MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Introduction to Theater
MHS Elective
Authored by: Stacy Snider
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Stacy Snider,
Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts
Adopted by the Board: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I. OVERVIEW
Introduction to Theater offers the beginning acting student experience in fundamentals of acting technique as
well as the opportunity to perform before live audiences in the latter stages of the course. The elective
semester class is offered to students of all academic levels across grades nine through twelve. Virtually all
activities are performance-based and take place on a black-box stage in the classroom. With.the exception of
role-playing and improvisation activities, all activities require preparation and rehearsal time. Peer critique
follows each performance; instructor critique is both oral and written. The course is segmented into three
areas: inner resources & improvisation, movement & oral interpretation, and scenework.
II. GOALS (Linked to NJ Core Content Standards)
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Creative Process
History of Arts and Culture
Performance
Aesthetic Response and Critique Methodologies
III. CONTENT OUTLINE
First Quarter
I. Inner Resources & Improvisation
A. Inner resources
1. Loosening up exercises (daily on performance days)
a. Charades
b. Medium of expression
c. Illusion of reality
d. Pantomime
e. Spontaneity
2. Emphasizing believable action (4 days)
a. Assignment and demonstration (1 day)
1. Communicating to audience
2. Thinking on stage
b. Performance and critique (2-3 days)
3. Developing concentration (4 days)
a. Assignment, lecture, and demonstration (1 day)
1. Illusion of first time
2. Actor's double role
b. Performance and critique (2-3 days)
4. Enhancing sense recall (4 days)
a. Assignment, lecture, and demonstration (1 day)
1. Sense memory
2. Muscular movement
3. Imaginary stimuli
b. Performance and critique (2-3 days)
5. Imagination (4 days)
a. Assignment, lecture and demonstration (1 day)
1. Second awareness
2. Stage conventions
3. Artistic reality
4. Illusion of reality
b. Performance and critique (2-3 days)
6. Emotional response (4 days)
a. Assignment, lecture and demonstration (1 day)
1. Stanislayski
2. James-Lange theory
3. Aesthetic distance
4. Emotional recall
5. Cliche movement
b. Performance and critique (2-3 days)
B. Improvisation
1. Explanation and rationale for improvisation ( 1 day)
2. Introduction and execution of various structures (4 days)
a. Alphabet
b. Tag line
c. Clap/Slap
d. Road trip
e. Tea party
3. Weekly sessions ( 8-10 days)
Second Quarter
II. Movement, Oral Interpretation, and Scenework*
A. Movement (5 -7 days)
1. Stage directions
2. Body positions
3. Basic stage movement
4. Special movements
B. Oral Interpretation (5-7 days)
1. Improving voice
2. Oral reading
3. Storytelling
4. Line interpretation
C. Scenework (15-20 days)
1. Script selection
2. Dramatic reading
3. Blocking rehearsals
4. Line interpretation
5. Rehearsal sessions
6. Performance**
*Note: Scenework in the second quarter runs parallel to exercises in movement and oral interpretation. The
students' selected scenes become the "content" for the exercises.
IV. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
First Quarter
I. Inner Resources & Improvisation
A. Inner resources
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit, the student should be able to:
a. Execute a three-minute performance demonstrating body control and
non-verbal communication
b. Use the theater vocabulary necessary to critique the performances of self and
other class members
2. Specific activities
a. Discuss and review performance requirements and specific vocabulary for
assignment
b. Participate in performance activities in preparation for formal
assignment
c. Execute a prepared three-minute performance
d.
Participate in critique session
B. Emphasizing believable action
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
a. Execute a one to three-minute pantomime which is believable to a student
audience
b. Use the theater vocabulary necessary to critique effectively the performances of
self and other class members
2. Specific activities
a.
Discuss and review performance requirements and specific vocabulary for
assignment
b. Participate in performance activities in preparation for formal
assignment
c.
