Thematic Exercises - New Task--then... END TASK!

Over the past week we have created short scenes based on themes.  For example, today we looked at "Wanted", which is the title of a student's favourite song, and brainstormed ideas associated with "Wanted".  We came up with cowboy, criminal, loved, dead or alive, being cared for, America's Most ____.


On Wednesday and Thursday you will be watching Cameron Crowe's film Singles.  This film looks at relationships between people in their 20's.  One of its stars is Kyra Sedgwick (star of The Closer).  This film is probably best known for its grunge soundtrack. 

After you finish watching the film, you will be given a series of quotations about love.  You will select one and on Friday and Monday you will put together a 3-scene performance exploring the characters and situation you decide on based on the quotation.  The performances will be on Wednesday, May 9th. 


On Thursday, May 10th, you will receive your end task schedule.  I will have the final say regarding the groups.

Radio Plays continue Monday

With bus cancellations on Wednesday and the tech/dress rehearsal on Thursday, we are off-schedule, but will resume performances on Monday.  The radio play performed on Friday was very well done!  Bravo!

Interested in learning more about the Orson Welle's radio broadcast based on H.G. Wells' novel War of the Worlds?  Communications technology has really changed our world......I wonder what the future will hold for actors, directors and the multiple roles relating to theatre, film, radio broadcasting, webcasts........

Radio Plays Continue

Students had today and will have tomorrow to script and rehearse, as per schedule.  Remember, no one has to memorize anything, just be really well-rehearsed and avoid 'stabilizers', like "uh", "uhm...", that 'hemming and hawing' that we do while our mouths wait for our brains to catch up!   I loved all the ideas I heard today!

Performance on Wednesday, April 18, 2012.

NOTE:  Josh, Joel and Tyler--Adam is now also in your group, as he will be away sick for a few days.  He will be responsible for writing one 30 sec commercial and, of course, for delivering the lines of dialogue you create for him within the play.  Your performance date is set for Monday, April 23.  This is an auspicious date, since this is Shakespeare's birthday!

Reminder to everyone to scroll down to Thursday, April 12's blog entry to see the rubric and to access the links for radio shows, commercials, etc. 
Why no Level 2?  Because you are all aiming for at least a Level 3.  If you don't attain it, then I explain why in the open space....

If you have misplaced your hard copy, check the orange folder on the wall that contains copies of the Grade 9 tasks.

Mystery Radio Play Task

ADA 10                                                                                                            Bloomfield 2011

Genre: Mystery      Form:  Radio Play

Listen carefully to the radio play “Afraid to Live, Afraid to Die”.  (http://archive.org/details/otr_cbsradiomysterytheater    These plays include music, sound effects, etc.  Consider how characters are developed and how the plot is moved forward without visuals. This example does not have any live commercials, but if you go to http://www.oldradioworld.com/shows/Vintage_Commercials.php

Task:    Create a short mystery play which relies completely on dialogue, sound effects and narration.  You will also create two commercials from your show’s sponsors.  Have fun! 

April 12             – listen to example of classic radio play; 

                             Group of Brainstorm characters/setting/casting/commercial

April 13 and 16 – develop radio script and rehearse; collect sound effects; if someone is typing

                                the script,  be sure to send it to yourselves so a copy can be printed out at

                                school by the end of class April 16.

                         

April 17  – rehearsal with sound effects

April 18 – Performances (These are live, behind the curtains. J)

Tyler Josh Joel *alternate due dates to accommodate April 12 and 13 absences to be negotiated :)

Burt Erin Brennan Rachelle

Noah Bryan Krista Emma

Shawna Jenna Ilya Tristan Adam

Cole Marissa Shelby Kevin Cam

Please list the responsibilities of each group member below.  Responsibilities may include such things as: playing a role, developing the script, typing the script, photocopying the script, keeping people on track, writing the commercial, locating sound effects, selecting music, etc.

Group Member	Role/Responsibility

Performance Rubric – Radio Play

Criteria	Level 4	Level 3	Next Steps/Comments
Use of Radio Format (Group) (Application)	Excellent use of narration, dialogue and sound effects to bring us into the world of this story; interesting and entertaining	Narration, Dialogue and sound effects establish setting, characters and move plot along;
Mystery Genre (Group) (Thinking/Inquiry)	Excellent use of traditional elements of mystery genre, including detectives, clues, red herrings etc. to create superior mystery experience for listening audience	Mystery is created and solved using elements of mystery genre
Commercials (Group) (Communication)	Now that I’ve heard these commercials, I MUST buy this product!  As soon as this radio play is over, I am heading out to buy it!	Commercials for specific product are informative and persuasive
Vocalization (Individual) (Communication)	Superior use of pace, tone, pitch, emphasis, volume, to create character’s voice and/or sound effects	Appropriate use of pace, tone, pitch, emphasis, volume, to create character’s voice and/or sound effects

Application                                        4          3          2          1

Thinking/Inquiry                               4          3          2          1

Communication                                

         Commercial                               4          3          2          1

         Vocalization                               4          3          2          1

           

FARCES - the end :) MYSTERY/Radio: the beginning

The farces you created in your groups based on elements of black comedy and horror showed that you knew how to apply the basic concepts, along with slapstick and physical humour, into a performance.  They were truly horrible in a wonderful way!

Now we will focus on using voice and sound to create a performance for a listening audience while exploring the genre of Mystery!

FARCE: Arsenic and Old Lace

Today we are looking at FARCE.   Here are three slightly different definitions of the term:

• A comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations.

·         A light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters,

      and often  slapstick elements are used for humorous effect.

·         a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character.

We are watching the classic farce Arsenic and Old Lace, released in 1944, directed by Frank Capra and starring Cary Grant, Raymond Massey and Peter Lorre.    The movie is based on the Broadway smash hit Arsenic and Old Lace written by American playwright Joseph Kesselring.

Look here to see The Arts Club Theatre Company's student booklet for the play, which includes great background information on the play, playwright and the historical/theatrical context.  There is also a theatre etiquette section, so that students who have never been to a real theatre know how to behave appropriately.

 

Note:  Arsenic and Old Lace had over 1,400 performances on Broadway over three years.  The role of Jonathon, which is played in the movie by Raymond Massey, was actually played by Boris Karloff on stage.  This made the joke about his character looking like Boris Karloff as Frankenstein even funnier!

Boris Karloff as Frankenstein

Raymond Massey as Jonathon Brewster, originally played on Broadway by Boris Karloff.

 

Art from Art: Edward Ballad Performances

Buses were cancelled today and no full group attended class.  A huge thank you to the students who sorted and took inventory of the props.  You will have first dibs on those for future work!

You will have about 10 minutes on Wednesday, March 28 to run through the scene(s) you have developed to provide the explanation for the ballad "Edward, Edward" that I read to you in class on Tuesday.

Here it is in the original Scots dialect: edward edward ballad.

This is what Edward's sword ("brand") might have looked like if the setting were 1380 AD.  (More info on Scottish swords.)

Here's information on hunting and hawking--check out the other links on this site for Scottish history.

Here are examples of a 'tower house castle' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HallbarTower5.jpg 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Borthwick_Castle,_Midlothian.jpg


If you are interested, here are more medieval ballads--very dramatic!