WELCOME TO THE 2023-2024 School Year
The menu above as well as the drop-down menu 'More..." allow you to explore theatrical topics, learn about Ms. Carmody, review vocabulary and will eventually have show pages for our productions. There is a Musical Theatre Course page that is currently being updated! Click around and explore.
FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions
WHY am I having to read, write and think in theater class? Isn't it technically an elective?
Literacy is a huge part of Theatre - you will be asked to read and analyze scripts and non-fiction articles about theater related topics. You will be asked to participate in the writing of dialogue, backstories, character analysis, critiques of peer performances and production evaluations. A great deal of learning occurs in elective classes, too! An elective is a specialized class that you usually 'elect' or choose - although that is not always the case in middle school. Due to limited offerings, I recognize that you may not have chosen theater. That is okay. I will make sure you are comfortable and have some fun and learn a lot!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What will I teach you?
Engaging standards aligned lessons that have a balance of both performance and behind the scenes topics.
SNEAK PREVIEW of potential topics and projects:
Practical Technical Theatre Lessons, videos and worksheets. Learn the technical side of running a theatre through video clips of actual professional technicians doing their jobs and explaining along the way.
Acting Gurus and their approaches
Other Examples
MEME project - create memes that represent the different methods of acting (my favorite theatre 2 project)
Script Analysis - characterization (brain power!)
Voice Over project- Public Service Announcement with B-roll found footage if needed. (Theatre 3)
Biography Project/ Historical Figure / Celebrity- online resources needed - write a monologue inspired by their life story
Teleprompter Skills-news anchor / spokesperson project- practice acting on-camera
Create a Public Service Announcement - what message do you think your classmates need to learn?
Plays and Playwrights - research a play, or playwright from the time period given
Development of theatre through history with script examples/ video clips of representation
Rewrite of 'If I were a rich man" or "To be or not to be" with fun, comedic undertones (They become spoofs, If I were a rich kid, and To clean or not to clean my room, etc)
Beat by Beat Activities (August - December) that can be modified as 'from your seat' activities, or "in your space' standing right in front of your seat activities?
-Stop, Go, Jump - listening/quick thinking
- Stage directions, 'simon says" style, knowledge, listening
-One word story - Collaboration, story-telling
Viola Spolin - Lone Actor Warm Ups
- Space Walk - focus, concentration
-Focusing on being in the moment - get out of your own head and into the present time and space
The menu above as well as the drop-down menu 'More..." allow you to explore theatrical topics, learn about Ms. Carmody, review vocabulary and will eventually have show pages for our productions. There is a Musical Theatre Course page that is currently being updated! Click around and explore.
FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions
WHY am I having to read, write and think in theater class? Isn't it technically an elective?
Literacy is a huge part of Theatre - you will be asked to read and analyze scripts and non-fiction articles about theater related topics. You will be asked to participate in the writing of dialogue, backstories, character analysis, critiques of peer performances and production evaluations. A great deal of learning occurs in elective classes, too! An elective is a specialized class that you usually 'elect' or choose - although that is not always the case in middle school. Due to limited offerings, I recognize that you may not have chosen theater. That is okay. I will make sure you are comfortable and have some fun and learn a lot!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What will I teach you?
Engaging standards aligned lessons that have a balance of both performance and behind the scenes topics.
SNEAK PREVIEW of potential topics and projects:
Practical Technical Theatre Lessons, videos and worksheets. Learn the technical side of running a theatre through video clips of actual professional technicians doing their jobs and explaining along the way.
Acting Gurus and their approaches
- Stanislavsky "The System" Magic If, naturalism, analyze given circumstances: Objectives, Tactics, Obstacles
- Lee Strasburg (built on Stanislavski) 'The Method" Emotional Recall
- Uta Hagen (built on Stanislavski, and Strasburg) - substitution
- Stella Adler- (built on Stanislavski, but disagreed with Strasburg) use imagination not past experiences for emotional safety
- Chekov - (built on Adler) archetypes, psychological gestures
- Mamet and Macy - "Practical Aesthetics", literal, a want, the action as if
- Meisner-(in opposition to all previously listed) instinctive, repetition to get rid of fakeness, get out of your own head
- Laban- Physicality in acting, stage movement
- Grotowski - be more than just an actor to be a good actor, highly physical
- Augusto Boal- physical play, physical freedom, taps into social issues
- Viola Spolin - Improvisation, Theater Games, a little inspired by Meisner
Other Examples
MEME project - create memes that represent the different methods of acting (my favorite theatre 2 project)
Script Analysis - characterization (brain power!)
Voice Over project- Public Service Announcement with B-roll found footage if needed. (Theatre 3)
Biography Project/ Historical Figure / Celebrity- online resources needed - write a monologue inspired by their life story
Teleprompter Skills-news anchor / spokesperson project- practice acting on-camera
Create a Public Service Announcement - what message do you think your classmates need to learn?
Plays and Playwrights - research a play, or playwright from the time period given
Development of theatre through history with script examples/ video clips of representation
Rewrite of 'If I were a rich man" or "To be or not to be" with fun, comedic undertones (They become spoofs, If I were a rich kid, and To clean or not to clean my room, etc)
Beat by Beat Activities (August - December) that can be modified as 'from your seat' activities, or "in your space' standing right in front of your seat activities?
-Stop, Go, Jump - listening/quick thinking
- Stage directions, 'simon says" style, knowledge, listening
-One word story - Collaboration, story-telling
Viola Spolin - Lone Actor Warm Ups
- Space Walk - focus, concentration
-Focusing on being in the moment - get out of your own head and into the present time and space