Warm-Up Creation Assignment

Objective: Students will reinforce the importance of warm-ups by creating and teaching a theater warm-up to the class.  This activity also is a collaborative effort, teaching students that theater arts is a collaborative art form.


Assignment Details: Students create, plan, and teach a theater warm-up activity to the class.  See images below for more details!

Theater I: Journal Entries #8 and #9

Journal #8: Stage Makeup Notes

There are two main types of stage makeup:  Corrective  &  Creative.

Stage Makeup Facts

Corrective Makeup…

• “Everyday” makeup or “street” makeup

Question: What types of makeup do you know that some people use everyday? 

Question: How do they use these tools and supplies?  

Creative Makeup…

• Enables actors to “inhabit” any type of character!

Question: Have you ever worn “creative” makeup?  When?  Why?

Question: What kind of character did you portray in that makeup?

Makeup Materials…

Cream shadows/colors

Softened wax

Liquid latex

Spirit gum (or chewed bubble gum!)

Foam rubber

“Street” makeup (eyeliner, eyeshadow, foundations)

Anything you can imagine!!!

Makeup Assignment

Journal #9: “Fight Club” Scene

Step 1: With a partner, write a short scene of dialogue (about 10 lines) between TWO CHARACTERS that leads to a creative, physical fight.

Step 2: After you have written your scene, use your creative art skills to draw a MAKEUP PLOT – basically, a drawing of the faces of the people in your scene and what their makeup will look like based on their injuries.  (Bruises, scratches, burns, other objects… get creative.  It’s okay to be funny – you don’t have to get too gorey.)

Make sure to LABEL what materials you’ll be using.  Get creative – eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick, blush, cotton balls, chewing gum… they can all be used in NON-TRADITIONAL WAYS!

Theater I: Journal Entry #3 - Costume Design (1/28)

Journal #3: Costume Design

COSTUMES 101: Dressing the Part

 

COSTUME “NEED-TO-KNOW”

- Every garment worn in a production is a costume piece.
- Costumes are a storytelling tool.

- Costumes convey information about the character to the audience.

- What kind of information???

 

WHAT DO COSTUMERS DO?

And what’s the big deal about it, anyway?

 

COSTUMERS MUST…
1. Read the script!

2. Know the LOCATION (setting).

3. Know the TIME.

4. Know the ACTION in each scene.

 

RESEARCH!

-  After a designer reads the script, they meet with the director to discuss their plans.

- Then, they can begin to RESEARCH the costume design…

- How do you do RESEARCH for a project at school?

COSTUME RESEARCH

 Library

 Internet

 Travel

 Interviews

 Art

 Imagination

 

In journal: Costume Design PROJECT (20 points):

·      Choose an occasion from the list below:

Going to play paintball
"A wolf in sheep's clothing"
Going to church
Going to a job interview
Going to the airport for vacation
At home, sick
First day of school
A first date
Going to a HOME football game
Going to your favorite band's concert
Going to prom
Visting Grandma (or another old relative)
Going to a funeral
Going to a wedding

 

·      Make a list of descriptions of the articles of clothing that you own that you might wear on this occasion.

Shirt:

Pants/skirt:

(Dress?):

Socks:

Shoes:

Hat/hair accessories:

Belt:

Jewelry/other accessories:

 

·      The next day you attend school, WEAR THE COSTUME YOU HAVE DESIGNED.  (Make sure that you remain in DRESS CODE.)  You will be asked to give a short presentation to the class on why you have chosen the specific costume pieces.

Theater I: Journal Entry #2 - Intro to Technical Theater 1/27

Journal #2: Intro to Technical Theater - 1/27

Intro to Technical Theater

The Basics

•Theater depends on people working TOGETHER.
•The people who work behind the scenes are called “technicians.”

Technicians

•Create the environment & effects.
•Usually OUTNUMBER the performers!

•Work in several areas of focus…

1.SET 2.PROPS

3. LIGHTS 4. SOUND

5. COSTUMES 6. MAKEUP

Technicians may also include the RUN CREW and stage managers.

 

SET DESIGN

•Set designers come up with the initial concept of a set.

•SET CREW will BUILD the set.

 

PROPS

•Properties crew is in charge of gathering & organizing PROPS.

•Props may have to be RENTED,
BORROWED, BOUGHT, or BUILT.

 

LIGHTS

•LIGHTING can establish the mood, time, and place of a play.

•Lighting designers decide: WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN.

•WHAT type of lights to use.

