#1114. Stage Movement/ Blocking

other, level: Senior
Posted Fri Jun 25 08:30:08 PDT 1999 by Carolyn Cowell ().
Expo High School, Waterloo, Iowa, USA
Materials Required: Hollywood High software
Activity Time: Two weeks
Concepts Taught: Students develop ability to create theater through collaboration

Lesson Plan Outline
Stage Movement/ Blocking
Theater Arts / High School
Carolyn Cowell
6/24/99
Resources Needed:
Practice script provided by instructor
Hollywood High software by Theatrix Interactive
Personal computer
LCD projector
Projection screen
Computer disks
Classroom Arrangement:
One computer classroom
Lesson Plan Duration:
One to two weeks

Gain Attention:
The teacher will present a two minute final product from the program Hollywood High.
The class will discuss the importance of movement in performance.
The teacher will present the same product from Hollywood High without stage directions/blocking.
The class will discuss student reactions.

Inform Learners of Objectives:
Students will work in teams of two to introduce stage directions/ blocking into a
basic dialog using the program Hollywood High.

Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning:
Review previous knowledge of stage movement/ blocking and stage levels using discussion and demonstration.
Review and establish requirements for working in a team environment.

Step 1: Directions Given to the Students-
Students should copy these directions.
Work together.
Each team will meet with the teacher to:
share blocking ideas written on the hard copy before they apply those ideas to the computer program Hollywood High.
Check final scene before it is presented to the class.
Transfer stage-movement/ blocking from the computer scene to a live performance format and demonstrate.
Save your program creations on the disk provided.
When saving you document identify your scene by its title followed by your names.
Use your time on the computer wisely as others are waiting.
Each team will need to share their work-in-progress with at least two other teams.
Each team will be required to share their final product with the class.

Step 2: Work Session Preparation
Students should divide up into groups of two
The teacher will distribute working scripts.
The teacher will present a few blocking suggestions for the basic script.
The students should start the work session (Special Note: Because there is only
one license for this soft ware the students will work on a hard copy first.)

Step 3:Work Session Activities: Hard Copy
As students create stage-directions/blocking suggestions the teacher should circulate to facilitate questions/ answers.
Somewhere in this process the teams should move to a rehearsal area in the room to experience the intended blocking in a live performance format.
Students should share their completed scripts with the teacher. Then the teacher will define abstracting by anchoring it to the previous activity.

Step 4: Work Session Activities: Computer
Students should transfer their final stage-directions/ blocking choices from the hard copy onto the Hollywood High program to create their scenes.
Students should run the performance periodically to check their progress.
Each team should invite two other teams to preview their creation-in-progress, listen to their suggestions and incorporate the appropriate ideas.
Once a final copy the their script is complete, each team should print it, take the hard copy of the scene, and transfer the scene to a live performance format.
This is where the student will explain, to the teacher, how this activity demonstrates the concept of abstracting.
Step 5: Evaluation
Students will present their Hollywood High performances for the class.