
KRISTA D. PRICE
Acting: Week 11
(October 28 - November 1, 2024)
Day 1: Finished Monologues / Reflection / Intro to Scene Unit
1.) Announcement/Reminder: All acting students must attend the Fall Play (November 14-16 @ 7p) and complete a Summative Assignment - Review of a Live Stage Performance. (We will discuss the assignment criteria soon. For now, put the date(s) in your personal calendar.)
2.) Students performed monologues and classmates gave feedback on:
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One thing they LIKED
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One PHYSICAL character choice that was strong/clear in the performance
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One thing to work on for the NEXT performance (with a scene partner)
3.) Ms. Price introduced students of the details of our final acting project: preparing and performing a SCRIPTED scene with a partner. This will include...
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Analyze / Create believable CHARACTERS & BLOCKING
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Decide on (and acquire) SET / PROPS for your scene
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REHEARSE and MEMORIZE your scene
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PERFORM your scene for an audience.
4.) Searched for a scene to perform in our next unit: SCENE WORK. (See scenes below to choose a scene and a partner. Click on DESCRIPTIONS of scenes before reading scenes.)
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To read/explore/choose a scripted scene, scroll to the bottom of this webpage. Scenes & partners must be chosen by Wednesday, October 30) If absent, you must still choose a scene and partner by the due date. Be sure to peruse the scenes at the bottom of this webpage.
Day 2: Subtext in a Scene
1.) Remaining students performed monologues.
2.) After performing, students Completed a Monologue Reflection in Google Classroom (if absent, be sure to complete on your own).
3.) Discussed as a class: What did you LEARN?
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about rehearsal?
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about performance?
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about yourself?
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about playing a character?
2.) Ms. Price introduced students of the details of our final acting project: preparing and performing a SCRIPTED scene with a partner. To read/explore/choose a scripted scene, click HERE.
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If absent, you must still choose a scene and partner by deadline. Be sure to read the scenes at the bottom of this webpage or read descriptions of the play and scenes at link above.
4.) Discussed: In this final unit, we will...
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Discuss what acting can teach us about the human condition? (How do our experiences influence our responses?)
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Do scene studies to learn techniques and skills needed to create believe characters in a scene.
5.) Learned about scene studies.
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What is a scene study? It's a technique used to TEACH ACTING in which one or more actors work on a scene while being facilitated by a director.
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Who will participate? Everyone will be directed in a scene study in front of class (IB Summative: Developing Skills)
6.) Discussed our working definition for acting in this unit: "Living truthfully in imaginary circumstances." (Stanislavski)
7.) Discussed: How can you build believable interactions on stage with other actors? Discussed how we're moving from building individual characters (monologues) TO building believable scenes (acting with others).
8.) Participated in an introductory activity: Wordless scenes (focus: listening & reacting)
Day 3: Scene Study (Script Analysis / BEATS / WANTS)
1.) Discussed/Reviewed final acting project: Scene Work (you and a partner will perform a full scene as your final project). You must have your scene and your partner chosen by TODAY!
2.) Signed up for your chosen partner & scene.
3.) Reviewed our working definition for Acting: Living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.
4.) Discussed: In real life, we listen MORE to what people MEAN than what they SAY. (How do we know what people mean? Tone, Inflection, Pause, etc.) In this unit, we will be working on SHOWING the MEANING beneath the character's lines.
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Reviewed: Wants (Objectives / Motivations) and how they are central to finding/showing the subtext of a scene.
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Subtext = the unspoken meaning beneath the lines/text).
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Learned about the importance of subtext in developing a believable scene.
5.) Analyzed the subtext in the scene from the play, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (If absent, be sure to read the play synopsis below before reading the linked scene above. You need to read/understand this scene for future activities in class. If you missed today's class, this scene was used to explain the concept of "a character's wants" which is also discussed in the teaching video below.)
