Calendar, Part 1

First Class to Midterm

The first half of the course, leading up to the presentation of work on a speech from Shakespeare.

Units:

  1. Introduction to Shakespeare while Reviewing Basic Stanislavski
  2. Iambic Pentameter and how Shakespeare used it
  3. Physical Action

Introductions and Action

Monday, January 4

We introduce the course, ourselves, and begin acting Shakespeare with the opening scene from Macbeth.

The goal is to review and remind the students of the actor’s work, and to assess where their understanding and abilities lie.

Acting as Action is introduced as the major concept of this course.

Handouts

  • Course Outline
  • Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 1
  • Speech Choice Guidelines

Focus of Action

Wednesday, January 6

We get to know each other a little better, dive into the foundation of the work – breath – and explore acting Shakespeare with the opening scene from Macbeth.

Acting as Action is reiterated.  Today’s demonstration and exploration of this is improvising a scene.  Perhaps we do that after the students try to do the witches scene?

The goals are to:

  • establish breath as a foundation for inspiration – literal and creative – bringing us into the moment, into presence, into an ability to connect with our partners.
  • begin to explore sound, rhythm, and pace with Shakespeare
  • begin to revisit and re-apply principles from 257 and Stanislavski

Handouts

  • Research Assignment

Focus of Action

Friday, January 8

We get to know each other a little better, dive into the foundation of the work – breath – and explore acting Shakespeare with the opening scene from Macbeth.

The goals are to:

  • establish breath as a foundation for inspiration – literal and creative – bringing us into the moment, into presence, into an ability to connect with our partners.
  • begin to explore sound, rhythm, and pace with Shakespeare
  • begin to revisit and re-apply principles from 257 and Stanislavski

Due: Translations

Handouts: 50 Questions for Scene Preparation, 101 Questions for Characterization

Assignment: First objective scene. Something simple. Something easy.

Handouts

  • Research Presentation Assignment

Introduction | Forms and Sounds

Monday, February 22

  • Cleaning and Attendance (5 min)
  • Announcement: The Dead Playwright’s Society (5 min)
  • Zip Zap Zop! (3 min)
  • Sword Game (7 min)
  • How many A’s in A (10 min)

  • Murmuring and walking (5 min)
  • Kicking at the end of a line (5 min)
  • Finding the caesura (5 min)
  • Walking the sentences (10 min)
  • Using the colons and semicolons (10 min)

  • Assonance sheets (20 min)
  • Assignment review (10 min)

  • Scene of the week (10 min)
  • Review (5 min)
  • Clean up (5 min)

Handouts

  • Attendance Sheet
  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 1 Rubric
  • Definitions Samples
  • Translation Sample
  • Participation Rubric
  • Research Presentation Rubric

DUE: Surveys

Free Work Time

Wednesday, January 13

We continue to explore breath.

We share mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start to explore the clues Shakespeare gives us using iambic pentameter.

Teaching goals:

  • Continue to explore speech through sound…
  • UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
  • WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT PART A: Translation and Definitions
  • PART A is due on Friday????
  • FREE time to explore the text.
  • Share when you want to.
  • Introducing iambic pentameter
  • Understanding light and heavy syllables
  • Counting syllables to determine regular, irregular lines, and weak endings
  • Contractions and elongations
  • Missing words

By the end of this class, the students should be able to complete Sections C2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 & 9 of the written assignment.

Exploring Shakespeare's Use of Sound

Friday, January 15

We continue to explore breath.

We start to learn about physical action and how it affects a line.

We explore the way Shakespeare uses sounds to hold our attention, and convince us, which we will soon discover is also an aspect of rhetoric.

Teaching Goals:

  • Feeling your body impulse deliver a line
  • Hearing, and sensing how Shakespeare uses sound
  • Introducing alliterationassonance, and consonance
  • Exploring rhyme and the reasons for it
  • Exploring onomatopoeia

By the end of the class, the students should be able to complete Section D1 of the written assignment.

Handouts

  • Help with Objectives
  • Objective Video Assignment 2 (Keep it fairly simple)

DUE: Translations and Word Definitions v.1

Stage Directions in Shakespeare's Jazz

Monday, January 18

We start to explore our resonators.

We start to play with verbs more explicitly.

We dive into rhetoric (even though, Surprise: We technically started into it last Friday!).

Specifically, we look at how Shakespeare used rhetorical techniques to describe things.

Learning Goals:

  • INTRODUCING THOUGHT
  • BRING ANOTHER 2 BLANK SHEETS TO THE CLASS
    • LENGTH
    • NUMBERS
    • ENDING
    • PUNCTUATION
  • INTRODUCING IAMBIC Pentameter
  • MAKE A PACING and PHRASING PAGE
  • VIEWING and DISCUSSION of Video objectives
  • HAND BACK TRANSLATIONS & DEFINITIONS
  • Discovering our chest, throat, and mouth resonators
  • Learning to apply verbs
  • Reviewing adverbs and adjectives
  • Discovering metaphor and simile in Shakespeare
  • Reviewing comparison in general
  • Revealing imagery in Shakespeare
  • Discovering contradiction and paradox
  • Discovering this and that and juxtaposition
  • Finding out about Personification

By the end of class the student should be able to complete the first column of Section D2 of the written assignment.

