Here’s an excerpt from an email I wrote to a woman about to be a drama teacher to high school students:

One word of advice: my students *hated* blocking. It can be a very boring and frustrating experience for any actor, let alone a high school student. But it must be done. Prepare students ahead of time for how lengthy the process may be but how it is vital. It will require their patience. Make sure they understand that the director is IN CHARGE during that time. Whether the director is you or a fellow student, the actors need to know that constant suggestions from them can be very distracting for the director. Different directors have varying degrees of tolerance for suggestions, but sometimes the students get so argumentative it’s very agonizing for everyone.

All the rest of the time, my students had lots of freedom to play with their acting and sometimes even modify or add lines. We threw in a new character with almost no lines simply because he created a comical sidekick to another boy. They had fun, which is all that many of them every wanted out of the class.

But none of this productive work with the script and characters and humor could have happened until we blocked the major movements on stage: entrances, exits, crosses, arrangement on stage, sitting, combat, etc. I wish I had stressed to them beforehand that blocking is one time when the director’s absolutely in charge. That was the hardest part of the whole year, blocking our school play. A lot of my students were upset with me because they thought I was being a malevolent dictator out of nowhere, and therefore they concluded that blocking was stupid and pointless. Other students thought it went just fine and saw the necessity of blocking. I should point out that this was further complicated by having a large cast of 20 students.

My two cents.

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In the drama class, we are revving up to begin blocking our school play. Before we do that, I want the students to do some character and script analysis.

They’ve had plenty of practice with character analysis already. I had them create unique characters on their own, fill out a character sketch, then write and perform a monologue for the character. I got some wonderful work from them. I later had them do character analysis for A Streetcar Named Desire.

This will be another chance to practice their analytical skills, as well as create more fully-fleshed performances.

Most of my drama students have characters to play in the school production. A handful of students are not in the cast but are in the crew. I want them involved in the character analysis too. I’m going to try to have the students work in small groups. Our play has five main groups of characters: school faculty, male jocks, female jocks, nerds, and accreditation committee. I will set up a group for each character type which includes the actors playing them as well as one or two crew members.

Here’s the Character Sketch/Character Development worksheet.

It makes use of the character development exercises laid out by Talia Pura in her book Stages: Creative Ideas for Teaching Drama. Below is a rundown of the information and questions on the worksheet:

CHARACTER SKETCH

Background Information
Name of Character:
Age:
Occupation:
Family Makeup (parents, siblings, children, etc.):
Physical Description:
Hopes, Dreams and Desires:

Characteristics
If this character were an animal, what kind of animal would he/she be? Why?
What is his/her dominant body part and why?
Which Laban Effort Action is he/she? (See Character Types section below.) Give an example from his/her life that
demonstrates it.
Describe him/her as a color. Why is this color most fitting?
Which of Hippocrates’ humors does he/she most resemble and why?
Is he/she of high or low status? Is he/she comfortable with his/her status?

Social Interactions
What does he/she say about him/herself?
What do other people say about him/her?
How does he/she behave around other people?

CHARACTER TYPES

Laban Effort Actions

NAME		TIME	SPACE	WEIGHT
Press	=	Slow	Direct	Heavy
Glide	=	Slow	Direct	Light
Wring	=	Slow	Indirect	Heavy
Float	=	Slow	Indirect	Light
Punch	=	Quick	Direct	Heavy
Dab	=	Quick	Direct	Light
Slash	=	Quick	Indirect	Heavy
Flick	=	Quick	Indirect	Light

Color Characterization

YELLOW – Bright, sunny, cheerful, extroverted, caring, speaks before thinking.
ORANGE – Extroverted, popular, irresponsible, forgetful, disorganized, doesn’t follow
through with plans, insensitive, lives for the moment.
RED – Extroverted, intense, plays emotions to the limit, extreme behavior.
PINK – Very spiritual, kind, in their own world, spaced out, introverted or extroverted.
PURPLE – Very intelligent, witty, snobby, bossy, may be hurtful and cruel, extroverted.
MAUVE – Combination of purple and pink, intelligent and spiritual, witty but kind,
introverted.
GREEN – Earthy, natural, not afraid of change, brave, helpful, extrovert.
BLUE – Very organized, punctual, leader, serious, sensitive, afraid of change, hides
emotions, introverted.
GRAY – Will take on other people’s personalities, like a spy who wants to blend in.
BROWN – More extreme than gray, will actually imitate others.
BLACK – Evil or mysterious, powerful.
WHITE – Very innocent, pure, usually only young children are pure white.
A character may be a combination of colors, or have a dominant color and another that is
secondary.

