Here We Go... Second Semester... FINALLY!

It must have felt like first semester was never going to end with the delays and weather cancellations, but we made it through with only one make-up day!  Welcome to Second Semester here on the Ranch!!  There are a few things that we need to touch on as we prepare for this semester.  

To start with please refer to the beginning of the first blog post of the year and read the opening few paragraphs about how technology is utilized throughout the year (this is especially important for students in Beginning Theatre).  I will be the first to admit that some weeks are better than others, but we are all adapting to the new ways we work in education.  Our main goals are to stay informed and be successful.  (DRESS WARM BECAUSE THE CLASSROOM IS COLD!!)

Quick Updates

Advanced Theatre

We have two primary goals for the coming semester:

1. Playwriting: You will write and produce one act plays that will be fit for performance NO LATER than early March.

2. Musical Theatre: You will design, select approved pieces and produce a Broadway Revue of song selections that will be performed no later than mid-March.

3. Full Length Production: You will design and produce a full length 1-2 act play that will be performed in mid May prior to exams.

We will discuss exact dates the first week of the semester.  You WILL give these dates to your work immediately!  Remember productions are a major part of your grade and the purpose of being in Honors Advanced Theatre is to continue to develop your craft as well as to continue to learn about every aspect of a production from design to marketing.

You will be required to read your script EVERYDAY when not on stage.  Marketing will be ready no later than two weeks before a production.  Finally, the Director will not be questioned!  (If you do have questions they will be held until after notes or you may speak with the Director privately to address concerns.)

Remember to respect each other and treat each other like the excellent ensemble that you can be.  It only takes one person to break a cohesive unit; choose to be the team player.  

Intermediate Theatre

The first order of business will be discussing 20th and 21st Century American Theatre.  We will primarily work within the realism genre.  Be prepared to write and analyze plays using the Aristolelian Method of analysis.  

We will move backwards in time and study the Victorian Era of the late 19th and early 20th Century.  Our main focus will be on the playwright Oscar Wilde.  We will study his seminal classic The Importance of Being Earnest and discuss how it is one of the quintessential works that helped to define the Comedy of Manners style.  

One thing to remember is that you will write, analyze and work cooperatively on multiple assignments. You will perform in some fashion throughout the semester.  There will be pieces where you will memorize lines from a script.  Lines must be memorized VERBATIM!  The playwright wrote them for a reason and it is our job as actors to honor his/her work by memorizing them exactly as they are written.  We will discuss tricks and tips for memorizing lines, but ultimately everyone has their own methods and you will hopefully learn what works best for you (but always be ready for Memorization Dodgeball!).  

Let's have a great semester and work together to learn and create the best works we can!

See you on Monday!

Assessments, Writings and Productions

General Updates

Cold and Flu season are upon us and there has been a need for tissue within the classroom.  It would be greatly appreciated if students could bring in boxes of tissue if you are able to provide them; handsanitizer would also be welcome.

The rubric has a list of supplies that we frequently utilize in class.  While pen/pencil and paper are a necessity and the others are a suggestions if the student is able to have the other supplies it allows projects to move more smoothly because we have a limited supply of markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue and scissors.

The wiki should be checked on a regular basis for production notes, study guides and make up work are posted frequently.  Students, the makeup folder is always on the yellow bookshelf.  Thank you for the emails asking about makeup work and other details because it helps class move smoothly and keeps everyone caught up.

As a reminder for every three class periods missed it is forty-five minutes of makeup time.  Please refer to the school attendance policy for further details.

And now a huge announcement... the spring musical will be.... Seussical, Jr.!!



Beginning Theatre


The bag puppet performances will continue through the following Monday.  We will be moving away from puppetry to Greek Theatre.  We will be studying the Festival Dyonisius and utilize the play that was concerned the greatest play of the period and is the measuring stick for all western theatre: Oedipus the King.  Students will learn the format of the well-made play according to the Poetics by Aristotle; a guide that continues to shape how plays are written today.


The unit will also consist of mask making in the style of the Greco Theatrical tradition and a short informance involving selected scenes from the first of the five Theban tragedies.  The students will also be updating Oedipus and formatting the plot into Marvel/DC style cartoon strips for a more contemporary reader and audience.

The next progress report cycle is a week and a half away.  Please remind your student to check his/her past spreadsheet and folder for work he/she might need to make up.

Intermediate Theatre

The students completed their unit on improvisation and we have plunged head first into our study of Oscar Wilde and Victorian England through his Comedy of Manners The Importance of Being Earnest.  The students viewed a short A&E Biography on the Life of Oscar Wilde.  We have also gone into an in-depth study of the cultural mores and norms of Victorian England.  The discussion has led us to the revelation that The Industrial Revolution was quite possibly the greatest revolution of all time.  We examined British Imperialism and how this tiny islands thirst for conquest created the very aristocracy Wilde emulated and criticized in his works.


