Westmont High School Drama Course Syllabus 2013 / 2014

I: Beginning Drama

INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Jeff Bengford ROOM: Drama Room 3 EMAIL: bengford@sbcglobal.net WEBSITE: www.WestmontDrama.com

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This year-long, activity-oriented course is designed to introduce students to the art of the actor. Students will: study basic principals of acting study character analysis explore the use of objectives, obstacles, & choices learn basic stage and rehearsal terms learn about theatre etiquette and the audition process

3 RULES AND EXPECTATIONS

1) Respect
Theatre is the most collaborative of all art forms. Respect and be sensitive to the ideas, opinions, and property of others. Think before you act and treat others with kindness and consideration. Use appropriate language: absolutely NO swearing, name calling, or physical abuse is allowed. No food or drink (water is okay). Remove hats and hoods. Do not write on or deface desks and other property and report all acts of vandalism. Clean your desk and workspace before leaving. Dress appropriately. No revealing or assaulting clothing is permitted. Our class is a community that is dependent on the respect, participation and enthusiasm of each member for the success of the whole.

2) Responsibility
Take responsibility for your work and your actions. Report to class with all required materials and wait to be dismissed before leaving. Homework assignments are due in the HW tray before the second bell! Late work loses a potential grade every school day it is late. (an A paper submitted 1 day late = a B paper) Be in your seat when the tardy bell rings (thats the 2nd one). Use tutorial for questions about class discussions and homework assignments and to turn in work after an excused absence. Missed assignments will not be discussed during class time.

3) Effort
You must work inside and outside of class in order to be completely successful in this course. Accept assignments without complaints and do your best on everything. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Any form of plagiarism or cheating on any assignment, quiz, test or project will result in an immediate "F," a parent conference, referral to the dean, and possible dismissal from class. You will get out of this class what you put in. Keep your ipods, cell phones & make-up out of the classroom. If used, these items will be confiscated. You are now warned.

Consequences for not following these rules:

1. Verbal warning/Loss of class points. 2. Move seat/Sent outside and Phone call to parents. 3. Referral to Dean. 4. *Unsafe behaviors will result in an immediate referral .

A special note on cell phones:

Cell phones should not be visible or on during class time. Students who use cell phones during class will be subject to the following consequences: First offense: Student may pick up the cell phone from the deans at the end of the school day. Second offense: Students parent must pick up the cell phone from the deans. Third offense: Cell phone is kept by the deans until the end of the school year.

CONTENT STANDARDS
Drama I fulfills the California State Standards for the Visual & Performing Arts as well as the Visual & Performing Arts requirements for graduation from WHS and entrance to the UC/CSU system.

Drama I BASIC SCHEDULE (subject to change at the discretion of the instructor)

Fall Semester:
1st Six Weeks TOPIC: Mime & Media / PROJECTS: Theatre Games, Theatre Etiquette, Theatre Arts Vocabulary, Scene Work Student Outcomes: By creating and participating in Theatre, students use observation skills as they understand that the audience is an integral part of the art form. 2nd Six Weeks TOPIC: Comedy / PROJECTS: Characterization, Lip Sync, Mime Workshop, Media Report Student Outcomes: Students break down a complex observation. Students become aware of the medias influence on their life 3rd Six Weeks TOPIC: Tragedy / PROJECTS: Theatre History Project (including scene work), Monologue Project
Student Outcomes: Students understand how history & Theatre affect our culture while they gain skills in creative expression.

Spring Semester:
1st Six Weeks TOPIC: Collaboration / PROJECTS: One Act Play Research Project Student Outcomes: Students use their power of Critical Assessment 2nd Six Weeks TOPIC: Rehearsal Process / PROJECTS: One Acts, Mirror to Life Play Report, Playwriting Project Student Outcomes: Students understand how Theatre can represent an aspect of a persons culture. 3rd Six Weeks TOPIC: Production / PROJECTS: One Acts, Career Report, Resume, Pitch Project, Classical Comedy Monologue Student Outcomes: Students make career connections while exercising life skills including: time management, financial budgeting, and collaboration.

