In continuing with last week's lessons, we will be spending our class time viewing and discussing contemporary works of theatre and their impact on audiences. This content meets the following standard, which has been identified as our remaining “essential learning requirement” for the semester:

• Re9.1.3c: Compare and debate the connection between a drama/theatre work and contemporary issues that may impact audiences. 

MONDAY:
In your journal (#5), compare and contrast the two performances from last week. How are they similar; how are they dissimilar? Both in terms of production elements and ways of performing as well as thematic content. As a theatrical artist yourself, what production inspires you more? What would you have enjoyed being a part of as an audience, performer, or designer? (Full page journal)

TUESDAY:
Last week you watched a performance that used puppetry as its primary medium; we will continue with that medium today. Watch the following piece of theatre from the same devising company: https://vimeo.com/228109659?fbclid=IwAR1iRbEdQz-li5N-WLQmB5beXhD_X94Hmk11PSfKeZMSWuQy9qdq42uCWbM .

WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY:
Use these days to catch up on all journal entries and submit your journals to www.turnitin.com by midnight on Friday.

Optional, because it costs money to rent (but highly encouraged if you are able to): Watch the following documentary, Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus. 

 https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Starring-Unstable-Elements-Belarus/dp/B07NC45D63  

The Final Socratic Seminar about the contemporary works of theatre that we viewed the past two weeks will take place on Tuesday, 9th at 1:00pm via Zoom. If you cannot attend, please email me. 

​Even though this is the Final (due to seniors in the course), there will still be class meetings and information (until school closes on June 23rd) for all junior students who will be HL Theatre students next year. 

I hope your Memorial Day weekend was one of family, self-care, and remembrance. As we move towards the close of the school year, we will be spending our class time viewing and discussing contemporary works of theatre and their impact on audiences. This content meets the following standard, which has been identified as our remaining “essential learning requirements” for the semester:

• Re9.1.3c: Compare and debate the connection between a drama/theatre work and contemporary issues that may impact audiences. 

TUESDAY:
Watch the following 5-minute performance entitled Celui qui tombe (He Who Falls) by Yoann Bourgeois. Do not research the piece or the director/choreographer. Simply view it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0zqQxz4DHs&fbclid=IwAR1ctNpMekK2Zk_Pe8DdQmGSt3uQP8oXD_cAn43OUNGdr59hKmZBLjojxOw

• In your journal (#3), what do you believe the message in this short performance to be? How do you perceive Yoann Bourgeois’s intention? To what extent do you feel this piece impacts an audience? (Full page journal)

WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY:
Watch the following 47 minute theatrical puppetry piece entitled The Hit by Strangeface, a devising theatre company. Do not read the synopsis at the bottom of the frame or any spoilers – just watch. I want you to go in blank.
https://vimeo.com/408917925?fbclid=IwAR37UB1pgXr_vDMe057oI2LsXquw8cZeDWIbFXBjTHAZxB6hoP7-zaxpqDU
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DO NOT READ THE JOURNAL PROMPT (below) UNTIL AFTER YOU WATCH THE PERFORMANCE.
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• In your journal (#4), “The Hit is inspired by the idea of cognitive dissonance. Leon Festinger’s theory has much to say about modern life: why we do jobs we hate, why we defend the indefensible and how we stay immersed in a world of coercive consumerism. If the 20th century was about ideology, the 21st is about identity. The question is…are we all puppets?” Address this question and the thematic content performed as well as the context provided in this prompt. (Full page journal)

Great work on the submitted audition self-tapes! I loved seeing what monologues you selected and watching your performance skills develop in a digital format. Only three weeks left of course content! As you move towards the end of the year, please make sure you are caught up on your journals. 

I want to introduce you to more non-traditional theatre in the last few weeks we have of the year. This week we will be exploring the “audience experience”, through an experience I doubt any of you have had. 

Complete the following days in order. I am being vague-on-purpose with this specific theatrical experience and want you to “discover” it on your own. I have had friends who have gone to this show, and I don’t want to cloud your discovery with those second-hand opinions/reviews. 

