Monday 4 th November Working with Text – The Importance of Context

1. Monday 4th NovemberWorking with Text – The Importance of Context Learning Question: Why is it important to understand the context of a play before we start working on our performance? Starter: Work with your partner to plan a presentation of your research to last no more than two minutes in length.

2. Learning Question:Why is it important to understand the context of a play before we start working on our performance? Learning Outcomes: All students will understand a range of facts about the play, Blood Brothers, and will use some to influence their performance. Most students will be able to explain why it is important to understand the context of play before rehearsals, and will apply elements of the context to their practical work with some imagination. Some students will clearly develop their performance work in a naturalistic style due to their detailed understanding of the context of the play.

3. Learning Question:Why is it important to understand the context of a play before we start working on our performance? TASKS: • Sharing research and making notes on the research of others. • List your top three most useful pieces of information and be prepared to explain your choices, and compare with the choices of others. • Reading through the text with partner. • What can we learn about each character from this scene? • Rehearsal in pairs. • View works in progress and peer assess.

4. Learning Question:Why is it important to understand the context of a play before we start working on our performance? PLENARY: How did your understanding of the context of the play influence your vocal/physical performance choices? HOMEWORK: Actor’s Log. Write about • the importance of understanding a play’s context • how you chose to portray your character • How you developed the relationship between the characters • Progress made in your use of vocal/physical skills

5. Tuesday 5th NovemberWorking with Text – Accents and Dialects Learning Question: What does our choice of accent/dialect reveal to the audience about our character? Starter: Try saying the phrase “Oh my God! I can’t believe she just said that,” in as many different accents as you can.

6. Learning Question:What does our choice of accent/dialect reveal to the audience about our character? Learning Outcomes: All students will make some attempt to alter the dialect used for their character. Most students will be successful in their use of a different dialect or accent. Some students will succeed in applying a different accent or dialect in an imaginative way in order to fully inhabit the life of their character.

7. Learning Question:What does our choice of accent/dialect reveal to the audience about our character? TASKS: • Received Pronunciation workshop • Apply to Edward’s dialogue • Liverpudlian accent workshop • Apply to Mickey’s dialogue • What alternative dialect could Mickey use? • Rehearsal with appropriate dialogue – consider when each character plays up his respective dialect and why!

8. Learning Question:What does our choice of accent/dialect reveal to the audience about our character? PLENARY: How successful were you at applying the dialect or accent for your character? How did it enhance your characterisation? HOMEWORK: Actor’s Log. Write about • Progress made in your use of vocal/physical skills • Your use of dialect and/or accent in the lesson – what was challenging? What do you still need to work on?

9. THUNKS • There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers • Everyone’s opinion is valid • Expect to be asked to think deeply and explain your response • Listen to what others have to say • You can only speak when you have the ‘Mask of verbosity’ in your hand

10. Monday 11th NovemberWorking with Text – Creating Relationships Learning Question: How can we highlight the differences between Mickey and Edward in our performance? Starter: Which is heavier – rich or poor?

11. Learning Question:How can we highlight the differences between Mickey and Edward in our performance? Learning Outcomes: All students will use general vocal and physical skills to portray their character. Most students will use well chosen vocal and physical skills to portray their character and relationships, showing some insight or imagination. Some students will experiment with a variety of vocal and physical skills, evaluating which are most successful before reaching a final decision about their performance, showing both insight and imagination during the rehearsal process.

12. Learning Question:How can we highlight the differences between Mickey and Edward in our performance? TASKS: • Rehearse with your partner, experimenting with vocal and physical skills. • Perform for another pair and receive feedback using SIT marking (Strength, Improvement, Try) • Record the feedback received. • Rehearse again with your partner, applying the ‘Try’ activity from your feedback.

13. Learning Question:How can we highlight the differences between Mickey and Edward in our performance? PLENARY: How did your performance improve as a result of experimentation and applying the feedback from your partner group? HOMEWORK: Actor’s Log. Write about • Progress made in your use of vocal/physical skills • How you used the feedback provided to improve your performance • Targets – short term for the performance on Friday, then medium term to improve during the remainder of the duologue project. Long term targets should be looking into 2014.

14. Wednesday 13th NovemberWorking with Text – Preparing for Performance Learning Question: How can we ensure our duologue is ready for performance next lesson? Starter: Recap on your peer feedback from last lesson. Set yourself a target and a Try task for this lesson. Consider how effectively you are using vocal/physical skills in your performance.