Westmont High School Performing Arts Department 2013 / 2014

Wednesday, September 4 - 7 Th, September 4 @ 6:30PM Saturday, September 7 September 10 & 11 / 12 & 13 Wed. September 18 September 19, 20 October 24, 25 & 29, 30 Sunday, November 3 @ 6:30 Wed, November 6 @ 2PM November 21 or November 24 December 5, 6, 7 & 12, 13, 14 December 9, 10, 11 / 16 & 17 Th, December 12 MT & AdvD Thursday, December 19 January 22 & 23 / 24 Saturday, February 1 ? ? Tuesday, March 11 Thursday, March 27 March 14, 15 & 20, 21, 22 Th, March 27 MT & AdvD March 28, 29, 30 Th, April 24 Beg Drama May 5, 7, 9 May 8 & 9 May 8 & 9 May 15 & 16 May 19-23 Wednesday, May 28 Thursday, May 29 Saturday, May 31 Back to School Thespian Show: MACBETH Back to School Night NCA Leadership Conference Auditions / Call Backs: Alice in Wonderland SURVIVOR: Philippines premieres Haunted House Auditions Haunted House VII Directed by Christopher Thomas Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Peter and the Star Catcher 40 Tix C Balcony Evita Fall Play: Alice in Wonderland Auditions / Call Backs: SPRING MUSICAL Little Women Winter Concert DramaFest #10 Rehearsals / Performance NCA One Act Festival ITS Showcase @ 7:30 ESU Shakespeare Competition (audition only) CA Youth in Theatre Chamber Concert Spring Musical: TBA Once on this Island Thespian Festival Hound of the Baskervilles Childrens Show Directed by Ali Molai One Acts Musical Theatre II Show Directed by Sami Lafreniere Advanced Drama Show TBA Directed by Eden Rousso Senior Projects Senior Awards Spring Concert Senior Dinner & Drama Awards Theater Drama Room SCU Theater CBS Theater Theater BroadwaySJ San Francisco BroadwaySJ Theater Theater TheatreWorks Theater Branham Theater Theater San Francisco Sacramento Theater Theater TheatreWorks Upland, CA TheatreWorks Theater Theater Theater Theater Westmont Theater Theater Theater

GRADING
1) Participation 40% (see rubric below)
Attendance is mandatory and promptness is expected at all times. Your grade will suffer for each absence. This class is interactive. The more each student puts into the class, the more we will all get out of it. Students earn points for: positive cooperation in class activities willingness to try, ask questions, and volunteer.
PARTICIPATION GRADING RUBRIC A = Exceedingly high quality and original work. Takes initiative and contributes beyond what is required. B = Consistently good and interesting. Participates often in class.

Students lose points for: disruptive or disrespectful behavior being unprepared

C = Satisfactory and complete. Shows interest in class. D = Minimum effort. Seldom responds in class. F = Unacceptable work. 0 = No work.

2) Assignments 40%
Written work is graded on the clarity of the work (ex: blocking in a script); format, grammar, spelling, and mechanics count. Tests and quizzes are occasionally given to evaluate the students understanding of Theatre Vocabulary. Students are never graded on "talent." A performance rubric is used to grade performances. (see attached) Students will: participate in daily exercises, theatre games, projects and workshops. choose, rehearse and present a scene in the fall and a One Act play in the spring. create a scene book for each of the above present a monologue each semester complete a Theater Research Project (oral report + assigned scene perf. + individual response paper) participate in the annual One Act Play Festival: after-school rehearsals: 2:30-5:00 May 5, 6 & 7 Performances: May 8, 9 ONE ACTS: Each class selects their own plays and student directors. Any rehearsal or performance missed will reduce the students semester grade by one-third. Students are required to attend all performances of the One Act Festival whether they are performing or not. One Act Play directors are responsible for the technical needs and clean up of their plays.

3) Critiques 10%
Students must write two Critiques per semester. One Critique MUST be on the school play presented during that semester and the other must be on a show produced by a professional company, community theatre, high school or college. Shows produced by a childrens theatre or a church are not acceptable. Critiques are assessed for their content and articulation. (See the attached outline to turn your notes on a show you saw into a Critique.) NOTE: The instructor is available to help students find cost effective ways to see shows.
If a student does not write the minimum 2 critiques that are required, they can not receive an A. Extra credit and hours work toward filling in every other part of the student's grades except critiques. Students have to show that they can master the Critique of theatrical performances. Writing just 2 performance critiques over the course of an entire semester is a bare bones minimum requirement.

4) Service Hours 10%.

Students must work on a Westmont show in some way or another for a minimum of 10 hours. These hours are in lieu of traditional homework. Students are responsible for updating their hour cards and acquiring the necessary signatures to document their work. (10 = A, 9 = B+, 8 = B, 7 = B-, 6 = C+, 5 = C, 4 = C-, 3 = D+, 2 = D, 1 = D-) ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT All students are expected to adhere to the guidelines of the Westmont High School Academic Code of Conduct. Do your own work. Any text from another source must have quotation marks placed around it and be followed by a parenthetical source citation. Any form of plagiarism or cheating will result in an immediate "F" and referral to the dean.

