Teaching Tools – A Model for Project Based Cooperative Learning Through
Theatre Techniques in the Classroom
Sam Robinson
Director, Theatre Conservatory
Chair, Art Department
Mayfield Senior School, Pasadena CA
[email protected]
Recognizing the power of confidence in speaking in front of a group, and the
value of the ability to work together as a team to plan and create, this workshop will
provide practical skills and handouts for teachers with a model to guide students on
taking a work of literature or historical event, where students break down a story into
parts to create a presentation on the given subject matter. Students will work in small
groups on a project which is adaptable to a range of skill levels and ages.
Warm-up
Name Game – Circle up. State name and do a movement. Repeat. Ensemble copies.
Sound and Movement – Make a sound with a movement. Ensemble copies.
Vocal Warm-up – Projection/Annunciation
Neutral Position
Breath
Counting
MMMM – the resonator
Vowels: OO, AH, EE
“The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue”
Examples with consonants
Tongue: T, D, N
Lip: P, B, M
Back of Tongue: K, G
Alternating Breath/Voiced (F/V) (S/Z) (Th/Th – Thin vs. This)
MD
BD
LD
TH
Tongue Twisters:
You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York
If three witches, watch three watches, which witch will watch which watch?
1
Creating Staged Pictures
In addition to the words of a play, actors and directors use other skills to help tell the
story and show character and emotion.
Define terms – Gesture, Facial Expression, Body Position (Low/Medium/High) and
Tableau Vivant.
Activity 1: Word web – Picture. (Gather words through brainstorm – a circle map)
Director must choose ideas to feature when building a show…. None of the answers to
the brainstorm are wrong, but we must make choices.
Activity 2: Show examples of pictures. (I demonstrated with Cindy Sherman and
Norman Rockwell photos) Have students look at them silently, then respond – using
language that describes the above terms as well as color, emotion, setting, story, etc.
Activity 3: Director/Actor/Creator-Writer
Start with one group of 3 – use Pain, burned hand as Creator - Writer.
After example, ask students for the problem at the start of the story. (Example: A
Midsummer Nights Dream: Egeus is making his daughter marry a man she does not love)
DIVIDE CLASS INTO GROUPS OF THREE. (HELPS IF YOU COUNT THEM OFF)
HAVE THEM STAND IN A LINE WITH ONE STUDENT FACING THE OTHER
TWO. LET THEM KNOW WE WILL REPEAT THREE TIMES, SO IT DOES NOT
MATTER WHICH ONE THEY START WITH. IF YOU ASK THEM TO REMEMER
THEIR #, YOU CAN HAVE 1 – DIRECTOR, 2-ACTOR, 3 – WRITER. SIMPLIFIES
THINGS.
IF THERE IS A GROUP OF 4, HAVE TWO PEOPLE PLAY ACTOR WITH ONE AS
DIRECTOR AND ONE AS WRITER.
ASK WRITER TO RAISE HAND, ACTOR TO RAISE HAND, DIRECTOR TO RAISE
HAND. THIS LETS THEM KNOW WHAT TO DO AND CLEARS UP CONFUSION.
I DO THIS BEFORE EACH TIME.
INTRODUCE THE PROBLEM AT THE START OF THE PLAY – HERMIA IN LOVE
WITH LYSANDER – FATHER WANTS HER TO MARRY DEMETRIUS. THEY GO
TO THE DUKE FOR ADVICE.
Examples:
(Anger) Parent is scolding a disobedient child.
(Sadness) Child is being punished.
2
(Joy) Found the love of your dreams.
HAVE STUDENTS LISTEN FOR DIRECTION. DIRECTOR MOVES TO ACTOR,
ACTOR TO WRITER, WRITER TO DIRECTOR.
Criteria: Participants will play all three roles, WRITER, DIRECTOR, ACTOR. Actors
will be expected to use Gesture, Facial Expression, and Body Position.
Assess: Which role did you enjoy most – actor, writer or director and why?
Which role was most challenging – why?
Activity 4: Extension Gallery walk of emotions
Have students make 2 circles – one inside the other, circles facing each other. Each
student should be opposite one student. Center circle is given an emotion or idea for a
statue and 5 seconds to freeze. Outer circle copies their partner and freezes. Center circle
unfreezes and takes a silent walk, keeping in circle, clockwise. Repeat with outer circle.
Activity 5: Parts of the stage
Define parts of the stage. Using sheet, assign a director to place actors on stage using
stage terms where the X’s are in the square.
