MYP Year 5 Drama - Le Jardin Academy

MYP Year 5
Drama
Robert St. John
The Theatre (formerly known as the Middle School Multipurpose Room)
rstjohn@lejardinacademy.org
The 10th grade drama course is designed to introduce students to the world of Realism in theatre,
from the beginning of realistic traditions in the Nineteenth Century to the realistic acting styles of the
present day. The primary focus of the class is the script, and students are required to read from
classic texts of Realistic theatre and will perform scenes in class, both script based and improvised in
realistic acting style. They will also analyze film performances by great actors. Students will also
study modern realistic script writing and have an opportunity to enter a play writing contest and
possibly have their work produced.
2011 – 2012 Scope and Sequence
All Unit Dates are projected and may be subject to change.
Unit 1: An Introduction to Realism
Unit Dates: Mid-August – Late-September
Unit Question: Why simulate reality?
Area of Interaction: Health and Social Education
Content:
Know: The history of realism in theatre and the importance of Anton Chekhov and Henrik
Ibsen. The play “The Doll’s House” and its importance as an example of Realistic Theatre.
Understand: Realism is an artistic movement that began in the 1800s in Europe and was
taken up by American actors in the 20 th Century. It has greatly influenced American movie
making. It replaced representational acting. It is very recognizable. Artists simulate reality to
allow us to look and ourselves and learn.
Do: Research and create a presentation on an aspect of the history of Realism. Take a test on
the history of Realism. Perform realistic improvisation with a partner. Give and take
feedback. Create a realistic scene with memorized lines and a developed character. Write a
reflection about the process.
Summative Assessment Tasks
• Test (Criterion A)
• Performance of original scene with a partner (Criterion B)
• Reflection writing (Criterion C)
• Personal engagement (Criterion D)
Unit 2: Dialogue in a Realistic Play
Unit Dates: Late-September–Mid-October
Unit Question: Why do we analyze the details of a system?
Area of Interaction: Approaches to Learning
Content:

Know: The characteristics of realistic dialogue. How to recognize believable characters and
realistic lines and how to create them. How to read and write subtext. How to act from a
script.
Understand: Realistic dialogue contains a lot of subtext because that is the way people
speak. Realistic theatre uses a lot of props and stage business it best simulates reality. We
analyze the way things work because it allows us to accurately duplicate it.
Do: Perform from a script with heavy subtext and communicate meaning. Write a reflection
about the process. Take a test about the characteristics of realistic dialogue.
Summative Assessment Tasks
• Test (Criterion A)
• Performance (Criterion B)
• Reflection writing (Criterion C)
• Personal engagement (Criterion D)
Unit 3: Studying and Staging Scenes from Classic Realistic Plays
Unit Dates: Mid-October-December
Unit Question: What can we learn from masterworks?
Area of Interaction: Approaches to Learning
Content:
Know: The plays “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” by Eugene O’Neill, “Whose Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?” by Edward Albee, “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams, and
“Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller.
Understand: These four plays are important as examples of realism in 20 th Century American
theatre. Master artists affect artists for generations and subsequent artists build on each
other’s work. An actor prepares for a part by studying the lines, by researching and by
reflecting on a character’s motivation.
Do: Write a scene in the style of one of these four playwrights. Perform scenes from these
four plays. Write a reflection about the process.
Summative Assessment Tasks
• Test (Criterion A)
• Performance (Criterion B)
• Reflection writing (Criterion C)
• Personal engagement (Criterion D)
Unit 4: Deadly Dialogue and Complex Characters: Advanced Play Writing
Unit Dates: Early-January–Late-March
Unit Question: What makes people tick?
Area of Interaction: Health and Social Education
Content:
Know: Script formatting. How to create believable dialogue. How to create characters with
depth. How to be true to what you create. How to incorporate theatricality into your play
script.
Understand: By creating character-based plays, the playwright relinquishes control and
allows the characters to become more realistic rather than forcing them into a plot. People’s
actions and words reflect their motivations.
Do: Write an original script following the teacher’s process closely. Give and take feedback.
Take a test on playwriting principles. Write a reflection about the process.

Summative Assessment Tasks
• Test—Playwriting Principles (Criterion A)
• Written Script (Criterion B)
• Reflection writing (Criterion C)
• Personal engagement (Criterion D)
Unit 5: Lighting the Match: The Scene Production Process Using “The Kentucky Cycle”
Unit Dates: Early-April—Late-May
Unit Question: How can our mistakes alter the future?
Area of Interaction: Environments
Content:
Know: The play “The Kentucky Cycle.” How to develop a character and prepare for a
performance. How to stage a scene from a play. How to act from a script.
Understand: An actor must create the feeling of an environment and how that environment
is projected through the character. Actors have to cooperate through the rehearsal process.
We can alter the world for better or worse through our actions.
Do: Perform from “The Kentucky Cycle” as the class reads through the entire play. Choose a
scene from the play with a partner or partners and perform the scene with props and
costumes and memorized lines. Communicate the character’s motivations with well
delivered lines. Take a test on play production problems.
Summative Assessment Tasks
• Test—Understanding Production Problems (Criterion A)
• Performance of Costumed Scene (Criterion B)
• Reflection writing (Criterion C)
• Personal engagement (Criterion D)
Office hours in the Theatre:
Students are encouraged to use office hours to receive extra learning support. These office hours
may be changed due to scheduled faculty meetings, conferences, or unforeseen circumstances.
12:30-1:30 pm “J” “R” and “I” days.
3:00-3:30 every day.