IMPROVISATION

IMPROVISATION

Improvisation is a style of performance in which everything that occurs is unscripted and unrehearsed; the performers are making everything up on the spot.

Name some situations in which you would have to make something up on the spot on stage.

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PANTOMIME

PANTOMIME

PANTOMIME

Pantomime is type of entertainment where players act out situations, ideas, or environments. The difference between this and other forms of performance is that pantomime requires its performers not to use any props nor their voice.  Sometimes, music plays while they perform.

Why would you need to know how to act on stage without using your voice?

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PHYSICAL THEATER

PHYSICAL WARMUPS & ACTIVITES

FEEL YOUR FEELINGS

For this activity, everyone has to sit on the floor wherever you like.  It is important that wherever you are sitting, you are close enough that you can hear my voice, but still have enough room to spread your body out for this activity.  Though this activity will be relaxing, it is important for you all to keep your eyes open and concentrate. Listen very closely to what I am saying and concentrate on the instructions.

Feel your feet in your socks            Feel your socks on your feet

Feel your legs in your pants            Feel your pants on your legs

Feel your chest in your shirt           Feel your shirt against your chest

Feel your fingers in your rings       Feel your rings on your fingers

Feel the hair on your head and the eyebrows on your face

Feel the tongue in your mouth

Feel the teeth in your mouth

Feel your ears

Feel all of the space around you

Let the space feel you.

VOCAL WARM UPS & ACTIVITIES

VOCAL WARMUPS & ACTIVITIES

In this section of the workbook, we will discuss how to prepare your voice for the stage.  As we discussed in the Imagination Worksheet your voice is one of your most important tools as an actor. Your voice can help you to create and define characters, create sound effects, and establish mood and attitude for the story you are presenting.  In order to use your voice effectively and without hurting it, it is important to learn how to warm it up and prepare it for performing.

PLOT ARCH

PLOT ARCH

Who know what the word plot means?

The plot is the order and organization of events in a story, play, or movie.

Every story and play has a pattern that it must follow.  I am sure that you all know that a story has to have a beginning, a middle and an end, but what about the other parts of the story?  Does anyone know what they are?  The reason it is referred to as an arch is because the story starts at one place builds to a high point, then everything gets resolved and returns to a situation similar to the beginning. Let’s look at the way a story should be organized.

STAGE DIRECTIONS

STAGE DIRECTIONS

In theater, directions are always given from the actor’s point of view on stage facing the audience.  Here you will find a list of all the directions and a diagram of the stage explaining each one.

Stage Directions
Direction	Step	Description of Step
RS	RIGHT STAGE	Part of stage on your right when facing the audience from onstage
LS	LEFT STAGE	Part of stage on your left when facing the audience from onstage
US	UPSTAGE	Part of stage behind you when facing the audience from onstage
DS	DOWNSTAGE	Part of stage in front of you when facing the audience from onstage
DR	DOWN RIGHT	The downstage, right corner of the stage when facing the audience from onstage
DL	DOWN LEFT	The downstage, left corner of the stage when facing the audience from onstage
UL	UP LEFT	The upstage, left corner of the stage when facing the audience from onstage
UR	UP RIGHT	The upstage, right corner of the stage when facing the audience from onstage
UC	UP CENTER	The upstage, center area of the stage when facing the audience from onst

ADVENTURES IN 6th GRADE STORYTELLING

Picture a time when there were no

computers.  A time when there were no

televisions.  A time when there were no radios.

 I want for you to imagine a time when people

 actually had to rely on the art of conversation to

 entertain themselves…WOW! I know the very notion

makes some of you shudder with fear.  Believe it or not,

people used to get by.

Since the beginning of time, people in all parts of the world have taken words

and turned them into narration. Narration is the act of recounting or telling in

order the particulars of some action,

occurrence, or event. When someone narrates something, they take ordinary events or ideas and bring them to life to share with others.  Over time, these narrations come to be known as stories.

