Lexie Conner
Theatre 395
Long Syllabus
Class: Acting 1
Acting 1 is designed to:
Teach students about the basics of acting as well as have them develop an
appreciation for being on stage and what it takes to put a production together.
Units:
1. Basic Movement
2. Using a Stage Voice
3. Improvisation
4. Acting with a Partner
5. Researching a character
6. Auditioning
7. Beginning Combat
Requirements:
1. Quiz over each unit
a. Each quiz will have 10 questions on Vocabulary and 10 questions on
general information from the unit.
2. 3 Monologues throughout the semester (1 for midterm)
3. Participation in class
4. 2 Partner or Group Scenes (1 for final)
5. Mock Audition
6. Service Project, helping in some area of the current show being put together
7. Extra Credit for being in shows
Plays to be read, discussed, and each one will have a quiz
1. Arsenic and Old Lace
2. Almost Maine
3. The Crucible
Clothing:
Students may wear whatever they would like to unless otherwise instructed.
Be prepared to have an outfit for acting that is easy to move in.
Attendance:
Students are expected to be in class everyday unless:
1. You are ill
2. Death in the family
3. Field Trip for another class
With each of these, you must have a written note from your doctor,
parents, or other teachers, by the next class period.
Grading Scale:
100—90 A
89—80 B
79—70 C
69—60 D
59-below F
Semester Begins on August 20th and ends on December 14th, 2012
Week 1: August 20th—August 24th
Monday: Introduction of teacher and class; go over syllabus and what is expected
of the students throughout the semester.
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: Work through Unit 1 on Basic Movement
Friday: Take quiz on Basic Movement; Hand out Arsenic and Old Lace

Homework: Read first act of Arsenic and Old Lace by Wednesday
before class
Week 2: August 27th—August 31st
Monday: Begin Unit 2 on Stage Voice
Tuesday: Spend time on the stage practicing projection
Wednesday: Discuss first act of A&OL

Homework--Read second act of A&OL by Tuesday before class
Thursday: Review Unit 2
Friday: Quiz of Unit 2; More time practicing on the stage with voice
Week 3: September 3rd—September 7th
Monday: Labor Day—No School
Tuesday: Discuss second act of A&OL; hand out first monologues; discuss service
projects for the current show

Homework—Finish A&OL by Friday before class
Wednesday and Thursday: Practice monologues in class (some with me, some
with a partner or group, and some on your own)
Friday: Discuss the rest of A&OL; Use rest of class period to practice monologues

Homework—practice monologues to be performed Monday and
Tuesday
Week 4: September 10th—September 14th
Monday and Tuesday: Perform monologues in front of class for a grade.

Looking for projection such as what we worked on in Unit 2 and
showing that you have begun to learn how to be comfortable on stage
from the movement we worked on and talked about in Unit 1.
Wednesday: Quiz over Arsenic and Old Lace
Thursday and Friday: Watch Arsenic and Old Lace
Week 5: September 17th—September 21st
Monday: Start Unit 3
Tuesday and Wednesday: Auditorium day for Improv games (Dr. Know-It-All;
Freeze; etc.)
Thursday: Review Unit 3
Friday: Unit 3 Quiz; Begin Unit 4 on Partner Acting
Week 6: September 24th—September 28th
Monday: Move on to more advanced Improv
Tuesday: Handout first partner scenes
Wednesday: More advanced Improv games
Thursday: TBA
Friday: Rehearse scenes in class
Week 7: October 1st—October 5th
Monday: Rehearse scenes in class
Tuesday and Wednesday: Working through Unit 4
Thursday: Review Day; Rehearse in class
Friday: Unit 4 quiz; Begin looking at scenes for feedback
Week 8: October 8th—October 12th
Monday: Continue to look at scenes for feedback
Tuesday: Rehearse scenes
Wednesday: Begin Unit 5 on researching a character
Thursday: Students will begin to write a short character analysis of their favorite
movie or TV character. When finished we will discuss.
Friday: Rehearse scenes

Looking at scenes for a grade will begin on Monday
Week 9: October 15th—October 19th
Monday and Tuesday: Look at scenes for a grade
Wednesday: Continue with Unit 5

For homework: write a character analysis for a character from
Arsenic and Old Lace
Thursday: Turn in homework; Review of Unit 5
Friday: Quiz from Unit 5; hand out Almost Maine

Homework: read First Act of Almost Maine for Wednesday
Week 10: October 22nd—October 26th
Monday and Tuesday: Fall Break: No School
Wednesday: Discuss First Act of Almost Maine

Homework: Read the rest of Almost Maine for Friday
Thursday: Hand out second monologue; begin rehearsing
Friday: Discuss the rest of Almost Maine; review entire show for quiz on Monday
Week 11: October 29th—November 2nd
Monday: Quiz over Almost Maine; rehearse monologues
Tuesday: Rehearse monologues
Wednesday and Thursday: Perform monologues for a grade
Friday: Begin Unit 6 on Auditioning
Week 12: November 5th—November 9th
Monday: Continue with Unit 6
Tuesday: Choose one of the two past monologues for our mock audition; begin
rehearsing
Wednesday: Watch a few good auditions and bad auditions (youtube/ I will show
you myself!); sign up for order of mock audition
Thursday: Begin mock auditions
Friday: Continue mock auditions

You will “audition” just for me and when you are finished you and I
will quickly discuss the good things and the things that can be
improved for next time.
Week 13: November 12th—November 16th
Monday: Spend day helping build set for the upcoming production
Tuesday: Handout final monologue; sort through costumes for upcoming
production
Wednesday and Thursday: Rehearsal days for monologues
Friday: Handout The Crucible; Begin seeing monologues for a grade

Homework: read first act of The Crucible for Tuesday
Week 14: November 19th—November 23rd
Monday: Finish monologues for a grade; handout final partner scenes
Tuesday: Discuss Act 1 of The Crucible

Homework: Finish The Crucible for next Monday
Wednesday: rehearse partner scenes
Thursday and Friday: Thanksgiving Break; No School
Week 15: November 26th—November 30th
Monday: Discuss the rest of The Crucible; review for quiz Tuesday
Tuesday: Quiz over The Crucible; rehearse partner scenes
Wednesday and Thursday: Watch The Crucible
Friday: Unit 7 over Stage Combat
Week 16: December 3rd—December 7th
Monday: In Auditorium working on Stage Combat
Tuesday: rehearse partner scenes
Wednesday—Friday: Perform partner scenes for a grade
End of Semester