MONDAY:
Explore the following website for 10-15 minutes: https://mckittrickhotel.com/sleep-no-more/ You should also go to the “About” section at the bottom of the page and read through it. Do not click on any video links on the website should you stumble upon them in order to avoid spoilers.

• In your journal, what are your first impressions and questions? Discuss the parts of your exploration that stood out to you and/or peeked your interest. This is a half-page journal.

TUESDAY:
View this trailer for Sleep No More. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k12NZLh_Xvg

• In your journal (and continuing where you left off yesterday), how did the trailer for the theatrical experience change your perceptions? What emotions or curiosities are you left with? Questions?

WEDNESDAY:
View this British news report/advertisement on Sleep No More. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RziojmOarHY

• Contact a fellow classmate via FaceTime or Zoom. As a partnership or small group, discuss your thoughts and questions about the production. 

With any remaining time in your 25 minutes for the day, start Thursday’s work…

THURSDAY:
Take electronic notes on the following informational text:
https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/a-punchdrunk-approach-to-making-theatre

• Pay specific attention to the “mask shows” stylistic sections when they divide between mask and active promenade, so that you are focusing on Sleep No More. 
• Include any answers to questions you posed in your journal in these notes!
• Submit your notes to www.turnitin.com by midnight on Friday evening. 

FRIDAY:
Meet on Zoom at 1:00pm for a class meeting to discuss Sleep No More and Punchdrunk Theatre’s approaches to creating theatre.
- Meeting information has been emailed to you. 

Make sure you submit your electronic notes to turnitin.com by midnight on Friday.

Over the course of the next two weeks, you will spend approximately four hours developing characters, rehearsing your selected pieces, and recording your performances. This project meets the following standards, which have been identified as two of our three remaining “essential learning requirements” for the semester:

• Cr1.1.3c. Integrate cultural and historical contexts with personal experiences to create a character that is believable and authentic in a theatre work. 
• Pr4.1.3b: Apply a variety of researched acting techniques as an approach to character choices in a theatre work. 

Notice that you are creating characters and using researched acting techniques to influence your rehearsal choices.

MONDAY, May 4th – FRIDAY, May 15th:

1. Read through the jigsawed theorists that we worked on last week.
   1. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iD6wDyjMh1O04qkXeJVZ7ncQRKkJGIwnnR17t-RofVM/edit?usp=sharing
2. Select one theorist and watch the documentaries and examples provided on the Google Form above.
   1. **Apply one of the acting theorist’s methods/concepts that were researched on the Google Drive document to your development of the pieces below.
3. Begin the monologue and scene rehearsal process for the requirements below. You will do BOTH Scene 1 and Scene 2 requirements.
   1. Scene 1: Monologue from Television Show or Movie of your choice – one to two minutes. Do not simply recreate what was done in the original. Make it your own and approach it from the character, not the actor who was cast. 
   2. Scene 2: Choose one of the practice scripts from the following link: https://monologueblogger.com/10-practice-scripts-for-actors/ . You choose the character you want to audition for in your film; your reader plays the other character. Since these are practice scripts, you have the opportunity to develop your character from scratch and actually use some acting theory to rehearse and memorize; instead of attempting to distinguish yourself from what a professional has already done with your scene 1 monologue.
      1. Note: Some of the scenes in the practice scripts link include adult language or content. Be advised (and warn your reader).
   3. (Note: Usually in digital auditions you are actually using the script for the show or movie you are auditioning for. There is no “original” to watch unless it is a remake. The script would be posted or given to you by your agent for you to develop and then film or attend the in-person audition.)
4. Watch the examples of self-tape/digital auditions below. They are entertaining!
   1. Rachel McAdams The Notebook: 
      1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=66&v=_XfUUYK7Gkg&feature=emb_logo
   2. Compilation of people who auditioned and didn’t get the roles and, of course, the ones who did: The Office:
      1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5I_OTjH9fg
   3. Henry Thomas ET (if you have never seen this movie, do yourself a huge favor and watch it before watching this…major spoilers….it’s not a scary movie, it’s a heart-tugging, beautiful, crying movie that gets me every time. It’s a classic…and this kid’s audition is amazing.)
      1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA5giyG8E7g
5. Read the “How To” document provided in the Downloads section for this course.
6. Record your audition performance and upload it to the following Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wMeaHm33rgAo2KEGX4tfLLORCeftLqEu?usp=sharing​​​​​​​ . 

