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.