I hope you've all had a wonderful summer and that you're as excited as I am to get back down to business!
As I'm sure you know, classes will begin this Wednesday, 8/1, and we will jump right into action. In keeping with tradition, our "beginning-of-the-year" monologue performances will start next Monday, 8/6 (my classes will perform first, followed by Mr. Adams' classes). Remember: you may choose virtually any (school appropriate) monologue you wish - even if it is something we've seen you perform before. The idea is simply to get everyone's feet wet, check in on your progress and provide students with the opportunity to share their work.
Also - as Mr. Timmerman mentioned in the email he sent out over the summer - ALL PA magnet students will meet in the Reese Theater for our first 5th period on Wednesday.
Mr. Adams will be directing our first drama department production this year: Romeo and Juliet. The first round of auditions will be after school on Monday, 8/13 (details and audition material to be presented in class).
Here's a brief outline of what to expect in our first week of classes:
DRAMA 1 and DRAMA 3
This semester will largely be devoted to film and television work in both of these classes. We'll begin with an introduction to key terminology and on-set personnel in order to lay a foundation for our upcoming work, and we will also discuss the differences between various on-camera styles. Once that work is completed, you will begin searching for scenes from existing film and television scripts. Each student will ultimately act in a scene which we will tape and watch in class. Students will also serve in a variety of camera crew positions for other students' scenes.
DRAMA 2
We will begin the semester working on what I like to call the rotating scene partner exercise. Every student in class will receive a copy of the same two-person scene and will be cast in one of the two roles. You will have a "rehearsal partner" with whom you will prepare the scene, but when it comes time to perform in class you will be paired randomly. I have found this exercise to be a highly-effective way to evoke in-the-moment performances, as well as to test students' listening and reacting. You will receive the script and your role this week and we will start preparing for first performances - which are scheduled to begin late in the week of 8/13/early in the week of 8/20.
DRAMA 4
This semester will primarily be devoted to two major undertakings: the college research project and the preparation of four audition pieces. While you need have nothing prepared for the first day, I DO hope you took my advice at the end of last school year and that you have amassed some potential monologue selections. This week, we'll lay the groundwork for the college research project by discussing the details, generating our list of schools-of-interest and assigning those schools to individual students, and we will also begin reviewing monologue selections in class.
Have a great first week back, everybody!