Article from Performing Together
First, We Need to Understand:
• Creativity
• Resources: National, Natural, Human
• Perceptions
• Information-Centered World
• Self-Image
• Team-Oriented vs. Hierarchical
• Tolerance, Empathy
Article from Performing Together
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Polarized, Intolerant
Global Citizens
Intrinsic
Kinesthetic
Intellectual
Retention
Traditional Academics
Dramatic Arts Education
Article from Performing Together
We are reading this article to answer
the question:
According to Matt Buchanan,
why do we study Drama in
school?
As we read:
•Underline, highlight, circle
words/phrases you think are related to
Web
Diagrams
Health
Low in
Calorie
s
Boosts
Metabol
- ism
Antioxidants
Benefits of
Drinking
Coffee
Comforting
Tastes
good
Smells
nice
Gives
energy
in
morning
Caffeine
Pull “all
Nighters”
Stay
awake in
boring
Iced for
meetings
hot days
Somethin
g for each
Hot for
season
cold days
Pumpkin
in Fall
Working with the Article
In your groups (your desk cluster),
create a web diagram outlining the
answer to the question:
According to Matt Buchanan,
why do we study Drama in
school?
At the center, you should have “Drama
in Schools” or something similar.
*You can move desks a little, but they
Why do we study Drama in
school?
Exploring
• Creative
Problem
Solving
• Challenging
Perceptions
• Outlet
• Safe
Relating
• Communicating
• Public Speaking
• More Persuasive
• More Confident
Self-Image
• Collaborating
Why do we study Drama in
Enhancing/Reinfo
school?
Understanding rcing
• Tolerance and • Reinforces other
school
Empathy
• Understanding curriculum
other points of • Understand
history/ current
view
events, i.e.
• Responsible
Global Citizens human
interactions
Taking Notes, etc.
• I try to make them go really quickly, but
there is info you just have to know
before we can get on our feet and work
with it.
• Usually fill in the blank with PowerPoint
as a guide.
• If we take notes on it, you are
responsible for the information—
usually in the form of a quiz.
• I try to give enough time for everyone
Why Study Drama in School?
Our world needs more creative
leaders, more empathetic citizens,
more confident communicators,
and more understanding learners.
In Drama, students are:
• Exploring through a safe
atmosphere for creative problem
solving and a safe outlet for
emotions
Why Study Drama in School?
• Relating to others through
increasing communication skills
and collaboration skills
• Understanding other points of
view through an increased sense
of empathy.
• Enhancing and reinforcing their
education through more active
learning
4 C’s: The Foundation of Drama
• Collaboration: working with others
to create or produce something
• Communication: verbal
(speaking), nonverbal (using
gestures/movement), and written
• Creativity: developing ideas
based on your imagination,
knowledge and life experience
• Concentration: focus, attention
The Narrative Essentials
• What are the Narrative Essentials?
• Aristotle, an ancient Greek
philosopher, realized there were
four main components of a good
and complete story. He called
them the Narrative Essentials. They
are plot, characters, setting, and
theme.
The Narrative Essentials
• Plot: Series of events
– What happens in the story
– Needs a complete beginning, middle,
and end
• Characters: Carry out the plot
– Protagonist: the main character;
the story revolves around him/her; not
necessarily the “good” guy
– Antagonist(s): Person and/or force who
gets in the way
The Narrative Essentials
• Theme: The message or point of the
story
• Setting
– Location
– Time period (historical context)
– Time of day/time of year
– Mood/Atmosphere
The Narrative Essentials
Why are the Narrative Essentials
Important?
• Drama is the art of writing and
producing plays, and plays, just like
books or movies, are a form of
storytelling
• In order for us to write and perform
stories well, we have to know what
makes up a good and complete
story, i.e. the Narrative Essentials
Rehearsal Time
• Make sure you understand all
instructions given.
• Stay focused on the task at hand.
– Keep conversation on topic.
– Stay with your group—even if
your group is “done.”
Rehearsal Time
• Practice the words & the
movement. Don’t just talk about
what you’ll do, actually practice
doing it that way.
