Peoria High School Drama I: Beginning Drama Course Syllabus 2014/2015INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Simon Webb ROOM: Drama Room 107EMAIL: simon.webb@psd150.orgWEBSITE: www.peoriahighmusic.comCOURSE DESCRIPTION

This year-long, activity-oriented course is designed to introduce students to the art of the actor. Students will:

study basic principles of acting study character analysis explore the use of objectives, obstacles, & choices learn basic stage and rehearsal terms learn about theatre etiquette and the audition process

RULES AND EXPECTATIONS

1) Respect Theatre is the most collaborative of all art forms. Respect and be sensitive to the ideas,

opinions, and property of others. Think before you act and treat others with kindness and consideration.

Use appropriate language: absolutely NO swearing, name calling, or physical abuse is allowed. No food or drink (water is okay).

Remove hats and hoods. Do not write on or deface desks and other property and report all acts of vandalism. Clean

your desk and workspace before leaving. Dress appropriately. No revealing or assaulting clothing is permitted. Our class is a community that is dependent on the respect, participation and enthusiasm

of each member for the success of the whole.

2) Responsibility Take responsibility for your work and your actions. Report to class with all required materials and wait to be dismissed before leaving. Homework assignments are due in the HW tray before the second bell! Late work loses a potential grade every school day it is late. (an A paper submitted 1 day

late = a B paper) Be in your seat when the tardy bell rings (that’s the 2nd one). Use tutorial for questions about class discussions and homework assignments and to turn

in work after an excused absence. Missed assignments will not be discussed during class time.

3) Effort

You must work inside AND OUTSIDE of class in order to be completely successful in this course. Accept assignments without complaints and do your best on everything.

Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Any form of plagiarism or cheating on any assignment, quiz, test or project will result in an immediate "F," a parent conference, referral to the dean, and possible dismissal from class.

You will get out of this class what you put in. Keep your ipods, cell phones & make-up out of the classroom. If used, these items will be

confiscated. You are now warned. It is School Policy to not allow phone charging in the classroom/auditorium/foyer/gym.

Please don’t ask.

Consequences for not following these rules:

1. Verbal warning/Loss of class points. 2. Move seat/Sent outside and Phone call to parents. Student conference

outside of class time with Mr. Webb 3. Referral to Assistant Principal. Parent/Student conference with Mr. Webb

outside of class time

*Unsafe behaviors will result in an immediate referral .

Drama I BASIC SCHEDULE (subject to change at the discretion of the instructor)

Fall Semester:

1st 9 weeks TOPIC: Mime & Media / PROJECTS: Theatre Games, Theatre Etiquette, Theatre Arts Vocabulary, Scene WorkStudent Outcomes: By creating and participating in Theatre, students use observation skills as they understand that the audience is an integral part of the art form.2nd 9 weeks TOPIC: Comedy / PROJECTS: Theatre History Project , Characterization, Lip Sync, Mime Workshop, Media Report, Monologue ProjectStudent Outcomes:

Students break down a complex observation. Students become aware of the media’s influence Students understand how history & Theatre affect our culture while they gain skills in creative

expression.

Spring Semester:

TBA AND WILL BE PRESENTED AT BEGINNING OF 2 ND SEMESTER

Peoria High School Performing Arts Department 2013 / 2014

OCTOBER 7 7PM FALL DRAMA SHOWCASE AUDITORIUMOCTOBER

147PM

PHS FALL FINE ARTS SHOWCASE AUDITORIUMNOVEMBER

147PM

FALL PLAY * AUDITORIUMDECEMBER

47PM

MADRIGAL DINNER * FOYERJANUARY 29 6PM READER’S THEATER LIBRARYFEBRUARY

267PM

WORLD FEST FOYERMARCH 17 7PM PHS FINE ARTS NIGHT * PHS SPORTS COMPLEXMARCH 25 7PM SPRING MUSIC REVUE * AUDITORIUMAPRIL 23 7PM PSA ONE ACT FESTIVAL AUDITORIUMMAY 18 * 7PM ARTS IN THE PARK PEORIA COUNTY COURTHOUSEMAY 19 7PM SPRING PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE AUDITORIUM

*WILL REQUIRE REHEARSALS OUTSIDE OF CLASSDates and Times Subject to change. Students are required to be at and participate in all events on the theater calendar, as posted in the drama room and on the class website. Missing an event due to work, church, visiting family or friends, going to dinner, etc., is not acceptable and will result in a failing grade. Students are not allowed to leave events until all sets are cleaned, props are put away, and they are dismissed by Mr. Webb.

