Incorporating Theatre History into the Theatre I Curriculum

Sara Ranzau - Center Point HS - Center Point ISD

Amy Moeller - Stevens HS - Northside ISD

Why incorporate?

• Theatre history is often hard for teachers to teach

• Students tend to dislike theatre history because it reminds them too much of regular history class

• How do you get kids interested in all male actors, theatre run by the church and politics thrown into the theatrical mix?

• Who and what do Theatre I students really need to know anyway?

TEKS involved

All of Them!

Year Long Curriculum OutlineBased on 6 week breakdown

• Greeks and Roman - Oedipus Rex - Sophocles

• Medieval - Everyman

• Renaissance - Faustus - Marlowe; Macbeth - Shakespeare

• Commedia del Arte/Resoration - The Misanthrope - Moliere; The Imaginary Invalid - Moliere

• Absurdist/Post-Modern - Rhinoceros - Eugene Ionesco; End Game - Samuel Beckett; Caucasian Chalk Circle - Bertholdt Brecht; The Lesson - Eugene Ionesco

• Early American - Vaudeville, Musicals; Silent Film

Unit added to existing curriculum

Based on 6 week breakdown

• Greek/Roman - Oedipus - Sophocles

• Renaissance - Faustus - Marlowe; Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare (or any comedy)

• 19th - early 20th Century (Absurdist; Realism; Early American) - The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde; A Doll’s House - Henrik Ibsen; Waiting for Godot - Samuel Beckett

Incorporated as a Unit

In One 6 or 9 Week Period!

• Read two plays

• Have students create research projects in groups

• Have students complete one MAJOR activity

The Research Projects!These are the same for year long

• Students will choose groups and one period to research

• You can keep track of their research on a wiki or traditional paper and print outs

• Each group can either choose a section of their chosen period or can research all

The Research Projects!

• Suggested Research Topics - students may present in any way they like, but must provide a handout for you and their peers

Costuming Purpose of Theatre Staging Who to Know (give them a starting point) Politics/Life Student Choice

The Activities!

• Students get some great choice here - Differentiated Instruction at its best! Group - Scene(s) from the play in appropriate

style and costume Group - write a script Individual - build a scale set or full costume Individual - career connection (great for those

who are super shy) Anything else you can think up!

Year Long Curriculum

• 1st 6 Weeks Greek/Roman (Ancient Theatre)

• Read a play from the period• Group research projects, break into sections

(costumes, purpose of theatre, etc)• Create a theatrical poster for the play read• Perform scenes in appropriate costumes and with

appropriate style

Year Long Curriculum

• 2nd 6 Weeks Medieval Theatre (Religious Theatre)

• Read a play from the period• Group research projects, break into sections• Create a theatrical poster for the play read• Build a model pageant wagon• Perform scenes from play read OR create and

perform a modern morality play

Year Long Curriculum

• 3rd 6 Weeks Renaissance Theatre (Elizabethan)

• Read a play from the period• Group research projects, break into sections• Create a theatrical poster for the play read• Perform scenes from the play OR

soliloquies/monologues• Speaking in verse

Year Long Curriculum

• 4th 6 Weeks Commedia del Arte/Restoration

• Read a play from the period• Group research projects, break into sections• Improv• Mask making (character • representation; symbolism)• Create a Commedia script

Year Long Curriculum

• 5th 6 weeks Absurdist/Post-Modern

• Read a play from the period (fairy

tale plays are good too!)• Group research projects, break into sections • Politics of the period• Create a backdrop/costume/makeup design for the

play OR children’s play (fairy tales again!)

Year Long Curriculum

• 6th 6 Weeks Early American Theatre

• Group research projects, break into sections (add choreography, composers, etc.)

• Watch a silent film OR musical • Cartoons and story telling - have students bring in a

cartoon that has retold a classic tale

• Career Connections• Musical Revue

People to Know

• Ancient Greeks/Roman - Thespis, Sophocles, Aristotle, Plautus (Roman), Terrance (Roman), Dionysus, Eurpidies, Aristophanes

• Reniassance - William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Queen Elizabeth I, Richard Burbage, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Ben Jonson

• Commedia del Arte/Restoration - King Charles II (England); Moliere; Commedia Characters (Pantalone, Il Dottore, Harlequin, Columbina, Il Capitano, Punchinello);

• Absurdist/ Post-Modern - Eugene Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Bertholdt Brecht

• Early American - George M. Cohan; Rogers and Hammerstein; Leonard Bernstein; George & Ira Gershwin; David Garrick

Career Connections

• Students need to connect with people in the field of theatre (not just you!)

• Students create an article about a chosen theatre career (design, stage management, directing, playwright, acting, lighting/sound, teacher, etc.)

• Have students research and actually talk to someone in the field

• Contact people you know and as if they will allow you to give your email to students to contact (see a list of some we suggest on your CD)

Medieval Lesson Example

• Direct Teach focusing on historical accuracy

• Social discussion of church and government expectations

• Students adapt a morality tale and create their own version of a modern morality play

• Create Pageant wagon model

Absurdist Lesson Example

•Read a play and have students create absurdist designs for the play.

•Discuss and evaluate absurdist play and the politics behind the story

On Your CD

• This PowerPoint• Musical Theatre Lecture PowerPoint• Medieval Lecture PowerPoint• Greek/Roman Lecture PowerPoint• Absurdist Lesson Outline• Medieval Lesson Outline• Career Connections Lesson Outline with “Expert” contacts• Vaudeville Filmstrip• Burlesque Filmstrip• Minstrel Show Filmstrip

Resources

• www.theatrehistory.com• http://www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html• www.historyforkids.org• http://www.win.net/kudzu/history.html - Dr. Brockett’s site• www.luminarium.com - Anthology of English Literature• www.ibdb.com• www.broadway.com• http://www.artslynx.org/Theatre/thechron.htm

Contact Us!

• Sara Ranzau - Center Point High School - Center Point ISD - ranzau@cpisd.net

• Amy Moeller - Stevens High School - Northside ISD - amy.moeller@nisd.net