The TellTale Heart Production Project Mrs Malones 8

“The Tell-Tale Heart” Production Project Mrs. Malone’s 8 th Grade Advanced Literature

Anticipation Guide 1. Describe 5 things you expect to find in scary stories. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. ___________________________ ______________

(Anticipation Guide) 2. List 5 events, occasions, things that scare you. 3. For each of the above, how did/do you react emotionally to these events, occasions, things? 4. For each of the 5, how did/do you react physically? 5. Compare/contrast classmates’ responses.

Anticipation Guide – Agree/Disagree • Read each of the following & write whether you agree or disagree with each statement. • After we read the story, we will come back to these statements & determine whether we think the author agrees or disagrees with each statement.

1. People who are insane always know that they are insane. (write Agree or Disagree)

2. Sane people sometimes imagine that they hear things. (write Agree or Disagree)

3. If you commit a major crime, sooner or later you will be caught. (write Agree or Disagree)

4. When you’ve done something wrong, it’s agony to wonder if you’ll be caught. (write Agree or Disagree)

5. All people share the same fears (i. e. , the same things frighten all people). (write Agree or Disagree)

Time to READ the story, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

Production Project • Objectives: – Develop awareness of elements that contribute to the production & performance of a play – Make creative choices and be able to defend those choices – Explore the richness of Edgar Allan Poe’s writing by investigating “The Tell-Tale Heart” in an unconventional way – Analyzing literature

Production Project • You are no longer students! You are now THEATRICAL PRODUCERS who are going to create a production of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” STEP ONE • Divide into Production Teams of 4 -5 students • Each Production Team must decide on a name for their production company! • Assign roles to team members (recorder, materials manager, leader, etc. )

Production Project STEP TWO • Character Creation – Write down how many characters will be in your production – Will it include characters who were not in the story – DO NOT share with other teams! – Give your characters names; write this list down & turn it in!

Production Project STEP THREE • CASTING CALL – Cast actors to play the roles in your play – You can cast anyone in the world from the past or present, actors or non-actors, famous or nonfamous – Make a written list of your cast & include written reasons for selecting each particular actor for that particular role (“He is an old man, ” “He plays a policeman on TV, ” etc. )

Production Project STEP FOUR • Give your adaptation of the story a title: – The only thing Edgar Allan Poe wanted you to do is to change the title – You MUST use something other than and dissimilar to “The Tell-Tale Heart” – Alternate title must be written down & turned in

Production Project STEP FIVE • Soundtrack Time!! – As a group, create a write-up of the soundtrack you would use for your production – May include a list of songs/kind of music you would use – Tell what rhythms/instruments/ sound effects you would use & where in the story

Production Project STEP SIX • Set Design – What would the set look like? – Consider colors, lighting, time period, furniture, & the mood of the story itself. – Compose a one-paragraph description of your production set – include sensory details (sights/sounds/smells/feeling. . . ) – Create a full-color illustration or model of the set for a scene

Production Project STEP SEVEN • Script Writing – Each group will compose a script for ONE scene from the story – The scene can be one that actually happened or was just implied by the story – Written scenes must be at least 6 lines – Scenes will be performed as part of final presentations & must be at least 3 minutes long

Production Project STEP EIGHT • Advertising is the key!! – Come up with an advertising slogan for your production – Create a flyer/poster advertising your production

Production Project STEP NINE (wow, what a lot of steps!) • FINALLY – time to PRESENT to the CLASS!! – Each group will present their “Production Plan, ” sharing all of their decisions about casting, alternative title, soundtrack, set design, advertising AND – Each group will also perform their scripted scene (six line minimum, 3 -5 minutes performance time)

FIN ~