• Run through it multiple times to
make sure everyone remembers
what they’re doing/saying.
• If you think you’re done, run
through it one more time.
Overcoming Stage Fright
• Be Prepared: Rehearse!
• Get Focused: Breathe, have good
posture, and find a focal point.
• Stay Focused: Listen to your scene
partners, not the audience.
Anticipate your lines.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself: The
more you perform, the easier it
becomes.
Good Audience Etiquette
• Focus your attention on the
performance.
• Don’t talk or make any other
unnecessary noise.
• Don’t get up and/or move around.
• Don’t text or use other electronic
devices.
• Above all else, don’t take attention
away from the performance onstage.
Giving Critiques
• Ask yourself, “Is my comment going
to be helpful for the performers?” Be
respectful!!
• Don’t just focus on negative things.
Make sure to tell people what
they’re doing well, too.
• Be specific about what they did well
or what they could work on.
Giving Critiques
• Offer suggestions to help when you
think there’s something to be fixed.
• If being critiqued: Don’t get
offended if someone tells you
something to work on. We all have
room to grow!
• NOTE: People are allowed to be
offended if critiques are unkind. It’s
a two-way street, so to speak.
Narrative Essentials Practice
• Plot
• Characters
– Protagonist
– Antagonist(s)
• Setting
–
–
–
–
Location
Time Period
Time of Day/Season
Mood/Atmosphere
• Theme
Narrative Essential Practice
• With your partner, read a short
play
• Discuss the play together
• Complete the Narrative Essentials
worksheet together
Story Retelling Assignment
• Assigned to small groups
• Select a story from a hat. If your group
does not know the story, you can rechoose. *DO NOT TELL OTHER GROUPS*
• Group should outline the Narrative
Essentials on 1 sheet of paper.
• Discuss how to “stage” the story
• Rehearse the story
• Perform for the class
• Complete critique cards
Historic
Periods of
Theater
Time How it
Period Started
Performance
spaces
Actors
Make-up/
costume
Other
Greek
6th
century
BC (600500 BC)
Started as
choral odes;
Worship of
the god
Dionysus
Started as
large simple
circle—
orchestra
Women not
allowed to
perform;
Thespis was
first actor
Masks—
expressive,
megaphone
Foundation of
Renaissance
16th Century
(1500-1600)
First theatre
in 1576
Transition
from religious
to secular
entertain-ment
England: First in
inns, etc. then
moved into actual
theatres; usually
circular; Italy:
developed
proscenium arch &
backdrops
England: All
men; formed
guilds
Italy: First
female actors
England: used
costumes
Italy: used
masks
England:
William
Shakes.
Italy:
Commedia
dell’Arte
Kabuki
Japan, 17th
Century
(Early
1600s) Still
today
Based on
legends;
involves
singing and
dancing
Raised
platforms with
a curtain
All male Masks,
artificial
casts
make-up;
extravagant
and colorful
European
(Western)
Theatre
Little
influence on
West; more
symbolic
Part Two: Short Answer
1. Greek theatre began in the 5th century BC in
Athens, Greece (hold on! The other website says
6th century! Whaaaat? It was a process…some
people date it earlier. Just know that it was 600400 BC)
2. Dionysus, Greek god of wine, harvest, and
fertility
Part Two: Short Answer
3. Sophocles was a famous Greek playwright.
4. There were 3 main types of plays:
– Tragedies: character suffers disastrous end
– Comedies: always had a happy ending
– Satires: made fun of mortal legends and real people
Part Two: Short Answer
5. Thespis was the first actor; in his honor actors are called thespians.
(He was the first actor because he was the first person to step out
of the chorus and speak by himself.)
6. VIP seating area; chorus is group singing and dancing; masks make
the characters more obvious and help project the voice; crane was
used to lift an actor up—usually a god coming in to solve the
problem in the play; three types of costumes for each type of play;
acting started as chorus leader speaking to chorus, then they
added a 2nd and 3rd character, etc.
