September 29, 2014 - October 3, 2014 Acting Class Agenda

Monday, September 29th:
Vocal Exercises
Theatre Games
Read TWELFTH NIGHT
Act out scenes

Tuesday, September 30th:
Vocal Exercises
Theatre Games
Read TWELFTH NIGHT
Act out scenes

Wednesday, October 1st:
Vocal Exercises
Theatre Games
Read TWELFTH NIGHT
Act out scenes

Thursday, October 2nd:
Vocal Exercises
Theatre Games
Read TWELFTH NIGHT
Act out scenes

Friday, October 3rd:
Watch film of TWELFTH NIGHT

September 22, 2014 - September 26, 2014 Agenda for Acting Class

Monday, September 22nd:
Romeo and Juliet
Read and act out the scene where Juliet is discovered "dead" in her bed, Act 4, Scene 5
Read and act out the final scene of Romeo and Juliet, Act 5, Scene 3

Tuesday, September 23rd:
Regular day
Read Twelfth Night; read up to Act 1, Scene 4
Act out selected scenes
Discussion

Wednesday, September 24th:
Read Twelfth Night
Act out selected scenes
Discussion

Thursday, September 25th:
No school today

Friday, September 26th:
Read Twelfth Nigh
Act out selected scenes
Discussion

September 15, 2014 - September 19, 2014 Weekly Agenda for Acting Class

Monday, September 15th:
Warm-ups
Act out Act 3, Scene 1: The fight scene where Tybalt kills Mercutio, and Romeo avenges Mercutio's death by killing Tybalt.
Read and act out Act 3, Scene 5: Lord Capulet tells Juliet she must marry Paris

Tuesday, September 16th:
Shortened day
Read and act out Act 4, Scene 5: Lord and Lady Capulet, and the Nurse finds Juliet lying in her bed, unconscious.

Wednesday, September 17th:
Read and act out Act 5, Scene 3: Romeo and Juliet die

Thursday, September 18th:
Watch selected scenes from the Zefferelli film of ROMEO and JULIET

Friday, September 19th:
Continue watching selected scenes

Tongue Twisters

Alondra, Jam:

An alligator ate an apple at an astronaut's apartment.

Groover Graciela gladly grounded giddy Gabby.

Jam's jaguar jumped joyfully, jazzily and jealously.

Daisy's dirty diapers disgusted dazzling Donald.


Jahayra and Jessianne:

Jiggle, Jizzle, Jiffy, Jelly, Jolly, Jaw Jam

Baby bum boo bumped bouncing balls.

Real robots rake railroads running round robbing rats.


Melissa, Ry, Terry:

Tommy takes Timmy to talk tippity top to tell trippily.

Rachel rides raging raptors rolling round rocky rivers.

Mary makes momma moo moved making messy mayonnaise.


Carl, Nicole:

Steven sometimes says stupid stuff silently.

Nina nodded naughtily nightly.

Aaron's accusation accused Anthony of atrocities against animals.

Berlin:

Bubbly Berlin bought bubbles by Burbank.

Patzy properly popped peppered popcorn.

September 8, 2014 - September 12, 2014 Weekly Agenda

Monday, September 8th:
Improvised and then acted out Act 1, Scene 1
Read Act 1, Scene 5
Created dance
Ran the scene: read it while acting it out with dancing until "Did I love til now?

Tuesday, September 9th:
New Improv Game: Pantomine Action Dictated by Others
Finished blocking the rest of Act 1, Scene 5
Ran the scene: read it while acting it out with dancing

Wednesday, September 10th:
Presentation by Constance Prang from "The Young Artists"
Work on Act 2, Scene 1:
Read it
Improv it
Act it out while reading

Thursday, September 11th:
Work on Act 2, Scene 2
Read it
Improv it
Act it out while reading it

Friday, September 12th:
Work on Act 3, Scene 1
Read it
Improv it
Act it out while reading it

September 2, 2014 - September 5, 2014 Weekly Agenda for Acting Class

Tuesday, September 2nd:
Warm-ups
Vocal
Theatre Games
Read ROMEO and JULIET
Act 4

Wednesday, September 3rd:
Warm-ups
Vocal
Theatre Games
Read ROMEO and JULIET
Act 5

Thursday, September 4th:
Warm-ups
Vocal Theatre Games
Shakespearean Insults
Act out the riot scene in Act 1, Scene 1
Act out the Capulet Party scene in Act 1, Scene 6

Friday, September 5th:
Warm-ups
Vocal Theatre Games
Act out Benvolio and Mercutio scene in Act 2, Scene 1
Act out the Balcony scene in Act 2, Scene 2
Act out Mercutio, Romeo and Nurse scene in Act 2, Scene 4;

August 25, 2014 - August 28, 2014 Agenda for Acting Class

Monday, August 25th:
Vocal Warm-ups
Theatre Games
Read ROMEO and JULIET

Tuesday, August 26th:
Shortened day
Vocal Warm-ups
Theatre Games
Read ROMEO and JULIET

Wednesday, August 27th:
Vocal Warm-ups
Theatre Games
Read ROMEO and JULIET

Thursday, August 28th:
Vocal Warm-ups
Theatre Games
Read ROMEO and JULIET

NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY OR MONDAY!

August 18, 2014 - August 22, 2014 Agenda for Acting Class

Monday, August 18th:

Go over the information for the Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble

Show dvd "Why Shakespeare?" 

Show dvd of "Shakespeare in the Hood"

Went over application for Spotlight Awards for Acting 

Tuesday, August 19th: 

Begin reading ROMEO and JULIET 

Wednesday, August 20th:

Continue reading ROMEO and JULIET

Thursday, August 21st:

Continue reading ROMEO and JULIET

Friday, August 22nd:

Continue reading ROMEO and JULIET 

DEADLINE for SPOTLIGHT APPLICATIONS 

Information About The Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble

Information for Inner-City Shakespeare Productions

 For the past four years, Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble has selected a high school to produce a Shakespearean play  which was performed in the spring in Los Angeles area parks. This year, our school has been selected to participate in this exciting opportunity.  You will be involved in the play selection process, which has been narrowed to either TWELFTH NIGHT or ROMEO and JULIET.  The plays are abridged versions of the Shakespeare classics and run about seventy minutes.  Ms.Bridges will direct the play, and the Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble will graciously produce -providing the scripts, the sets, and the costumes - for our production. BAFTA,  the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, will collaborate with Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble to provide working British actors to mentor and coach you in the amazing theatrical world of Shakespeare.  

The fall semester will be involved in the reading and selection of the play, and in the acting and speech preparation, script analysis and character development for the rehearsal and performance of the play in the spring.  Inner-city Shakespeare Ensemble will be involved in the casting of the play. Rehearsals will start later this year, and continue through the spring. Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble will rehearse with us on Wednesdays after school, and on Saturday mornings starting in January. There will be performances in the Hollywood High School auditorium during the last week of April, followed by three Saturday afternoon performances in area parks, culminating in a performance at the Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles. 

The preparatory work will take place during fifth period, and when the fall production closes, during fifth and sixth period, and after school.  In January, the rehearsal pace will quicken and rehearsals will be held during 5th and 6th period and after school until 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings with the Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble. 

This will be a fun, exciting, and rewarding experience for us artistically, intellectually, emotionally and professionally. I want to encourage all of you to participate in this great and unique opportunity. 

Kate Bridges 

Acting Improvisations: Kindergarten and Trip to New York

Acting exercises:

Kindergarten Class:

Drama Teacher's Survival Guide

Pages 28 - 30

Character and Objective:

Teacher: to have students sit quietly and listen to a story

Student A: to have teacher notice what a polite child he or she is

Student B: to get the teacher to allow him or her to go to the bathroom

Student C: to listen to the story

Student D: to be helpful to the teacher

Student E: to play with a toy in his/her pocket

Student F: to get close to and get the attention of Student A

Student G: to get Student E in trouble without getting in trouble him/herself.

Student H: To get Student C to look at him or her

Student I: To give a piece of candy to Student D to make D like her or him.

Student J: To get a piece of candy from Student I

Student K: To get Students F and H to look at a picture of her/his puppy.

Take the students aside and tell them their objectives.

Have one student play the principal who comes in to check up on the teacher. All the kids are terrified of the principal and do not want to get sent to the office.  The teacher may send a disruptive student out with the principal. If the teacher does so, then the student must leave the scene.