What makes a good story? Character, Action, Beginning/Middle/End, etc.
Activity 6: Example: Staged picture
Define story, characters used, identify a director/narrator and 4 to 6 actors for them to
work with.
Activity 7: Create a series of tableau. Working in groups of 4 to 6 people, develop a
series of 3 pictures showing Beginning/Middle and End of scene or story.
Narrator/Director will speak line of narration. One actor will speak a line of dialogue that
represents the action of the scene. All performers in group will be given a character, a
body position, facial expression and gesture to show the emotion of the character.
Performers will switch roles with each tableau – with a new director for each and a new
performer who speaks a line of dialogue so that all will have a chance to speak.
Once you have blocked each of your tableau, rehearse going from one tableau to the other
– your transitions.
Present your tableau.
3
Culminating Task:
Students will create and perform a series of Tableau Vivant which tell
the given story as an ensemble. Students will express character emotion
and demonstrate action of the scene through Gesture, Facial Expression
and Body Position.
Culminating Criteria:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Actors work together as an ensemble to create Tableau Vivant for each assigned scene
Actors clearly express specific characters in all tableaus
Actors use appropriate Facial Expressions, Gestures and Body Positions expressing the
character’s emotion and demonstrating action of scene
Actors remain frozen while Narrator speaks
Narrator speaks line of narration loudly and clearly
Ensemble transitions from one tableau to another in a controlled manner
Ensemble diagrams each tableau
Culminating Rubric
Advanced
• All Actors worked collectively as an Ensemble
• Actors clearly expressed specific characters in all tableaus
• Actors used appropriate Facial Expressions, Gestures and Body Positions
expressing the character’s emotion and demonstrating action of scene
• Actors remained frozen while Narrator spoke
• Narrator spoke line of narration loudly and clearly
• Ensemble transitioned from one picture to another in a controlled manner
• Ensemble diagramed all of the tableau
Proficient
• Most of the Actors worked collectively as an Ensemble
• Actors clearly expressed specific characters in most of the tableaus
• Actors used appropriate Facial Expressions, Gestures and Body Positions
expressing the character’s emotion and demonstrating action of scene most of
the time
• Actors remained frozen most of the time while the Narrator spoke
• Narrator spoke line of narration somewhat loudly and clearly
• Ensemble transitioned from one picture to another in a mostly controlled
manner
• Ensemble diagramed most of the tableau
Approaching Proficient
• A few of the Actors worked collectively as an Ensemble
• Actors clearly barely expressed specific characters in some of the tableaus
• Actors used somewhat appropriate Facial Expressions, Gestures and Body
Positions expressing the character’s emotion and demonstrating action of scene
some of the time
4
Actors remained barely frozen most of the time while the Narrator spoke
Narrator spoke line of narration somewhat loudly and clearly
Ensemble had trouble transitioning from one picture to another in a controlled
manner
• Ensemble diagramed one of the tableaus
Not Proficient
• None of the Actors worked collectively as an Ensemble
• Actors did not expressed any specific characters in any of the tableaus
• Actors did not used appropriate Facial Expressions, Gestures and Body
Positions expressing the character’s emotion and demonstrating action of scene
• Actors did not remain frozen while the Narrator spoke
• Narrator did not speak line of narration loudly or clearly
• Ensemble did not transition from one picture to another in a controlled manner
• Ensemble did not diagram any of the tableaus
•
•
•
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
5
Extensions:
Neutral Scenes – See attachments at end of lesson for work on the 5 w’s and some neutral
scenes for 2 or 3 students.
Dialogue Development: Create a monologue for the characters in the Norman Rockwell
paintings based on imagined thoughts inside the characters mind.
Group Activity: Create a 3 minute play based on a commonly known movie. (Group
members will brainstorm favorite movies, then select one that is known to all. Concepts
learned in the Staged Picture activity will be used – Beg/Mid/End, Key lines of dialogue,
Gesture, Facial Expression, Body Position, Tableau Vivant…)
Theatre games for preparation: Expert, 1 minute movie.
IMPROV! A HANDBOOK FOR THE ACTOR , Greg Atkins
Vocal book:
VOICE AND THE ACTOR, Cicely Berry
For younger students:
KIDS TAKE THE STAGE, Lenka Peterson and Dan O’Connor
THEATRE GAMES FOR THE CLASSROOM and IMPROVISATION FOR THE
THEATRE, Viola Spolin
Tongue Twisters:
Red leather, yellow leather
The Big Black Bug Bit the Big Black Bear and the Big Black Bear Bled Blood.
