Unit of work. Stanislavski No. of lessons to be covered: 7 Key Stage: KS5 Department: DramaOverview of what the pupils will experience by the end of the unit. Key knowledge, skills and concepts

Read an entire drama script Learnt the context and history of the naturalistic movement. Used several Stanislavski techniques and methods. Applied learnt methods to a play text of their choosing.

Assessed learning objectives To gain knowledge and understanding of Stanislavski method of acting. To develop an understanding of rehearsal techniques to develop a realistic

portrayal of character. Apply practitioner (Stanislavski) style to a play text.

Learning expectations (Most) Will have understood why the naturalistic movement was formed and

have used melodramatic techniques Will have learnt a technique used by Stanislavski and applied his method to a

play text. (+) will be able to use various Stanislavski techniques during a rehearsal

process simultaneously and make connections with how they compliment each other.

(-)some students will not have progressed further and will only have a basic understanding of Stanislavski techniques. Their application of Stanislavski techniques will be limited.

Forms of assessmentIpsative: peer assessment opportunities

Formative: feedback giving by teacher after activities (stops and reflects at the end of each session), there are also opportunities for peer assessment to judge each others application of the techniques.

Summative: at the end of the unit, students will be judged on their practitioner knowledge, upon their application of techniques used during the rehearsal process of their chosen text. This can also be applied to preparation for the AS induction evening (performance to an invited audience)

Cross curricular Creative learning strategies (I,P,G,C)Whole class discussionPaired improvisationsGroup workRole play

LitReading of a play.

NumGroupings

ICTResearch on the internet.

ECM

SEALAll covered

PLTSAll covered

Links

Prior learning (what knowledge and skills are needed to be able to access the work)None

Key vocabulary Melodrama, Stanislavski, naturalism, imagination, tempo rhythm, subtext

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

Out of school activities (h/w, visits, trips, projects)To research information on Stanislavski To create a presentation on key conceptStudents will need to read a play of their own choosing and photocopy extracts from the play.

ResourcesCD player, A4 paper, Sugar paper, pens, atmospheric music (Christmas theme, slow sad melodic music), ambiguous sentences on laminated paper

# Learning Objectives Tasks Assessment opportunities Homework Resources

1 To explore what came before Stanislavski (contextual – to facilitate towards naturalism)

To physically explore the stock characters of melodrama.

Teacher lead lecture about the emergence of Stanislavski. Discuss the styles of theatre that came before him and that he was revolutionary at the times, hence our study of him.

Group discussion – introduce stock characters: hero, heroine, villain, good old person. What are your experiences of these? (films, plays, soaps)

Physical exerciseStudents to act out one of the above (you choose) and move around the space (walk, sit, stand – you may decide to do a freeze frames first) as that character. Do this with as many stock characters as desired.

Pair workStudent to make statues of the following sequence in pairs: Villain threatening good old personHero leering at heroineHeroine admiring heroHero courting heroineGood old person comforting heroineVillain seizing heroine Hero beating villainHero and heroine reunitedGood old Person relief at safe return

Students are to develop a short scene of the above without words. What did you need to rely one? (large gestures to communicate)

Teacher assessment of student’s physicalisation of stock characters. (Are gestures big?)

Teacher assessment: At the end of the lesson, are students able to understand the difficulties Stanislavski would have faced, introducing a new subtle a style of theatre to an audience who were used to seeing melodrama and big gestures and movements?

Research information on Stanislavski using the library and internet for your practitioner knowledge.

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

Group work In groups of 4 or 5 pupils are to extend their storyline without words again. Explain that this large movement was important as theatres generally were noisy social places and so for the story to be understood, audiences relied on physicality to communicate this.

Plenary What did we learn?What might some of the challenges for Stanislavski have been by introducing subtlety in movement?homework

2 To develop melodramatic characters adding dialogue to movement. To produce a

Re-cap on the previous lesson. What was important for melodramatic actors?

Explain that we are going to develop the stock characters from the previous lesson by adding dialogue.

Individually Choose the character you were developing last in the previous lesson. On a piece of paper mind map three to four words to describe how your character might speakEg heroine: breathy, high, lisping.

Pair workLabel A and B. A pose’s as character and speaks to B for one minute about a typical day applying the tone of voice describe in their mind map. Swap this around

Development (pair work)Pairs are to swap around and continue dialogues matching large movement with appropriate speech on the following ideas:a) Villain demands repayment of loan from good person.b) Villain tries to flatter heroine and seduce herc) Hero and Heroine talk about when they will marry and how they will make a living.d) Good old person expresses worries over loan to heroine and she expresses her own concerns about the intentions of the villain towards her.

