Humanities Drama Unit Schedule Today Drama Basics Overview

Humanities Drama Unit Schedule � Today – Drama Basics Overview (Power. Point) � Thursday – Dance Lesson Projects Presentations – Grading Period Ends � Friday – Finish Dance Lesson Project Presentations � Monday – Drama review practice – drama project assigned (PSAs) � Tuesday and Wednesday – time to work on drama projects � Thursday – Binder checks and test cards � Friday – Drama Test � Monday – Make-up tests � Tuesday – Drama projects work time � Wednesday and Thursday - Drama projects due � Friday – Sub and begin Spring Break Saturday

Drama Notes

Purposes of Drama

Sharing the Human experience �Need to express/communicate emotions/feelings/ideas � Need for social change � Universal themes (good/evil) � Show common ideas/emotions

Passing tradition and culture �Oral tradition � Narrative � Storytelling � Folktales � Religious rituals/ceremonies

Recreation �Entertainment � Adventure movies (Indiana Jones) � Sci-Fi (Star Wars) � Action (Batman) � Etc.

Artistic expression �Express/communicate emotion/ideas/feelings �When drama is performed on a stage in front of an audience

Elements of Drama

Literary � Parts that a playwright uses in the play � Plot (the story) � Theme (meaning of the story) � Characters � Suspense � Language (dialect, slang, etc. ) � Monologue or soliloquy � Dialogue � Stage Directions

Literary cont. � 5 main parts of plot: � Exposition � Rising action � Climax � Falling action � Conclusion � Setting – time and place � Plays are divided into Acts which are further divided into Scenes

Technical �Very important in modern theater, less so in the past �Scenery: � Suggest a location, time period, or physical setting � Flats – painted canvas covered frames � Flats can also be curtains, wood, cardboard, Styrofoam, paper mache, etc.

Technical Cont. �Sound effects or mood music �Microphones if needed

Technical Cont. �Lighting �Creates effects that signify mood �Colors are often used to give a sense of the time of day �Used to work with colors of costumes

Technical Cont. �Make-up: �Lighting can “wash out” actors faces, so make- up is used to accentuate features �Used to help create character �Allows for creativity – fake noses, fake blood, etc. �Includes fake hair and hair styles

Technical Cont. �Costumes: �Create feel for time, setting, place, job and social position �Need to consider colors that will work well with the lighting used

Technical Cont. � Props: � Set props – stationary items on the stage (sofas, chairs, tables) � Hand props – carried by the actors to enhance their character (swords, handbags, feather dusters)

Performance � Acting, verbal and nonverbal, reflects a character’s motivation: � Wants � Obstacles � Strategies � Age � Wealth � Where from � Emotions � Education � Motivation – how everything from a character’s past, present, and future effects their actions

Performance cont. � Empathy � Main goal of actor � To indentify w/ an actor � Share the actor’s feelings � Speaking � Breath control � Volume/Projection � Pronunciation/enunciation

Performance cont. � Vocal expression: � Diction (correct words/pronunciation) � Rate � Articulation (dialect) � Volume � Nonverbal expression: � Facial expressions � Body alignment � Gestures and basic movement

Types of stage

Types of stage �Proscenium Stage – raised picture-frame stage (box stage)

Stage types cont. �Arena Stage – audience sits on all sides – often lower than the audience

Stage types cont. �Thrust Stage – extends into the seating area of the audience – seating on three sides

The various roles in theater

Cast or Crew �Cast – group of actors who perform in the play �Crew – group of designers and technical staff working behind the scenes

Director �Coordinates all important aspects of a production �Audition and cast characters �Meet with designers �Deal with scheduling

Playwright � Creates the material to be performed � Should be clear about theme (meaning) they want to convey � The central “must have” in any production � Royalty – money paid to a playwright or publisher for the rights to perform a play � Also referred to as a dramatist

Producer �The person who backs a play by paying: � Bills � Salaries � Royalties

Summary �Write 5 -6 sentences for the summary