You know New York.
You need New York.
You know you need unique New York.
If three witches would watch three watches, which witch would watch which watch?
A proper cup of coffee from a proper copper coffee pot.
A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
Billy Button bought a bunch of beautiful bananas!
Will you wait for Willie and Winnie Williams?
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
6
VOICE HANDOUT – ADAPTED FROM CICELY BERRY
OO (TOO) AH (MA) EE (SEE)
TONGUE CONSONANTS
TOO TAH TEE
DOO DAH DEE
NOO NAH NEE
LIP CONSONANTS
POO PAH PEE
BOO BAH BEE
MOO MAH MEE
BACK OF TONGUE
KOO KAH KEE
GOO GAH GEE
ALTERNATING BREATH/VOICED
FOO FAH FEE
VOO VAH VEE
SOO SAH SEE
ZOO ZAH ZEE
THOO THAH THEE
(BREATHED AS IN THIN)
THOO THAH THEE
(VOICED AS IN THIS)
OOT AHT EET
OOD AHD EED
OON AHN EEN
OOP AHP EEP
OOB AHB EEB
OOM AHM EEM
OOK AHK EEK
OOG AHG EEG
OOF AHF EEF
OOV AHV EEV
OOS AHS EES
OOZ AHZ EEZ
OOTH AHTH EETH (BREATHED)
OOTH AHTH EETH (VOICED)
7
OOKT AHKT EEKT (FACT)
OOGD AHGD EEGD (PLAGUED)
OOPT AHPT EEPT (SLEPT)
OOBD AHBD EEBD (BARBED)
OOMD AHMD EEMD (DOOMED)
OOLT AHLT EELT (GUILTLESS)
OOLD AHLD EELD (GOLDEN)
OOLZ AHLZ EELZ (VOWELS)
OOTHT AHTHT EETHT (BOTH TOGETHER)
OOTHD AHTHD EETHD (SOOTHED
OOTHZ AHTHZ EETHZ (BREATHS)
OOST AHST EEST (TOAST)
OOSTS AHSTS EESTS (ACCOSTS)
OOZD AHZD EEZD (CAPSIZED)
OOFT AHFT EEFT (LAUGHTER)
OOFTS AHFTS EEFTS (SHAFTS)
OOVD AHVD EEVD (RECEIVED)
OOKST AHKST EEKST (THINKS’T)
OOTTH AHTTH EETTH (CUT THROAT)
KTOO KTAH KTEE
GDOO GDAH GDEE
PTOO PTAH PTEE
BDOO BDAH BDEE
MDOO MDAH MDEE
LTOO LTAH LTEE
LDOO LDAH LDEE
LZOO LZAH LZEE
THTOO THTAH THTEE
THDOO THDAH THDEE
THZOO THZAH THZEE
STOO STAH STEE
STSOO STSAH STSEE
ZDOO ZDAH ZDEE
FTOO FTAH FTEE
FTSOO FTSAH FTSEE
VDOO VDAH VDEE
KSTOO KSTAH KSTEE
TTHOO THTAH TTHEE
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
8
Parts of a Stage
Backstage
Upstage Right
(USR)
Upstage Center
(USC)
Upstage Left
(USL)
Center Stage Right
(CSR)
Center Stage
(CS)
Center Stage Left
(CSL)
Downstage Right
(DSR)
Downstage Center
(DSC)
Downstage Left
(DSL)
Audience
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Create focus for the audience: where do you want them to look?
X
X
X
X
X
XXX
X
XX
XX
X
Focus on the actors DSC
XX
X
Focus on the actors USR
XX
Focus on the actor USL
standing in front
X
X
X
X
XX
X
X X
X
X
Focus on the actor CS
Focus on the actor DSL
Focus on the actor DSR
Use the following to help direct focus:
Full front: Actor’s face is directed straight out to audience.
Profile: Half of your face can be seen by audience.
Full back: Actor faces away from audience completely.
As you position your actors, remember the following –
Body Position:
Keep the picture interesting by using different levels – sitting, standing, kneeling,
bending at the waist, lying down, etc.
Gesture:
Remember to use gestures that help tell the story – fists, raised arms with outstretched
fingers, hands clasped, etc.
Facial expression:
Detail your facial expressions to show emotion. Smiles of joy, frown to show anger,
open eyes and mouth to show shock, grimace to show pain, etc.