Hippocrates’ Humors of the Blood

Sanguine – Talkative, expressive, impulsive, emotional, likes to be the centre of attention,
charming, enthusiastic, forgetful.
Choleric – Domineering, impatient, strong-willed, born leader, dynamic, organized,
confident, goal-oriented.
Melancholic – Analytical, artistic, thoughtful, perfectionist, moody, hard to please, suspicious,
prone to depression.
Phlegmatic – Easy-going, quiet, dry wit, sympathetic, unmotivated, selfish, shy, fearful,
worried, avoids responsibility.
A character might be a combination of humors.

Source: Stages: Creative Ideas for Teaching Drama by Talia Pura

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I’d seen the movie before. I knew it was based on a play by Tennessee Williams. I have not had the chance to see it on stage. When I saw the movie again a couple of months ago, I was already brainstorming in my head how to use it for script analysis. It’s a wonderfully powerful story with complex characters and a number of symbols and themes.

I got myself a copy of the play and The Spark Notes study guide. I also hunted down this great lesson plan, and cobbled together a decent four-week unit. The goals were in-depth character analysis and script analysis. My loose lesson plans are below.

Week One

I introduced the playwright and play, gave handouts of a map of the French Quarter of New Orleans, and described the environment of New Orleans in the post-WWII period. I’ve visited the French Quarter twice, and I hope my enthusiasm for the place was contagious.

Students read Act I, scenes 1 and 2 as a whole group round-robin style (as mentioned in the lesson plan linked above). I had the students arranged their desks into a circle. Then my students completed a character analysis sheet I created. They did this independently on either Blanche DuBois or Stanley Kowalski. They would fill this out twice more as the play progressed, so that they could see afterward how Williams kept revealing information and changing our sympathies. Afterwards, as a whole group we discussed the play so far. I brought to their attention some elements that would later be recognizable as symbols of sex, guilt, and fear of death.

Students read Act I, scenes 3 and 4 in small groups and completed a second character analysis. They were allowed to switch to the other main character if they wish. Further whole group discussion.

I played on my MP3 player a piano blues song similar to what is called for in the play (”Give Me Flowers While I’m Living” by Champion Jack Dupree.) I showed my students images of French Quarter buildings and the St. Charles Streetcar. I related more of my memories of the city, and I told them of its remarkable racial diversity, music and gourmet food.

Week Two

Whole group round-robin reading of Act II, Scene 1.

Act II, Scene 2: something a little different. My plan was to get four female volunteers and four male to act the scene, then get one more volunteer to read the blocking. I would have had the acting volunteers pair up as Blanche-and-Mitch pairs. Each pair would act out two pages from Act II Scene 2, in sequence:

• Pair 1: stop at the very top of page 63
• Pair 2: stop at the very top of page 65
• Pair 3: stop at the bottom of page 66
• Pair 4: finish the scene

Unfortunately, I had a sub because I was on Jury duty that day, and he did not coax enough volunteers. He had one male volunteer and one female volunteer do the entire scene. Twice. Had I been there, I would have decided to assign parts and skip the volunteer bit.

Next, small-group reading of Act III. The students read whatever was left at the end of the week at home. Then they completed a third character analysis of either of the two main characters. I had hung on to their earlier analysis sheets so that I could return them all at once and students could compare how their perspectives changed throughout the reading. If I hadn’t done it this way, I’m sure half of the students would have thrown out the earlier sheets when returned.

Week Three

I handed out a notes and essay sheet for the following activities (see the 01/12/07 update below for details):

Whole group discussion of the three main themes of the play:

• fantasy’s inability to overcome reality
• the relationship between sex and death
• dependence on men

Small group discussion of three motifs:

• light
• bathing
• drunkenness

Particular attention was paid to symbolism and cultural significance. Students were required to write notes individually on each topic.

Given writing prompts, students completed six short essays independently. The notes and essays were due in one week.

Then a two-day project: small-group collage on one of three concepts: Blanche, Stanley, or the play as a whole. I brought over scissors, poster paper and glue bottles from my art classroom. I also brought in a stack of magazines, bought for a quarter a piece at Tower Books in its final days of business. (I can also get a good number of 25 cent magazines at my nearest library, by the way.) See the 01/13/07 update below for images.

Week Four

Viewing of the movie, which took three class periods. Day four was Finals Day, and I used it for a quiz on the play followed by drama games.