A story is a retelling of real or fictional events done to entertain or to share information. A story is not an untruth told to get out of trouble. That is a lie. J

In the early days, storytelling was an very important part of human communication.  Many of you have been fortunate to have someone read to you when you were younger.  Some of you may read aloud to a younger sibling or family member now.  Before there was such a thing as the written word and printed books, stories were told to family members and neighbors to connect people in faraway countries and tribes.  Storytelling was the only way people were able to record historic events before reading and writing were readily available to everyone. Some of the stories told in ancient times have lasted through the generations and are still being told today either by word of mouth or they have been recorded in books.

 Storytellers would travel from city to city or from village to village and would tell stories much like newscasters today tell the news.  Storytellers used to be merchants who would travel to sell their merchandise.  Some storytellers would be considered bards or minstrels or they may even be warriors sitting around a campfire. A bard is a professional poet and singer in ancient Europe, whose job was to create and sing verses in honor of the heroes of the times. A minstrel is a traveling medieval entertainer who would sing and recite poetry, often to his own musical accompaniment. 

  

Critical Thinking:

Make a list of some musical

artists you consider modern

day bards or minstrels.

What makes them a bard or a minstrel in your opinion? Remember to consider artists who use storytelling in their lyrics. Answer the question on looseleaf. Give examples whenever possible.

In this course we are going to try to learn to be storytellers. YAY! Hearing and telling stories can sometimes be even more exciting than watching a movie because no one can invent anything as fascinating as what your mind can imagine. We can use our imaginations to create entire worlds and galaxies that other people’s minds can not even begin to tap into. 

I know some of you may think that storytelling is

“silly” or only for babies, but I beg to differ. In order

to be great storytellers, which I am sure all of you will be able to do by the time we are done with this school year, you have to put your heart and mind into your presentation.  Storytellers were respected people because they provided people with information and entertainment.  They would not only tell a story, they would explain it as well so that their audience members could travel on the imaginary journey with them.

Many of you are storytellers right now and don’t even know it. How many times have you told your friends about something that happened at school, (a fight, something funny or embarrassing that happened to someone else, something goofy a teacher said, anything!) and told your friend in a way that made them feel like they were right there with you? Well guess what… YOU ARE A STORYTELLER!!!!!

Now, some of you may be wondering, “Why are we learning storytelling in DRAMA class?”  The answer to that question is very simple. In order to be a truly GREAT storyteller, you have to use a lot of basic acting and performance skills. Among the skills you will learn through storytelling are:

·      Enunciation & Articulation: Speaking clearly and loudly

·      Facial Expression: Using your face to express an emotion or idea

·      Gesture & Physicalization: Creating a character or expressing an emotion using only your body

·      Improvisation: Making things up on the spot

·      Mime & Pantomime: Acting with no words

·      Projection: Making your voice heard by your audience

·      Vocal Characterization: Creating a character using only your voice

·      Vocal Tone: Using the way you speak to mean different emotions

·      Voice Modulation: Controlling the volume of your voice

·      And most importantly your IMAGINATION.

A story can be as long or as short as the storyteller decides to make it. A story teller, or griot as they are called in West Africa, paints a picture with words the same way an author or playwright does.  What separates storytellers from others is that they are telling their stories instead of writing or typing them and sometimes, they are even making up the story off the top of their head!

In order to be a great storyteller, there are a few guidelines that you must follow:

Always….

1.  ….choose interesting stories that your audience will want to hear and understand.

2. …. add character voices or accents to your story.

3. …use words that your audience understands and explain words they might not understand.

4. ….use facial expression, body language and gesture.

5. ….prepare and practice the story before presenting it.

6. …be enthusiastic, energetic, and interesting to your audience.

7. ….make eye contact with the audience.

8……use props, costumes, and sound effects to enhance the story.

9…..enjoy sharing the story with the audience.

10. …..create the feeling of “Once Upon a Time,” when beginning a story.

In this class, you will use this workbook, as well as our textbook for the class, Folktales from Around the World.  Most of the stories you will be performing in your groups will come from this book, but there will also be some stories and plays included in this workbook. It is extremely important for you to keep up with your materials for this class. Without the materials, you will be unable to participate in the class activities or complete the assignments. 

