An Introduction to Acting
Kelvin High School Drama Department Instructor: Mr. J. Sinclair, B.A., B.Ed
“Love art in yourself and not yourself in art.”
- Konstantine Stanislavski
Welcome to Senior II Drama – An Introduction to the Theatre. In this full course you will have an opportunity to explore your creative self through the art of dramatic expression. This course will enable you to engage in group, pair, and individual assignments designed to give you a full scope of performing and acting while giving you an opportunity to share and experiment with several different mediums involved in the theatre while having a lot of fun!
Materials required for participation in this Course
Ø A binder, with plenty of looseleaf – we will not be writing notes every class, but we do need paper all the time for notes, activities, and peer marking!
Ø A GOOD writing utensil (black/blue pen)
Ø A highlighter – for script readings, and useful in memorizing lines!
Ø At times we will require you to bring ‘props’ from home to assist you in your scenes. These ‘props’ are to be provided by you, and will often add ‘flair’ to a scene, and thus, make the entire performance that much richer to watch. These ‘props’ may be: a music CD, costumes, games, etc.
Ø A great, and willing attitude to try new and risky things!
The Year (subject to change at the discretion of the class and the instructor)
Every unit will have a unit project, mainly a performance, which is indicated in the unit listed. Weeks listed are also approximations as to the time required.
Unit I – Getting to Know You (2 weeks) – group dynamics, team building, energy building, the importance of relaxation, focusing, cooperation, trust.
- UNIT PROJECT: PRESENTING… OUR PARTNERS!
Unit II – What is Acting and The Theatre? (2 weeks) – stage movement, stage positions, voice, stage areas, stage theory, different types of theatre, stage terminology
- UNIT PROJECT: STAGE TERMINOLGY TEST
Unit III – Movement & Body Language (3 weeks) – mood, pantomime, mime, space, time, storytelling, scene creations, character development.
- UNIT PROJECT: THE DREAM SEQUENCE and AIR BANDS/LIP SYNCHING
Unit IV – Improvisation and Basic Scene Building (3 weeks) – short-form improv, endowment, blocking, environment, character, conflict, resolution, raising the stakes.
- UNIT PROJECT: GROUP IMPROV PERFORMANCE
Unit V – Character (2 weeks) – creation of characters, monologues, writing a monologue, storytelling, conflict and climax.
- UNIT PROJECT: A WRITTEN AND PERFORMED MONOLOGUE
Unit VI – Interpretation (2 weeks) – subtext, approaching a script, direction, contentless scenes, line delivery, expression, voice, Reader’s Theatre
- UNIT PROJECT: WAITING FOR GODOT
Unit VII – Stage Technology (1 week) – lights, sound, mood, genres
- UNIT PROJECT: SOUND EFFECTS
Unit VIII – Bringing it ALL Together… (4 weeks) – THE FINAL EXAM!
- UNIT PROJECT: THE COLLECTIVE CREATION (WRITTEN AND PERFORMED)
Class Rule
There is ONLY one class rule: RESPECT.
i) You must respect yourself as an artist. This means that you must respect your capabilities and skills both as a student and as a person. You show respect for yourself by showing up to class on time (so you do not miss any instruction), prepared (having homework done, bringing the appropriate materials, etc.), ready to listen (not speak when others are trying to teach or share), and willing to try new things (by respecting that you will not always ‘master’ things from the very beginning). This also means respecting that learning is a process ALL artists go through.
ii) You must respect that every other class member in this room is an artist. This means that you will have to give all other people in this room the same respect that they give you. In an environment where artists are respected for the hard work they do and try the maximum learning and improvement can take place. This means that we have to respect that there are alternative ways of seeing the world than ours, and inappropriate language, racist, homophobic, sexist, and comments meant to inflict harm are not tolerated.
iii) You must respect the home of our ‘art’, the theatre. Our environment is where we create our art, and this environment shapes our thinking. Therefore, we must take care of it. There can be no food or drinks brought into class, only water. If this is an issue, please speak to me.
iv) You must respect the rules and policies of this school. The policies and procedures of the school are there to protect the safety and security of all of its community members. You are required to read all school policies and procedures as found in your ‘Course Information’ Booklet. I especially encourage you to read the policies on sexual harassment, plagiarism, attendance, bullying, and drug/alcohol use.
Drama is a subject requiring commitment and support in order for it to thrive and truly be a learning experience for all concerned. Being an effective artist, therefore, means that you have a responsibility to play your part not only onstage, but in rehearsal as well. This means that missing a class is not like missing a class in other subjects, where you can ‘just catch up’. If you miss a class, whether it be for a legitimate reason or not, you have missed the direction and the instruction, and rarely can you ever ‘catch up’. Therefore, if you choose to miss a class, you do so by effecting not only yourself, but your fellow actors, and in many cases, the eventual show that results in not only your, but your other classmate’s marks. All absences, therefore, must be communicated to me, Mr. S., either in advance, by calling the school and leaving a message specifically for me, or by email: jsincla@mts.net.
It is virtually impossible to fail this course, as the predominant marking is done through participation and risktaking. All Units and the exam must be completed, however, for an individual to pass the course.
60% Daily Participation & Unit Final Projects (performance during warm-ups and drills, group work and cooperation, audience participation and respect, mastery of skills, support for class/group, dependability, peer evaluations throughout the year)
10% Risktaking (leadership, creativity, trying something new, whether it be new characters, scenes, etc.)
30% Final Exam – A Collective Creation, showing evidence of all units and skills learned throughout the year. The format of this presentation will be discussed in class. This presentation (held during class time) will be held at the end of the term, during Kelvin’s Spring/Winter Drama and Arts Festival.