GRADING

1) Participation 40% (see rubric below)

Attendance is mandatory and promptness is expected at all times. Your grade will suffer for each absence. This class is interactive. The more each student puts into the class, the more we will all get out of it.

Students earn points for: Students lose points for:

positive cooperation in class activities

disruptive or disrespectful behavior

willingness to try, ask questions, and volunteer.

being unprepared

PARTICIPATION GRADING RUBRIC

A = (10) Exceedingly high quality and original work. Takes initiative and contributes beyond what is required. B = (8) Consistently good and interesting. Participates often in class.C = (7) Satisfactory and complete. Shows interest in class. D = (6) Minimum effort. Seldom responds in class.F = (5) Unacceptable work. 0 = No work.

2) Assignments 40%

Written work is graded on the clarity of the work (ex: blocking in a script); format, grammar, spelling, and mechanics count. Tests and quizzes are occasionally given to evaluate the student’s understanding of Theatre Vocabulary.

Students are never graded on "talent." A performance rubric is used to grade performances. (see attached)

Students will: participate in daily exercises, theatre games, projects and workshops. choose, rehearse and present a scene in the fall and a One Act play in the

spring. create a scene book for each of the above present a monologue each semester complete a Theater Research Project (oral report + assigned scene perf. +

individual response paper) participate in the annual One Act Play Festival Participate in the Madrigal Dinner Participate in the Spring Music Revue

ONE ACTS: Each class selects their own plays and student directors.

Any rehearsal or performance missed will reduce the student’s semester grade by one-third.Students are required to attend all performances whether they are performing or not.One Act Play directors are responsible for the technical needs and clean up of their plays.

3) Critiques 10%

Students must write two Critiques per semester. One Critique MUST be on the school play presented during that semester and the other must be on a show produced by a professional company, community theatre, high school or college. Shows produced by a children’s theatre or a church are not acceptable. Critiques are assessed for their content and articulation. (See the attached outline to turn your notes on a show you saw into a Critique.)

NOTE: The instructor is available to help students find cost effective ways to see shows.

If a student does not write the minimum 2 critiques that are required, they can not receive an A.

Extra credit and hours work toward filling in every other part of the student's grades except critiques.Students have to show that they can master the Critique of theatrical performances.

Writing just 2 performance critiques over the course of an entire semester is a bare bones minimum requirement.

4) Service Hours 10%.

Students must work on a Peoria High show in some way or another for a minimum of 10 hours per semseter. These hours are in lieu of traditional homework. Students are responsible for updating their hour cards and acquiring the necessary signatures to document their work. (10 = A, 9 = B+, 8 = B, 7 = B-, 6 = C+, 5 = C, 4 = C-, 3 = D+, 2 = D, 1 = D-)

ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT

All students are expected to adhere to the guidelines of the Peoria High School Academic Code of Conduct.Do your own work. Any text from another source must have quotation marks placed around it and be followed by a parenthetical source citation. Any form of plagiarism or cheating will result in an immediate "F" and referral to the dean.

