Show and Tell Instructions -- Senior Drama and Drama 9

 Choose an item about which you can tell an interesting story.  It doesn't matter what the item is because this is a public speaking exercise.  If your item is not available to bring to school (a pet, a weapon, a person, something very valuable), you can bring a picture of it -- a photo or a drawing is fine.

Develop a two minute speech inspired by the item.  Your speech should not focus on describing the item -- we can see it.  It should be a story INSPIRED by the item.  When you are practising your speech, say it out loud and time it.  You should speak for two minutes!  Longer is not better.  Shorter means you won't have time to engage your audience.

You will present your speech to the class (the schedule is on the bulletin board in the theatre).  You must speak clearly and project your voice.  You must make eye contact with the audience and speak in an expressive voice to engage their attention.  Your story should follow the plot line, introducing the setting and people involved, telling about how the item impacted you and why you chose it.  End with something like, "this is what I learned from the hike in the woods" or "in conclusion, my grandmother was the most important influence in my life".  It is fine if the story is emotional, but make sure you can get through it without being overwhelmed.  DO NOT START YOUR SPEECH WITH "SO" OR END IT WITH "YEAH".  

First Journal of the LAST TERM OF THE YEAR

 Drama 8:  What should Ms. Kosar know about you?  Include your pronouns (yes, you have them!).  Have you had any experience in Drama before (in elementary school, in an out-of-school program, in a class)?  Do you have stage fright?  (You won't be the only one.) You can share anything you like with me to help me teach you and understand you better!

Senior Drama:  Write a brief scene in which two characters (at least) share a joke.  It should be something you could include in "A Silent Laugh".  Try to make it original!

What are you thinking of talking about for your show and tell speech?  Run it by me!

Drama 9:  What is the most dramatic scene in your heritage presentation?  Explain why.  What is the most shocking scene? Explain why.  What is the saddest scene?  Explain why.  What is the funniest scene?  Explain why.

What are you thinking of talking about for your show and tell speech?  Run it by me!

Journal for April 12

 Senior Drama:  Write an "elevator pitch" (30 seconds to say, so NO MORE THAN 1/2 PAGE) about a concept you have for a commedia scene.  You can describe the plot, characters, social or political commentary, jokes or anything that will inspire Lynette to include your idea in her scenario.  THIS JOURNAL WILL BE HANDED IN TO LYNETTE!

Drama 9:  Create an outline of what you have so far in your heritage performance.  (Include framework, a sentence describing each story, and then a sentence about the stories you haven't presented yet.) You can do this in a group, but please include the names of everyone in the group at the top.

Drama 8:  Which Aesop story moral applies to you?  Explain why.

Journal for April 5

 This journal is for everyone.  It's about subtext (what's going on underneath what you're saying) and emotional memory (a technique actors use to bring real emotion on stage, not just pretense).

For each circumstance, explain how you would feel, what you might want to do and what you actually would do.

1. You invite a friend to your house to play cards.  You have fun and play for several hours.  It is getting late.  The game is over.  You can't help yawing, because you're so sleepy.  Your friend says, "what should we do now?"

2.  You walk into a room you've never been in before (like a classroom, or a meeting room).  You are starting a new class or activity and are supposed to be there. There are a lot of people there and many of them seem to know each other and are laughing and talking.

3.  You are waiting at a bus stop.  A rather menacing person comes and waits as well.  They glance at you a couple of times and then say, "I should have worn a jacket.  It's colder than I thought."  They seem to look pointedly at your jacket.

4.  Alex is your friend.  You have a lot of fun when you hang out.  Maja tells you that Alex has mentioned that you have changed and you aren't as fun as you used to be. 

Commedia del'arte characters

 

Journals for March 8

 A Block (Grade 9) -- which initial heritage story performance is your favourite?  Explain why.  (Have at least 2 reasons.) Tell the story that you have chosen.

B Block (Senior Drama) It is International Women's Day.  Who is a woman you admire?  Explain why.  Would they make a good protagonist in a play?  Explain why.  Make a list -- what do you need to do to prepare for our performance on Tuesday!!!

D Block (Creation of the World):  How do you think the world was created?  Could you make a play about it?  What character are you playing in the Creation of the World?  What is the character like?  What will you wear to give the audience the impression that you are that character?

Journal Day -- March 1

 A Block (Drama 9):  Make sure you hand in your heritage story!  At the end,  make sure you include a person you would like in your group for the big project.

B Block (Senior Drama):  Choose the speech you are going to recite.  Write the speech in your own words (this is called a paraphrase).

D Block  (Drama 8):  Which fairy tale mime was your favourite?  Provide details about why you liked it (you can comment on performances, music, costumes, tableaus, mimes).   Write about your own performance -- what went well?  What could have been improved?

Journal Day -- February 23

 Drama 8

Which fairy tale did your group choose to perform?  Describe your climax tableau and say what the focal point of the tableau is.  Who are you playing in the production?  What will you do to make us believe you are the person?  What do you need to communicate to the audience?

Drama 9

Speak to your family about a story you could share about your family history, something like the stories we saw from past grade 9 classes.  Write the story, keeping in mind the plot line we have discussed -- where does it take place?  when did it happen?  who are the people involved?  why is it important?

Senior Drama

Why do people like romance as a genre?  (Maybe you do or you don't, but it is a popular genre.) Why is it so difficult to pull off a romantic story?  What is a "meet cute"?  (you can look it up but try to write your definition in your own words.)  Describe a "meet cute" that you could incorporate if you were asked to write a "rom/com".

