• 2.4 Create costume pieces, props, or sets for a theatrical experience.
• 3.1 Identify theatre and story-telling forms from different cultures.
• 4.1 Critique an actor’s performance as to the use of voice, gesture, facial expression, and movement to create character.
• 5.2 Demonstrate the ability to participate cooperatively in the different jobs required to create a theatrical production.

• Students will design, sketch, and make appropriate props, sets, and costumes using setting and character information from a story.
• Students will make a judgment about how successful an actor’s voice, gestures, words, and body movements work together to create a character.
• Students will share and/or take turns with creating a story, acting, creating sound effects, or designing costumes, props and scenes.

• HSS 2.5 Students understand the importance of individual action and character and explain how heroes from long ago and the recent past have made a difference in other’s lives.

• Play script for “Someday I will read” (Social Studies curriculum, Unit 6 Page 326)
• Play script for “The Bremen Town Musicians”
• Flipchart: Click here to download "2TheatreSocUnit6Lesson4.flp".
  
• Costumes and props for a play Optional:
• Tape Recorder
• Video Camera
• CD Player 

• theatre: place where live, dramatic performances take place.
• film: medium for recording events done by camera, a form of entertainment; movies, cinema
• radio: media that communicates messages using voice, music, and sound effects
• costume: clothing worn by an actor on stage during a performance ∑ prop: items carried on stage by an actor; small items on the set used by the actors
• sound effects: sounds made to imitate and portray a particular object or environment (e.g., shaking a large piece of aluminum to make a sound like thunder, hitting coconut shell halves on a surface to sound like horse hooves, etc.)

• Ask students to think of four ways people communicate other than through written word (books or newspapers).
• Guide students to think about television, radio, live theatre and film.
• Talk about the unique characteristics of each one.
• live theatre: done in real time with “in the flesh” actors and an audience that responds to what is happening on stage.
• television: Electronic media, usually pre-recorded, theatre that usually has no audience. Prerecorded actors have the opportunity for “retakes” if a mistake is made. Live actors don’t have the option for retakes, but and must “recover” quickly and continue on with the performance
• film: Photographed copy of a performance with no live audience usually shown on a large screen in the movie theatre or at home on a VHS or electronically displayed mages on a disc.
• radio: An auditory experience only. We hear music, voices or sounds, but see no one performing. This can be done live or pre-recorded.

• You will have two options to create this final performance piece with your students; a big production on stage or a small play in the classroom.
• Using one of the two scripts provided in this lesson, you will prepare students to create and perform a Reader’s Theatre
• Select one of the stories and do a read through in chorus several times.
• Discuss what is happening in the story by asking the following questions:
• “What do the characters feel?”
• “How would they move?”
• “What do their voices sound like?”
• Identify and assign individual parts and have students take turns reading individually with appropriate voice and feeling.

• Assign actors that will act as narrators.
• Assign actors that will create the characters and the action. You can use tableau or have the students act out what is going on in the play.
• Create simple costumes and props for the actors if needed.
• Rehearse and perform on stage for videotape performance.
• You may or may not want to create a simple set or if videotaping, choose a variety of settings for shooting.

• Assign parts and rehearse lines.
• Add body movement to the actors.
• Create costumes and props for the characters.
• Create a simple set for the stage or go “on location” to film.
• Perform for another class or parents.

• “What did you learn about being a part of a production?”
• “What was the most challenging part?”
• “What did you think about the production during rehearsal?”
• “What do you think about the production now that we have finished?”
• “Did your thoughts change?”
• “What did you enjoy about being a part of a production?”
• “What was your role or job in this production?”
• “Is there a different role you would like to play next time? Why?”
• “What did you notice about the audience’s reaction to your work?”
• “How did they respond?”

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May 17, 2012