This audition recording will be graded on the application of your chosen theorist’s rehearsal and performance technique as well as the quality and standard of the audition recording based on the “How To” document provided.

Your completed self-tape audition is due by midnight on Friday the 15th to the Google Drive link in step 6. 

This week you will conduct some preliminary research into a selection of theatrical theorists. This assignment serves two purposes: 1) To prepare students to apply a chosen technique besides Stanislavski to your rehearsal process of a selected monologue for performance, and 2) for those students taking HL next year, this assignment helps you to narrow your selection of a theorist for your Solo Project as you “sample” many and then eventually select one whom you gravitate towards. This week’s assignment is the first stepping-stone. Essentially, you will spend the week’s total minutes (125, or roughly two hours) researching a theorist and inputting data into a shared document for all students to reference.

MONDAY - FRIDAY:
Go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iD6wDyjMh1O04qkXeJVZ7ncQRKkJGIwnnR17t-RofVM/edit?usp=sharing.

• Select a theorist. First come, first served. There should be one theorist per student. 
  • Write your name in the “student researcher” section.
• Conduct online research where you:
  • Identify the text that your theorist authored (you may focus on the most important work)
  • Outline the core concept(s) that your theorist explores/defines. Briefly describe anything that may need clarity for the class.
  • Locate an interview with the theorist or a documentary that explores the theorist. Ensure that the interview or documentary is from a credible source.
  • Locate a performance where the theorist’s aspects/ideas/concepts are put into action.

Journal Entry: Write a one-page journal entry sharing any creative work or creative reflections that have taken place over the past month and a half. If you feel there have been none in your life, write about something you would like to do with your time (besides school and binging shows/movies) over the next month.
- Keep your journal entries in your journal. All second semester journal entries will be photographed/scanned and emailed in the coming weeks. 

All of this research and the journal entry should take you between one to two hours over the course of the week to complete, doing a thorough and accurate job.
​
Your completed theorist’s row is due by midnight on Friday, 1st. 

This week we will be exploring Stanislavski’s Units and Objectives in more depth in preparation for a performance piece as well as celebrating William Shakespeare’s Birthday! Please refer back to your first semester Stanislavski lecture notes as needed in recalling units and objectives. Remember that each day’s work is intended to take 25 minutes; you may work ahead if you like, but please ensure that you are submitting assignments on time or early.

MONDAY: Set a timer for 25 minutes - Take time to review your Stanislavski notes, paying special attention to Units and Objectives. Units are also referred to as “beats” to more contemporary acting theorists. Reference a sample electronic scansion of a sonnet that I completed. (In downloads section) Each unit is marked with a forward slash; objectives are noted above units with parentheses. If time allows, begin Tuesday’s task until the timer goes off.

Remember: Objectives are active verbs (to + _______). They should be physical in nature; if your body can do it, then it is a good objective for your voice. If you are having difficulty with objective verbs – Google “Vivid Verbs” or “Active Verbs” for helpful lists. Good objectives should never be intellectual or brain-based, like “to think”, “to ponder”, “to remember” – those are all horrible!