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“Storytelling often has audience participation in the form of call and response, songs within the story, or suggestions as to how the story should proceed.  Stories generally are not ‘learned,’ not memorized, allowing for the shifts, play and interplay, and the unexpected.  It is a risky art because, when done well, it is truly an ‘on the moment’ art.  Storytelling entertains. Storytelling teaches. Storytelling challenges. Storytelling heals. And Storytelling is lots of fun!” [1]

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[1] Regina Ress, Producer of Finding the Queen of Everything, Provincetown Playhouse, NYC. 2004

JOURNAL ENTRIES

1) When was the last time you used your imagination? What did you do? Write a 1 page journal entry about your imagination.

2) What is your favorite folktale or fairytale? Why is that your favorite? If you could retell the story, what would you change? Please write a one page journal about your story.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES

The Name Game

Today for our warm up, we will participate in a basic Dramatic Activity called The Name Game.  There are many different versions of the Name Game.  In this one, everyone must sit or stand in a circle. 

1. I will begin by saying my name out loud. After me, each person in the circle will then say his or her name.  Make sure you pay attention!  You never know when you may need to remember a classmate’s name. Once we have all said our names, that is the end of Round One. 

2. In Round Two, you will each have to say your name, and the name of the person to your right. Once we have all gone around the circle and named the person to our right, we can begin Round Three.   

3. In Round Three, everyone must say their name loudly and clearly, and then say the name of the person to their left. Once everyone has said their name, and the name of the person to their left, we have completed this version of the Name Game.

The Name Game 2: How You Doin’?

 In this version on the Name Game, also known as “How You Doin’?, we will add an emotion or adjective to our names to describe what we think about ourselves.

1. We must each come up with adjective or phrase that begins with the same letter as our first names or whatever nickname we prefer to go by. We will say this name out loud and then everyone will repeat it back to us.

I will demonstrate, but I will use my last name.

                                    SUPER COOPER!

I’ll give everyone a minute to think of their new names. It is very important that everyone find a good adjective or phrase to use about themselves. Drama class is a place for us to feel safe and have fun.  Try your best to be positive and not say something bad about yourself. Once we all have our new names, we will begin by going around the circle. Each one of us will say our new name and then the group will repeat it back to us. When we have finished with this, we will be ready to proceed to Round 2.

ROUND 2. In this round, saying our names with an adjective or phrase is not enough. Now you have to come up with a voice or sound you think matches your new name. Once again, everyone will have one minute to come up with their voice or sound.  When it is your turn, you will say your new name in your new voice or with your new sound. We will take turns presenting our new name and sound or voice just like we did in Round 1.  Once we have finished with this step, we are on to Round 3.

ROUND 3. In this, our Final Round, you have the ultimate challenge.  Now you have to say your new name in your new voice or with your new sound, AND add a physical gesture to it.

I will give everyone a moment to come up with their new gesture.

 Remember, these do not have to be “perfect,” this is just for us in class.

HELLO/GOODBYE

ROUND 1. In this game, we are all going to walk around the room and say “Hello,” to each other.  When we greet each other we are not only going to say “Hello,” we are also going to say the names of our fellow class mates. For example, if one of you is named Tommy, I will walk around the room and when I come close to you, I will say “Hello Tommy.” Tommy will then respond to me, “Hello COOPPER.” We will then walk away from each other and greet the next classmate.  Once we have done this for a few minutes, we have completed Round 1.

ROUND 2. In this round, we are going to continue to greet each other as we did the last time. This time, we will say “Hello” to whoever we are greeting.  In addition to using their names, we will also use their adjectives or phrases they used. For example, this time if I see Tommy I will say “Hello Tommy.” Instead I will say, “Hello Terrific Tommy!” If we need a refresher round to remember what everyone’s name is, just let me know and then we will begin. Once we have done this for a few minutes, we have completed Round 2.

ROUND 3.  This is where we can start to get silly with Hello/Goodbye.  In this round, you are still going to greet each other saying “Hello,” and your name and adjective. What makes this round different is that we are going to greet each other this time using different voices. For example, I will now greet Tommy in an opera voice.  Does everyone know what an opera voice might sound like? Not all voices have to be sung. We could do some in an accent or in another form of music. Can you give me some examples of different voices?

ROUND 4. In this last round of Hello/Goodbye, we are no longer going to say “Hello.” Now, we will say, “Goodbye” to each other with a gesture.  Can someone show me a gesture for how we might greet someone or say goodbye to them, other than kisses on the cheek? Good work! Let’s go around the room telling each other “Goodbye” and using our gestures as well.

MY NAME IS……AND I LIKE TO…….

ROUND 1: In this activity, we will need to each have an activity in mind that we really enjoy doing. Once everyone knows what they want to do, we are going to go around in a circle and say our names, and then show what we like to do.  You can not use any props.  This has to be something you do using only your bodies.  Make it believable! Everything done on stage has to be done larger than life so that even people in the back of the theater can see what you are doing.

For example: “My name is COOPER, and I like to (make believe listening to music.)

For this game, it is okay if someone else picks the same thing you wanted to show. There is no such thing as copying in this activity.  Many people like the same things. It is your job to make sure that you show it differently than your classmate did.  Everybody take a moment to come up with two activities just in case someone who goes before you uses one of the ones you like to do.

ROUND 2: Once everyone has had a chance to show us their activity, we will then go around the circle again, this time with everyone repeating the name and action of the person before them.

For example: “My name is COOPER, and I like to (make believe listening to music.)

You will then say: “Her name is COOPER, and she likes to (make believe listening to music.)

Does everyone understand? Good. Let’s get going!

ROUND 3: In this round, we are going to group ourselves based on what we liked to do.  Everyone who showed us that they liked sports will stand together, everyone who showed us that they liked music will stand together.  Now in our groups, we will figure out a way to each say our names, and then show the class what we like to do.  Everyone should be doing an activity in this round, but it does not have to be done at the same time, nor does it have to be the same activity.

 WHEN THE WIND BLOWS…..

In this activity, we are going to have to pay attention to ourselves.  We will first need to make a circle with one person standing in the middle.  I will be brave and go first.  It is very important that we keep the circle tight.  It is also important that we respect each other and be careful while we play this game.  Since we have to move around, it is very easy for someone to get hurt or hurt someone else if we are not careful.

ROUND 1:

The person standing in the middle of the circle will say “When the wind blows, it blows for…….”  It is up to you to fill in the blank with something about yourself that we can visibly see is true.

For example: “When the wind blows, it blows for people with dark hair.”

Once this is said, everyone with dark hair has to move to another place in the circle. Move quickly! Whoever is last to get a place in the circle, is the next person in the middle. Remember, whatever you say when in the middle has to be something we can SEE is true. Let’s go!

ROUND 2:

In this round, we will now say something about ourselves that people can not see.

For example: “When the wind blows, it blows for anyone who has a brother.” Once this is said, anyone in the circle with a brother, has to move to another spot in the circle. Let’s go!

JOURNAL ENTRY
What was your favorite getting-to-know-you activity? Explain. What did you like more about the activity? What did you like least? Why? Please write a one page journal entry about this. 

Atencion, Posicion, Freeze

There are three very important words for you to learn before you proceed in Drama class. 

These words are:

 FREEZE

ATENCION

POSICION.

When you hear FREEZE, your job is to stop what you are doing immediately, and FREEZE in whatever position you are in. We will learn more about why FREEZE is important in class.

ATENCION is how we come together and pay attention to what each other may or may not be saying.  When you hear ATENCION, you stop what you are doing, repeat it back, and salute Ms Cooper. This lets us know that everyone is paying attention and ready to hear whatever is being said.

POSICION is how we say “at ease.” Once Ms Cooper knows that you are listening, and focused on the next step of directions or instructions, she will say POSICION and you may sit or take notes.