DEADLINE: Research Groups & Topics

Iambic Pentameter

Wednesday, January 20

We explore the resonators in our upper head: the nasal and head sinuses, and top of the head resonance.

We continue our exploration of rhetoric, specifically in techniques to sort out and present ideas and that help to convince the listener.

Learning Goals:

  • IAMBIC PENTAMETER
  • SYLLABLE COUNT
  • HOW TO TELL A REGULAR LINE FROM AN IRREGULAR LINE
  • WEAK ENDINGS
  • Understanding and recognizing antithesis
  • How to handle antithesis using pitch
  • Understanding an recognizing lists
  • Understanding how repetition can be used
  • Recognizing parenthesis and how to handle it
  • Recognizing and using irony
  • Recognizing puns and other wizardly wordplay
  • Recognizing formidable phraseology

By the end of this class, the students should be able to complete the second column of Section D2 of the written assignment.

Entrance and Exits and Starting to Speak the Speech

Friday, January 22

MORE ABOUT IAMBIC

  • WEAK ENDINGS
  • LONG LINES
  • SHORT LINES
  • UNFINISHED LINES

We continue to explore breath.

We create mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start in on our speeches, gently.

The goal is to remind students of the importance of preparations, of before and after, and to give them some acting practice, and to begin to get them comfortable with the way Shakespeare’s verse works.

DUE: Speech Written Assignment

Entrance and Exits and Starting to Speak the Speech

Monday, January 25

We continue to explore breath.

We create mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start in on our speeches, gently.

The goal is to remind students of the importance of preparations, of before and after, and to give them some acting practice, and to begin to get them comfortable with the way Shakespeare’s verse works.

 

EXPLORING

Rhetoric

  • Imagery
  • Metaphor
  • Personification
  • Simile
  • Antithesis
  • Lists
  • Comparison
  • Paradox
  • Irony
  • Puns
  • Juxtaposition

DEADLINE: Speeches Perfectly Memorized

Entrance and Exits and Starting to Speak the Speech

Wednesday, January 27

We continue to explore breath.

We create mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start in on our speeches, gently.

The goal is to remind students of the importance of preparations, of before and after, and to give them some acting practice, and to begin to get them comfortable with the way Shakespeare’s verse works.

 

 

PART C DUE?

Entrance and Exits and Starting to Speak the Speech

Friday, January 29

We continue to explore breath.

We create mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start in on our speeches, gently.

The goal is to remind students of the importance of preparations, of before and after, and to give them some acting practice, and to begin to get them comfortable with the way Shakespeare’s verse works.

Entrance and Exits and Starting to Speak the Speech

Monday, February 1

We continue to explore breath.

We create mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start in on our speeches, gently.

The goal is to remind students of the importance of preparations, of before and after, and to give them some acting practice, and to begin to get them comfortable with the way Shakespeare’s verse works.

Entrance and Exits and Starting to Speak the Speech

Wednesday, February 3

We continue to explore breath.

We create mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start in on our speeches, gently.

The goal is to remind students of the importance of preparations, of before and after, and to give them some acting practice, and to begin to get them comfortable with the way Shakespeare’s verse works.

DEADLINE: Scene Partners and Scenes Chosen

Entrance and Exits and Starting to Speak the Speech

Friday, February 5

We continue to explore breath.

We create mini-scenes with a clear before and after.

We start in on our speeches, gently.

The goal is to remind students of the importance of preparations, of before and after, and to give them some acting practice, and to begin to get them comfortable with the way Shakespeare’s verse works.

Speech Presentation Rehearsals!

Monday, February 8

Students get a chance to rehearse their speeches for feedback one last time.

As in a rehearsal, they can stop and start again if they like.

Teaching goals:

  • Applying all their work as best they can to a practice performance.

Speech Presentations 1

Wednesday, February 10

CAMERA REQUIRED

Bring a camera and tripod to class!

The students get a first crack at performing their speeches for real.

Teaching goals:

  • Experience at performance
  • Learning to be in the moment

Speech Presentations 2

Friday, February 12

CAMERA REQUIRED

Bring a camera and tripod to class!

After some feedback, the students get a second chance to present their work.

Teaching goals:

  • More experience at performance
  • A chance to change and improve

DUE: Notebooks

DRA 357

N/A

After some feedback, the students get a second chance to present their work.

Teaching goals:

  • More experience at performance
  • A chance to change and improve

DUE: n/a

DRA 357

N/A

After some feedback, the students get a second chance to present their work.

Teaching goals:

  • More experience at performance
  • A chance to change and improve

DUE: n/a

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