After the improv, ask the actors the following questions:

Were the actors playing children able to draw on their own experiences to help them in the scene?

Did the actors actually feel the experience of being a child in a kindergarten class?

Did the actor playing the teacher feel any genuine emotion in the scene? What were they?

What was each actor's objective? 

Trip to New York:

Drama Teacher's Survival Guide

Pages 30 - 31

Set up chairs to suggest a bus, with a table for the ticket seller in a corner. Choose twelve students who will each play a character with an objective the director will give them. They are not to divulge their objectives before the improv. 

Character and Objective:

1. Teenage girl who is going to meet her boyfriend whom her parents do not like.

2. A guy who's pretending to be a cool, rich guy.

3. A nervous woman who is going to meet her online boyfriend for the first time. 

4. A middle-aged person who is going to be a stage actor in New York.

5. An old person who is going to visit her grandchildren

6. A person who is trying to convince everyone the end of the world is near.

7. A young woman who is about to be deployed to Iraq to fight.

8. A young man who is upset that he didn't get the job he applied for. 

9. A nervous person who is trying to skip town before he/she gets arrested. 

10. An undercover agent who is following a suspect to arrest

11. An eight year old child who is waiting for her mother who never arrives. 

12. A young person enrolling in NYU for her freshman year of college.

A ticket-seller, the bus driver and a security guard are also in the scene. 

The scene opens with the ticket-seller, the security guard, the bus driver and the 8 year old child already on stage. 

The actors must follow their objectives truthfully, without stereotypes. The scene ends when the director ends it; the actors cannot force an early conclusion, such as a bomb exploding or the bus driver dying. 

After the scene, the audience shares what they observed about the actors' characters and motives. 

Ask the actors the same questions that the kindergarten actors answered. 

"This is a Duck":

This exercise teaches timing and concentration.

A student In a circle passes an object to the person to her left,  and says, "This is a duck." The second student asks, "A what?" The first student replies, "A duck!" The second student asks again, "A what?" First student, "A duck!" The second student replies with,  "Oh, a duck!"  And then the second student turns to the next student to her left and repeats it until it goes around the circle.

Then another one syllable object is added and goes around the circle along with the original object. More objects are added and go around with the other objects.

"Yes, May I?"

This exercise teaches timing, concentration or focus, and cooperation. 

Students stand in a circle. A student makes eye contact with another student on the opposite side of the circle and asks, "May I?" The second student replies, "Yes!" And then immediately turns to another student and asks, "May I?" The second student does not move until the third student says, "Yes!" When she receives permission she moves to the third person's position. The second student must leave before the first person arrives to take her place. 

To make it more difficult, the students do not say, "May I?' but make the request nonverbally, with eye contact and pointing only. If the student moves without getting permission first, or is still standing in her position when another student arrives to take her place, then the student must go into the "moshpit of shame"! 

Living Statues

"Telling a Story by Tableaux" 

This teaches concentration, cooperation, creating a story through the physical

Black out - audience's eyes closed

Lights up - audience's eyes open

Telling a story by tableaux

The students break into groups of three to create a story by using three connected tableaux. Each tableau, or frozen scene, should tell a story or a situation. All three actors do not have to be in every "scene" or tableau.  Each tableau or scene should be connected to the previous tableau/scene and the third and final tableau/scene should be the climax or brings the story to a close. The final tableau/scene can be funny, ironic or sad. 

Actors create a story with 3 tableaux:

One actor says, "Blackout!" and the audience closes eyes

The actors assume the first tableau

The actor says,"Lights up!"

Audience sees the first tableau

The actor says, "Blackout!" and the audience closes eyes

The actors assume the second tableau

The Actor says, "Lights up!" and the audience opens eyes.

Repeat

-->

“I am, I feel, I want!”

Students stand in a circle. Someone steps into the circle and says, “I am_______”, accompanied with a gesture, which everyone mimics while saying the last word of the phrase, “I am ­­­­­­ ________!” The student then says, “I feel_______!” accompanied by a gesture, which everyone mimics while saying the last word of the phrase, “I feel________!” The student then says, “I want________!” accompanied by a gesture, which everyone mimics while saying the last word of the phrase, “I want_________!”