Students will be completing their study guide of The Importance of Being Earnest by next week.  We will hold a Victorian style tea in class that will help students prepare for the mannerisms needed as they work on assigned scenes from the play.  The scene work and written test will be their evaluation for this unit.

Just a reminder that all make-up work will be needed at the next folder check which will be this coming week, most likely Thursday or Friday.

Advanced Theatre

We are deep into the rehearsal and design process for the Fall Shorts.  The dates for the performance are Nov. 7-8 at 7:00pm.  These dates are also on the calendar that is always at the bottom of the complete blog (not individual posts).

The students have a design packet with dates on it that layout when certain aspects of the design are due and exactly what is expected.  Each day in class we spend ten-fifteen minutes in production meetings updating the directors where the design process stands.  The directors are responsible for updating the online "GreenBoard" every evening so that the designers and actors are able to get individual and whole group notes about how to improve the production.


Line memorization for each play is due Oct. 4 in class.  When not on stage and not working on designs, the students should be and have been hitting their lines hard.  This is no small feat because most students are either directing one and in another, or in two to three shows.  This is a lot of work and great experience for the students.

A quick note about our first performance of the year that is not a written work is our iMPROV Evening will be Oct. 10 at 6:00pm.  It will run about an hour and the Senior/"A Team" will be performing.  After the performance, we will celebrate by going to cheer on the SWGHS Cowboy soccer team!

As you can see, it is a busy semester with another full length scripted show on the horizon.

Opening Weeks

The first two weeks of school have come and gone. It always a great experience meeting new students and parents.  Thank you all for helping to make the beginning of this school year a success.

Before we go into specifics with each class, let's take care of a few housekeeping issues.

1. Make sure you are always following SWGHS proper dress code at all times.

2. Be sure to sign on to Edmodo.
    a. If you need assistance please set up a time with me and I will help walk you through the process
    b. After school busses will begin running within the next two weeks and allow you time to get into
        the Media Center to do your online work after school.
    c. Check @swghtd for the code.  (It should also have been written in your folder and on your
        syllabus.)

3. Make sure all assignments stay in your folder.

4. Progress Reports will be out September 16.  Make sure you have all assignments taken care of.
    a. Always check the make-up work folder on the Yellow Bookcase.

Beginning Theatre

We have begun a unit on puppetry.  The students have been creating their own bag puppets based on a puppet biography worksheet they completed.  After creating the bag puppets, students were placed into partners and completed a 5 W Worksheet that will serve as a template for their script.  The basics of Plot and Character were discussed when the students did the popcorn dialogue etude.  We discussed the difference between narration and dialogue.  Ultimately, plays/scripts do not require narration because the activity of the performers show the audience what the narrator of a work of prose explains.

This upcoming week the students will be continuing to write their short five minute scripts that they will perform with their bag puppets.  The scripts are based around the idea that the puppets will be teaching elementary school students how to be successful in school and how to make good choices.

Below is the video the students should have written a reflection on Edmodo or handwritten in their folder.

Intermediate Theatre

Students have been continuing to hone their improvisational skills.  We have been discussing why "Saying Yes" opens up many possibilities in a scene as well as career choices.  Aside from "Saying Yes" adding "And" continues a scene creating even more possibilities.  We have also begun to discuss why "Making a Specific Choice" gives your scene partner as well as the audience more to work with and forwards the scene.  We continually discuss each day that the foundation of any improv scene as well as scripts is the acronym CROW. C-haracter. R-elationship. O-bjective. -W-here/W-hen.  Students have participated in such activities as "Taxi Cab", "One Liners", "Bus Stop" and "The Three Headed Professor".

The biggest point we have attempted to drive home is that "Failure is absolutely WONDERFUL!!"  We discussed how failure allows us to realize that there is simply another we to achieve a goal.  Failure is not the end all be all, but moreover a tool one must use for learning.

Below is the video students viewed and should have written a reflection in Edmodo or placed in their folders.

Here is an excellent video about why failure might be the best way people learn.

Advanced Theatre

Students have been placed in groups and are working on scripting ten minute plays.  The discussion has centered around the difference between a full two - to - three act play and a ten minute play.  Essentially, a ten minute play must get to the action immediately and cannot linger on exposition.

Some groups have chosen to utilize GoogleDocs so that they can share their scripts with each other and write together in realtime.  Others are using the age, old pencil and paper method.  We will begin to edit their works in the following weeks.  The ultimate goal is to have the students direct and produce these works for the stage (with approval from me.)

The biggest discussion we have had was that we must realize who our audience is when writing the plays.  This has caused some students to edit their plays for content.  Albeit, I am not one for huge censorship, but students are continually learning the difference between Educational Theatre and For Profit Theatre.  It has also been a great lesson if students ever choose to work in the corporate world where the boss may change an idea overall or an editor may take out pieces of a work.  Overall, the students are writing interesting works that with work and hope each new work will be performed.

Students have a reflection that needs should have been written on Edmodo or in their folder on the video The Way of Improvisation posted above this section.  Students have also begun to audition for the Southwest Guilford Improv Troupe.  This troupe will be performing throughout the year at SWGHS as well as other venues, if possible.

