Phone: (360) 652-4501, Ext. 2000 Theater & Room 110

Ms. White 6th Period

Phone: (360) 652-4501, ext. 2000 Theater & Room 110

Email:

ADVANCED DRAMA SYLLABUS

The Drama Department, including the Drama Club, are growing fast! We now have an Assistant Director for the actors and a Technical Director for stage crew who will help me as we produce It’s a Wonderful Life for the school and larger community. Therefore, the class is shifting gears to become more professional, as well. I am dividing up the curriculum for Stage Crew and for Actors. There are some students who take this class 6-8 times during their high school years, so we are going to spend more time developing acting and technical skills, so each person can feel confident in the one or the other areas and have more performing opportunities. We will have our first semi-annual Drama Showcase in which we will show our families and friends what we have learned. This will be January 28th, so mark your calendars now. It will be at 7 p.m. in the theater. We will have one dress rehearsal on the 27th right after school. During class, we will look at famous actors and/or acting techniques and also stage crew technicians and skills. I will be bringing in professionals and/or alumni who have had experience in both areas to teach/coach. My hope is that you will then feel ready to participate in the full-length plays we produce here, or you will choose to continue your acting/technical skills in college or the workplace. I am contacting community colleges in the area to schedule either a trip to their theater or a day that they can come perform for us.

Goals and Objectives for First Semester

Actors:

To write winter holiday skits and perform them for Lakewood Elementary and/or Cougar Creek Elementary
To improve Pantomime and Improvisation skills (tell stories

for audiences with these skills

To write critical reviews (as seen in newspapers).
To perform advanced scenes from short plays or sections of full-length plays
To visit other schools or community theaters to observe actors in class or in rehearsals
To act in the Drama Showcase for final grade
To memorize lines, build character (study with partners), and to be quizzed on each of these areas throughout the semester
To research a famous actor and write a 5-page typed paper and present it to the class

Stage Crew

To research stage crew jobs, write a 5-page typed paper and present it to the class (details to be announced at a later time)
To write a stage design (with assistance from a technical director) for a full-length play that LHS could be performed on our current stage (must take dimensions of stage and make your design from those)
To set-up before each practice, clean and organize props and furniture after each practice (put away excess pieces after each practice
To work with all stage crew to write directions for the Drama Showcase (where to place props, lighting and sound charts, etc.
To BE the stage crew for the Drama Showcase for final grade
To study lighting, sound, and building sets in Drama Projects and write a lesson plan for each section to be taught to the rest of the class
To view stage crews at work at other schools or in community theaters(TBA)

Grading Scale: 93-100 A

90-92.9 A-

88-89.9 B+

82-87.9 B

80-81.9 B-

78-79.9 C+

72-77.9 C

70-71.9 C-

68-69.9 D+

62-67.9 D

Grades are based on a point and percentage basis. Individual points will be given for assignments based on type and difficulty, but the overall grade will be based on each percentage for specific tasks. Performances/Playwriting carry the most weight, followed by daily practice. This is a hands-on class and participation is expected, especially of Advanced Drama students.

Grading Percentages

· Performances and Projects:

Playwriting, research paper, set design, teaching stage

crew chapters, performing improv, pantomime,

short scenes and skits, etc. 25%

· Daily Practice/Warm-ups/Stage Prep/Lighting 25%

· Rehearsals (actors/stage crew) for Drama Showcase 10%

· Class work & quizzes: (memory check, vocab quizzes,

Script scoring, prop and furniture plans, etc.) 20%

· Semester Exam (Showcase) 20%

TOTAL 100%

Late or Missing Assignments

Due to the nature of theater, unexcused absences on performance days will not be taken lightly. The same grade deduction will apply as if it were late work (points deducted) or no work (0). Depending on the situation, I will determine how much is deducted from the grade for that performance. If you miss a lot of school and can’t perform in the scene/one-act, there will be other options, such as creating the program, being stage crew for the performance or writing a review of the performance. I will take into consideration each individual’s specific talents to make sure each person is able to get full credit as much as possible.

Attendance: Follow the guidelines for Lakewood’s attendance & tardy policy in your student handbook. However, attendance for the Drama Showcase is mandatory. This will be your final exam grade, so all students need to make plans now for that event. There will only be one after-school rehearsal the day before, beginning at 2:30, and the one evening performance, beginning at 7 p.m. on January 28th. If there is a family emergency or a pre-planned vacation, then the parents will need to contact me personally, and a research paper will be assigned for either actors or stage crew, according to their role in the Showcase. The research paper will consist of a famous actor or technician, with a biography, some of the plays performed/produced, and an analysis of that person’s influence on theater. This paper will count as the final exam grade in place of the performance. If an actor cannot be in the play and knows this at the beginning of the rehearsals, then, he/she will not be allowed to audition for a new role, and any former role will be performed by another actor. This also applies to stage crew members.

Extra Credit Opportunities:

This holiday season, the Drama Club will be performing It’s a Wonderful Life, a play version of the movie by Frank Capra, based on the book by Philip Van Doren Stern. I am very excited about this and will be informing students how they can earn extra credit by helping with production tasks, such as

ü Building the set

ü Painting the set

ü Taking tickets at a performance

ü Helping Booster Club parents sell tickets

ü Ushering

I prefer Advanced Drama Students in these roles, so they can witness a live play in action and not be required to spend a lot of time otherwise after school. The set is being built on Saturdays, so this is a great opportunity to see what goes into making the “magic” of the theater happen. We will be offering the play as a community gift to Stilly’s Senior Center and Warm Beach Senior Center free of charge. We will need help seating these men and women and helping them to refreshments, also. This is our Dress Rehearsal the day before Opening Night.

DATES OF THE PLAY: DECEMBER 4TH, 5TH, 11TH, AND 12TH.

Contact Information:

The best way to reach me is to leave a message on my phone extension (2000) or by email (). I answer all phone calls and emails within a 24-48 hour period. I am available for extra help on projects after school Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

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RETURN THIS SHEET ONLY

Students: Please sign below indicating that you agree with the following statement. Return this form, cut on the above line to me by September 6th for your first homework assignment.

I have read and understand the syllabus and Theater Etiquette given to me. I agree to abide by the rules and procedures of this class, and I understand that not doing so will result in disciplinary action.

Student Signature: ______Date: ______

Student Printed Name: ______

Parents: Please sign below indicating you have read and understand the requirements of this class and the theater etiquette. Also, please indicate if you are able to help backstage or help in any other way with the Drama Showcase. I could really use some adult supervision backstage for both the rehearsal the day before and the actual performance (perhaps watch the dress rehearsal if you help the night of, or we could have several parents trade off when their child isn’t performing on the night of the performance). Conctact me by phone if you prefer rather than emailing me (I don’t text—sorry!) J

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______