15. Learning Question:How can we ensure our duologue is ready for performance next lesson? Learning Outcomes: All students will use general vocal and physical skills to portray their character, making some improvements during the course of the rehearsal. Most students will apply their feedback, and use well chosen vocal and physical skills to portray their character and relationships, showing some insight or imagination. Some students will experiment with a variety of vocal and physical skills, evaluating which are most successful before reaching a final decision about their performance, showing both insight and imagination during the rehearsal process.

16. Learning Question:How can we ensure our duologue is ready for performance next lesson? TASKS: • Vocal warm up • Physical Imagination warm up/game • Rehearsal • Reflection on progress so far – review targets and revise if necessary • Continue rehearsal.

17. Learning Question:How can we ensure our duologue is ready for performance next lesson? PLENARY: What practice do you need to do at home before Friday’s performance? HOMEWORK: Actor’s Log. Write about • Progress made in your use of vocal/physical skills • How you used the feedback provided to improve your performance • Targets – short term for the performance on Friday, then medium term to improve during the remainder of the duologue project. Long term targets should be looking into 2014.

18. Friday 15th NovemberWorking with Text – Performance Learning Objective: To demonstrate our progress in vocal and physical skills through the performance of a text. Starter: 5 minutes’ preparation time with your partner. Use this time to warm up/relax/rehearse – your choice!

19. Learning Objective:To demonstrate our progress in vocal and physical skills through the performance of a text. PLENARY: How effective was your final performance? How well did you understand your character? What would you do differently if you could perform again? HOMEWORK: 1. Write a mini-evaluation of your performance. Include a paragraph about how you will approach your next duologue performance. 2. Research the plot, characters and context of the play that your next duologue has been taken from.

20. Monday 18th NovemberDuologues – Improving vocal skills Learning Objective: To identify key character traits in the new duologue and experiment with appropriate vocal skills. Starter: Complete the vocal skills audit sheet to identify progress made since the start of the year.

21. Learning Question:To identify key character traits in the new duologue and experiment with appropriate vocal skills. Learning Outcomes: All students will actively apply vocal skills to their read through of the script and will make some variations according to character and/or emotions. Most students will thoughtfully apply appropriate vocal skills to the read through and will develop these in conjunction with the physical performance. Some students will experiment with a variety of vocal skills, evaluating their success as they continue to develop the performance. They will show some insight and/or imagination.

22. Learning Question:To identify key character traits in the new duologue and experiment with appropriate vocal skills. TASKS: • Vocal warm up • Tongue twisters for articulation • Using emotions in the voice. • Reading through text applying emotions and vocal skills. • If appropriate, switch characters. • Consider staging and start to add movement.

23. Learning Objective:To identify key character traits in the new duologue and experiment with appropriate vocal skills. PLENARY: Which role will you be playing? Explain why, with reference to your strengths and areas for improvement. Consider how you can challenge yourself and take risks in this performance. HOMEWORK: Actor’s Log – please use my suggested structure!

24. Tuesday 19thNovemberDuologues – Stanislavski’s System Learning Question: What is Stanislavski’s system and how does it help to create a more truthful performance? Starter: Make a list of all the facts that you know about your character and his/her current situation.

25. Learning Question:What is Stanislavski’s system and how does it help to create a more truthful performance? Learning Outcomes: All students will understand basic elements of Stanislavski’s System and will have decided on an objective for their character. Most students will have a more developed understanding of Stanislavski’s System and will experiment with a range of objectives for their character. Some students will also evaluate the success of different objectives and communicate these changing objectives through their performance.

26. Learning Question:What is Stanislavski’s system and how does it help to create a more truthful performance? Stanislavski’s System Solve these anagrams: Mac Fig I – what would I do if I were in the same situation? (2 words) Magic If Mime Tone Roomy – using your own experiences to understand how the character feels (2 words) Emotion Memory Best Tux – how the character feels inside but doesn’t express verbally (1 word) Subtext Vaccines Tunic Germs – everything you know about the character (2 words) Given Circumstances Job Vice Set – what a character wants (1 word) Objectives

27. Learning Question:What is Stanislavski’s system and how does it help to create a more truthful performance? TASKS: • What is an objective? • Action without objects • Finding the objective for your character • Applying the objective to a small section • Choosing a different objective • Applying new objective to a small section

28. Learning Question:What is Stanislavski’s system and how does it help to create a more truthful performance? PLENARY: How did having an objective for your character alter the way in which you played him/her? Which objective(s) seemed most apropriate? HOMEWORK: • Actor’s Log – please use my suggested structure! • Evaluate each of the objectives and which seemed most appropriate for the character.