Second part of this exercise:

The actor walks onto the stage and says, “I am_______! I feel_________! I want_________! “ The audience writes down two adjectives describing you and two adverbs describing how you walked on to the stage, how you spoke or how you acted: for example, “She walked on to the stage quickly.”

The audience then shares their impression of you.

Redo: For those who are not satisfied with the audience’s impression of them, they may incorporate the adjustments and redo their “I am, I want, I need.”

May 12, 2014 - May 16, 2014 Weekly Agenda for Intro to Theatre

Monday, May 12th:
Break into groups of seven
Choose acting teacher or acting philosophy to research and present to class

Tuesday, May 13th:
Begin research:
Each person in group is responsible for turning in one notecard per day
Begin research on the biography of the person or the history of the philosophy
Pass out the research material
You may write on the research material; it is yours to  keep
Read, annotate, highlight important facts on the research material
Share your information with other members of the group
Each person will choose one important fact to write as a note card to turn in for a grade.

Wednesday, May 14th:
Continue work from yesterday on the biography of the person or the history of the philosophy
Read, annotate, highlight important facts on the research material
Share your information with other members of the group
Each person will choose one important fact to write as a note card to turn in for a grade.

Thursday, May 15th:
Continue work from yesterday on the biography of the person or the history of the philosophy
Read, annotate, highlight important facts on the research material
Share your information with other members of the group
Each person will choose one important fact to write as a note card to turn in for a grade.

Friday, May 16th:
Continue work from yesterday on the biography of the person or the history of the philosophy
Read, annotate, highlight important facts on the research material
Share your information with other members of the group
Each person will choose one important fact to write as a note card to turn in for a grade.

May 5, 2014 - May 9, 2014 Agenda for Introduction to Theatre

Monday, May 5th:
6th Period:
Run-through of Biloxi Blues

3:30 - 5:30:
Run-through of:
The House of Bernarda Alba
Fools
Work on selected scenes for Biloxi Blues

Tuesday, May 6th:
6th Period:
Run-though of:
The House of Bernarda Alba

3:30 - 5:30:
Run-through of:
Biloxi Blues
Fools 
The House of Bernarda Alba

Wednesday, May 7th:
6th Period:
Dress Rehearsal!
Run-through of plays

7th Period:
Dress Rehearsal!

3:30 - 5:30:
Performance!

Thursday, May 8th:
Write a one page reflection of your performance
This will be due on Friday

Friday, May 9th:
Theatre games!
Work on scenes with understudies in preparation for Thursday Theatre performance

May 12, 2014 - May 16, 2014 Agenda for Acting Class

Monday, May 12th:
Break into seven groups of seven
Choose an acting teacher or theatre philosophy

Tuesday, May 13th:
This week each group will do the following each day:
Break into your group to begin research on your acting teacher or theatre philosophy
Two members of your group will do biography or history
Two members of  your group will do acting theories of the teacher or the theatre philosophy
Two members of your group will find two examples of acting exercises of the teacher or conventions of the theatre philosophy
One member of your group will find a representative scene
Each pair in your group will share your research with the other members of your group

Wednesday, May 14th:
At the end of the period each member of the group should have two pieces of evidence to share with the other members.
After sharing each member will turn in the evidence for a grade.

Thursday, May 15th:
At the end of the period, each member of the group should have two pieces of evidence to share with the other members.
After sharing, each member will turn in the evidence for a grade.

Friday, May 16th:
At the end of the period, each member of the group should have two pieces of evidence to share with the other members.
After sharing, each member will turn in the evidence for a grade.

April 28, 2014 - May 2, 2014 Weekly Agenda for Intro to Theatre

Monday, April 28th:
Special schedule. No 6th period today.

Tuesday, April 29th:
Rehearse with:
Biloxi Blues
Run-through
Work through of Scenes 2, 4 and 5

Wednesday, May 30th:
Special schedule. No 6th period today.

Thursday, May 1st:
Rehearse with:
The House of Bernarda Alba 
Run-through
Work on problematic scenes

Friday, May 2nd:
Regular schedule
Rehearse with:
Fools
Run-through
Work on problematic scenes

April 21, 2014 - April 25, 2014 Agenda for Intro to Theatre

Monday, April 21st:
Rehearse with
Biloxi Blues
Run-through of Scenes 1, 2, 3, and 4

Run-through of  The House of Bernarda Alba, and Fools with student directors in cafeteria

Tuesday, April 22nd:
Special schedule. No 6th Period today.