Peer assessment opportunities: during the development when we watch back.

Teacher assessment of the above and homework research.

A4 paper / exercise books

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

Watch a few examples back, with the audience at as far a distance as possible.

Plenary Explain that this is typical melodrama (the theatre of Stanislavski’s time) there were no actors training, performance were far from reality. He wanted to help actors achieve reality.

Share back other findings from homework research and discuss.

3 To explore Stanislavski’s system of temp rhythm

Explain that we will be using a method Stanislavski would use with actors in rehearsal processes.

Whole class: Individual exercisePupils to walk around the room, without bumping into each other. Begin to clap a slow rhythm and tell pupils to walk to the beat. Gradually make this faster. As your clapping narrate the following: “you are stressed, frantic important people with important work”

Whole classExplain you just took them through a short improvisation where the rhythm dictated movement. They are to continue walking to a fast beat and you will be throwing them into more improvisations as a class:a) An office, b) stock exchange c) causality.Slow the pace and try other improvisations: a) a funeral b) a formal gathering c) a ceremony d) a banquet. Slightly faster pace: under duress teenager tidying up their mess after a party when it wasn’t them that caused it.

In groups 3 or 4Choose one of the scenes we have touched upon and rehearse in your groups using the right pace. Watch a few of these back. Ask students to repeat the scene again with an alternative pace. Watch a few back.

DiscussWhat does this do? Slow scene becomes funny? Light hearted scenes become heavy? Explain that the pace

Teacher and peer assessment opportunities during the discussion.

Teacher assessment: through observing how students respond to the tempo rhythm.

Teacher assessment: of practical activities with music, solo and pair work. Have they successfully applied the tempo that has been asked of them?

To find and read a play by lesson 6 and photocopy extracts in preparation for directing and rehearsing a scene.

CD player, fast tempo Christmas type music, slow pace melodic music.

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

helps to set the tone of the performance.

Development In bigger groups (5-6), using mine and atmospheric music develop a scene at an Christmas party. Repeat with slow music to demonstrate the above.

Explain that they will now experiment with contradictory tempo rhythm – scene were the tempo rhythm contradicts the outer one:Solo – A) waiting for a murderer outside the door to find you. B) waiting for train on a busy platform when you are late C)sitting in a heavily crowed waiting room having received good/bad news.In pairs – label A and B. Scenarios: in an interview: A = calm, B=nervous appearing to be calm. One breaks bad news to the other but is secretly jubilantParent imposes a punishment but has to conceal sympathy. Groups of 3B has a diary, A has taken it (curiosity and jealousy motivated them to take it). B enters the room to enquire if A has seen it. B wants to get rid of it before they find it. C enters to ask for help with something. A has to help C, while twitching inwardly everything B comes close to the hidden article. what happens? Watch back

Plenary What element where we working with? What did we depend on to communicate meaning to our audience? Explain that pace is important both externally and internally, especially internally when we are dealing with Stanislavski methods.

4 To explore subtext concentrating on vocal communication

Whole class in a circleIn turns go around the circle saying “ahhhh” and try to express in as many different emotions as possible. Do the same with the word ‘love’ and ‘cloud’

Still in a circle, hand out laminated sentences. Ask

Teacher assessment: through observation and questioning.

Peer assessment: during the plenary, students can

Laminated resources sentences:1) I promise you won’t regret it2) Thank you. I knew you’d help me out.

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

students to memorise their sentence and ask them to see how many ways you can interpret the sentence to extract different meaning.

Still in a circle, pick someone else and approach them wit the sentence “how do you do?” as ifa) want to make a memorial impressionb) polite but in a hurryc)insincere, really thinking of something elsed)concerned but with bad newse) a boss about to sack an employee(aim – to explore inferred meaning through voice)

In pairs (students to label each other A and B) explore saying ‘hello’ as is a) A fancies B, but B doesn’t want o know.b) A wants to be polite but is in a rush; and B wants to gossip.c) Both not sure they recognise each other.Extent this activity with small talk, keeping in mind the inferred meaning.

