Drama Llamas,
iPads, & Pencil

LONG AGO…
in a land
before time…
Before
TV’s
Before
Internet
Before
Video Games
Before
Cell Phones
THERE WAS...
RADIO!
Sunday, October 30, 1938
Millions
of radio listeners (mostly
on the east coast of New York
and New Jersey) were
SHOCKED when radio news
alerts announced the arrival
of…
MARTIANS!
The Martians were…
Ferocious!
Unstoppable!
Attacking
EARTH!
Panic!
People
ran out of their
homes SCREAMING!
Packed
fled!
up bags and
How could
something like
this happen?
A Little History…
In the early days, radio stations
filled their air time with
orchestra music, poetry
readers, singers…
UNTIL…
A Little History…
Welles - producer of Mercury
Theatre On The Air and dramatist
 Dramatization – turning a novel into a
movie or play
 H.G. Wells, author
 Orson
 The
Time Machine (1895)
 The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896)
 The Invisible Man (1897)
The
War of the Worlds (1898)
Orson Welles Opening Intro
“We
know now that in the early
years of the twentieth century
this world was being watched
closely by intelligence greater
than man’s and yet as mortal as
his own…”
(fade in weather report)
Radio Dramas
 Can
only be heard (not seen)
 Usually
around an hour long,
including 15-30 second commercial
advertisements
 Lots
of sounds, jingles, use of
character voices
 Short
History Introduction
War of the
Worlds
1.Read the first part in class…
2. Go to HUSD.ORG to my
teacher page
3. Go to Beginning Drama
calendar for today’s date
http://www.sacredtexts.com/ufo/mars/wow.htm
Scripts
Playwright:
the person who writes
a play or a script
Flashback
Who can remember…
 A.
The name of what it is that the
playwright writes?
 B.
 C.
How a play is divided?
How can you divide it even further?
Advertising Executive
1.Writes
2.
commercials
Inserts the catchy jingles that
can really sell their product using
musical messages
Examples
 http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/old_ra
dio_commercials/Rice_A_Roni.mp3
 http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/old_ra
dio_commercials/Doublemint_Gum.mp3
 http://www.oldtimeradiofans.com/old_ra
dio_commercials/Rice_Krispies.mp3
Foley Artists
 1.
Creates the music/ sound effects for the radio
drama
 2. Responsible for ensuring that all props are
brought to the recording studio
 3. Makes sure the playwright includes all sound
effects in script
 Noises
replace visual aids that would be placed
on a stage, and so the radio dramatist must be
creative with how props sound
Foley Artist Examples

twisting cellophane (crackling fire)

squeezing a box of corn starch (footsteps in snow)

blow through a straw into water (boiling water)

squeeze folded sandpaper (breaking eggs)

run finger nail along edge of pocket comb (crickets)

snap open an umbrella (sudden ignition of fire)

twist knob of combination padlock (dial of safe)
1
Foley Artist: In Class

10 minutes: small group

Reach into your bags
and discover the objects
you already have

What noises can be
made with just what you
have now?

Share in class
Foley Artist:
Assignment

Bring 2-3 objects from
home (it can not be food
and it can not resemble a
weapon of any kind)

You will be combined with
others tomorrow to create
a 1-minute sketch that
incorporates the objects
that you and your group
members bring in

Groups will be given
tomorrow (so you won’t
be able to pre-plan)
Foley Artist: Short Skit
Using the objects you brought from home,
create a one-minute story that incorporates FIVE sounds.
You will have THIRTY minutes to collaborate, write, and rehearse.


An index card will be provided to write down the FIVE sounds and how
that sound is being created.

Skits will be read in front of class and vocal projection and
characterization is required; memorization is NOT. You should include
narration and dialogue. Remember, it’s only a MINUTE.

Characters:
a dragon named
Sir Lotus or a mouse named Annie
Event: trying to save the world
Radio: Timeline
With a partner, research events
between 1930-1945 to construct
a timeline that compares the
history of radio to a world event.
You only need 10 years. Each
year has two different events.
Example:
1945 (radio)The Academy Awards are
broadcast on the radio in their
entirety for the 1st time
1945-(world)Franklin Roosevelt dies
Due at the end of the hour,
tomorrow at the latest
Do not include a bunch of titles
of radio drama shows that
were started for that year. That
is not a strong enough fact.
Plot Structure
Exposition
The
process of putting
together the facts that
gives us the setting
Introduces the where,
when, why, and who
Rising Action
A
series of events that
builds suspense and
leads to the climax
Climax
Turning
point of the play,
the most critical point
Falling Action
o The
events that follow
the climax
o Some parts of the plot
are resolved here
Resolution
The
ending of the story,
everything gets fixed
Unit Routes
(Proceed to appropriate semester)
First Semester
Mysteries
Second Semester
Fairytale Adaptations
Mystery
 Scooby
Doo
Mystery




1) Puzzle clue: This is where something has
gone wrong & the protagonist needs to follow
the clues to figure it out.
2) Treasure hunt: This is where there is a
mystery involving a treasure of some kind.
3) Psychological thriller: This is where someone
is being tricked and may be losing a grasp on
reality.
4) Supernatural thriller: This can involve magic
and monsters and urban legends.
Mystery Radio Drama
 Your
mission:
Create a radio
drama mystery
that isn’t solved
at the end
The basics:
 Theme music
 Setting and character reveal at
start
 Conflict & mystery introduced
early
 Plot structure followed
throughout
 One commercial interruption
with jingle (1930s product)
 To Be Continued ending…
 Minimum 6 min, Max. 8 min
 Must include 10 separate sounds
Fairytale
Adaptations
 Fairytale:
A children’s story about magical and
imaginary beings and lands
 Adaptation:
A movie, book, play, etc. that is changed
so it can be presented in another form
I
am choosing the groups for this project.
 Groups will be between 5-6 people.
 You should exchange emails first. Why?
 I will need one representative from each group.
Small
Groups
Fairytale Adaptations
Objective
You are going choose a
very well-known fairytale
and in small groups, will
be adapting the story to
create a mini radio drama
episode.
Note
 This is not a re-write or
summarization of the
story, but rather a
continuation and/or
snapshot of an event
that could happen in
the world of these
already established
characters’ lives.
Golden Books
 Read
your Golden Book and get reacquainted with
your famous Disney story.
 You can take turns reading the pages within your
group.
Worksheet Guide


Each group will be
given a worksheet
guide to aide in the
process of this project.
Do each area in the
order they are in the
guide.