It's a Whole New Year!!

Hello to all Ranch hands old and new and welcome to the blog for the award winning SWGHS Theatre Department and the 2013-2014 school year!  We have many exciting adventures to look forward to this year.  Let's begin with a few house keeping items:

But first an (inspirational?) message from the author of The Fault in our Stars John Green!

1. The Southwest Theatre Space is still operational.  If you are Intermediate Theatre or Honors

Advanced Theatre and your account is still active there is no need to restart your account.  I am slowly, but surely cleaning out old students and updating the Wiki.  Beginning Theatre this page will be a constant reference for vocabulary, homework and calendar updates you will need to sign up for access unless you only want to have read-only access.  Please utilize the link connected to your class when accessing assignments, notes and/or vocabulary.

2. Edmodo will be used for all classes to turn in written assignments.  Quizzes and instructions will be posted on Edmodo and the Wikispace as well.  Each class has their own page within Edmodo.  Please be sure to check Edmodo as well as the Wiki at least twice a week for updates.

3. Parents the blog corbinsclassroom will be update at least bi-weekly with information about what is occurring in each class.  Look for the name of your student's class in BOLD and read below.  Normally at the beginning of the blog there will be general announcements for everyone then specific information for each class below.  You may wish to subscribe to this blog so that you will receive email notifications when it is updated.

4. Follow @swghtd for more realtime updates.  Whereas the blog may be updated bi-weekly, the Twitter account will be updated at random in case of rehearsal schedule changes, assignment due date changes or simply as reminders to parents and students of what materials might be needed for class the following day.  You do not have to have a Twitter account to view the updates, simply set the link as a favorite in your browser on the device of your choice (or all devices) and check it at least once a day for updates.

Beginning Theatre
The syllabus will be handed out on Monday.  You will have until Friday to turn it in for a 100 test grade.  After the syllabus is checked off, it is your responsibility to keep track of it so that you might know the units of study.  Please get a folder that is designated specifically for Beginning Theatre because you will turn in assignments in this folder and it will be used as your continual assessment portfolio.
Monday we will go through basic procedures and expectations and begin our unit on basic improvisation.  One BIG RULE... "DO OR DO NOT!  THERE IS NO TRY!" - Yoda
If you simply choose to do the activity you will have a blast in this class so do not hold back because then to paraphrase Master Yoda, "You will fail because you don't DO!"  Simply doing the activity fully will be awesome and you will continue to grow with each experience.  Remember do not be afraid to try new things and make bold choices; fear is the path to the dark side of the Force.

Intermediate Theatre

Oscar Wilde

The syllabus will be handed out on Monday and due on Friday for a 100 test grade.  Remember to hold onto your syllabus because it has all the needed information for this semester.  Please get a folder that is designated specifically for Intermediate Theatre because you will turn in assignments in this folder and it will be used as your continual assessment portfolio.  We will review procedures and expectations on Monday as well as learn and rehearse new expectations for the semester.
Monday we will also review the first basic rules of improv.  Throughout the week we will review and learn other improvisational techniques.  From there we will move into studying Oscar Wilde and The Importance of Being Earnest.  The language in Comedy of Manners is quite witty and has many double entendre's.  We will use many techniques and practices in order to best understand the language through vocabulary as well as cartooning.
Comedy of Manners through the play.  Do not get discouraged because we will all work together to workshop and understand the play.  Remember just as The Dark Knight fell, you will, but you must ask, "Why do we fall?"

Honors Advanced Theatre
Welcome back to old members and welcome to new members of i.e.!  Remember you are the example, the standard, the goal to which all others strive to emulate.  You must hold this ideal and represent yourself well on and off campus.  You are a reflection of years of work and what it truly means to be a part of the SWGHS Cowboys Theatre Department!
We will review the syllabus on Monday and it is due for check-off on Friday for a 100 test grade.  Please have a folder designated for this class as all work will be placed in this folder and collected throughout the semester.  NCTC will be briefly discussed as well as the performance calendar for the year.  NCTC costs $450.00 initially, not including bus transportation; therefore it is not set in stone as to whether or not we will be attending, but let's see how we can get there!
Monday we will also begin to work on our collaborative playwriting projects.  If these plays are well written and well received they will be performed on the SWGHS stage.  Let's knock this one out of the park and as the bar was set high last year!
Remember, if you are not cast as an actor on stage you will be required to work on crew, marketing, design or the many other tasks required to put up a production.  It is going to be a great semester... LINE MEMORIZATION WILL BE A MUST CHECKED EARLY AND OFTEN!!  You have reached the pinnacle of your high school theatre career and the expectations are high, I know you will meet and exceed them.  We will have ups, downs, lefts and rights, but as long as we work together we will be successful, you just gotta be willing to "take the hits!"

Let's all have a great semester this fall.  I am looking forward to seeing all of you on Monday!!