MS Theater Instructional Guide

EXAMPLE LESSONS, ASSESSMENTS, and OTHER RESOURCES

BYU Theatre Education Database: Character Development and Details Lesson BYU Theatre Education Database: Text as a Resource for Character Development BYU Theatre Education Database: Character Work BYU Theatre Education Database: Voice Acting and Characters BYU Theatre Education Database: The Character’s Mind Theatrefolk: Developing Your Character’s Physicality from Heat to Toe Theatrefolk: Character Analysis Exercise Theatrefolk: Exploring Different Voices Using Puppets, Masks, and Props National Theatre: Movement Direction/Creating Character Video

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL IDEAS:

Viewing / Reading ●​ Explore dramatic texts of varying length and complexity to better understand how written works suggest character. ●​ Provide peer responses to a character performance in development. Writing ●​ Create short scripts or scenarios based on established character traits or ideas. ●​ Write journal responses in character as a means to explore emotions, relationships, and perspectives of a character.

Speaking / Listening ●​ Discuss and defend character ideas based on a dramatic text or scenario. ●​ Provide peer responses to a character performance in development.

Inquiry ●​ Create spontaneous performances around collections of characters and analyze how relationships, context, and environment affect characters. ●​ View multiple interpretations of a character by actors to debate and analyze choices. ●​ Have students analyze a performance by a favorite actor to find clues in the script that helped that actor define performance choices. THEATRE 7/8 STANDARDS: ●​ 7–8.T.CR.5: Explore physical, vocal, and emotional choices to develop a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant to a drama/theatre work. ●​ 7–8.T.CR.6: Create and sustain a believable character throughout a scripted or improvised scene. ●​ 7–8.T.P.1: Interpret the character, setting, and essential events in a story or script that make up the dramatic structure in a drama/theatre work, and consider various and unique choices to enhance the story in a drama/theatre work.