As a side note, we set aside Fridays as “drama game” days, so Weeks One – Three were not a full five days.

Results

The students’ collages showed a remarkable understanding of the symbols used in the play. I’ll try to get photos up soon.

The character analyses were surprisingly good, as were most of the short essays.

Day one of the movie viewing went well. Everyone was quiet and paid attention, which was a blessing since my student-teaching observer was there that day. On day two a couple of the boys had a sleeping-on-the-desk position.

Then at the end of the day’s viewing, a few of the less academic boys whined about how did this movie possibly win all those Academy Awards? It was the worst acting they’d ever seen! I asked one of them to give me an example of excellent acting. He paused a moment and replied, “Ron Burgundy in Anchor Man.” Did I roll my eyes? I don’t remember. As the students left class, a couple of my quieter students gave me a look, which I interpreted as I didn’t feel that way but those guys are so obnoxious. One of my favorite students caught me outside and told me, “I really like the movie, Ms. Pedersen.” I gratefully told him thanks and gave him a big smile.

The quiz was intended to gauge whether individual students had absorbed the details of the play. The quiz results were pretty dismal, which showed that almost no-one had reread the play to prepare for it. I had believed it was not very difficult.

UPDATE 01/12/07: Discussion Notes and Essay Questions

I tracked down my discussion notes/essay questions assignment. Here it is:

WHOLE GROUP DISCUSSION – 6 points (2 points each)
Discuss the following themes as a class. Write your own notes down during the discussion:

1. Fantasy’s inability to overcome reality. Why does Blanche lie to herself and others? How does Stanley respond to Blanche’s fabrications? How might the see-through back wall be a symbol of fantasy’s inability to overcome reality? Where do you consider Williams’ final view toward illusion and reality to lie? Does he align himself with Stanley’s reality and brutal honesty, or with Blanche’s illusion and pretense?
2. The Relationship between Sex and Death. What does Blanche say and do that shows us that she is afraid of death? What has the lifelong inappropriate pursuit of her desires led to? For what people in Blanche’s life has sex led to death? What is the significance of the names of streetcars?
3. Dependence on Men. What is Blanche’s last line in the play, and what is its significance? Why did Blanche want to marry Mitch? Do Blanche and Stella appear to have any hope of happiness without men to support them? Who does Stella side with at the end of the play, and why? What sort of message might Tennessee Williams be giving about the treatment of, and attitudes toward, women during postwar America?

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION– 6 points (2 points each)
Discuss the following motifs with two or three other students. Write your own notes down during the discussion.

1. Light. How does Blanche avoid strong light? Why does she do this? What things might bright light represent in this play? What about dim light?
2. Bathing. What does Blanche tell people that baths do for her? What might be the psychological reason for them? Are they effective? When does Stanley shower and why?
3. Drunkenness. Both Stanley and Blanche drink excessively in this play. Whose drinking is social, and whose is antisocial (that is, an attempt is made to keep it secret)? What is the result of drinking for each character, either in the short term or long term?

INDIVIDUAL SHORT ESSAYS
On your own, answer the following questions in short essay form. Write three or more complete sentences to thoroughly answer each question. Short essay answers are worth 5 points each.

1. How does Blanche’s fascination with teenage boys relate to her decline and fall? How may this fascination have been created?
2. Did Mitch love Blanche? Explain what happens to demonstrate your answer.
3. In what ways are Blanche, Stanley, Mitch, and Stella cruel others during the play? Which form of cruelty is worst, in your opinion, and why?
4. Which character do you have the most sympathy for at the end of the play, and why?

UPDATE 01/13/07: Student Collages

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When I ever have time to really think out a lesson plan, I try to get as creative as possible. I try to find ways to get the students truly psyched about the experience. And this, in turn, improves their chances of actually retaining the information.

I’m going to back up here and give you some of my drama background. In 1987, I was a biology major who was going to a community college. I took one drama class and was hooked. The next semester I took a couple of drama classes, and unfortunately all my other classes suffered tremendously. However, I did learn a good deal about drama and theater. I auditioned for a few things, and got a few small parts in community theaters, mostly in children’s theater. I then considered theater a hobby while I did my best to repair my destroyed GPA.

I did not get through college very quickly at all, by the way. In any given year, either I was farting around too much, or I was working full time and going to school part time. I also switched majors several times. I finally got my BA in studio art in 1998 after being in college almost continuously since 1984.