Valentine's Day journals

 Drama 8:  How are you at working with a group?  On a scale of 1 - 5, with 5 being excellent and 1 being not very good, give yourself a rating and explain why you give yourself that rating.  Are you a good leader?  Explain why or why not.  Tell about a time when you worked in a group (it doesn't have to be in Drama) and explain what you learned about group work from the experience.

Drama 9:  Connie has never received a Valentine from anyone.  She wonders what it would feel like.  Write a short (fewer than ten sentences) monologue from Connie's point of view.

Senior Drama:

Director:  Choose actors to play the different roles in "The Short and Pretty Tragic Story of Romeo and Juliet".  Jenny is not available because she'll be working in the booth.  One person will have to play two roles -- obviously Romeo and Juliet cannot do this.

Theatre Production:  How do you envision the costumes for the play?  (Sketches are helpful -- you don't need to draw everyone, but a couple would be nice to give an idea.) Colour really helps.

Actors:  Who would you like to play in "The Short and Pretty Tragic Story of Romeo and Juliet"?  Explain why.

Welcome to the Theatre!

 All:  What should I know about you?  What are your pronouns?  What has the groundhog predicted?  

Drama 8:  Have you ever done Drama before?  Explain what you've done, if you have experience.  Do you have stage fright?  Do you do any activities in which you are expected to perform?  If so, how does that sort of performing make you feel?  If you don't, what is your favourite hobby?

Drama 9:  Why did you sign up for Drama?  Do you know anything about Valentine's Day?  Briefly, tell what you know.  What is your experience with Valentine's Day?  Write a brief (fewer than five sentences) plot line involving Valentine's Day.  Try to incorporate your own experience.

Senior Drama:

Write a brief scene (a page or less) exploring the following situation:  Tilly really likes Zoff.  Tilly wants Zoff to pay attention to Tilly.  Tilly decides to use Valentine's Day to interest Zoff.  Tilly sticks a Valentine that is signed "your secret admirer" on Zoff's locker.   Zoff's friend, Sloane, sees Tilly putting the Valentine there.

Last day of semester one!

 You need to hand in everything by Thursday, February 1 in the morning!

All drama classes: Journals!!

Senior Drama:  Film journals, as well as regular individual journals.  Footage from your film.

Theatre Production:  Your transformed prop

English:  questions on Theories of Relativity

Senior Drama: 

Wednesday PLT

Recite "Gallop"

1st session:

Alonso

2nd session:

Nikki

Nicole

Lakshya

Henry

Poppy

Sound and Light shows:

Poppy/Henry/Leo

Liz

Lakshya

Thursday PLT

"Gallop" Reciting

2nd session: 

Jason

Justin

Vivian

Ryan N.

Aurora

  

Snow Days!

 Wow!  I never imagined that we wouldn't have school today!  Two snow days in a row?  It's unheard of!

Our plans for the last two days will have to switch!

B Block -- English 9

You should continue to read Theories of Relativity and work on the questions.  We will try to have the Romeo and Juliet quiz on Monday.

A and C Blocks -- Drama 8

Learn your lines for Aesop. 

D Block -- Senior Drama -- We will be at school on Friday (I'm nearly positive, but I've been wrong before . . . ) so I think we should go ahead with Friday as Ms. Buffalu's day and then Monday as Mrs. Xerxes.  I will try to email you guys about this.

Learn "gallop apace"!  This is a chance for you to show what you can do by yourselves and not subject to a group that doesn't bend to your will.  We will be reciting next week, in class AND in PLT.

Film makers -- I would like to see what you filmed and if you haven't finished editing, I do have some leeway about when your marks HAVE to be in, so hopefully you have something to show.

Theatre production -- You need a clear plan for your sound and light show.

Quiz on Romeo and Juliet

We will be having a quiz tomorrow (Wednesday, January 17) on Romeo and Juliet.  Make sure to bring your book, as you will be able to use it during the quiz.  Make sure you understand the story and have an opinion about who causes all the problems in the play.  You will need to describe one character in detail and you should be able to give Juliet advice about what she should do.

 

So close to the end of the semester!

 English 9 -- Romeo and Juliet questions (with your partner)

Act 3, scene 2 -- Juliet goes through a lot of emotional changes in this scene.  Trace through her emotional upheaval (naming the different emotions she feels) and say what makes her feel so many different things.  (She starts out happy and anticipating Romeo's arrival with excitement and joy -- they have just been married!  Then, the nurse arrives with terrible news. . . .)

Act 3, scene 3 -- How does Romeo deal with being banished?  How does Friar Laurence advise him?

Act 3, scene 4 through Act 4, scene 1 -- Why does Capulet change his mind about Juliet's marriage to Paris?  In Act 3, scene 5 the nurse says, "I think it best you married with the County" (Paris is the "county").  Why is this a problem?

Act 5 -- Who or what is to blame for all the problems in the play?

Theories of Relativity:  Make a different book cover for the book.  A book cover is supposed to give a reader a sense of what the book will be like and also encourage a shopper to buy the book.  Think about these two things when you are designing your book cover.

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Drama -- finish your journals!

Drama 8 -- How did the Creation play go (think of what went well and what could have been better)?  What did you do to contribute?   Who performed the best in the class?

With whom would you like to work in the final big project?

Theatre Production:  What will your sound and light show be about?  Explain in detail.

Directors:  Write a detailed description of a character Ms. Kosar can play in the extended role play.  The character's name should start with "J".

Actors:  Who are you playing in "The Maltese Falcon"?  Describe the character.  Choose one line and describe how you will deliver it.