Open Forum

I am wanting to possibly do a mask unit with my students this year.  I'd like to do a presentation on the history of masks in the theatre/theatrical productions that use masks/etc...  Then have the students make their own masks and do some different acting exercises and performances using the masks.  The problem is I have some many different ideas, I don't really know where to begin.

Does anyone have some unit plans, a PPT presentation, lessons, exercise descriptions, mask making tips, or everything I just listed that they would be willing to share?

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Richard Gremel
Theatre Teacher
Tucson AZ
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Richard, it depends on what you want the students to take from the unit.
You could do this as a way of helping them to understand how through most of theatre history masks have been used, in which case some good detailed history tracing masks from greeks through commedia might be awesome to start, and then (if you have or can afford) commedia masks , teaching the walks, and improving commedia scenes would be a finishing exercise they would remember forever.  If no commedia masks (they are expensive), you could alternately use blank masks (which are cheap) as a base and build masks greek style and put the focus there.
However, a lot of modern mask work is about performance and exploring and developing communicating with the body. I teach a mask & movement class in my program, very little time is spent on the history, weeks are spent on working with masks and how to use the body to communicate character and mood. Starting with blank masks and discovering neutral to building up a character from scratch.  This is very different work from the "masks & theatre history" approach. If you go this way I highly recommend you start with: "Mask Improvisation for Actor Training and performance: The compelling Image" by Sears Eldredge and use that as your guide.


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Jeffrey Davis
Plainsboro NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-24-2018 00:07
From: Richard Gremel
Subject: Mask Unit

I am wanting to possibly do a mask unit with my students this year.  I'd like to do a presentation on the history of masks in the theatre/theatrical productions that use masks/etc...  Then have the students make their own masks and do some different acting exercises and performances using the masks.  The problem is I have some many different ideas, I don't really know where to begin.

Does anyone have some unit plans, a PPT presentation, lessons, exercise descriptions, mask making tips, or everything I just listed that they would be willing to share?

------------------------------
Richard Gremel
Theatre Teacher
Tucson AZ
------------------------------

Drama Teacher Academy has some good units on mask performance.


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John Perry
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-25-2018 07:01
From: Jeffrey Davis
Subject: Mask Unit

Richard, it depends on what you want the students to take from the unit.
You could do this as a way of helping them to understand how through most of theatre history masks have been used, in which case some good detailed history tracing masks from greeks through commedia might be awesome to start, and then (if you have or can afford) commedia masks , teaching the walks, and improving commedia scenes would be a finishing exercise they would remember forever.  If no commedia masks (they are expensive), you could alternately use blank masks (which are cheap) as a base and build masks greek style and put the focus there.
However, a lot of modern mask work is about performance and exploring and developing communicating with the body. I teach a mask & movement class in my program, very little time is spent on the history, weeks are spent on working with masks and how to use the body to communicate character and mood. Starting with blank masks and discovering neutral to building up a character from scratch.  This is very different work from the "masks & theatre history" approach. If you go this way I highly recommend you start with: "Mask Improvisation for Actor Training and performance: The compelling Image" by Sears Eldredge and use that as your guide.


------------------------------
Jeffrey Davis
Plainsboro NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 06-24-2018 00:07
From: Richard Gremel
Subject: Mask Unit

I am wanting to possibly do a mask unit with my students this year.  I'd like to do a presentation on the history of masks in the theatre/theatrical productions that use masks/etc...  Then have the students make their own masks and do some different acting exercises and performances using the masks.  The problem is I have some many different ideas, I don't really know where to begin.

Does anyone have some unit plans, a PPT presentation, lessons, exercise descriptions, mask making tips, or everything I just listed that they would be willing to share?

------------------------------
Richard Gremel
Theatre Teacher
Tucson AZ
------------------------------

I love this idea!

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Becca Lillias
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-25-2018 09:56
From: John Perry
Subject: Mask Unit

Drama Teacher Academy has some good units on mask performance.


------------------------------
John Perry

Original Message:
Sent: 06-25-2018 07:01
From: Jeffrey Davis
Subject: Mask Unit

Richard, it depends on what you want the students to take from the unit.
You could do this as a way of helping them to understand how through most of theatre history masks have been used, in which case some good detailed history tracing masks from greeks through commedia might be awesome to start, and then (if you have or can afford) commedia masks , teaching the walks, and improving commedia scenes would be a finishing exercise they would remember forever.  If no commedia masks (they are expensive), you could alternately use blank masks (which are cheap) as a base and build masks greek style and put the focus there.
However, a lot of modern mask work is about performance and exploring and developing communicating with the body. I teach a mask & movement class in my program, very little time is spent on the history, weeks are spent on working with masks and how to use the body to communicate character and mood. Starting with blank masks and discovering neutral to building up a character from scratch.  This is very different work from the "masks & theatre history" approach. If you go this way I highly recommend you start with: "Mask Improvisation for Actor Training and performance: The compelling Image" by Sears Eldredge and use that as your guide.


------------------------------
Jeffrey Davis
Plainsboro NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 06-24-2018 00:07
From: Richard Gremel
Subject: Mask Unit

I am wanting to possibly do a mask unit with my students this year.  I'd like to do a presentation on the history of masks in the theatre/theatrical productions that use masks/etc...  Then have the students make their own masks and do some different acting exercises and performances using the masks.  The problem is I have some many different ideas, I don't really know where to begin.

Does anyone have some unit plans, a PPT presentation, lessons, exercise descriptions, mask making tips, or everything I just listed that they would be willing to share?

------------------------------
Richard Gremel
Theatre Teacher
Tucson AZ
------------------------------