•WHERE to focus them.

•WHEN to turn them on.

 

SOUND

•Sound designer decides on music & sound effects.
•SOUND also includes any amplification!

 

COSTUMES

•Costume designers create or choose the clothing that the actors will wear.

•Costumes may be RENTED, BORROWED, BOUGHT or BUILT/SEWN.

 

MAKEUP

•Makeup refers to wigs, hairstyles, and false features AS WELL AS cosmetics.

•Actors typically do their own makeup in live theater.

•When there’s something SPECIAL, though, they need help!

 

PLEASE REMEMBER:

•TECHNICIANS in theater have to be PREPARED with all materials/designs.

•They must also WORK TOGETHER to keep a safe and clean work space.

 

Theater I: Journal Entry #1 - Shakespeare Insults (1/26)

Using the lists provided, write FIVE of your own Shakespearean insults.  Try to come up with the meanest, silliest sounding insults!

(The Insult Lists can be found here.)

All Theater Classes: Journals

Every student in Theater I, Theater II, and Theater III should bring a journal (a folder or notebook capable of holding three-hole punched papers that has a supply of lined notebook paper in it) to class EVERY DAY.

Every student in Theater I, Theater II, and Theater III should bring a writing utensil to class as well.  This is common sense, folks.  (Theater II and III should make sure that at least one of their writing utensils is a pencil.)

Constructive Criticism/Feedback

A reminder of how to successfully critique your peers' performances and rehearsals during the course of this class:

1. AFFIRMATION

Immediately following the presentation or production, the floor is open for positive feedback only.  Phrase everything in "I" statements ("I liked," "I saw," "I thought," etc.).  

2. QUESTIONS (from performer to audience)

A time for the performer to ask specific questions about what s/he did and illicit feedback.

3. QUESTIONS (from audience to performer)

Audience members have an opportunity to ask the performer questions about their performance.  These should be NEUTRAL questions (neither positive or negative!) and be specific.  Again, these are questions that are "I" based -- you can only ask questions for YOU.  No generalizations for the group.

4. OPINION

Audience members have the opportunity to offer opinions on how to improve or change the production.  However, in order to be fair, they must make a statement that shows what their opinion is about, THEN ask if the performer is willing to hear it.

Example:

"I have an opinion about how to make the plot clearer to the audience.  Would you like to hear it?"

The performer has the opportunity to say YES (I am willing to hear your idea and will not take offense to it), NO (I don't want to hear your opinion), or MAYBE LATER (I don't want to hear it at this time).

Theater I: Journal #10 - Vocabulary

Journals are due no later than Monday, November 16.  After that point, they are LATE --- and will receive no more than a 70%.

Entry #10: Vocabulary

obstacles: anything that gets in the way of a character's OBJECTIVE (their goal or goals)

stakes: RISKS that a character takes in order to achieve their OBJECTIVE

tactics: the ways that a character tries to obtain their OBJECTIVE

conflict: the main problem a character faces

Today we played the game "Control Tower..." If you can remember the OBJECTIVE, the STAKES, and the TACTICS used/created in the game "Control Tower," you'll be able to remember the definitions of the above words.

Theater I: Journal #9 - Vocabulary!

It's time for another exciting round of.... VOCABULARY!

ensemble acting: acting/working together to create the whole picture, without putting focus on any INDIVIDUAL actors (think: the television show "Friends")

"going up": forgetting lines or actions during a rehearsal or performance

objective: what a character WANTS

interplay: interaction among characters

emoting: expressing emotion

JOURNAL CHECK FOR ENTRIES 7, 8, & 9 NEXT WEEK!  (Monday - Friday)

After Friday, November 13 -  your journal will be LATE.

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 I: Journals & Make-Up Quizzes

Don't forget to see Ms. Yanchak if you missed the quiz on Thursday.  You will not be given class time to make it up; you will need to schedule a before/after school time or come in during lunch.

Friday's Theater I journal entry:

#5 -- Progress -- 9/25

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

Theater I & II: Theater History Notes

·         Theatre began thousands of years ago, probably before the start of recorded history.

·         Early cultures used ritual, dance and storytelling to communicate.

·         Theatre is one of the HUMANITIES; it attempts to answer the questions: “Who am I?” “Why are we here?” and “Where are we going?”

·         A RITUAL is an action performed REPEATEDLY because of its symbolic significance and its ability to evoke the emotions of those engaged in the performance.