Execute a prepared three-minute performance
d. Participate in critique session
C. Developing concentration
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
a. Focus and sustain concentration in a three-minute performance
b. Use the theater vocabulary necessary to critique effectively the performances of
self and other class members
2. Specific activities
c. Discuss and review performance requirements and specific vocabulary of the
"concentration" exercises
d. Participate in performance activities in preparation for formal assignment
e. Complete an outline for this group exercise
f. Execute a five to seven-minute performance
g. Participate in critique session
D. Enhancing sense recall
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
a. Create a strong sense impression and recall it
b. Use the theater vocabulary necessary to critique effectively the performances of
self and other class members
2. Specific activities
a. Discuss and review performance requirements and specific vocabulary of this
exercise
b. Participate in performance activities in preparation for formal assignment
c. Execute a five to seven-minute performance
d. Participate in critique session
E. Imagination
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
a. Improvise a five-minute scene around three unrelated words
b. Use the theater vocabulary necessary to critique effectively the performances of
self and other class members
2. Specific activities
a. Discuss and review performance requirements and specific vocabulary of this
exercise
b. Participate in performance activities in preparation
c. for formal assignment
d. Complete an outline of the performance
e. Participate in one forty-minute rehearsal
f. Execute a five to seven-minute performance
g. Participate in critique session
F. Emotional response
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
a. Execute a three to five-minute emotional recall period and a two to four-minute
improvisation
b. Use the theater vocabulary necessary to critique effectively the performances of
self and other class members
2. Specific activities
a. Discuss and review performance requirements and specific vocabulary of this
exercise
b. Participate in performance activities in preparation for formal assignment
c. outline a sequence of personal experience in preparation for formal performance
d. Execute a ten-minute performance
e. Participate in critique session
G. Improvisation
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
f. Understand and execute effectively
g. improvisations based on five structures: alphabet, tag line, clap/slap, road trip, &
tea party
h. Participate in critique of improvisation sessions
2. Specific activities
a. On specifically designated days, discuss and explain one or more structures for
improvisation
b. Execute weekly improvisation sessions
Second Quarter
II. Movement, Oral Interpretation, and Scenework
A. Movement
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
a. Identify all stage areas
b. Identify and assume all body positions
c. Incorporate blocking into scenework
2. Specific activities
a. Discuss and review performance requirements and specific vocabulary of
stage areas and body positions
b. Complete a stage plan and blocking plot in preparation for performance
of scenework
B. Oral Interpretation
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to:
a. Perform effective dramatic readings before class
b. Incorporate oral interpretation techniques into scenework
2. Specific activities
a. Discuss and review specific vocabulary and performance requirements of oral
interpretation
b. Participate in vocal exercises
c. Apply oral interpretation learning to scenework
C. Scenework
1. Objectives: at the end of this unit the student should be able to perform a polished piece
of scenework before an audience incorporating elements of movement and oral interpretation
2. Specific activities
a. Select manageable scripts from classroom library
b. Cast the scripts via dramatic readings to simulate audition
c. Participate in blocking rehearsals
d. Participate in critique sessions stressing line interpretation
e. Execute formal performance of scenework before audience
Vocabulary
above
aesthetic distance
backstage
believable action
below
body control
body
flexibility
business
cliche movement
control
counter-cross
creative imagination
dialogue
double-role
downstage
dress the stage
emotional recall
empathy
full back
full front
give a scene
illusion of first time
illusion of reality
impromptu
improvise
inner resources
interplay
James-Lange Theory
justification
kinesthetic
legitimate theater
mask
medium of expression
motivation
offstage
onstage
one quarter
outfront
pantomime
planes
profile
re-enact
second awareness
sense recall
setting
share a scene
spontaneity
stage conventions
stage left
stage right
Stanislayski
stimuli
subtext
tactile
take a scene
technique
three quarter
upstage
vicarious experience
wings
V. EVALUATION
All assignments culminate in student performance followed by both instructor and peer
critique. Peer critique is grounded in the principles taught in preparation for the assignment. In
this way, peer critique measures performance against principles taught and reinforces the
lessons of the particular unit. Students receive oral critique from classmates and oral and
written critique from instructor. In addition to performance, some assignments require
outlines, sketches, and lesser written plans and are thus evaluated as part of total grade for
assignment.
VI. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Tanner, Fran Averett. Creative Communication. Pocatello: Clark Publishing, 1995
A classroom library of hundreds of scripts and several basic acting texts serve as primary
sources for students in Introduction to Theater.