Drama in Literature
Monday-Friday
Period 2
Purpose: Drama and Literature will focus on the influence, history, style and performance of drama and how this style of literature is unique and challenging. Not only will students read and react to the historical and literary development of plays, they will also study differing modes of performance. Drama was always meant to be performed; the class will focus on how performance interpretation can affect the meaning of plays for the audience. Commencing with the origins of drama, the year's journey will include ancient Greek, Medieval, Renaissance, Restoration and modern drama. Students will read and perform select scenes from historical works including Medea, Othello, Tartuffe as well as scenes and monologues from other classics. The year will culminate in the class performing one-act plays written by the Creative Writing class in an intimate theatre-in-the-round. Throughout the year there will be a renewed focus on writing style and formats to strengthen the skills of future college students.
Weekly Assignments
Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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The Production
The Drama students will simulate the production process by engaging in a multitude of activities culiminating in the performance of a one-act play written by the KRHS Creative Writing class. In preparation the class will make a detailed study of the production process in our text The Stage and the School as well as accompanying sources.
- The elements of the production (both drama/comedy and the musical)
- aspects of set creation and construction
- elements of lighting design
- elements of sound design
- basic elements of costume and makeup
ch8production.docx | |
File Size: | 22 kb |
File Type: | docx |
ch9musicalproduction.docx | |
File Size: | 20 kb |
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ch1011stagesettings.docx | |
File Size: | 20 kb |
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writing_good_paragraphs.pptx | |
File Size: | 84 kb |
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summer_reading_prompts.docx | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Othello Pre-Reading Questions
1. Jealousy is a complex and difficult emotion. Define and discuss jealousy. Use specific examples from your experiences, or what you have learned via literature, history, or film.
2. Equally, love is a complex and difficult emotion. Define and discuss love. Explain how love can be both creative and destructive. Use specific examples from your experiences, or what you have learned via literature, history, or film.
1. Jealousy is a complex and difficult emotion. Define and discuss jealousy. Use specific examples from your experiences, or what you have learned via literature, history, or film.
2. Equally, love is a complex and difficult emotion. Define and discuss love. Explain how love can be both creative and destructive. Use specific examples from your experiences, or what you have learned via literature, history, or film.
Shakespeare on-line: Great resource for all things Willy click here
Improvisation
The Art of Quick Performance
Improvisation Basic Techniques
- Accept everything
- Keep it moving
- Don't delay
- Up the stakes
- Make offers_
Ancient Greek Drama
The Literature of the Ancient World
The Foundation of the Western Dramatic Tradition
- Ancient Greek drama descended from an oral tradition of storytelling that included dancing, chanting and singing
- Eventually individuals began acting out episodes of a story-the actor was born
- Eventually large performing areas for these live plays was developed, including: seats engraved onto a hillside, an upraised performing area (a stage), an area for religious rites (the orchestra) and a building that doubled as a back stage area along with large painted tapestries as back drops. Thus was born the early theatre house.
- A complex format of script-writing that included some of the deepest and most philosophical complex works in the Western tradition.
greek_drama.ppt | |
File Size: | 1630 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Medea
Euripides
Full Text
Log Questions
When including lines from the play, use this format: (character, line #).
Reread the Nurse’s opening monologue for Eurpides’ Medea. This monologue provides the exposition for the play as the Nurse wails and laments the history Medea shares with Jason and describes their current plight. Create a timeline of events that leads up to the current play. Answer the questions that follow in complete sentences.
Prologue
3. What does Creon directly tell Medea? Of what is he most afraid?
4. What is the one thing Medea asks of Creon? Does Creon grant this request?
5. Medea’s monologue explains her intentions concerning Creon, the princess and Jason. Explain these intentions and why she cannot carry them out immediately. Try to explain what this demonstrates about Medea’s character and why others midjudge her emotional state.
Episode/Stasimon Two
6. Of what does Jason accuse Medea? What does he then offer her?
7. What excuse can’t Jason use to justify his new marriage? What reasons does Jason give explain his new marriage? How does Medea respond?
8. Describe Jason’s character. Be as specific as possible while incorporating at least two quotes that are examples of the type of man Jason is.
9. The chorus explains the four major themes of the play during stasimon two. Explain the themes and how each has conspired against Medea in bringing her to her current state.
Episode/Stasimon Three
10. Who is Aegeus? From where is he coming? How does he feel about Medea? Explain using one quote.
11. What deal do Aegeus and Medea make? What is Aegeus’ concern with his side of the bargain?
12. Medea explains in detail her plan for revenge. Detail it. What is the reaction of the chorus?
13. Why is the meeting with Aegeus a critical point in the play? Why would Aegeus be so eager to allow Medea to help him? To what theme does this relate and how does it incorporate Jason and Creon’s situations?
Episode/Stasimon Four
14. Why is Jason visiting Medea? How does Medea react? Is she sincere?
15. What does she ask of Jason concerning the children? What emotions is Medea showing in this episode? Why? Explain by quoting one line from Medea.
16. Medea tells Jason her plan to get the princess to accept her children more readily. What is this plan? What is Medea’s true motive behind this plan?
17. With whom does the chorus sympathize? Explain using one line from the stasimon.
Euripides
Full Text
Log Questions
When including lines from the play, use this format: (character, line #).
Reread the Nurse’s opening monologue for Eurpides’ Medea. This monologue provides the exposition for the play as the Nurse wails and laments the history Medea shares with Jason and describes their current plight. Create a timeline of events that leads up to the current play. Answer the questions that follow in complete sentences.
Prologue
- When considering the creation of a character, how would you create a performance as the Nurse for this monologue? Think of appearance, facial expressions, body language, and gestures. Choose one line from the play to perform based on this characterization.
