Versimilitude

Senior Drama:

Look up the word "versimilitude".  How does it apply to drama?  Explain.

How do you make something funny?  (Sigmund Freud suggested that surprise and familiarity can make people laugh.) Write a joke for "Cupid Needs Therapy".  It can be for your scene or for someone else's scene.

Write three things you know about the Greek pantheon.  How can you use that in "Cupid Needs Therapy"?

Drama 9:

Tell the scenario of the story you've developed from the prompt.  How will it express the mood you've been assigned.  Think of costumes, lighting ideas, your set.

Drama 8:

How do you think the world was created?  Could you make a play about it?  Explain how.

What does the myth, "The Creation of the World", explain?  (Think of at least two things.)

Who are you playing in the Ugandan myth.  What will you do to create the character? 

Both Sides Now - Journal for February 27

 Drama 8:

What fairy tale did your group choose to perform for the fairy tale mime?  In your opinion, was it a good choice?  Explain.  How did your performance go?  Think of three things that went well and three things that you would like to have been able to do differently.

Senior Drama:

Now that we have a script for "Cupid Needs Therapy", what are your thoughts?  (Write at least five sentences about the script and what you can contribute to the show.)

Directors:

How can we make the script more interactive?  How can we make it more theatrical?

Actors:

What is your role?  How can you make it fun for the audience?

Theatre Production:

The directors will assign you a job for the show:  making props, choosing costumes, designing and creating the set, running light and sound -- which job would you like to do?  Make a pitch for why they should choose you.  (Make it convincing.)

Follow the yellow brick plot line! (Journal for February 19)

 Drama 8:

Angela lives in a blue house with her mom and her dad and her little dog, Percy.  Terry lives next door in a green house.  Terry's family doesn't like Percy, because he comes over to their yard and does his "business".  Terry's family hired Clifton to build a fence around their property to keep Percy out.  Percy dug a hole under the fence and got in Terry's yard anyway and not only did he do his business, but he dug up all Terry's mom's prize-winning roses.  Terry's mom was very upset and she even cried because she loved her roses.

The next day, Terry's dad came home with a very large dog.  The family put the large dog in the yard,  When Percy dug under the fence, the large dog was waiting for him and barked viciously and snapped at Percy.  Percy ran home and never dug under the fence again.

Answer these questions about the story:

1) Who is the main character ("the protagonist")?  Why do you think so?

2) What is the conflict?  What are two examples of rising action? 

3) What is the climax of the story?

4) What is the denouement?

5) If you were going to be in a play based on this story, who would you want to play?  Why? Write one of the lines you would say.

Drama 9:

Have you ever told anyone you hated them?  If you have, describe the circumstances.  If you haven't, what would make you say that to another person?  

Describe the circumstances of one of the versions of the "I hate you" scene that you are performing.

Senior Drama:

On a scale of 1 - 5, rate yourself in shyness, with 1 being not shy and 5 being terribly shy.  How do you get to know other people?  (Describe how you introduce yourself and what you do to get to know someone.)

On a scale of 1 - 5, rate yourself as a worker, with 1 being very lazy and 5 being very diligent.  What do you contribute when you are assigned to work in a group?  (Think of at least three things.)

Journal for February 6

 Drama 8:  On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being great and 1 being not at all great, how would you rate yourself at working in a group?  Explain why you rate yourself that way.  What skills can you bring to group work?  How can you improve?  (We all have skills and we can all improve.) Would you say you are a good leader?  Explain.  Write about a time you worked in a group and what you learned from it.

Drama 9:   Do you like stories about romance?  Explain why or why not.  If you were going to perform a scene for Valentine's Day, what would it be like?  (Follow the plot line on the board.)

Senior Drama:  Director/Scriptwriter/Actors: Cindy and Charles have a "meet-cute".  (That means they meet in some fun and interesting way.). Describe how they met.  Include the place and things they did and said.  Do they like each other right away?  (Remember, we're going to their wedding.)

Theatre Production:  Draw the set for Cindy and Charles' wedding (the scene your group has developed).  Use colour, if possible.  What will the characters wear?  You can draw them or describe them in words.

First Journal of Semester 2!

 Everyone:  What should I know about you?  Have you had any experience doing drama before?  Do you have stage fright?  Do you have any way of dealing with it?  Have you any experience in performing?  Explain.  If I already know you, tell me something interesting about yourself.  What are your pronouns?

Senior Drama:  Write three ideas that you have for our interactive Valentine's Day show.  (You can steal Ms. Kosar's ideas, if you like.) Don't just say "a wedding".  Try to explain how it would work.  (A paragraph will do.)

Make a valentine (it should be fictional -- like not for a "real" person).  It can have a joke or a play on words or it can have a poem that you've written yourself.  It should look like you've made an effort.  It can be decorated with sparkles or a lacy doily or a picture of a flower or an animal.  It could be romantic, if you like.

It should be at least as big as your hand.  It is due on February 12.

Drama 9:  Write a joke as a short scene.  

Here's an example:

Dr. Numero:  Why did the math book have to see the psychiatrist?

Suzy:  I don't know, Dr. Numero.  Why did the math book have to see the psychiatrist?

Dr. Numero:  Because it had so many problems!

Journal for January 9, 2026

 Everyone:  Did you make a New Year's resolution?  If you did, what was it?  How will you know if you've succeeded?   If not, is there anything you wish you were doing differently?  (or are you perfect?)

Drama 8:  Which Aesop's Fables lesson should you learn?  Explain why.

Who would you like to work with in the last project?  (It's fine if you are willing to work with anyone -- just say so.)

Senior Drama:  Choose a song you know well.  (like "Row, Row, Row your Boat")  Write alternate lyrics for it that deal with a current event.  (here's a bad example -- go, go, take your boat up to Greenland/daringly,daringly, daringly, daringly --  Yankees take a stand!)

Journal for December 12

 Drama 8:  

How do you think the world was created?  Could you make a play out of it?  Explain your answer.  What character are you playing in "The Creation of the World"?  How does it fit into the story?  What would your character look like?  You can draw it or describe it.

Senior Drama:

Write a commercial (1 minute) that you could film that would encourage people to donate to the food bank.  You can use music, visual images, dialogue, symbols, whatever you think would inspire people to give.  Think of techniques that people use to convince people to act in certain ways or convince people to buy something.