Poly High School Theater Arts
Home of Thespian Troupe 2543
Chris MarkerMorse
Theater Arts Director
Poly High School
5450 Victoria Ave, Riverside, CA 92506
Poly- (951) 788-7203 Ex 64110 Cell-951-907-4465
[email protected]
Remind- Texting/Messaging Service (567) 302-2980 message @polytheate
Advanced Theater
Chris MarkerMorse, Instructor
Poly High School, 2014-2015
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is an advanced class that will extend and refine
student’s acting and theater skills through directing, character study, vocal enhancement,
emotional expression and critical exploration of historical and modern theater. Students will
work with technical aspects of theater such as stage design, directing skills, production
tasks, and other non-acting skills; however, our focus will be on acting and performing.
THE SEVEN “SCENES” OF COMPLETING THE CLASS
1) Do now, warm ups and notes
a. Keep your notes daily and text/email me your notes.
b. Fully Participate in Acting Warm Up Activities
2) Blogging
a. Once a week…except production weeks. 10 total blogs at
http://teacherweb.com/CA/PolyHigh/MarkerMorse
3) At-home projects
a. Written Papers, PowerPoints/Projects or Visual-based projects
4) Performance
a. Auditions (required)
b. In Class (required)
b.i. Scenes, Improvisations and Theater Games
c. Main stage, One Acts, and Children’s Shows (Required)
c.i. From walk-on parts to leads, any part gives credit
d. Outside of Class
d.i. Comedy Sportz, community theater, church theater, RCC
productions, ASB performance, GhostWalk, etc.
5) Seeing Shows
a. See Each Poly Main stage production (two a semester)
b. Attend productions outside of Poly.
6) Working on Productions
a. 8 hours of production work each semester
a.i. Acting, Tech/Running Crew, Set Construction,
Usher/Concessions
7) Final Exam- Performance-based as well as traditional paper/pencil
JOURNAL/BLOG Each student will respond to a 10 blog topics during each semester.
You are expected to write 5-10 sentences (1-2 paragraphs) or more on a theatrical or
performance topic, with the opportunity to interact with your peers.
http://teacherweb.com/CA/PolyHigh/MarkerMorse/
DO NOW ACTIVITY Each day will begin with a “Do Now” activity on the board. At the
bell each student is to be at their seat with their smart phone, tablet or notebooks open
ready to work on their Do Now. Any distracting activity other than Do Now at the beginning
of class will result in detention. Lacking Do Nows for any of the weeks of the term will result
in a loss of points.
NOTES Most days have a short lecture/observation/audience portion that requires notes,
scores, observations and reflections. These will be checked every 3 weeks. Electronic notes
submitted by email are preferred.
ACTING WORK All students must perform. Pantomimes, monologues (single
performer), and scenes (group performances) as well as one-act plays will be prepared and
performed each semester. This is primarily a class for preparing students for our main stage
productions, and students will need to be part of every main stage show. Advanced students
are also expected to be in our community shows, including GhostWalk, Festival of Lights
and/or Riverside Dickens Festival as well as the festival and competitions that take place
throughout the year. Advance Theater students perform.
COMPETITIONS/CONFERENCE/SHOWCASE
All Advanced Theater students are
expected to attend theatrical competitions and conferences throughout the year, as both
performers and participants. In addition, Advanced theater students are expected to perform
at semester-end Showcases.
LIVE PERFORMANCES Each student will be required to attend live theatrical
productions each semester; Two Poly Main stage productions, and two shows outside of
the Poly Theater program. For each show, you must complete a theater report form, with
different reports formats for different grades. I will let you know of free invited dress
rehearsals at area schools and theaters, as well as discounted theater opportunities.
VOICE and BODY WORK Acting is an art form that requires voice and movement.
Both of the aspects will be developed throughout the year, and all students will demonstrate
their abilities in these areas throughout the year.