TUESDAY: Watch Sir Patrick Stewart’s quarantined, recorded Sonnet collection. An article explaining his work and displaying his initial Twitter posts is available here:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hear-daily-shakespeare-sonnets-sir-patrick-stewart-180974616/

Watch a minimum of three of his recitations. More if you like.
The Folger collection of Sonnets with short summaries and analysis is available here: https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/shakespeares-sonnets/?_ga=2.30397311.1956816336.1587234148-1280015582.1543424567

Note Sir Patrick Stewart’s vocal choices (the ebb and flow, the musicality of the breath, the emphasis he places on specific words, etc.). Ponder and consider where his scansion of his units took place and what potential objectives he may be considering when delivering these sonnets. 

WEDNESDAY: Select a sonnet to develop from the Folger Collection of Sonnets noted in Tuesday! (Don’t spend too much time on the hunting – maybe 5 minutes maximum.) Scan (mark units and objectives) your selected sonnet. Rehearse the sonnet, considering and developing your unit and objectives. Make changes as necessary. You may do this electronically or print it and do it by hand, in which case you will need to scan it and email it. This is due Friday. You do not need to memorize it.

NOTE: Sonnets are interesting because you can create a character from scratch! There is no play, or before-and-after, to box you in. Be creative! Who are you speaking as? It is completely acceptable to speak as yourself!

THURSDAY: Happy Birthday William Shakespeare! In celebration of the Bard’s assumed birthday, we will gather at 1:00pm via Zoom and perform our Sonnets! Feel free to wear party hats and decorate your room! Bake a cake! Let’s have a virtual party to liven up our quarantine life! He himself went through a few theatre closures due to the plague, so I’m sure he will be commiserating from the grave. (If you cannot join us on Zoom for the live performances, you must record your sonnet performance and email it to me.) The 1:00pm meeting may go longer than 25 minutes, but you are welcome to leave at 1:25pm if needed/desired.

FRIDAY: Read about Shakespeare’s Plague experiences here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/opinion/coronavirus-shakespeare.html . Submit your scanned sonnet (and recorded performance if necessary) via email to fryj@issaquah.wednet.edu. In your email, include one interesting fact from the New York Times article above. Email is due by midnight on Friday evening. 

For IB-assessed students, this week we will be uploading all coursework to IBIS. This will take place on Tuesday from 1:00pm – 1:45pm and include the following platforms: IBIS and Zoom. Instructions with the Zoom Meeting ID and IBIS information have been emailed/Skyward Messaged. 
 

• During the Zoom meeting, we will be using IBIS and uploading each assessment as a group to ensure that all assessments are in the correct format and working. Ensure that the final document you are uploading is in fact the final document and not an early draft. Once the documents/videos are submitted there is no way to resubmit! When it is done, it’s done.

 
For Non-IB-assessed students, use this week to work on any missing assignments for your classes.

For all students, here are some great enrichment viewing opportunities! Watch any of these available recordings of live theatrical performances. These are not film adaptations; these are recordings of stage productions. Consider the production elements, directing choices, and effective moments of TEAM.
           – Disney+    : Newsies: The Broadway Musical (watch the live version)
           – Disney+    : The Little Mermaid Live
           – Netflix       : Shrek the Musical
           – Amazon Prime: Carousel Live
           – Amazon Prime: She Loves Me
           – YouTube   : Rent – Broadway Production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhG3JTchKDA) 
           –YouTube   : Into the Woods (Live 1991) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJir5uPRXcM&t=7s) 

Communication: For IB-assessed students, you must upload your Research Presentation EA to the Google Drive by the end of this week. This includes the video recording of your presentation and your PPT. The video cannot be edited, spliced, altered. The PPT should include a list of Works Cited as a final slide. (As of right now, Liam is the only one who has submitted it to the Google Drive.)
 
For non-IB-assessed students, please email me a link to your presentation and an attached PPT by the end of the week.

An email/Skyward has been sent with the above information.

Best Wishes.

Today's Focus: Student Sample Grading

Homework:
- Presentations begin on Tuesday! Be prepared.

​In the event that school is closed, you will be expected to film your presentation in your home (no edits/cuts/splices allowed) and submit it electronically no later than March 19th. An email will be sent with specific instructions for delivery, recording, and submission should it become necessary.