Wednesday, April 23rd:
Rehearse with
Biloxi Blues
Run-through of  Scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Run-through of The House of Bernarda Alba and Fools with student directors in cafeteria.

Thursday, April 24th:
Special schedule. No 6th Period today.

Friday, April 25th:
Work on Scene 2, the Barracks/Bet Scene; Scene 5, the final scene with Daisy; and Scene 6, the ending

Spot Check on: The House of Bernarda Alba and Fools

April 7, 2014 - April 11, 2014

Monday, April 7th:
Rehearse with Biloxi Blues: 4th Scene with Eddie and Carlos
Student directors work with their scenes:
Jennifer with The House of Bernarda Alba 
Summer with Fools

Tuesday, April 8th:
Rehearse with Biloxi Blues: 4th Scene with Eddie and Carlos
Student directors work with their scenes:
Jennifer work on the second act of The House of Bernarda Alba
Summer work on the second act of Fools

Wednesday, April 9th:
Ms Bridges will not be here today; pulled out for WASC English Meeting.
Everyone rehearse their scenes!

Thursday, April 10th:
Continue working on 4th scene with Eddie and Carlos on Biloxi Blues
Student directors work with their scenes:
Jennifer work on the third act of The House of Bernarda Alba
Summer work on the third act of Fools

Friday, April 11th:
Minimum Day!
Improvs and Theatre Games!
Celebrity Taxi Cab
Mary Rose
Alina
Martha A.
Ty
Elizabeth
Peter
Martha
Jorge

April 1, 2014 - April 4, 2014 Agenda for Introduction to Theatre

Tuesday, April 1st:
No 6th period today

Wednesday, April 2nd:
EVERYONE MUST BE OFF BOOK!
Run-through  with Ms. Bridges of:
THE HOUSE of BERNARDA ALBA

Complete run-through with student directors of:
BILOXI BLUES
FOOLS

Thursday, April 3rd:
EVERYONE MUST BE OFF BOOK!
Run-through with Ms. Bridges of FOOLS

Complete run-through with student directors of:
THE HOUSE of BERNARDA ALBA
BILOXI BLUES

Friday, April 4th:
EVERYONE MUST BE OFF BOOK!
Run-through with Ms. Bridges of BILOXI BLUES

Complete run-through with student directors of:
THE HOUSE of BERNARDA ALBA
FOOLS

March 24, 2014 - March 28, 2014 Agenda for Intro to Theatre

The playwright of The House of Bernarda Alba 

Monday, March 24th:
Continued check on lines:
Check on the second and third scenes of THE HOUSE of BERNARDA ALBA.

Tuesday, March 25th:
Continued check on lines:
Check on first, second, and third scenes of BILOXI BLUES









Wednesday, March 26th:
Continued check on lines:
Check on second and third scenes of FOOLS







Thursday, March 27th:
Work on third scene of BILOXI BLUES

Friday, March 28th:
Work on fourth scene of BILOXI BLUES

March 17, 2014 - March 21, 2014 Agenda for Intro to Theatre

 

Monday, March 17th:

Work with BILOXI BLUES:
Eddie
Aaron
Armen
Jesus
Carlos
Ty
Denzel

Tuesday, March 18th:
Work with FOOLS:
Summer
George
Lacy
Peter
Sarahi
Itzel
Madlen

Wednesday, March 19th:
Work with BILOXI BLUES:
Eddie
Aaron
Armen
Jesus
Carlos
Ty
Denzel

Thursday, March 20th:
Work with BILOXI BLUES
Eddie
Aaron
Armen
Jesus
Carlos
Ty
Denzel

Friday, March 21st:
Everyone must be off-book today.
Spot check on scenes today

March 10, 2014 - March 14, 2014 Agenda for Intro to Theatre

Monday, March 10th:
Work with FOOLS
Run the first scene of Fools

Tuesday, March 11th:
Work with FOOLS
Run the second scene of FOOLS

Wednesday, March 12th:
Work with FOOLS
Finish the second scene of FOOLS

Thursday, March 13th:
Establish the cuts to the third scene of FOOLS

Friday, March 14th:
Continue working on the third scene of FOOLS