Welcome to Grade 9 Drama!

Welcome to Grade 9 Drama!

Let's set the stage for you....

This course provides opportunities for students to explore dramatic forms and techniques,
using material from a wide range of sources and cultures. Students will use the elements
of drama to examine situations and issues that are relevant to their lives. Students will
create, perform, discuss, and analyse drama, and then reflect on the experiences to
develop an understanding of themselves, the art form, and the world around them.
Prerequisite: None

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/arts910curr2010.pdf


Attendance is always important, but in a drama class it affects everyone, not just you. Always let me-and the people in your group--know in advance if you are going to be missing a class-

The class rules are simply this: respect yourself, the class and the room. Over the next week or so  we will be exploring what this looks like, sounds like, and feels like, through the use of a variety of drama games. It might look like chaos, sound like pandemonium and feel like fun, but you will be working and learning.

Are you ready?

Five....four.....three....two...one....

Please remember to have your parent/guardian sign the information letter dated January 29, 2013 and return it a.s.a.p.!

Home stretch....In it to Win it!

The last two weeks of our course are BUSY...and worth a lot of your final mark!  Hope you had a great break and are ready for this last big push!

January 7 & 8:  each group equal stage time to do fast-forward run-throughs with set and sound/light
                          cues;  when you are not on stage, you are using another space to rehearse lines

January 9, 10, 11, 14, 15:  group performances!  Each performance will begin 30 minutes into class.   Audience members can rehearse until the performance begins, then will watch attentively.  When the performance is over, the group that has performed is to clear the stage and put everything away.  If there is time, the group that is to perform the following day can have the stage. 

It is a good idea to take notes during performances so that you are prepared to write your play review next week.  You will be responsible for writing a play review of ONE performance only, but it is expected that you will be attending all performances.

January 15:  ADA 100-02 -- group performance, then time for self-evaluation
                      ADA 100-01--self-evaluation, then class time to write play review  HAVE YOUR
                                                                                                                                    NETBOOK!

January 16 - 17:  Writing play reviews--have your netbook or laptop or write it by hand

Each of you will be provided with the 'how to' page as provided below.  Read it carefully.  Be sure to look at the rubric as well.

How to Write a Play Review            for ADA 10/20 End Task Performances                                          

A play review is a discussion and evaluation of a performance.  It provides some facts (details about when and where the reviewer saw the show, its title, playwright, members of the cast and crew, etc.) and some opinion.  The opinions that are expressed—positive or negative—are not worth anything unless they are backed up with valid reasons, so a reviewer has to be knowledgeable about theatre and stagecraft as well as a thoughtful writer.  A play review is not mean or malicious and it is not a list of unsupported generalizations and clichés.

For the purposes of this assignment, your play review will only be four paragraphs in length.  Follow the outline below, doing your best to answer the questions in thoughtful detail. 

Your first paragraph includes the answers to these questions:

·         Where did you see the show? (name of theatre/school)

·         When did you see the show?  (specify the performance time as well as date, as some shows have both matinees and evening performances)

·         What is the title of the show?

·         Who wrote it? (for DHS class performances which are created by ensembles through workshopping, you can say something like ‘the collective work of the cast’)

·         What is the main message/theme of the show? (message/theme does not mean ‘plot’)

 

Your second paragraph will briefly summarize the plot, including the names of the main characters.

Your third paragraph will deal with the acting (and/or directing).  This is where you include your reaction to the performers playing the characters in the play.  Use their real names and character names.  Consider these questions:

·         Were they believable?  Did their relationships with other characters seem natural and appropriate?  Did they stay in character throughout the play?

·         How was the actor’s vocal quality (volume, enunciation, pace, tone, etc.)?

·         How was the actor’s physicalization (did their gestures, movement, facial expressions convey and stay true to the character)?

·         Were they engaging?  Interesting to watch?  Why?

·         Did the blocking make sense?  Were the movement choices natural and appropriate to the characters and their roles and relationships?

Your fourth paragraph will sum up your reaction and conclude your review.  Was the audience attentive and interested in the performance?  What was your overall opinion of the performance?

 

 

Play Review Rubric – January 16/17, 2013

Be sure to read the review writing instructions carefully!                        

Paragraph one:  ___ title of show     ___location, date, time of performance  ___ playwright (see instruction sheet)

                            ___ message, theme of play

Paragraph two: ___ summary of plot  ___names of characters included

Paragraph three: ___ explains who played which roles   ___ answers some/all of questions as listed on instruction sheet

Paragraph four:  ___ overall opinion of the theatrical experience

 

Criteria	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Ability to use drama terms	Limited ability to use correct dramatic terms	Uses some dramatic terms correctly	Uses dramatic terms correctly and effectively	Uses dramatic terms with great effectiveness and accuracy
Ability to critique others’ work	Limited ability to comment with accuracy on the performances of others	Able to make comments on performances of others with some accuracy; some attempt made to indicate strengths and weaknesses	Able to comment accurately on performances of others, indicating strengths and weaknesses and suggesting ways to improve	Comments accurately, effectively on performances of others, indicating strengths and weaknesses and suggesting ways to improve

Level:              1                      2                      3                      4

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