The ABCs of Theatre History

Theatre has been around for thousands of years. To many, it is a reflection of life. Studying theatre allows us understand how people saw themselves and what they valued. It also helps us to understand ourselves better.

Students will:

Ø  Work with a group of 2-4 members to research an assigned time period / topic.

Ø  Create a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation to inform their fellow classmates about their assigned topic in Theatre History. The presentation should be 8-10 minutes (approximately 10-12 slide).

Ø  Create a handout of at least 15 questions (or 1 page, single-sided). These are questions that *might* appear on a quiz. Yes, you will be quizzed on this information. =)

o  Use a mix of true/false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, short answer, labeling drawings and sketches, crossword etc.

o  During your presentation, make sure you give the answers.

The PowerPoint, blank handout, and answer key for ALL groups is due on:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19th

Time Periods / Topics
Greek
Roman
Kabuki/Noh (Eastern Theatre)
Medieval
Elizabethan/Shakespeare
18th Century Commedia dell’Arte
18th Century – Restoration
19th/20th Century – Musical Theatre
19th/20th century –Stanislavski and Realism
20th Century -- Absurdism
20th Century -- Brecht and Presentational theatre
20th Century – American Film
YOUR CHOICE – by approval only, if you find another theatre history topic that interests you.

My Group:

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

4. ______

Our Time Period / Topic:


What must be included in the presentation:

Include 15 interesting/ unique facts about your time period. Use specific details and beyond-the-obvious ideas

For example, if you have a slide saying that the Greeks used actors, that is not unique. If you talk about the use of a chorus and why Thespis is considered the first actor, that is interesting. If you talk about how Shakespearean actors used a stage, tell us what was unique about the Globe and how the performers used it.

USE at least 5 resources:

Three electronic sources (Wikispace will only count as one source, always double check information for validity)

Two in-print resources (books, magazine articles, newspapers, etc.)

Try to cover most (85-100%) of the following information in your presentation*:

v  Who were at least 3 important theatre artists (playwrights, directors, actors, etc)? Give a brief (3 sentence) summary about these people

v  What were the typical elements of a play; what did they think made a “great” play? (What kind of stories did they tell? What characters were on stage?)

v  What elements (costumes, lighting, set, sound, etc) did they use?

v  What kind of stage did they use?

v  Who was the audience?

v  What were 3 important plays? Provide a brief (3-5 sentence) summary. (What do they have in common? What is different?)

v  Summarize one play (you can tell us what it is about, perform a short (2-3 minute) scene, or summarize it. Bonus points for memorization!)

*I will provide a worksheet to help you organize your information. This worksheet will be part of your overall points.

Feel free to be creative as you put your presentation together. Dress up in costume, play a game, sing a song, present the info as a play, etc. Share your idea with me!

Daily Research Log

Each day, set a goal for yourself: what information do I need to find today? who will find that information? How will I research this?

Our Time Period:

Name: / I will research the following topics: / These are my discoveries:

Group Research Findings

Group Members: ______

______

Our Topic: ______

v  Who were at least 3 important theatre artists? Give a brief summary about these people.

Theatre Artist’s Name / Playwright? Director? Actor? Designer? Other? / Tell us a little about this person. What work did s/he accomplish? What did they add to our understanding of theatre? Why was s/he important?
1.
2.
3.

v  What were the typical elements of a play? What did they think made a “great” play? (What kind of stories did they tell? What characters were on stage?)

v  What design elements did they use?

Costume / Lighting / Set
Sound / Other

v  What kind of stage did they use? Draw and label below:

v  Who was in the typical audience?

v  What were 3 important plays that came from this time period?

Title / Playwright
1.
2.
3.

v  Summarize one play from your list above (circle it). You can tell us what it is about, perform a short (2-3 minute) scene, or summarize it. Use the back if necessary.

Setting:

Main Characters: / Who are they? What do they do in the play?

Basic Plot Outline:

How we plan to present it: