will be given for rehearsal. Use them wisely and have high expectations for your group.

Your rehearsal and performance requirements:
1.     Create and use simple props and costumes based on your clan symbols.
2.     Audience should be able to SEE and HEAR each performer.
3.     Double check to make sure that your performance has 3 short scenes.
4.     Time your performance.  It should be between 2-3 minutes.

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MYTH PERFORMANCE RUBRIC

Class period________                        Date_____________

Group Members  _______________________________________________________________________________________________


Scene is 2-3 minutes (5pts)                                                _____________

3 distinct scenes in typed script (5pts)                        _____________

Scenes explained mystery questions (15pts)             _____________

Incorporated symbols in costumes/props (5pts)            _____________

All acted/participated (10pts)                                    _____________

Can I see them? (5pts)            all_______            most_______            some________            none_______

Can I hear them? (5pts)             all_______            most________            some________            none_______

Total for group  _________/50 = __________%

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