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Theatre Arts 1 (Acting 1)
Course Description
Through self and collaborative exploration, students will develop skills in all aspects of acting. During this course, students will investigate stagecraft, voice, movement, text, improvisation, and performance within focused units of study. Students will be assessed and evaluated through rubrics, portfolios, self-reflection, group-reflection, and quizzes. The class will be encouraged to participate in the Texas Thespians State Contest in November as well as a culminating showcase performance at the end of the year. This course will be focused on the basics of acting listed above. The student will become more confident in not only their acting skills, their movement and vocal qualities, but their public speaking skills in general. The course will be broken into the following areas:
- Ensemble Building: What is acting? Why study acting? What defines “ensemble”? Collaborative Games
- The Space: How do we define a theatrical space? How is that space best utilized? Tour, Types/Directions
- The Voice: How does an actor use breath support and vocal techniques to engage an audience? Why is warming-up important? Warm-ups, Breath Control, Care, Alexander Technique (posture and tension release), Centering, Voice Types, Open Scenes
- Character: How do you build a character outside of yourself? How do you find the truth as an actor and character? Character Building & Process of Drama.
- Movement & Physical Theatre: What are the physical tools utilized to become an engaged actor or actress? How can we tell stories with and without using words? Mime & Pantomime, Laban Technique, Stage Combat.
- Improvisation & Storytelling: How can an actor communicate a story through imagination, objective, and sequencing? Listening and Awareness Games, Story Building, Fairy Tales
- The Text: How do given circumstances and events inform the actor/character? Given Circumstances, Events, Interpretation and Dynamics, Script Scoring
- Performance: How do all elements combine to find truth and believability on stage? Audience and Fourth Wall, Scripted Scenes, Rehearsing.
