Historical evolution of performance, technical stagecraft, and core acting techniques. Develops playwriting skills and fosters imaginative expression through script development and production management.
A comprehensive four-week unit and independent study guide for contemporary drama. Students analyze scripts, research playwrights, design technical elements, and stage scenes for a final production portfolio.
Students learn to translate narrative fiction into dramatic scripts by analyzing storytelling modes, converting internal thoughts to external actions, and drafting their own theatrical adaptations of fables.
A technical foundation for playwriting, moving from critical analysis of dramatic structure and subtext to the mastery of professional industry formatting standards and scene composition.
A comprehensive playwriting sequence that takes 10th-grade students from initial character creation to a polished ten-minute play script. Students explore archetypes, master narrative structure, learn the importance of stage business, and engage in the collaborative revision process of a table read.
This project-based sequence guides students through the structural engineering of a narrative, moving from a raw premise to a developed one-act play. Students analyze the dramatic arc and apply these concepts to their own original scripts, focusing on pacing, high-stakes storytelling, and professional formatting.
A comprehensive exploration of the American musical theater evolution, from its Vaudeville roots to modern spectacles. Students analyze how music, dance, and design integrate to create cohesive narratives.
A 5-lesson sequence for 8th Grade theater students that explores Elizabethan theater context, iambic pentameter, soliloquies, wordplay, and modern adaptation through the lens of performance. Students move from historical 'groundlings' to creative directors.
A multi-day unit exploring Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, focusing on the transition from spectator to 'spect-actor' through Image and Forum Theatre to address contemporary social issues.
A comprehensive vocal performance sequence that teaches students to move beyond notes and rhythms to become vocal 'actors.' Students analyze subtext, master expressive diction, map musical phrasing, and explore tone color to deliver emotionally authentic performances.
This sequence explores the foundational principles of theatrical improvisation, focusing on the 'Yes, And' rule, CROW (Character, Relationship, Objective, Where), object work, and status dynamics. Students will build ensemble trust and spontaneity through a variety of workshop games and simulations, culminating in a short-form improv performance.
This sequence explores the actor's body as a storytelling tool through neutrality, physical centers, pantomime, and tableau. Students develop non-verbal communication skills culminating in a silent narrative performance.
This sequence focuses on improvisation and ensemble building, teaching students to think quickly and collaborate creatively. The arc moves from basic rule-setting (Yes, And) to active listening and reacting in the moment. Students learn to build scenes cooperatively without a script, focusing on maintaining character and narrative logic.
A high school sequence exploring the shift from traditional ballet to modern dance through five key movements: Duncan's naturalism, Graham's psychological depth, Cunningham's chance operations, Judson Dance Theater's pedestrianism, and Bausch's Tanztheater. Students engage in both physical workshops and intellectual analysis to understand art as a reaction to its time.
A 5-lesson unit exploring how dance served as the primary form of communication and history-keeping before written language, investigating Hawaiian, Greek, and West African traditions.
A middle school theater and creative thinking unit focused on building trust, active listening, and collaborative agility through improvisational techniques. Students progress from basic focus exercises to devising and performing original ensemble pieces.
This unit explores the history of physical comedy, from the masked archetypes of Italian Commedia dell'Arte to modern slapstick and sitcoms. Students develop physical characterization skills, understand status dynamics, and learn to identify recurring comic archetypes across theater history.
A 5-lesson unit exploring the physical comedy tradition of Commedia dell'Arte. Students learn about stock characters, status transactions, the 'lazzi' (comic bits), and the use of 'grammelot' (gibberish) to create improvised performances based on Renaissance archetypes.
A 10-day unit exploring 3D paper construction through the creation of animal forms or masks, focusing on precision, perseverance, and paper engineering.
This unit explores the intangible technical elements of theater—lighting, sound, and stage management—that create atmosphere and ensure a smooth performance. Students experiment with how light angles and sound effects change the mood of a scene, learn organizational systems used by stage managers, and culminate in a technical rehearsal simulation.
Students step into the shoes of a set designer to transform a written script into a physical world through script analysis, floor planning, mood boards, and 3D model construction. The sequence emphasizes how visual choices in color, texture, and space support the storytelling.
A 10th-grade sequence exploring the economic systems that support the arts. Students analyze funding models, the multiplier effect, gentrification, and grant allocation, culminating in the creation of a professional economic impact statement.
An 8-session sports broadcasting course for grades 4–12, covering play-by-play, color analysis, interviewing, and technical production. Students move from foundational commentary to producing a full capstone broadcast segment.
An 8-session sports broadcasting course for grades 4–12, covering play-by-play, color commentary, interviewing, camera work, audio mixing, and live production directing. Students progress from foundational vocal skills to a complete capstone broadcast project.
A comprehensive 5-lesson unit exploring the evolution of 20th and 21st-century theater. Students track the development of the 'integrated musical,' experiment with Brechtian alienation, investigate technical stagecraft revolutions, and design for the future of immersive and digital performance.
This sequence traces the technological evolution of theater from candlelight to the digital age, examining how design changes the storytelling experience. Students explore the shift from the proscenium arch and painted perspective sets to modern lighting and sound design, concluding with a design challenge.
A 5-lesson unit exploring the unique staging conditions of the Elizabethan era and how they shaped Shakespeare's playwriting through language, architecture, and audience interaction.
A 4-session project-based final exam where 10th-grade students demonstrate technical theatre mastery through set, costume, lighting, sound, or prop design.
This sequence explores the representation of apes in the film 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', focusing on the transition from scientific subjects to sentient leaders. Students analyze the use of motion-capture technology and narrative techniques used to humanize non-human characters.
This sequence targets the vocal mechanics necessary for stage acting, emphasizing clarity, volume, and emotional resonance. Students move through a mastery-based progression of breathing techniques, articulation drills, and tonal variation exercises.
Students explore the mechanics and expressive potential of the human voice for stage performance, moving from technical foundations to interpretive skills, concluding with a radio drama performance.
This sequence explores the transition from the exaggerated style of 19th-century Melodrama to the psychological depth of Realism and Naturalism. Students will investigate the 'Fourth Wall,' Stanislavski's acting system, subtext, and the cultural impact of 'Kitchen Sink' dramas in American theater.
This sequence explores the transition from ancient religious rituals to formalized Greek and Roman theater. Students investigate theater architecture, the role of the chorus, the use of masks, and the structural elements of tragedy to understand how performance reflects societal values.
This sequence explores the evolution of acting styles from the exaggerated, codified gestures of 19th-century Melodrama to the internal, psychologically-driven Realism of Stanislavski. Students will learn about the 'Fourth Wall,' 'The Magic If,' and 'Objectives' through practical workshops and performance-based comparisons.
This 9th-grade sequence moves beyond art appreciation to explore the economic and policy frameworks of the arts sector. Students analyze funding models, historical controversies, grant writing, and urban policy, culminating in a mock legislative session on arts advocacy.
A 10th-grade theater history sequence exploring the evolution of performance styles from Ancient Greece to Modern Realism, focusing on how societal and physical contexts shape dramatic conventions.