In pairs using the word ‘yes’ ‘no’ and ‘oh’ in that order, explore the different ways these words can be said, pick a situation e.g: Girls out shopping to buy an outfit. A says ‘yes?’ quizatavily , B responds ‘no!’ empathetically and A replies ‘oh’ disappointedly. Note to teacher: words are to be used realistically exploring variety of intonation and pace that might arise out of subtext of the situation. Watch a few back and discuss the implied meanings/subtext of their chose situation. Group exerciseStudents to use gobbledy goop to communicate meaning. Choose a student to do one of the following using gobbledy goop:a) Commentate on a foot football match.b) plead forgivenessc) teach a complicated subject to a class of dimwits,d) Convince the rest of the group to join their political party. The aim of the exercise is to show how intonation and what a person is feeling/thinking (subtext) is a large part of how we communicate.

watch and comment on each others application of subtext – how successful were students at interpreting the subtext? What methods did they use to show this? Some may be stylised or very naturalistic.

3) The next thing I knew, there it was.4) How could you do that?5) Come back. I’m sure it’ll be alright.6) I never knew such a one for fussing7) Is there anyone here who understands?8) I won’t see you again.

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

Plenary (development of class activities): In groups of fourShadow exercise: students are to interpret what lies behind the words being spoken in a scene. Students to label themselves A, A1, B, B1. A and B are to improvise a conversations, whilst A1 and B1 interpret the meaning: e.g. Two friends getting ready for a party:A: what do you think of my dress?A1: she wants approval, she is not feeling confident.B: It looks great, Fits really nice.B1: She looks awful. That style does nothing for her

As we watch these back, ask student to identify how they deciphered the meaning? Purpose is to focus on how tone and pace can effect the meaning (subtext).

5 Imagination workshop Teacher ledExplain that every actor needs imagination to play a certain role – this can be developed through practice. Imagination = invention.

Whole classIn a space pupils to imagine they are either A) chair in a drama studio. B)a tree overlooking the school C) an object in a room you know really well. Show this through your physicality. As I touch your shoulder, describe what you see, what you hear, touch, smell o feel.Probes - What does this exercise rely one? Why did I get you to do it?

Relating back to everyday and objects we use everyday. imagine you are a match in a box, a bean in a can of baked beans, a cog in a machine – describe what you see, hear, feel (surroundings)

Pair workIn pairs – imagine you are a hammer/nail, blade of grass/sole of a shoe, toaster/slice of bread. Have a conversation.Probes – what was the point of this exercise? What did you need to understand about the part you were

Teacher assessment: through observation

To create a presentation of the Stanislavski techniques you have been introduced to. (For display purposes or Portfolio work)

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

playing and yor partners role?

IndividuallySolo – using chairs sit on the chair as if it were A) throne B) burning hot top stove C)you just realize you have sat in something disgusting

Using imagination, sip from a cup as if contained A) Hot tea B) bitter medicine C) you expected it to be one thing bit was actually much nicer.- what did these exercised depend on?

Linking imagination to observation - In a circle Think of a room you know really well, (bedroom) Describe it as A) though your selling the attractions B) nothing satisfies you about the room.

Mime eating your favorite food, and your least favorite food.

Group workIn small groups of 3 – improvise a scene of a group of people (flat mates, work colleagues, friends, family) sitting down to have a meal together. First scene will be about receiving good news; the second scene will be about receiving bad news. Before you improvise the scene, make sure the sufficient background to the character and the situation is worked out before the imagination part is added.

PlenaryWatch scenes back – how did the exercise above help with developing your role play?

6 7

(Over two or more lessons)To apply practitioner knowledge to a script of your choosing.To direct and rehearse a scene using Stanislavski techniques.

Teacher led:Explain that pupils will now apply knowledge of Stanislavski techniques to rehearsal process In small groups. Groups should consist of a director and enough actors for the parts of the script they have chosen.

Group work:Students are to sit and have a first read of their extracts. Once they have read once, using the body map, students are to label as their character. On the outside they are to write down what other characters

Teacher assessment: through observation and marking of homework (their presentation)

Body map Student own scripts

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.

say about them. On the inside of the body map, they are to write what their character says about themselves.

Group work:(the above activity should give the actors some insight to their character). Still in the same groups, students are to hot seat their characters.

Groups are to begin rehearsing their scenes, using a technique they have studied in this unit of work. (They can refer their presentations for guidelines).

PlenaryEach director is to present their actors and their scenes. Audience (other class members) will watch back and the director is to explain what rehearsal technique they have used to rehearse their scenes.

Formed by SWN fro Chingford Foundation School drama department.