Back in 1992, I switched my major to drama and went full-time to CSUS. I took acting and stage makeup and script analysis and puppetry and history of the theater. Pretty well-rounded. For some stupid personal reasons, I backed out of that plan of action. One part of the equation was that I had become convinced that I was a horrible actress. In 1994 I renewed my enthusiasm for college by switching majors one final time, to art. I figured I’d never know whether I was a good actress but I could with my own eyes that see I could draw reasonably well.

I spent enough time accruing drama units that I qualify to be a drama teacher officially. However, when I was given a drama class to teach along with my five art classes (me being a student teacher, no less) I had not a clue how to do it. I still barely know what I’m doing. I’m supposed to direct a cast of up to 20 students in a school play in the coming months, and I’ve never directed in my life.

So I figure the kids and I are learning together, and the more I can get them to do, the better for all of us. I want them to really get the whole theater experience, from script analysis to final curtain. So far I’ve had them do some pretty rigorous script analysis on A Streetcar Named Desire, a topic for a later post. We’ve also worked on character development, another topic for a later post.

Now I want them to become familiar with the roles of all the people it takes to put a play together. It not just about actors.

We’ve chosen a play together, School for Nerds by R. Eugene Jackson from Pioneer Drama Service. It’s a comedy tailor-made for large high school casts.

I got a great book with a really unfortunate title, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amateur Theatricals.” If you get yourself a copy of this book, you’re welcome to use my worksheets below. So far I’ve given read-and-respond assignments on various portions of the book:

“The Actor’s Art” and “The Method”

“Physical Basics”

“Stage Geography” and “Blocking”

Sets – “A Quick History”, “What Does the Material Require?”, “TMS Syndrome” and “Basic Set Elements”

While I have always tried to additionally review the material as a whole group discussion after the read and respond assignment, these activities have probably seemed rather dry for the students. Few of them have ever been in a theatrical production, and most of them have only seen one live play performance before: last year’s high school play. This is a very small town, and a child’s imagination can only go so far when simply reading and writing.

The next group of concepts I want to introduce them to, as I mentioned above, is the roles of the people behind the scenes. Instead of just reading, writing and talking, I want my students to get a fuller experience. The chapter, “The Executive Team: ‘You Gotta Have Heart’” covers the duties of the producer, director, assistant director, music director, choreographer, stage manager, stage crew and business manager. I had a brainstorm the other day that the best way for the kids to appreciate the duties is to act them out. Here are the steps I’ve worked out:

1. Day one: I will have each student read the entire chapter, partly in class and the rest at home.
2. Day two: I put the students into four groups (in my case, that’s about five or six students per group.) Each group takes on one of these Executive Team member roles: Producer, Director, Stage Manager, and Business Manager. I skipped the musical roles since we are not producing a musical. Each group will put on a little three-minute skit showcasing what that person does. Within each team, each students will have a specific job. That way, I make sure that each student is accountable. One student does additional research about this job (such as Producer.) They should stick with information about theatrical productions, not movie productions. One student writes up a job summary based on this information and the data in the chapter. One student serves as director for the performance they will do, staging the scenes and helping actors develop their characters. One student writes down the script they develop together. One person serves as the stage manager, creating and maintaining a prompt book, and keeping the rehearsal going. All students are expected to perform, although one student may serve as the narrator, if desired, while the other students act out the script. I would want the performance to include most of the bullet-pointed duties mentioned for their assigned role in the book. I will have them pretend to be a group of people producing School for Nerds. They can ham it up all they want.
3. Day three: Further development and rehearsal. A bit of improvisation is okay, but I am trying to discipline my students to hone a performance through rehearsals too. Most of them drag their feet when it comes to rehearsals, and try to get away with just “winging” it.
4. Day four: Performances. Open-book quiz on the entire chapter.

This schedule may be a bit optimistic, so I may stretch it out into two weeks if the students really get into it or are having a tough time getting going without coaching.

Assessment will be based on many factors: group cooperation, individual effort during group work, job summary, script, prompt book performance, and quiz results. Here’s what I will be handing out to my students next Monday. I have not yet written the quiz.

If this format works well, I may it use again for the following chapter on the Design Team (set designer, costume designer, lighting designer, properties manager, and sound designer.)

My ultimate goal is to manage the director’s job myself for this school play, but to get my students into all the other backstage roles. Many students will have to act as well as work as crew, which should work out fine for such a large cast. I’m already picturing in my mind who can handle the stage manager and producer roles. I just purchased Play Director’s Survival Kit: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Producing Theater in Any School or Community Setting so I can figure out my job.

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