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Acting:  Week 2

(February 1-5, 2021)

Important terms are in RED.

Google Classroom assignments are in BLUE.

If ABSENT, you are REQUIRED to read / understand / do all activities posted for that day, even if it's not an "assignment".  

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DAY 1:

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1.)  Reminded about www.kristaprice.com - a place to find what we do in class daily (Haiku will link you to my website if you forget).  This will also be the place that I share lessons and tasks if/when we go virtual.

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2.)  Reviewed composition

  • the arrangement of parts to create a unified whole

  • elements of composition on stage:  Levels, Depth, Focus point(s)

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3.)  Introduced the concept of negative space (the silent, "blank", or intentionally unused space in the composition of a work of art)

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4.)  Watched a short film in which the director very intentionally and effectively used "negative space" in telling a story.  Discussed.  (You can watch the video HERE or HERE.)

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5.)  Discussed areas on STAGE where negative space could be used effectively.  (lighting, set, sound/music, an actor's pause in lines, etc.)  Observed images from stage, discussing the effective use of negative space in each.

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6.)  Analyzed the implied/suggested meaning of negative space in each of the stage images students chose/analyzed from last week's Google Classroom assignment (Stage Composition Images assignment). 

 

7.) Shared findings (from above activity) with a partner.

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DAY 2:

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1.)  Reviewed composition & negative space in compositions.

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2.)  Introduced today's topic:  Where art can be found in theatre / How color is used to convey meaning

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3.)  Journaled (in Google Classroom - "Acting Process Journal"):  What constitutes art?  (What makes something art or "not art"?)

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4.) Introduced Julie Taymor (a director/designer) and some of her creative & artistic work on stage/in film

 

5.) Watched compilation clip from The Lion King on stage  (directed/designed by Taymor).  Discussed what was striking in the clip and where "art" was seen on the stage.

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6.) Discussed how the director's goal is to create MEANING using ARTISTIC ELEMENTS, and how all design elements use COLOR to create subconscious meaning.  As a class, we discussed the subconscious and cultural meanings of various colors (ex:  Red, in our culture, often signifies anger/wrath, or love; Black often signifies evil or death; White often signifies purity, etc.)

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7.)  Participated in our first acting project:  Open-Ended Scene (in Google Classroom - "Open Ended Scene")

  • Students partnered up and chose a color "to work with".

  • Pairs discussed the cultural/subconscious meaning of the color chosen.

  • Pairs were given an "open-ended" script and were asked to create a scene that conveyed the MOOD/MEANING of the color chosen, using the script provided.

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8.) Performed Open-Ended Scenes for the class (this performance serves as each student's "pre-test" for IB Criterion C:  Thinking Creatively)

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9.) Journaled (in Google Classroom - "Acting Process Journal"):

  • Color Scene Pre-Test:  Audience Response  What did your AUDIENCE "get" from/perceive about your performance?  (I think our audience thought that...)

  • Color Scene Pre-Test:  Artistic Intention  What did you and your partner INTEND to show your audience?  (Don't just explain plot/characters.  What did you want your audience to think and feel  as a result of your performance?)

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10.) Ms. Price explained that in all art there is no "good or bad", "right or wrong", etc.  Instead, there's simply STRONGER and WEAKER choices.  She explained that students would be re-working their initial scenes to become much STRONGER through the use of "creative thinking strategies", starting with employing SPECIFIC CHOICES to creative ideas.  

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11.)  Ms. Price performed the open-ended scene with a volunteer student to illustrate the use of SPECIFIC CHOICES, and class discussed the results.

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12.) Journaled (in Google Classroom - "Acting PROCESS Journal"):

  • Color Scene Pre-Test:  Exploration of Ideas (Setting)  With your partner, list 10 different SPECIFIC locations where your scene COULD take place.  Don't judge ideas YET.  Just get down 10 specific locations.  

  • Color Scene Pre-Test:  Exploration of Ideas (Characters)  With your partner, list 7-10 SPECIFIC relationships (characters) who COULD be in your scene.  (They can be totally separate from your location ideas.  Examples:  doctor/patient; hotel manager/maid; homeless woman and her estranged daughter; teacher/drop out-student; exes, etc.)

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13.) Explored various ideas from journals ("put ideas on their feet") by acting a few of the ideas out with partners.

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