- What does the audience learn about the personalities of both Jason and Medea during this monologue? Be specific with examples from the text.
- How does the chorus (the Ladies of Corinth) relate to Medea as explained during the chorus’ initial entrance? Give two specific examples from the text.
- Medea finally enters the scene after speaking from behind the set. What is Medea’s mood? How does she explain the plight of women in ancient Greece and her specific current situation? Do you believe modern women still share the same difficulties? Explain
3. What does Creon directly tell Medea? Of what is he most afraid?
4. What is the one thing Medea asks of Creon? Does Creon grant this request?
5. Medea’s monologue explains her intentions concerning Creon, the princess and Jason. Explain these intentions and why she cannot carry them out immediately. Try to explain what this demonstrates about Medea’s character and why others midjudge her emotional state.
Episode/Stasimon Two
6. Of what does Jason accuse Medea? What does he then offer her?
7. What excuse can’t Jason use to justify his new marriage? What reasons does Jason give explain his new marriage? How does Medea respond?
8. Describe Jason’s character. Be as specific as possible while incorporating at least two quotes that are examples of the type of man Jason is.
9. The chorus explains the four major themes of the play during stasimon two. Explain the themes and how each has conspired against Medea in bringing her to her current state.
Episode/Stasimon Three
10. Who is Aegeus? From where is he coming? How does he feel about Medea? Explain using one quote.
11. What deal do Aegeus and Medea make? What is Aegeus’ concern with his side of the bargain?
12. Medea explains in detail her plan for revenge. Detail it. What is the reaction of the chorus?
13. Why is the meeting with Aegeus a critical point in the play? Why would Aegeus be so eager to allow Medea to help him? To what theme does this relate and how does it incorporate Jason and Creon’s situations?
Episode/Stasimon Four
14. Why is Jason visiting Medea? How does Medea react? Is she sincere?
15. What does she ask of Jason concerning the children? What emotions is Medea showing in this episode? Why? Explain by quoting one line from Medea.
16. Medea tells Jason her plan to get the princess to accept her children more readily. What is this plan? What is Medea’s true motive behind this plan?
17. With whom does the chorus sympathize? Explain using one line from the stasimon.
Medea Performance
Messenger (103:00)
Hamlet
To be, or not to be? That is the question--
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep--
No more—and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveler returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.—Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia!—Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remembered.
Modern English Translation (No Fear Shakespeare)
The question is: is it better to be alive or dead? Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty things that luck throws your way, or to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all? Dying, sleeping—that’s all dying is—a sleep that ends all the heartache and shocks that life on earth gives us—that’s an achievement to wish for. To die, to sleep—to sleep, maybe to dream. Ah, but there’s the catch: in death’s sleep who knows what kind of dreams might come, after we’ve put the noise and commotion of life behind us. That’s certainly something to worry about. That’s the consideration that makes us stretch out our sufferings so long
After all, who would put up with all life’s humiliations—the abuse from superiors, the insults of arrogant men, the pangs of unrequited love, the inefficiency of the legal system, the rudeness of people in office, and the mistreatment good people have to take from bad—when you could simply take out your knife and call it quits? Who would choose to grunt and sweat through an exhausting life, unless they were afraid of something dreadful after death, the undiscovered country from which no visitor returns, which we wonder about without getting any answers from and which makes us stick to the evils we know rather than rush off to seek the ones we don’t? Fear of death makes us all cowards, and our natural boldness becomes weak with too much thinking. Actions that should be carried out at once get misdirected, and stop being actions at all. But shh, here comes the beautiful Ophelia. Pretty lady, please remember me when you pray
Directions: Compare and contrast four different interpretations of Hamlet's "To be or not to be..." monologue. Be cognizant of facial expressions, gestures, body language and vocalizations. Take notes during the performances and then choose one you especially liked. Explain key notes of each performance and go into depth as to why one was more appealing to you.
Sir Laurence Olivier
Kenneth Branagh
Mel Gibson
David Tennant
To be, or not to be? That is the question--
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep--
No more—and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveler returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.—Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia!—Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remembered.
Modern English Translation (No Fear Shakespeare)
The question is: is it better to be alive or dead? Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty things that luck throws your way, or to fight against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all? Dying, sleeping—that’s all dying is—a sleep that ends all the heartache and shocks that life on earth gives us—that’s an achievement to wish for. To die, to sleep—to sleep, maybe to dream. Ah, but there’s the catch: in death’s sleep who knows what kind of dreams might come, after we’ve put the noise and commotion of life behind us. That’s certainly something to worry about. That’s the consideration that makes us stretch out our sufferings so long
After all, who would put up with all life’s humiliations—the abuse from superiors, the insults of arrogant men, the pangs of unrequited love, the inefficiency of the legal system, the rudeness of people in office, and the mistreatment good people have to take from bad—when you could simply take out your knife and call it quits? Who would choose to grunt and sweat through an exhausting life, unless they were afraid of something dreadful after death, the undiscovered country from which no visitor returns, which we wonder about without getting any answers from and which makes us stick to the evils we know rather than rush off to seek the ones we don’t? Fear of death makes us all cowards, and our natural boldness becomes weak with too much thinking. Actions that should be carried out at once get misdirected, and stop being actions at all. But shh, here comes the beautiful Ophelia. Pretty lady, please remember me when you pray
Directions: Compare and contrast four different interpretations of Hamlet's "To be or not to be..." monologue. Be cognizant of facial expressions, gestures, body language and vocalizations. Take notes during the performances and then choose one you especially liked. Explain key notes of each performance and go into depth as to why one was more appealing to you.
Sir Laurence Olivier
Kenneth Branagh
Mel Gibson
David Tennant
Important Documents
drama_syllabus.docx | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |