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Round Valley Arts Curriculum

Goal-Grades 9 through 12: Drama will provide theater students relevant and challenging opportunities in production, character analysis and development, movement exploration, and theater history and specialized theater skills: make-up, costuming, directing, stage and light design, set construction, etc.

The process of instruction will include the integration of the State Visual and Performing Arts Model Curriculum Standards

NOTE: Since many Advanced Drama students repeat the class, the teacher may adapt and adjust the suggested curriculum to suit the needs of the class as determined by their experiences and abilities.

I. ARTISTIC PERCEPTION AND RESPONSE

1.      The student will demonstrate an understanding of "theater" as an art form.

·        Discuss, orally and in writing, the review question, "What is theater?"

·        Compare/contrast playwrights, acting styles, and periods in theater history.

·        Read plays as suggested by the instructor.

2.      The student will demonstrate an increased understanding of "objectives" and "method."

·        Write an autobiography for a specific character.

·        Participate in a scene or improvisation, using "method" or "objectives" techniques.

·        Use pantomime and theatre games to review "verbs" (action words).

II. CREATIVE EXPRESSION

1.      The student will experience activities from a wide range of advanced projects, including playwriting, author and genre study, acting for the camera, career search, audition preparation, and performance preparation (potentially inclusive of all components of the State Framework, depending on project), as well as:

·        participate in activities individually or in groups (as designed by the class or instructor) which lead to competence in the areas selected for study.

·        select a specific area of concentration for an in-depth research project.

III. HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT

1.      The student will demonstrate an understanding of theater history from primitive times to the present (includes all components of the Framework) by:

·        discussing the development of drama in chronological order,

·        researching and presenting a report on a specific time period,

·        comparing two different historical periods w/costumes, authors, acting styles, etc.),

·        presenting a scene or monologue from a specific time period,

·        demonstrating an understanding of theater terminology.

2.      The student will demonstrate the ability to use projection, diction, and variety to vocally interpret the writer's intent in prepared readings.

·        present a prose or poetry selection orally,

·        prepare and present a program suitable for radio and readers' theater.

3.      The student will demonstrate an understanding of Shakespearean and Elizabethan Theater (includes all components of the Framework) by:

·        practicing scansion techniques (identify rhyme, scheme, and accent patterns),

·        studying verse, form, and dynamics,

·        researching the Elizabethan period and reporting to the class,

·        presenting a scene of monologue from a Shakespearean play.

IV. AESTHETIC VALUING

1.      The student will demonstrate the ability to use the total environment and structural components of story improvisation (beginning conflict, resolution, ending); and to develop characterization in interactions of increasing complexity.

·        Participate in a series of improvisations contained in any one of the many books available: Improvisation for the Theatre by Viola Spolin, or Improvisation by John Hodgson and Emest Richards, etc.

2.      The student will demonstrate the ability to recognize elements of children's theatre and adapt material and acting styles to a specific age group.

·        Use a fable, fairytale, myth, or other non-dramatic form of literature as a basis for a story-theater presentation.

·        Critique a performance of a children's play.

3.      The student will experience the elements of production through the study of lighting, sound, costume, make-up, construction, design, directing, acting, and/or movement by:

·        producing a play or musical,

·        participating in lecture/discussion activities,

·        Iistening to guest speakers,

·        completing a prompt book,

·        completing suggested activities of creating stage roles, memorizing lines, and analyzing technical needs at a higher level of competence.

4.      The student will demonstrate the ability to analyze a critique theatrical experiences by:

·        critiquing a production (live or taped),

·        discussing experiences in class,

·        reading published critiques, accumulating at least twenty hours of extracurricular theater-related activities.

V. CONNECTIONS, RELATIONS, APPLICATIONS

Students understand relationships between the arts and with disciplines outside of the acts by:

1.      Having access to historical and technical information through appropriate support software.

2.      Being introduced to music, dance, art as mediums of dramatic mood in theater.

3.      Creating written scenes using appropriate language guidelines.

4.      Being introduced to video production use of technology, and software used in video editing.