Welcome (back) to Drama!

Don't miss the WAG Film Festival -- you can access the films at the website (on the SLSS webpage).  You can vote for your favourite (and help select the people's choice award).  The Film Festival Gala is on Monday, Feb. 3 at 6 in the theatre!  Admission is absolutely free, but if you would like to donate to the Art Department's drive to help Australian wildlife harmed in the wildfires, bring two dollars for a button!

Journals for January 31!

Write about 1/3 to 1/2 page.  Write clearly (with a dark pen or pencil -- and try to communicate with me, so not too messy!).  Journals are due on TUESDAY.  Make sure your handout is in the front of the duotang.

Grade 9/10:

Help me get to know you better!

What is the best movie you saw in the last year (or so)?  Explain why you liked it.
Are you good at working in groups?  Explain why or why not.
What are you good at?  What do you think you could be better at?

Watch at least one of the WAG films (on the SLSS website).  What did you think of it?  (Write what you liked and didn't like.)

Grade 8:

What should Ms. Kosar know about you?  Have you had any drama experience (say what you have done -- at elementary school?  outside of school?)  Do you have stage fright?  Explain.  What do you hope to get out of Drama class?

Watch at least one of the WAG films (on the SLSS website).  What did you think of it?  (Write what you liked and didn't like.)

Mime Club -- don't say anything!

Don't worry about being stupid or making mistakes.  That's how you learn!

(Said by Nola Rae - pictured below -- world famous mime)

Updated link to "Ripper

Here is the link to the full script!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J98Hp6iI314Y5XEXjzflWw1B0nCipNKiSt-xqUzJZOQ/edit

Role play journals

Senior Drama and Drama 9/10:  What was your character's name and describe the character in one sentence.  How did you approach playing that character (include what you wore, or brought, or how you entered the room, or any other people you approached or whatever else you want to tell me)?

Did you have any dramatic encounters with other characters in the class?  Describe them.

How would you rate your own portrayal of the character? (on a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being great and 1 being subpar)

Did anyone stand out for you?  Explain why.

SNOW!

Well, I guess some of you got what you wanted . . . a snow day!  Take advantage of it.  Go back to sleep now, and then later -- go out and frolic!  Be a little kid -- throw a snowball, build a fort, create a snow angel.

My poor Daisy had a lot of trouble, since the snow is chest deep for her.  She got an ice ball stuck in her foot and didn't want me to get it out.  But we are safe at home now and several nice teachers texted me to let me know that school is closed.

Perhaps you could catch up on some journals if you are missing any.  Just look here to see the topics.

Theatre production -- if you are getting stressed about your show, the theatre will be open all day next Wednesday (on the numeracy assessment day) for you to putter, if you need to.

Actors, work on your film scenes (and your monologues)!  What a great treat to get a whole day to catch up.  (Except for the time you'll spend playing in the snow.)

See you tomorrow!

Journals for January 10! Isn't the snow pretty?

Grade 8's:  Which of the Aesop lessons do you think you should learn?  Tell a story about yourself that shows an experience that demonstrates your need to learn that lesson.

What are you thinking of speaking about for "show and tell"?  Why do you think that will make a good subject for your speech?

Theatre Production:  Make sure you hand in your concept journal about your sound and light show!

Drama 9/Acting 11 and 12/Directed Studies:  After you perform your scene (on Monday probably), assess your own performance.  What did you do well?  How could you have improved?  Directors, write about what you thought things should be like -- were the actors able to perform up to your standards?  Which actor(s) caught the spirit and their character the best?

Preliminary script for "Ripper"

Here is the link to the script:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J98Hp6iI314Y5XEXjzflWw1B0nCipNKiSt-xqUzJZOQ/edit?usp=sharing

Welcome to the new decade!

It seems remarkable that we have already lived through the first twenty years of the new millennium.  I remember all the fears at the end of 1999 with the idea that computers would not understand the year "00" and that disasters would ensue.  My oldest son was born in 1999 and on New Year's Eve that year, we went to a party with him and my sister and brother-in-law but Anthony got fussy and so we left the party before midnight and were home by the time the year 2000 arrived.  We filmed Anthony in his crib, whispering all the while that the new year had arrived and things seemed to be okay.  The only nod we had made to the idea that you had to stock up with supplies in case the banking system crashed was that my husband bought a case of candles.

I have a traditional way of spending New Year's Eve.  I don't like the big party thing and the intense desire to "have fun" so I have arrived at this -- I watch one of my favourite movies -- "The Apartment" with Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray.  I have a snack and a toast if I feel like it and then I go to bed.  This year, I had done the above and at midnight, some firecrackers were sounding and Daisy got a little bit nervous (she can't hear, but I think she wanted to go to the bathroom) and so I took her out for a midnight stroll.  There were a couple of parties going on in the neighbourhood and I saw people toasting in warm yellow light as Daisy and I lumbered along.  She answered nature's call and then we came home and I snuggled in my bed and heard the neighbour's kids banging pots and playing hide and seek (which my sons used to indulge in when they were littler) and read Little Women until I felt sleepy.

When I was a young girl in Weyburn, I always imagined all these sophisticated people exchanging witty remarks at fancy parties with glasses of champagne (that tasted like Canada Dry Ginger Ale) and beautiful clothes and glittering jewels and I felt very frustrated being stuck in a little prairie town where there were no fancy sophisticated parties or ballrooms or glittering jewels.  Then I went to a few big fancy events on New Year's Eve (not in Weyburn -- I never was invited to any glittering parties there) and realized that they weren't as great as I had imagined.  My husband took me to a crowded event once in downtown Vancouver and while we were dancing, someone stepped on the hem of my dress and tore it and at midnight, when we tried to toast the new year, someone jostled my arm in the crowd and I spilled champagne on myself and my husband.  Another year, we went with a bunch of friends to a nice restaurant, but one of my husband's buddies became intoxicated and ordered "shots" for everyone (which no one wanted) and then when the bill came, everyone saw that the shots he had ordered (several rounds for all of us) were part of the bill and everyone was very annoyed and there was an unpleasant argument about it.  I don't know if there are parties like the ones I imagined where highly intelligent people discuss the events of the year and art and culture and philosophy and no one drinks too much or does anything crude or annoying and everyone knows how to dance and they play good music, but not too loud and then you walk home to your cool apartment with walls lined with books and you pet your dog (who doesn't need to answer the call of nature) and sit in front of the fire and read and then go to bed in between fresh crisp linen sheets and when you wake up on New Year's Day someone (who likes to cook) has just prepared a lovely breakfast with baked eggs and asparagus and hot coffee and all sorts of sliced fruit and you do the crossword puzzle (and it's challenging, but you get all the answers) and then go for a walk in the park where everyone looks interesting, dressed in tweed and brightly coloured toques and scarves, and they all have nice dogs who your dog likes and you go home and read Little Women and finish the coffee.  And no one is homeless or hungry and we've figured out how to stop climate change and the population of chimpanzees and rhinoceros and frogs is increasing.  Well, it's 2020 and let's see if we can make this world I'm describing a reality.  Happy New Year!