Everyday is an Audition 3

Westmont High School Performing Arts Department

DRAFT 5.0 August 23, 2013

Performance Rubric 0-49%

Rarely present Unprepared Seems lost Silent in class Unmotivated

51-69%

Arrives late or unprepared Missing script Sometimes lost Does not ask questions Often absent

70-89%

Shows up to class / rehearsal May have 1 or 2 absences Participates Has script & pencil ready Does just what they are told Asks some questions

90-100%

Early to class / rehearsal Prepared Attentive Shows progress Evidence of Characterization Memorized on time without proding Positive Attitude Respectful Good Listener

100% +

All of the B grade + Outstanding Exceptional Original Shows leadership qualities Creator of new ideas Asker of good questions Helper of others Takes initiative

Theatre Critiques
A Critique is a formal, written discussion of a performance of a play or musical. The Critique should contain five paragraphs. Use MLA Format for your heading and margins.

Two Critiques are required per semester

Short Paragraph 1 - The Basics
Introduce the name of the play, author, place of performance, date of performance, and director. In a few sentences talk about the basic theme of the play and discuss the general plot.

Paragraphs 2 & 3 - The Acting

React to two of the performers in the play. Be sure to use their names. Were they believable: true to the play, the production, the theatrical conditions? The following items should be discussed in your review. You should respond with more than yes or no answers. VOICE: How did the actor use their volume, tempo, vocal quality, articulation? BODY: How did the actor use gestures, movement, and stage business? EMOTIONS: Were the emotions true to the character? FACIAL EXPRESSIONS: How did the actor use their face? PROJECTION: How did the actor project orally and visually to the audience?

Paragraph 4 - The Design

The following items should be discussed in your review. You should respond with more than yes or no answers. SET: Did the set establish the correct mood and background for the play? LIGHTS: Did the lighting convey the proper mood, emphasis, and illumination? COSTUMES & MAKE UP: Were the costumes and makeup true to the period and characters? SOUND: How did the sound effects and music contribute to the show's mood?

Short Paragraph 5 - Your Reaction

What was your opinion of the play? Avoid generic phrases like: two thumbs up or 3 out of 5 stars

DO:
1. Back up all your opinions with valid reasons. 2. Be objective, fair and constructive. Indicate good points along with those you felt needed improvement. 3. Be sincere. Believe what you say. 4. Use MLA Format for your heading and margins. 5. Attach a program for the performance you saw (unless you saw the show with me as a field trip)

DON'T:
1. Don't be overly critical. Approach a performance with an attitude of enjoying it. 2. Don't be arrogant. Be humble, kind, and remember the challenges of doing live theatre.

A Format for Writing Theatre Reviews

Created by Jeff Bengford Paragraph When #1 What Where Plot
On Thursday, June 11 I saw an original musical called Tiger Stripes written by Doug Soucha presented by TheatreWorks at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. This brilliant new work is about
(the italicized words above are appropriate for Tiger Stripes but you should choose your own words for the show you are evaluating)

Paragraph Who #2

During the show, I very much enjoyed the performance of Actors name Character they played Discuss the use of their tools Voice, Body, Facial Expressions Give examples

Paragraph Who else #3

I also would like to discuss the performance of Actors name Character they played Discuss the use of their tools Voice, Body, Facial Expressions Give examples

Paragraph Wow! #4

In addition to the fine work of (actors names) I was also impressed with the technical aspects of the show. Discuss the sets, lights, costumes, props

Paragraph Wrap it Up #5

I enjoyed this production and

Make sure YOUR words are appropriate for the show YOU saw
6

Monologue
NOTES
1) INTRODUCTIONS: Students should clearly introduce both of their pieces. A typical introduction might sound like this: Hello, my name is Tom Hanks. Today I will be performing two monologues. The first will be Jack from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and my second piece will be the title character from Shakespeares Titus Andronicus. Once the student has finished their introduction, they should take amoment to get into character and then begin.

2) TRANSITIONS: The transition from one monologue to the next is almost like a third piece. Students should take the time to clearly show the end of their first piece, hold their final moment, and then SILENTLY but efficiently prepare to begin their second piece. This preparation might include the striking or addition of a chair, the loosening of a collar or hair, or the realignment of the body. The transition should NOT include a costume change or additional introductions.

3) TIME: Students should be given a specific time limit for their 2 pieces. (5 minutes is typical) Timing does not begin until AFTER the introduction.

4) Students should always say thank you when they are done.