DIRECTING Advanced Theater students work on directing; from blocking, movement,
character study, rehearsals, clean-ups and production. They often take on leadership roles
as stage managers, deck managers, assistant directors and directors.
AUDITION Advanced Theater students are required to go through all auditions. If you
cannot perform in the show, please indicate on the audition sheet you are only auditioning
for class assignment purposes.
Here is a list of upcoming audition opportunities:
Comedy Sportz- September 3
GhostWalk- September 10
The Odd Couple- October 1-2
Auditioning Workshop- Cold Read and Musical Theater
Diary of Anne Frank- January 27-28
High School Musical- January 27-28
Poly High School Theater Arts and
International Thespians Troupe 2543 Present
Our 2014-2015 Season!
(Tentative, pending final approval)
Comedy Sportz High School League- Improvisational Competitive Comedy
Next Match?
At Poly's Littleworth Theater
Thursday, October 2 @ 7:00pm
Thursday, November 20 @ 7:00pm
The Spitfire Grill- A Musical
The Odd Couple- by Neil Simon
Thursday, November 6 @ 7:00
Male Cast Thursday, January 22 @ 7:00
Friday, November 7 @ 7:00
Female Cast Friday, January 23@ 7:00
Saturday, November 8 @ 7:00
Male Cast Saturday, January 24 @ 7:00
Thursday, November 13 @ 7:00
Female Cast Thurs, January 29 @7:00
Friday, November 14 @ 7:00
Male Cast Friday, January 30 @ 7:00
Saturday, November 15 @ 7:00
Female Cast Friday, January 31 @ 7:00
The Diary of Anne Frank
Disney's High School Musical
Thursday, April 9 @ 7:00
Friday, May 15 @ 7:00
Friday, April 10 @ 3:30
Saturday, May 16 @ 2:00 and 7:00pm
Friday, April 10 @ 7:00
Thursday, May 28 @ 3:30
Thursday, April 16 @ 7:00
Friday, May 29 @ 3:30 and 7:00
Friday, April 17@ 7:00
Saturday, May 30 @ 2:00 and 7:00
Saturday, April 18 @ 7:00
RESUME (Including HEADSHOT) All Advanced Theater students will develop an
acting resume and will have the opportunity to have a theater-quality headshot. You can
supply your own headshot, or wait until the class headshots sessions later in the second half
of the first semester, or early in the second semester.
ACTING FOR FILM AND VIDEO Advanced theater students will create original content
through script writing, workshopping, and rehearsal that will be filmed by our Digital Media
department for school-wide and local access presentation, as well as posting to our new
YouTube channel.
USHER/BACKSTAGE/PRODUCTION CREW If not participating as an actor in
departmental shows, Advanced Theater students are expected to work as usher,
concessions or crew, or to work on sets, publicity, props or other areas of the show. 8 hours
of production work is expected each semester.
POLY THEATER/THESPIANS All theater students are invited to join, participate in, and
attend meetings of the Poly Theater club, Poly’s theater club. Meetings will be announced in
class, but are generally Wednesday at Lunch in the Theater Lab. Thespians is an honor club
for those students who earn points through production, performance, theater competition,
theatrical workshops and conferences, and community work.
METHODS OF EVALUATION
PLAY ATTENDANCE/THEATER CRITIQUES
PRODUCTIONS/PLAY WORK
CLASS PARTICIPATION/DO NOW
PERFORMANCE/SCENE WORK/ AUDITIONS
CLASS WRITING: BLOGS/REPORTS
15 %
15 %
30 %
20 %.
20%
RESOURCES Please go to http://teacherweb.com/CA/PolyHigh/MarkerMorse for updates
assignments, projects, blogs and links to relevant website for theatrical design.
Also, see Riverside Poly Theater Thespian Troupe 2543 page on Facebook.,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/199968666693650/
Mr. Chris MarkerMorse
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://teacherweb.com/CA/PolyHigh/MarkerMorse
(951) 788-7203 Ex 64110
(951) 907-4465 Cell/Text