STAGE TYPES

A physical stage is not needed for every performance.  All that anyone needs to for a performance is someone performing, and someone watching.  You can make theatre anywhere!  When you begin to work with your stories in this class, it is important to know and understand the types of stages so that you can make decisions about where you want to put the audience. Proscenium, thrust and arena stages refer to types of stages and seating arrangements applicable to venues primarily designed for dance, theatre and opera. 

Proscenium Stage:

  

Thrust, 3/4, or Elizabethan Stage:

Arena Stage, Theater-in-the-Round:

JOURNAL ENTRY

What type of  stage do we have in our theater?
What types of stages have you seen performances on in your lifetime?
Write a 1 page journal entry about stages.

DRAMA PERSONAL INVENTORY

DRAMA PERSONAL INVENTORY
What am I bringing to class?

Since all relationships are give and take, you will probably get more from this class by thinking about the things that you are bringing to the class.  Everyone comes to this class with different experiences and different hopes so we will all have a great deal to share with one another.  Take a look at the questions below, and answer them in your journal to the best of your ability.  You may be surprised at how much you know about Drama!

1.    What previous study of drama have you had?

2.   What do you think of when you hear the words drama, theater, and storytelling?

3.   What plays and musicals have you seen?

4.   Which of those were professional musicals?

5.   Have you ever been part of a production staff?  If so, what were your responsibilities?

6.   Have you ever performed onstage? Is so, what experience have you had?

7.   What do you know about stages or theater traditions?

8.   What theater vocabulary are you familiar with?

9.   Have you read any plays? If so, what plays and what did you think of them?

10.                 What personal goals do you have for studying drama?

11.What do you hope to learn from this class that will help you grow as a drama student, performer, and a person?

DRAMA CLASS GUIDELINES

Drama Class Guidelines

I prefer not to use the word “rules” when discussing the class because I feel that it makes students feel boxed in and unable to be creative.  I have also found that when one person makes the “rules” and passes them down to a group of people, they don’t go over as well as if the group comes up with them on their own. As a result, we will be creating a list of guidelines together.

1. Be Respectful. Everyone is going to make a fool of themselves in this class.  If we are not respectful of each other and not considerate of how everyone feels, no one will be comfortable sharing.  We don’t have to like each other, but we will be respectful.
2. Dress Appropriately.  This class requires movement.  Overly tight or low rise pants and shirts, oversized pants, shirts, and sweatshirts can impede your movement and cause you to possibly hurt or expose yourself.  You should wear loose fitting clothes that you can move in without injury or embarrassment. 
3. Keep ALL Body Parts & Fluids to Yourself. I used to tell people not to hit, and then I had an incident with a kicker. Then I decided to tell kids to keep hands and feet to themselves and I had a student who scratched and bit others. Then I decided to say 'keep all body parts to yourself,' and then a student spit on another student. YUCK! For the sake of safety, please, let's try to follow this guideline.
4. 
   

Make a list of a few things that you think we need to have in our class for us to all be successful.

If I do not follow the class guidelines, I understand that the following will occur.

1^st Offense:            Warning from Ms. Cooper.

2^nd Offense:            Lunch Detention with Ms. Cooper.

3^rd Offense:            Phone Call Home & After School Detention with School Deans.

Anything that occurs past the 3^rd Offense will require a parental conference with Ms. Cooper.

WHAT DO I NEED FOR DRAMA CLASS?

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?????

This is the most popular question I get asked at the beginning of each school year.  Over the years, I have tried different methods of presenting the list of what students need in many different ways, but somehow, it always gets messed up. Here is another try:

·      One 1 inch3 ring binder or section in a larger binder with loose leaf paper. 

From time to time, I will distribute handouts in class and students need a place to put them where they will remain in good shape..  The best way to keep up with handouts and class notes is in a 3 ring binder. If you are using another large binder for all your  subjects, please create a section in the binder for Drama class.

·      Many Pencils & Erasers.

In the Theater we make mistakes, we change our minds, we decide to do things differently. We must also write where to move onstage and where to enter or exit. Because of this, we must write in pencil to as not to have ugly scratch marks all over the papers. Class notes and class work should be done in pencil.  Assignments that are to be turned in should either be in blue or black pen or typed. Journals can be written in whatever you prefer.

If there are any questions or concerns about what has been mentioned in this brochure, please do not hesitate to contact me, Ms. Lauren Cooper, Drama Queen, at (718) 833-1000, extension 125.

INTRO TO STORYTELLING

WELCOME TO THE

DRAMA DEPARTMENT!!!

            We have an exciting year planned for you. This year in Drama class, we will be taking a journey through the ages while learning about Theater and Storytelling in all of the regions you will be covering in your Social Studies classes.  With each region we travel to in Storytelling we will add another element of theatrical performance.  This is a brief overview of our upcoming journey.

September:  Introduction to Storytelling

During this unit of study, students will all learn the basics of performance. We will also use this

time to come up with our group guidelines and get to know each other

·       Creation of group agreements, classroom guidelines, and contracts

·       Basic overview of the course

·       Introduction of stage directions

·       Group building and ice breakers

·       Introduction of Drama as a language & vocabulary

·       Tongue Twisters and vocal warm ups

·       Physical warm ups and character interpretations

·       Facial Expressions

·       Vocal Projection

·     Gestures

Middle East & Egypt

During this unit of study, students are asked to use only what is on their bodies to tell a story.  They are not to incorporate any props, sound effects, or set pieces.  They must work only within their groups and entertain the class with their story.

·       Physicalization of characters

·       Create your own folk tale or fairy tale

·       Using your body to tell a story

NB: Students are discouraged from memorizing their stories word for word.  Part of storytelling involves putting one’s own “spin” on the story.  Students are strongly encouraged to do this in their performances.  Adaptations are welcomed and encouraged.

Africa

During this unit of study, students are asked to not only use what is on their bodies to tell the story, but they are also to use percussion instruments, call and response with the audience and repetition within the story.

Students will also watch excerpts of the South African Broadway hit GUMBOOTS and learn how to use their bodies percussively.  This unit not only incorporates African folk and fairy tale, but African American and West Indian tales as well.

• Step dance
• Adinkra symbols
• History and 7 principles of kwanzaa
• Use of sound effects as punctuation and “lures” for audience
• Group work and community
• Proverbs
• Introduction of the Trickster Anansi

Greece & Rome

During this unit of study, students will learn about the Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus.  They will use what they have learned about group and body work as well as what thy have learned about sound effects and add no-sew costumes to their performances. Working in groups, they will take what they have learned about the deities and create their own myths that they will then present in the style of soap opera/melodrama or commedia d’el arte.

• Introduction of Greek and Roman dress
• Melodrama
• Commedia d’el Arte
• Improvisation
• Greek & Roman mythology

Asia & India

During this unit of study, students will learn a brief overview of Broadway Musicals and how they relate to Bollywood films. Students will also learn about the traditional Asian styles of theater Kabuki, Noh, and the highly articulate puppet theater Bunraku.  Once students learn the basics of each style of theater, they will be asked to present a folk tale in one of these styles. Bollywood uses many elements of dance, movement and song. Kabuki uses severe facial expressions and stylized makeup to represent different characters. Students will also be encouraged to create any props they think they will need for this performance. They are also allowed to use any elements from their previous units of study in this performance.

• Gesture as dance
• Facial expressions as emotions
• Physicalizations of a character
• Use of melodrama
• Use of music in performance
• Use of props in performance

Western Europe

During this unit of study, students will use everything they have learned this school year to present one folk or fairy tale per month.  The first tale that they present must come from their textbook while the second one can come either from the text book, or from another source.  Students are encouraged to twist and turn the folk tale or fairy tale so that it falls in the favor of the “villain.”  Movies like HOODWINKED and the SHREK series are excellent examples of point of view and how it can alter a story and its endings. Using all the skills they have learned thus far, students are encouraged to create playlettes of their updated fairytales.