·         Through rituals, early humans wanted to:
- Achieve success in battle and hunting
- Ensure adequate sun and rain
- Express their duty to the community and to the gods

·         Common to all traditional cultures, the shaman is a priestly figure who communicates directly with the gods through rituals for the benefit of the community.

·         Rituals were usually performed by elders, priests or shamans.

·         Our knowledge of early theatre and rituals comes from wall painings, artifacts, and hieroglyphics.

·         Rituals often told a story based on the culture’s beliefs.  These stories were often based on MYTH.

·         Myths gained a life beyond the rituals, and began to be performed for entertainment.

·         Myth, Stories, Rituals BECAME Habit, Tradition BECAME Entertainment which BECAME Theatre!

·         The earliest example of ritual evolving into theatre comes from Ancient Egypt.

·         The world’s first report of a dramatic production is an Egyptian drama known as the Abydos Passion Play.
- The play at Abydos is the story of the god Osiris.

Myths and stories have been used to entertain and to educate human beings since
the very beginning of spoken language.

• Stories were told in order to:
- TEACH HISTORY                                                - ENTERTAIN

 - SETTLE ARGUMENTS                                    - HONOR THE GODS

 - MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD        - COMMUNICATE EXPERIENCES

 - RECORD HISTORY

·         Homer was a blind poet who may have been born on an island in the Aegean Sea (GREEK).

·        He probably composed his works between 700 and 800 B.C.

·         Homer was an ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally said to be the
author of the epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

·         Homer was one of the first storytellers to use repetition and dialogue in his stories.

·         Homer’s (and others!)  stories provided many of the ideas and plots for playwrights that came after him!

·         Dance is another probable origin of theatre.

·         Dance comes from:
 - animal imitation                        - pantomime
 - gymnastics                                    - rhythmic movement

Dance was often used as part of rituals. 

Theater I: Warm-Up Lesson

Teaching Your Warm-Up

This week you'll be teaching your warm-up activities to the class.  Make sure to come prepared with your blue lesson plan, any props/music you need, and a willingness to participate in other warm-ups.  You will be earning points -- like always! -- based on your participation in your classmates' lessons.

Take a look again at the rubric on your lesson plan to refresh your memory on how I will evaluate you.

Also, you'll be evaluating another group's lesson.  I will go over guidelines for that today in class.

You will be turning in:

1. Your blue lesson plan and any other notes attached

2. Your peer critique/evaluation (distributed today in class)

Good luck!

Theater I: Journal Entries

We have had 3 journal entries so far in class.  Our first journal check is TODAY, Thursday, September 10.

Journals must be formatted with the entry number, the journal title, and the date.

Journals must be kept in a binder, portfolio folder, or notebook that is marked clearly with your name, class period, and Theater I.

Any "loose paper" journals will receive a zero for this check.

Here's the list of journal entries thus far:

1. Fair Choice: How did your group make decisions and choices regarding the tableaus your performed?  Were there any difficulties?  Did someone "take the lead?"  Who?
2. Warm-Ups: Make a chart of the warm-ups we've learned so far in class.  List the titles of warm-ups on one side (Rag Doll, Stordahlen, Pass the Clap, etc.).  List the goals that each achieves (relaxation, memory, energy building, etc.) on the other.
3. Directions: Think about something that you are an EXPERT at doing -- tying your shoe, making a sandwich... something simple.  Write directions on HOW TO DO that thing using at least 7 steps.  Make sure your directions are simple enough for anyone to understand.

Theater I: Neighborhood Story

Today in class you were given time to begin the second part of our neighborhood project.  Using the neighborhood from your maps, your task was to write down a story that you remember from your neighborhood.  

Tips: 

• Take a look at your map for inspiration.  Sometimes you can't remember what happened until you see WHERE it happened. 
  
• Keep your story classroom appropriate, but tell the truth.
• Leave out names if you would like people to remain anonymous.
• If you REALLY can't remember ANYTHING that happened... go ahead and make something up.  Please don't tell anyone else in the class which parts of your story are true and which are false.  (It's not lying... it's "make believe.")

Neighborhood Story Assignment (15pts)

Due Wednesday, Sept. 2

Requirements:

1. Heading: Name, Theater I, Class Period, Assignment Title
2. Three paragraphs: In this class, a paragraph = 5-7 sentences.  This will help you organize the beginning, middle and end of your story.
3. Complete sentences, please: But I do NOT check for correct spelling or grammar.  Please write the way you speak!
4. Your story must have a clear beginning, middle, and end.