A brief synopsis of the play, To Gillian...:
David loves his wife, Gillian. Unfortunately, she died two years prior (to this scene) in a boating accident. David deals with his overwhelming grief by continuing his romance with Gillian during nightly walks on a beach with her "ghost". While David lives in the past, other family problems crop up in the present/real world. Esther and Paul (David's sister-in-law & brother-in law) come for a visit to try to help Rachel (David's daughter), as David's neglect of his daughter and preoccupation with his late wife grows. Rachel has lost her mother and needs her father to snap back into the real world to help her through her own loss and grief. (Source)
6.) Learned about the W's of script analysis:
If absent, read/understand the following for To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
Step #1: Analyze WHAT is going on (on the surface and beneath the surface - subtext)
Step #2: Analyze WHY the scene is happening (What's important to show the audience about the RELATIONSHIP?)
Step #3: Analyze WHERE the scene is taking place? (What is the "set"? You can't block a scene without knowing what your set is.)
Step #4: Analyze how you can show the WANTS of the scene. In acting, we determine a character's intentions/motivations/wants by assigning a VERB to what our character is trying to do TO another character with his/her words. ("My character wants to ___________ him/her" with this line.)
7. Did a scene study for To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday with volunteer actors. (Collectively analyzed the wants & beats in the scene under the direction of Ms. Price.)
8.) BRING a printed copy of your scene to NEXT CLASS. (You can print in Media Center BEFORE next class if you don't have a printer at home...print ONE sided. All scenes are linked below.)
Day 4: Writing a Review / Researching your scene
1.) Received a Scene Booklet to guide you and your partner through our Scene unit. (If absent, get from Ms. Price when you return.)
2.) Completed pg 3 in Scene Booklets (Chosen Scene).
3.) Researched the play from which your scene came, by completing the assignment in Google Classroom entitled Get Curious! (Researching your play/scene). Once complete, submit (due by the end of class/day).
4.) Reviewed the W's of script analysis (see above) with the scene from To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.
5.) Reviewed/analyzed and named the class's chosen beats in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.
6.) Analyzed the subtext/wants in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday. and staged the scene as a class, demonstrating how wants can create strong blocking choices.
7.) Students worked on their own scenes:
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Read (out loud with each other) for understanding.
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Discussed: WHAT is going on in the scene (both on the surface and beneath the surface)?
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Discussed: WHY is this scene happening? (What's important to show about the RELATIONSHIP?)
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Completed pg 4 in Scene Booklets (The W's of Scene Analysis).
Next Week we will...
Discuss the process of writing your play review. (If curious, click and go to "In-Class Lessons about Writing a Review" at the bottom of the Play Review webpage. Click HERE.)
FINAL PERFORMANCE SCENES:
(You will be required to choose a partner & a scene - read DESCRIPTIONS of the play the scene comes from HERE)
Scenes with 1 male & 1 female:
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scene from Rabbit Hole (dramatic)
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scene from Of Mice & Men (dramatic/difficult)
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scene from The Crucible (dramatic)
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scene from Proof (dramatic)
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scene from Wit
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scene from The Diary of Anne Frank (option #1)
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scene from The Diary of Anne Frank (option #2)
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scene from Fools (comedic)
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scene from Rumors (comedic timing)
Scenes with 2 females:
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scene from 'Night Mother (dramatic/intense) - NOT AVAILABLE
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scene from Ascension Day
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scene from Proof (dramatic)
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scene from Steel Magnolias (dramatic)
Scenes with 2 males:
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scene from Of Mice & Men (dramatic but light)
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scene from Duck Hunter Shoots Angel (comedic)
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scene from The Odd Couple (option #1 - comedic)
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scene from The Odd Couple (option #2 - comedic)
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scene from The Odd Couple (option #3 - comedic)
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scene from The Odd Couple (option #4 - comedic)
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scene from The Odd Couple (option #5 - comedic)
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scene from 1984 (dramatic/intense)
Important topics/terms/instructions are in RED.
Google Classroom assignments are in BLUE.
Ms. Price provides ALL learning for absent students in a self-directed format.
If absent, read & understand/complete each of the day's activities below. You are EXPECTED to do so BEFORE returning to class.