Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare Projects
Instead of an essay test, you will have your choice of one of the following projects as a portion of your grade for Much Ado About Nothing. Each project is worth 100 points and you may choose any of the five to do.
1. Dramatic Interpretation – You will be responsible for reciting/performing 30 lines of the play from memory in front of the class. You need to use proper pronunciation, inflection, emotion, and voice. You MUST see me to clear which 30 lines you will recite. This may also be done as a duet with two people, but more lines will need to be performed. Note this is an interpretation, so can include costuming, props, etc. if appropriate.
2. Diorama/Stage/Theatre – You will design a 3-dimensional stage or theatre which models one used for the production of the play. The stage MUST include moveable and/or changeable parts allowing for at least 10 different scenes from the play to take place. This can include backdrops, props, etc. The stage design should be comprehensive and original.
3. Costume/Scenery Design – You will design at least 5 male and 5 female costumes for characters from the play. You will also design 4 different settings from scenes in the play. All costume and scene designs should be original and not taken from another source, although you can use movies, tv shows, etc as inspiration for your theme. Your costumes and scenes should demonstrate a cohesive theme, style, and/or motif. In addition, each character should be accompanied by a quotation representative of the character. If using characters in a group, you can use a portion of their dialogue to set the scene.
4. Classic Comic Book – You will design, illustrate, and write a comic book adaptation of the play containing at least 20 panels. You MUST see me to clear which scene(s) you will be using for your comic. You comic should represent a consistent style, theme, or motif and be true to the actual play. This assignment may be presented on poster board or in comic book format. If you wish to use a multimedia source, you must clear it with me.
5. Group Scene(s) Presentation – As a group of no more than 3 – 5, you will present a scene(s) from the play. The production should take no longer than 15 minutes. Your presentation should demonstrate a consistent style, theme, and/or motif. You may also choose to make it an homage to a movie or television show. Your presentation may be live or via DVD.
For this presentation, your group MUST:
a. Clear your group members and scene(s) with me.
b. Rewrite the scene using your unique style or theme. This will be turned in as a typed script which I will approve prior to filming or presentation.
c. After script approval and production, I must be given a copy of the movie to preview prior to class presentation. This copy should be on a disc and becomes mine.
All group members must actively participate in each phase of production and each will receive the same grade for the project, unless there is a proven lack of participation in my judgment.
All of the above requirements for each project are the minimum requirements. Should a person or group meaningfully exceed the requirements for any activity, the project can be awarded bonus points in excess of 100 points. On the other hand, simply meeting the requirements is no guarantee of an A or a B grade on the project.