Drama 2 and Drama 2H: General Information
General
Like Drama 1, Drama 2 is not a "blow-off" course. It is, I hope, unconventional in its structure and a lot more fun than an average class, but it will require a lot of work on your part. You can expect there to be some kind of homework each night, and a lot of necessary rehearsal will have to take place outside of the classroom. All homework must be completed on time in order for actors to keep up with the content of the course.
Senior Slump Caveat: I know there is a tendency for second semester seniors to relax a lot, but don't relax so much that you fall behind in here. It will not be very easy to catch up.
Focus
Those of you who are continuing from Drama 1 or Drama 1H will find that there is much overlap in general course objectives between the two semesters. The distinction is in the specific focuses of the class. The purpose of any acting class is to work on acting techniques, and this class will certainly do so, but this class, along with the first semester, also constitutes the entire range of "drama" education at the school at this time; consequently, there are other areas that we will explore. Although it is likely that we will not be able to cover all of these topics thoroughly, the objectives of this course are as follows:
· We will examine the distinctive styles of theatrical performance and production that have evolved throughout different eras in our history.
· We will continue to learn the terminology that applies to the theatre, both dramatic and technical, because serious actors as well as anyone with an interest in theatre should understand and be able to communicate with these phrases.
· We will study and focus on characterization as an extension of our understanding of the dramatic form, utilizing several different techniques for building character; honors students will be introduced to Stanislavski's Method.
· We will continue to utilize improvisation as a primary tool for developing our awareness of ourselves as actors and our relationships with others.
· We will continue to explore stage movement and specific performance techniques.
· We will examine specific elements of theatre such as movement and rhythm, as well as an introduction to some of the technical elements of theatre.
· We will discuss and explore the structure of plays, including a discussion of the way that one specific play is constructed: how the various elements of the play (character, lighting, plot, set, etc.) come together to create theatre.
Projects
· Each student will again be responsible for at least one 5-10 minute warm-up during the semester. In this warm-up, the student should focus on one of the following areas: Vocal, Physical, Mental, and Emotional.
Performances
There will again be a number of performances, both formal and informal, throughout the semester. In a way, every day will be full of performances. Improvs and group activities are counted toward your participation (and therefore your grade), so be sure to give them your all. Major performance grades always include effort and rehearsal.
Major performances include two projects that represent a culmination of work done for the course:
· The third quarter's major presentation will consist of new duet scenes. Actors will read the entire plays from which they take these scenes and work on specific exercises to explore both their own characterizations and how their characters relate to the play; they will also be required to discuss, in their journals, exactly what techniques they utilized. Honors students will present a second scene which contrasts with the first in style and/or era and discuss the distinctions between the two with the class.
· The final performance objective in this semester will be the performance of a complete one act play. (Depending on the specific selection and the number of students in the class, we may break into smaller groups which will each produce a play or a part of one.) Honors students will be responsible for directing these plays, in addition to acting in them. Plays will likely be directed by groups of students rather than individual students, but again numbers will determine this. All of the technique work we use during the semester will become a part of this presentation, which will require the bulk of our time during the fourth quarter.
Peer Review
A large part of the focus in this course will be on what you say about each other. Learning to be good actors is a process, and part of the process is learning to give and accept criticism. We only grow through listening to others. It is imperative that each student become as open as possible both to giving and receiving criticism. This room is no place for egos; check them at the door.
Written Work
· Actor's Journal, which will include exercises, responses, concerns, and other daily written course work;
· Evaluations of both your own and your classmates' performances;
· Analysis of scenes, plays, and characters, applying concepts learned in class;
· Critiques of plays seen live by the class;
· Discussions of theatrical techniques in plays we have seen;
· (Honors only) Director's Journal detailing specific problems encountered in the direction of one act plays.
Requirements for the Course
· The text for this course is Acting Onstage and Off by Robert Barton.
· Each student will need a journal to record exercises, thoughts and reactions. We will discuss the kind of journal that will work best. Depending on their condition, Drama 1 journals might be acceptable.
· Attendance is required. This is a performance course which contains many group activities. Nothing that we do in class is easily made up. Students who are repeatedly tardy or absent will find that their grades necessarily suffer, due to a drop in their participation grades. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed and do whatever is best to catch up to the class.
Miscellaneous
We will be attending and discussing several theatrical presentations during the semester. Most of these trips will be done jointly with International Thespian Society, and will not be official school field trips. You are not required to attend any of them, although it is highly recommended that you attend as many as possible. (Besides, they are a lot of fun.) You are, however, required to attend performances of school plays. I'm sure you'll know when they are coming up.
Grades
Due to the nature of the course, its content will vary from year to year based on the needs of the individuals enrolled. Therefore, I do not exactly know how the course will end up being evaluated, so these percentages are likely to change. However, I am starting with the following ideas:
CP Honors
· General Performances (including rehearsal time) 25% 25%
· Quarter Project performances 25% 25%
· Written work, including journals, evaluations, quizzes, etc. 25% 20%
· Daily participation 25% 20%
· Honors directing project 10%
The above numbers are very approximate; the actual weighting of grades will be determined by the actual content of the course this semester.
Standards for Evaluation
A This student aggressively attacks the course, volunteers frequently, participates in class on a daily basis, performs all assigned work with consistent excellence*, grows in understanding of acting and drama during the semester, and does at least some extra credit work.
B This student consistently does assigned work well* and on time, volunteers frequently, grows noticeably as an actor during the semester, and participates in class on a daily basis.
C This student performs assigned work reasonably well, but lacks consistency in effort, volunteers some but infrequently, and participates in class on a nearly daily basis.
D This student is inconsistent in both attitude and performance, but gets most things done and manages to participate in class at least every few days.
F This student is probably brain-dead. Someone call the coroner.
*according to his or her abilities
NOTE:
Honors level students are expected to perform and do all work at a level consistent with an honors course. Talent and ability is not really a determining actor here, but effort is: honors students will be held to a higher standard of effort than college prep students.
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