Children’s Theatre
| Objective: | Student’s will demonstrate their understanding of the aspects of children’s theatre by writing and performing a small play based on a fairy tale to elementary school children. |
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| Subject: | Theatre History, Styles & Genres |
| Class Level: | Intermediate |
| Main Concepts: | The art of the story. Acting in children’s theatre. Writing a fairy tale for children in a unique way, and performing it. The art of performing for children. |
| National Standards: | CONTENT STANDARD 1: Script writing by improvising, writing, and refining scripts based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history. CONTENT STANDARD 2: Acting by developing, communicating, and sustaining characters in improvisations and informal or formal productions. CONTENT STANDARD 3: Designing and producing by conceptualizing and realizing artistic interpretations for informal or formal productions. CONTENT STANDARD 4: Directing by interpreting dramatic texts and organizing and conducting rehearsals for informal or formal productions. CONTENT STANDARD 5: Researching by evaluating and synthesizing cultural and historical information to support artistic choices. CONTENT STANDARD 6: Comparing and integrating art forms by analyzing traditional theatre, dance, music, and visual arts, and new art forms. CONTENT STANDARD 8: Understanding context by analyzing the role of theatre, film, television, and electronic media in the past and the present. |
| Description: | These are 90 minute plans. Prior Experience: The Students will… -Have previously performed in an informal and formal setting. -Know basic diction, projection, and voice techniques. -Be familiar with pantomime. -Have memorized and performed both monologues and scene work. -Be familiar with props, setting, and costume elements of a production. -Know the different types of stages and stage directions. -Be familiar with fairy tales, myths, and other famous legends. |
| Author: | Katherine Gee |
Lesson Plans
Students will demonstrate their understanding of why children need their own theatre by writing a self-reflective journal entry.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of children’s stories by writing a story.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the elements of a children’s play by turning in an outline for an original script.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of characterized voice and mannerism by presenting a puppet show and pantomime.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the nature of children’s theatre characters by creating a character and presenting him/her to the class.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the nature of children’s theatre non-human characters by creating non-human characters and by talking about an experience in character.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of audience reaction to children’s theatre by writing a self-reflective journal entry about their performance at elementary schools.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the overarching concepts of children’s theatre by taking a written test, and by performing their original short plays to the class.