I   Orientation

Orientation is a necessary beginning for Drama 30, even if the group has been together through Drama 20. The orientation period will serve to re-establish a supportive environment and reinforce previously developed understandings and abilities in drama.

In Drama 30, students will:

• follow classroom routines and procedures
• feel secure in the class
• co-operate with others
• act responsibly toward other members of the class
• reinforce previously developed dramatic understandings and abilities.

II   Group Process Abilities

Students will strive to become self-motivated learners who will accept responsibility for their own work and for the collective work of the class. While the teacher has ultimate responsibility for guiding the class, the students will be able to plan and participate in drama experiences with a minimum of direction from the teacher. They will work competently in both large and small groups in which they will have opportunities to assume and accept leadership.

In Drama 30, students will:

• work co-operatively in groups of all sizes to plan and participate in drama experiences
• become competent in group decision-making and problem-solving
• reach consensus
• initiate ideas for drama experiences
• assume leadership of small and large groups
• accept the leadership of others in small and large groups
• initiate out-of-class activities to support the in-class work
• describe and analyze the contributions of themselves and others to projects undertaken by groups of all sizes.

Teacher Information The learning objectives listed throughout this section are taken from the Foundational Objectives Development Chart.

III   Dramatic Understandings and Abilities

By Drama 30, students will have acquired a number of understandings and abilities in drama, which they will apply to the creation of works of dramatic art. Through their work in the dramatic process, they will also have opportunities to develop new learning and to refine and strengthen their abilities in the following areas:

1. Improvisation

   Students will use and refine previously developed improvisational abilities.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • use improvisation to explore characters and situations
   • use improvisation to contribute to the creation of works of dramatic art.

2. Characterization

   Students will refine their abilities to portray a variety of characters. They will explore the portrayal of character using the acting styles of various periods of theatre history.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • demonstrate an ability to portray a character's motivation within a scene
   • express the ideas and emotions appropriate to particular characters
   • convey relationships with other characters in a scene
   • understand and apply the concept of status
   • demonstrate an ability to portray character using various acting styles (e.g., Greek, Shakespearean, Commedia Dell'Arte).

3. Movement

   Students will refine previously developed abilities in movement, apply these abilities to their work in drama and explore the use of movement in the acting styles of various periods of theatre history.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • become competent in communicating character through movement and gesture
   • become competent in blocking improvised and script scenes
   • demonstrate an ability to use movement in various acting styles (e.g., Greek, Shakespearean, Commedia Dell'Arte).

4. Speech

   Students will continue to develop abilities in the use of speech in their creation of works of dramatic art and will explore the use of speech in the acting style of various periods of theatre history.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • demonstrate poised, controlled posture
   • use breath control
   • use resonance in speaking
   • articulate clearly
   • use voice projection
   • become competent in communicating character through speech
   • demonstrate an ability to use speech in various acting styles (e.g., Greek, Shakespearean, Commedia Dell'Arte).

IV   Theatre Study

Students will continue to study theatre history through research and development of scenes that represent various historical periods. They will also continue to develop their abilities to respond to drama experienced as audience. Students will acquire understandings and abilities in the following areas:

1. Analysis of Drama Experienced as Audience

   Students will continue to have opportunities to experience, as audience, the work of their classmates and that of dramatic artists in the community and on video. They will become experienced in critical analysis of dramatic presentations.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • understand how plays are made
   • understand the contributions of various dramatic artists to theatrical production
   • understand that theatre is a synthesis of the arts
   • understand how the theatre elements of focus, tension, contrast and symbol contribute to a play
   • understand how the artistic purpose of each of the artists is served by the use of theatre elements
   • understand the historical and cultural influences on a play
   • use a process such as "Looking at Plays" in oral and written responses to dramatic presentations.

2. Theatre History

   Students will continue to explore the historical and cultural influences on drama experienced as audience. They will also continue their study of theatre history by researching and developing scenes which represent various historical periods. Students will acquire a general understanding of how theatre has evolved as an art form and an increased repertoire of presentational, acting and staging styles to use in their own expressions of dramatic art.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • understand that drama, past and present, can teach us about ourselves
   • understand that today's dramatic artists are influenced by various theatre traditions
   • understand that theatre reflects the society that creates it
   • understand that theatre can influence the society in which it is created
   • understand the universality of certain themes, characters and situations in dramatic expression through the ages
   • continue to explore various presentational styles in their dramatic presentations (e.g., storytelling, readers' theatre, mask work)
   • continue to explore various acting styles in their dramatic presentations (e.g., Greek, Shakespearean, Commedia Dell'Arte)
   • continue to explore various staging possibilities (e.g., lights, set and costume design, stage type).

3. Scriptwriting (optional)

   Students may have opportunities to practice scriptwriting, either by scripting episodes in collective creation or by writing individual scenes or short plays. Through their work, students will incorporate scriptwriting into their experiences in the dramatic process.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • understand the role of the playwright in society
   • understand the relationship of script to performance
   • demonstrate an ability to script a scene or short play.

4. Directing (optional)

   Students who wish to experience first-hand the role of the director in theatre may have opportunities to do so in Drama 30.

   In Drama 30, students will:

   • understand the role of the director in theatre
   • demonstrate an ability to direct a short episode or scene.

5. Technical Theatre (optional)

   Some students may wish to explore the functions and responsibilities of the various dramatic artists and technicians involved in a theatrical production. Areas which might be explored include:

   • stage management
   • backstage crew
   • lighting design and execution
   • sound
   • makeup
   • costume design
   • set design
   • prop design
   • set and prop construction
   • house management
   • business management.

     In Drama 30, students will:

   • understand the contributions of various dramatic artists and technicians to theatrical production
   • understand how the artistic purpose of each of the artists is served by the use of theatre elements
   • demonstrate an ability to contribute to one area of technical theatre.

The Theatre History learning objectives are adapted from Weaver, "How Everyman Changed My Life" (See References section).