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
10
Tableau 1 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Director/Narrator: (Your name here):
Actor – Character or object. Exp – Actor Name: John Character: Egeus
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Draw position of actors on the stage using an X and character initial. Note: body position,
gesture, facial expression/emotion.
X QH. (Sitting on throne,
X Duke.
(Standing upright,
X D.
X L.
(Kneeling, smug look of his face, smiling
Hand on knee)
(Kneeling, Mouth
agape, reaching
toward Hermia)
X E (Grasping Hermia by her right arm, Pointing with his right
finger,angry face)
X H (On right knee, Looking up, anguished)
X Nar.
Audience
Narration Line: Egeus goes to the royal court of Duke Theseus, and
reveals that his daughter, Hermia is in love with Lysander. Egeus is not
happy because he wants Hermia to marry Demetrius.
Dialogue for use in picture 1 Egeus: Full of vexation come I with
complaint against my child, my daughter, Hermia.
Note to Director: You are setting a court room scene showing a Duke (the ruler of
Athens), an angry father (Egeus), an upset daughter (Hermia), a man the father wants her
to marry (Demetrius) and the man Hermia wants to marry (Lysander). Make sure the
actor playing Egeus understands what the word Vexation means.
Possible characters for use – Egeus (E), Hermia (H), Lysander (L), Demetrius (D), Duke
Theseus (Duke), Queen Hippolyta (QH)
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
11
Tableau # _____
Play _____________________________________
Director/Narrator: (Your name here):
Actor – Character or object. Exp – Actor Name: John Character: Egeus
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Actor Name:
Character:
Draw position of actors on the stage using an X and character initial. Note: body
position, gesture, facial expression/emotion.
Audience
Narration Line:
Dialogue for use:
Note to Director:
Possible characters for use:
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
12
NEUTRAL SCENE – The 5 W’s
Scene work – Who/What/Where/Why/When/How
Who: A – Mother/Father B – Son/Daughter
What: Loading a large suitcase into the trunk of a car. (What they
are doing is ACTIVE)
When: 1PM on a 30 degree day.
Why: Child is moving out to go to college. Parent is trying to help
because the child hurt their back playing soccer.
Where: A driveway in Anchorage, Alaska.
How: Parent is trying to assist the child so that they do not hurt
their back again. Parent is asking to help, standing in their way,
grabbing the bag. Child does not want parent to get hurt either.
Lines of dialogue:
A.
Here, let me.
B.
I’m OK.
A.
But I want to.
B.
Stop worrying about it.
Other options: Nurse bandaging a wound, Firefighter placing a
ladder, students doing homework.
Include: Beginning/Middle/End, Conflict/Resolution, Character.
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
13
Neutral Scenes
A Hello
B Oh, hi.
A What are you doing?
B Nothing.
A Really?
B Yeah! What are you doing?
A Not much. This.
B Oh.
A Well, see you later.
B Yeah, see you around.
C So, what do you think?
D I don’t know.
C What?
D I said I don’t know yet!
C Why not?
D I’m just not sure.
C Come on, we don’t have much time.
D Just a minute!
C Well?
D Well, what?
C What do you want to do?
D How about trying this?
E How are you doing?
F Fine.
E I’m fine too.
F That’s nice.
E Yeah, it is.
F I mean it really is great, isn’t it?
E Sure it is.
E Are you going?
F Maybe? How about you?
E Sure.
F Great.
F Yeah, great isn’t it.
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
14
Neutral Scenes for 3
A Hello
B Oh, hi.
C Oh.
A What are you doing?
B Nothing.
C Shh.
A Really?
B Yeah! What are you doing?
A Not much. This.
B Oh.
C That?
A Well, see you later.
B Yeah, see you around.
C Hey, wait!
C So, what do you think?
D I don’t know.
E You sure?
C What?
D I said I don’t know yet!
E Come on!
C Why not?
D I’m just not sure.
E Hurry.
C Come on, we don’t have much time.
D Just a minute!
E Again?
C Well?
D Well, what?
E What?
C What do you want to do?
D How about trying this?
E Or this!
15
E How are you doing?
F Fine.
G Great.
E I’m fine too.
F That’s nice.
G Sure is.
E Yeah, it is.
F I mean it really is great, isn’t it?
G Yeah.
E Sure it is.
F Are you going?
G Maybe? How about you?
E Sure.
F Great.
G Yeah, great isn’t it.
Sam Robinson – Teaching Tools 2016 [email protected]
16