Parts of the Greek Stage
• Orchestra: the performance (singing, dancing, acting)
area; altar at the center
• Skene: building behind stage; decorated according to
setting of play; could be used for entrances/exits
• Theatron: where the audience sat; usually part of a
hillside
• Parados: used for actor exit/entrance as well as audience
entrances/exits
Videos
• Ancient Greek: the stage, trad
chorus, modern interpretation
• Shakespeare (English Renaissance) shake
in love clip
• Commedia Dell’Arte (Italian Renaissance)
stock characters
• Kabuki intro, performance
Geography
 Greek civilization started
around 2000 BC and lasted
until about 100 BC.
 The country of Greece is
located in the southeastern
part of the continent of
Europe.
 Greece is a peninsula
surrounded by the
Mediterranean, Ionian &
Aegean Sea.
Culture
 Because of Greece’s
location, travel & trade by
sea became very common.
 Ancient Greece was
composed not of one large
empire, but many citystates.
 While everyone living in a
city-state was Greek, each
place had its own unique
beliefs and culture.
Politics
 Between the 700s and 400s BC,
the Athenians developed a new
form of government called
democracy.
 Democracy put the decisions
about how things were ruled in
the hands of the people.
 The development of democracy
in Greece was very important
since it has been copied in
many Western nations.
Philosophy
 The foundation for Western
thought
 Make order out of chaos
 Socrates
 Thinking better through always
asking more and more questions
 Plato
 Ideal forms
 Wrote Poetics which still
influences the way we view art
today
 Aristotle
 Basis for scientific method
 Narrative Essentials
Religion
 The ancient Greeks were
polytheistic and
therefore worshiped
many gods.
 The twelve most
important gods formed a
group called the
pantheon.
 Each god was
responsible for a
different aspect of nature
or Greek life.
God/Goddess
God of What?
Symbol
Zeus
Master of the gods
Lightning bolts
Hera (Zeus’ Wife)
Women, Fertility
Pomegranate
Ares
War
Spear, Helmet
Aphrodite
Love, Beauty
Swan, Dove
Athena
Wisdom
Owl
Poseidon
Sea
Trident
Demeter
Harvest
Bundle of grain
Hephaestus
Blacksmiths
Hammer, Anvil
Artemis
Hunting, Moon
Animal pelts
Dionysus
Wine, parties, theatre
Grapes, Vines
Apollo
Music, archery
Sun, bow/arrow
Hestia
Home
Hearth
Hermes
Messenger of gods
Winged sandals
Hades
Underworld
Scepter
 Plays were performed in
Ancient Greece to honour
the Dionysus, the god of
theatre and wine.
 A goat was sacrificed and
the chorus danced around
the altar and chanted.
 These chants evolved into
dramatic contests.
 Thespis is said to have won
the first contest.
Dionysus
Greek theatres
 Greek theatres were large
and semi-circular, with
rows of tiered seating.
 The centre was circular
with an altar dedicated to
Dionysus.
 The stage was raised
within the circle – this
shape made sure all the
audience could see and
helped amplify the sound.
Theatron
Orchestra
Altar
Parados
Skene
Parts of a Greek Theater
Acting
 Chorus: group of actors
chanting in unison
 Thespis: the first known
actor to step out of the
chorus (“thespian,” i.e.
actor, comes from his
name)
 Wore big shoes and masks
to help with the problem of
distance from the acting
space to the audience.
Masks
 Masks exaggerated to fit
the character; bright
colors for comedies and
dark colors for tragedies.
 Megaphone type devices
in some of the masks
 You could see if someone
was happy or sad by the
shape of their mask.
 Women could attend the
plays, but all the actors
were men (even playing
the parts of women).
 The audience would
throw food and stones if
they thought the acting
wasn’t good enough!
 Three types: tragedies,
comedies, & satyr plays.
The plays
Sophocles & the Theban Plays
 Sophocles wrote
tragedies.
 Famous for the Theban
Plays:
Oedipus the King
Oedipus at Colonus
Antigone
 About fate & human vs.
divine laws