“Every day is an Audition”

Performance RubricF 0-59% Rarely present

UnpreparedSeems lostSilent in classUnmotivated

D 60-69% Arrives late or unpreparedMissing script or is Sometimes lostDoes not ask questionsOften absent

C 70-79% Shows up to class / rehearsalMay have 1 or 2 absencesParticipates Has script & pencil readyDoes just what they are toldAsks some questions

B 80-89% Early to class / rehearsal PreparedAttentive Shows progressEvidence of Characterization Memorized on time without proding Positive AttitudeRespectful Good Listener

A 100% + OutstandingExceptionalOriginalShows leadership qualitiesCreator of new ideasAsker of good questionsHelper of othersTakes initiative

Theatre Critiques

A Critique is a formal, written discussion of a performance of a play or musical.The Critique should contain five paragraphs. Use MLA Format for your heading and margins.

Two Critiques are required per semesterShort Paragraph 1 - The Basics

Introduce the name of the play, author, place of performance, date of performance, and director. In a few sentences talk about the basic theme of the play and discuss the general plot.

Paragraphs 2 & 3 - The ActingReact to two of the performers in the play. Be sure to use their names.

Were they believable: true to the play, the production, the theatrical conditions?The following items should be discussed in your review.You should respond with more than “yes” or “no” answers.

VOICE: How did the actor use their volume, tempo, vocal quality, articulation?BODY: How did the actor use gestures, movement, and stage business?EMOTIONS: Were the emotions true to the character?FACIAL EXPRESSIONS: How did the actor use their face?PROJECTION: How did the actor project orally and visually to the audience?

Paragraph 4 - The Design

The following items should be discussed in your review. You should respond with more than “yes” or “no” answers.

SET: Did the set establish the correct mood and background for the play? LIGHTS: Did the lighting convey the proper mood, emphasis, and illumination?COSTUMES & MAKE UP: Were the costumes and makeup true to the period and characters? SOUND: How did the sound effects and music contribute to the show's mood?

Short Paragraph 5 - Your Reaction

What was your opinion of the play?Avoid generic phrases like: “two thumbs up” or “3 out of 5 stars”DO:

Back up all your opinions with valid reasons. Be objective, fair and constructive. Indicate good points along with those you felt needed

improvement. Be sincere. Believe what you say. Use MLA Format for your heading and margins. Attach a program for the performance you saw (unless you saw the show with me as a field

trip) DON'T:Don't be overly critical. Approach a performance with an attitude of enjoying it. Don't be arrogant. Be humble, kind, and remember the challenges of doing live theatre.

A Format for Writing Theatre ReviewsParagraph #1 When On Thursday, June 11

What I saw an original musical called Tiger Stripes written by Doug Soucha, presented by TheatreWorks

Where at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Plot This brilliant new work is about…

(the italicized words above are appropriate forTiger Stripes but you should choose your ownwords for the show you are evaluating)

Paragraph #2 Who During the show, I very much enjoyed the performance of…Actor’s nameCharacter they playedDiscuss the use of their “tools” Voice,Body, Facial ExpressionsGive examples

Paragraph #3 Who else I also would like to discuss the performance of…Actor’s nameCharacter they playedDiscuss the use of their “tools” Voice,Body, Facial ExpressionsGive examples

Paragraph #4 Wow! In addition to the fine work of (actor’s names) I was also impressed with the technical aspects of the show.Discuss the sets, lights, costumes,props

Paragraph #5 Wrap it Up I enjoyed this production and…

Make sure YOUR words are appropriate for the show YOU saw

Monologue

NOTES

1) INTRODUCTIONS: Students should clearly introduce both of their pieces.

A typical introduction might sound like this:

Hello, my name is Tom Hanks. Today I will be performing two monologues. The first will be Jack from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and my second piece will be the title character from Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus.

Once the student has finished their introduction, they should take amoment to get into character and then begin.

TRANSITIONS: The transition from one monologue to the next is almost like a third piece. Students should take the time to clearly show the end of their first piece, hold their final moment, and then SILENTLY but efficiently prepare to begin their second piece. This “preparation” might include the striking or addition of a chair, the loosening of a collar or hair, or the realignment of the body. The transition should NOT include a costume change or additional introductions.

TIME: Students should be given a specific time limit for their 2 pieces. (5 minutes is typical) Timing does not begin until AFTER the introduction.

Students should always say “thank you” when they are done.