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Come and see Urinetown the Musical this week

Thursday 4/23 & Friday 4/24 @ 7:00 pm

Saturday 4/25 @4:00 pm

Write a one page production analysis.

Student Directed Scene Presentations:

Performance Schedule

 Monday, 4/20:

  • 5 Min prep time

  • Julius Caesar

  • Prelude to a Kiss

Thursday, 4/23:

  • 5 min prep time

  • The Dumb Waiter

  • Fat Pig

  • Drugs are Bad

  • The Wedding Story

  • Romeo & Juliet

  • Check Please

  • God's Favorite

Tuesday, 4/28

  • 5 min prep time

  • A Kiss of Death

  • Daughters

  • Gingerbread Man

  • Family 2.0

Thursday, 4/30

  • 5 min prep time

  • F-A-T

  • Cinnamon Rainbow

  • The Enchanted

Fullerton Festival Class/Homework:

  • Please turn in all field trip forms and $25 student registration fee
  • Turn in code of conduct, Hotel Permission Form & $45 for hotel
  • Monday, 3/2 & Tues 3/3: In class workshops on scenes and monologues
  • THURSDAY 3/5 & Tues 3/10: In class Performance of Scenes and Monlogues.  You will receive one grade for each time you perform.
  • Friday, March 13 & Saturday,  March 14: Fullerton Festival @ Fullerton College.

Bertolt Brech - Epic Theater Unit

For this unit you will be introduced to the playwright and poet, Bertolt Brecht.

Unit goals:

  1. Become familiar with Brecht and his plays
  2. Understand the influence of Brecht on Modern Theater
  3. Identify the key features of a "Brechtian" performance
  4. Perform an original Brechtian Scene
  5. Read and analyze a Brecht play.

Important Dates:

12/9: Watch Brecht Bio, Handouts, Read Three Penny Opera

Scenes assigned

12/11: Work on Brechtian Scenes

12/15: Individual Written Scene about your Topic Due 

12/16: Scene Writing Workshop

12/18: Scene Work.

1/5: Scene Rehearsal 

1/6: Dress Rehearsal, Costumes and props required!! 

1/8: Brechtian Scene Presentation

 

 

Terms to know

  • agit prop: agitation propaganda. Blatant attempt to convince the audience to take action against the "enemy".
  • didactic: 1 a: designed or intended to teach b: intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment 2: making moral observations. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/didactic)
  • Alienation effect: Verfremdungseffekt. An attempt to "distance" the audience from the stage action. It involves the use of techniques designed to distance the audience from emotional involvement in the play through jolting reminders of the artificiality of the theatrical performance.
  • Representational: Realistic theatre.  Theatre that creates the illusion that what you are seeing is real. Creates and uses a fourth wall. (examples: Ibsen & Chekov)
  • Presentational:  The mechanics of theater are apparent.  Everything is seen and a strong connection is made between the actor and the audience.  No forth wall, direct addresses to the audience.

Quotes by Brecht:

"Art is not a mirror of life, but a hammer to reshape it."

 In realistic theater ..."The audience hangs its brains up in the cloakroom along with its coats."

"Theatre of illusion is a branch of bourgeois drug trafficking"

"Hungry man, reach for the book: it is a weapon."

"It is easier to rob by setting up a bank than by holding up a bank clerk."

"No one can be good for long if goodness is not in demand."

"Sometimes it's more important to be human, than to have good taste."

"The law was made for one thing alone, for the exploitation of those who don't understand it, or are prevented by naked misery from obeying it."

Characteristics of Brecht's Work:

  • Plot- episodic, yet linked by theme
  • Character- Characters as symbols, not necessarily 3-D. We see his characters at a certain point in time and how they fit into the ideals of the play/playwright. Characters are used to represent common problems of the day.
  • Themes- Motivated by politics & political issues. Social issues and agendas, usually leftist.
  • Language- Political speeches, intelligible characters, direct address, commentary, narration.
  • Music- Includes popular or recognizable music to help make a point.
  • Spectacle- The mechanics are visible, non-complete sets, simple materials.

Key features summarized:

  • 1. Episodic plot
  • 2. Music or song
  • 3. Direct address
  • 4. Narration
  • 5. No 4th wall
  • 6. No illusion

 

 

Greek Theatre Mask

Completed Masks are due in class on Monday, October 20, 2008

Assessment Rubric

Student Name:

           

Class Period:

Assignment:

Date Completed:

Circle the number in pencil that best shows how well you feel that you completed that criterion for the assignment.

Excellent

Good

Average

Needs Improvement

Rate Yourself

Teacher's Rating

Criteria 1 - Developed and executed plan for mask with exaggerated expression

4

3

2

1

 

 

Criteria 2 - Built up features to show emotion/expression - plaster addition with paper mache

4

3

2

1

 

 

Criteria 3 - Painted to enhance features - embellished to add character

4

3

2

1

 

 

Criteria 4 - Effort: took time to develop idea & complete project? (Didn't rush.)

4

3

2

1

 

 

Criteria 5 - Craftsmanship - Neat, clean & complete? Skillful use of the art tools & media?

4

3

2

1

 

 

Total Possible: 20

 

 

 

 

YOUR TOTAL

Grade

Greek Chorus Performance:  Oct 28. 

Greek Theatre Test: Oct 30. 

Test over: Greek Theater Video, The Founding Greeks Packet, Greek Comedy Packet, Greek Tragedy Notes & Handouts, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. Review Sheet can be found in webfiles folder.