by Savannah Johnson
Standards:
Standard 7-8.T.P. 4: Communicate meaning using the body through space, shape, energy, and gesture.
Essential Questions:
How does my body language affect how I am being understood?
How can I use my body to tell a clear story?
Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that their movement can be read and understood and interpreted like any other language can.
Students will understand that the way that they choose to move their bodies builds the story of their character.
Learning Objective:
Students will understand how levels, proximity, spacing, and focus affect the story that is being told on stage through various drama games, note taking, and viewing of images used to identify these items in a stage.
Materials:
PowerPoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1y2KR3zq_2uqGyxGJr9D_AhUamln5L0vh8tNdC3mOiwY/edit?usp=sharing
Instruction:
INTRO:
- Welcome to class!
- Roll
- Seating chart
Tableaus:
Have the students create a tableau that shows the use of levels.
- Have them point out why this shows this staging tool.
Have the students create a tableau that shows the use of proximity.
- Have them point out why this shows this staging tool.
Have the students create a tableau that shows the use of spacing.
- Have them point out why this shows this staging tool.
Have the students create a tableau that shows the use of focus.
- Have them point out why this shows this staging tool.
NOTES:
- Follow the slides through this topic and allow the students to take notes and identify the various uses and effects of posture and shape.
POSTURE/SHAPE:
Clown of Amsterdam
- Explain the game first so volunteers will know what they’re getting themselves into.
- Choose one actor to be the “walker.” Have them start walking around the room like they would normally walk
When they feel ready, the other actors should begin following behind the walker and become “clowns.” The clowns should mimic the walker in mockery of the person in front of them – their gait, their manner, whatever.
- Because our class is so small, we chose to have one walker and the rest clowns, but bigger classes would spread it out a bit more with multiple walkers and clowns assigned to them.
- Whenever the walker feels compelled, they should stop and look behind them to see what the clowns behind them are doing. When the clowns are looked at, they should carry on with their movements and gestures in such a way as to make them seem normal, disguising their satirical intent.
- After time seems sufficient, the teacher should switch out the walker for a new one, and the old walker becomes a clown.
TRANSITION:
- How did this relate to posture and shape?
- How are we going to translate this to our acting?
NOTES:
- Follow the slides through this topic and allow the students to take notes and identify the various uses and effects of facial expressions.
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS:
We are going to play telephone but with our faces.
- Stand in a line and then have the first student turn around and make a face and then pass it having everyone try to make the same face.
Then show the final face to the group and see if it matches the first face.
Side coaching can look like asking students to lock in and stay focused
- This will help with the laughter that will inevitably come.
TRANSITION:
- How did this relate to facial expressions?
- How are we going to translate this to our acting?
NOTES:
- Follow the slides through this topic and allow the students to take notes and identify the various uses and effects of gestures.
GESTURES:
Gesture Skit: Have them work with a partner to create a short skit that uses nothing but gestures to tell the story.
- Group 1: Ordering at McDonald’s
- Group 2: Saying goodbye
- Group 3: Getting yelled at by your neighbor
- Group 4: Asking out or proposing to a boy or girl
- Group 5: Two fans cheering at a sporting event
- Group 6: Shopping for new shoes
TRANSITION:
- How did this relate to gestures?
- How are we going to translate this to our acting?
NOTES:
- Follow the slides through this topic and allow the students to take notes and identify the various uses and effects of stage business.
STAGE BUSINESS:
Room conflict game
Uta Hagen Game:
- Have 2 students go out and find an object hidden.
Once found. Have the students go out again and act out finding it.
- See what the students notice.
This is stage business. What is important about it? Why do we need it?
- If others want to try it, let them give it a go!
TRANSITION:
- How did this relate to stage business?
- How are we going to translate this to our acting?
NOTES:
- Follow the slides through this topic and allow the students to take notes and identify the various uses and effects of energy.
ENERGY:
On a scale of 0-T-Rex.
- Mrs. Johnson will bring this game in. It is a card game she has at home.
Other option: Whoosh
You will pass the “whoosh” around the circle and have the student match the energy that is given to them by the person in front of them
- Woah: stop and turn the whoosh the other way
TRANSITION:
- How did this relate to energy?
- How are we going to translate this to our acting?
CLEAN UP:
Recall what was learned:
- Can someone tell me about facial expressions?
- How would you define physicality?
- Questions from the notes that they have been working on.
- Clean up the room, put the chairs back, put all of the pencils and clipboards away