Open Forum

So here is my dilemma: Often when students are working on scenes or a project in my class, some students may finish a little earlier than the rest (5 minutes or so). Presently, when that happens, I have nothing for them to do. So I'm looking for some sort of assignment/performance/activity that will fill that time and be meaningful ( not just busy work). It also needs to be something that requires little to no guidance from me, as I will be working with the groups that are still rehearsing. We're talking about 2-4 students, so It can't require a large group. Is there anything you have found that works in this situation?

Cheers!

---------------------------------
Sean Kifer
Drama Teacher/Director
Grosse Pointe Public School System
Grosse Pointe Woods MI
---------------------------------

You could have them switch roles and run through the scene once, have them do the scene without words, so they have to tell the story just by movement, or have them come up with what happens just before or after the scene.

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Ken Buswell
Drama Teacher
Peachtree City, GA
http://mcintoshtheater.org/

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2016 09:03
From: Sean Kifer
Subject: Short Assignments

So here is my dilemma: Often when students are working on scenes or a project in my class, some students may finish a little earlier than the rest (5 minutes or so). Presently, when that happens, I have nothing for them to do. So I'm looking for some sort of assignment/performance/activity that will fill that time and be meaningful ( not just busy work). It also needs to be something that requires little to no guidance from me, as I will be working with the groups that are still rehearsing. We're talking about 2-4 students, so It can't require a large group. Is there anything you have found that works in this situation?

Cheers!

---------------------------------
Sean Kifer
Drama Teacher/Director
Grosse Pointe Public School System
Grosse Pointe Woods MI
---------------------------------

I have students do in-depth character analysis for whoever they are portraying in the scene (have them come up with the character's backstory, motivations, physical details, sometimes even down to "likes long walks in the woods and Starbucks frapuccino.") Students can also storyboard their scene (or any other scene,) and watch and critique each other's scenes. 

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Lynnea Hunter
Theatre Faculty
Johnson City Schools
Johnson City TN

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2016 09:03
From: Sean Kifer
Subject: Short Assignments

So here is my dilemma: Often when students are working on scenes or a project in my class, some students may finish a little earlier than the rest (5 minutes or so). Presently, when that happens, I have nothing for them to do. So I'm looking for some sort of assignment/performance/activity that will fill that time and be meaningful ( not just busy work). It also needs to be something that requires little to no guidance from me, as I will be working with the groups that are still rehearsing. We're talking about 2-4 students, so It can't require a large group. Is there anything you have found that works in this situation?

Cheers!

---------------------------------
Sean Kifer
Drama Teacher/Director
Grosse Pointe Public School System
Grosse Pointe Woods MI
---------------------------------

Why not have them do a quick writing exercise? They can do it individually, which will keep them quiet and allow the others to finish. When I teach dialogue, I often do a series of 6-line exercises, and it requires pretty much none of your attention other than getting them started.

Begin with a simple prompt line. One of my personal favorites is "I've come for the leprechaun." But it could be anything that might provoke a little dramatic tension. For instance, "This is a bad idea." That is character A's line. Their job is to come up with a very short exchange of 5 additional lines. So it looks like this:

A: This is a bad idea. [PROMPT LINE]
B: We're just borrowing the principal's computer.
A: We're stealing it. We're stealing the principal's computer. And when they catch us we'll go to prison. We'll never graduate if we go to prison!
B: Chill--we're giving it back.
A: When?
B: Later. Much, much later.

The marching orders I give them:
1. Try to create some sense of dramatic tension or conflict.
2. Vary the line lengths so that every line doesn't scan exactly the same.
3. Vary the punctuation.
#2 and #3 are because plays are like pieces of music, and it's important not to play the same note over and over.

Normally, I give them 3 minutes to do each exercise. In the workshop, we share right after, but you could have your students keep them all in a notebook and then turn in their favorites for extra credit, or have some day when everyone gets to pick their favorite one to read. But either way, it buys you time and builds some playwriting skills.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Jon

------------------------------
Jonathan Dorf
Playwright/ Co-founder of YouthPLAYS/ Co-chair of The Alliance Of Los Angeles Playwrights
Los Angeles CA

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2016 09:03
From: Sean Kifer
Subject: Short Assignments

So here is my dilemma: Often when students are working on scenes or a project in my class, some students may finish a little earlier than the rest (5 minutes or so). Presently, when that happens, I have nothing for them to do. So I'm looking for some sort of assignment/performance/activity that will fill that time and be meaningful ( not just busy work). It also needs to be something that requires little to no guidance from me, as I will be working with the groups that are still rehearsing. We're talking about 2-4 students, so It can't require a large group. Is there anything you have found that works in this situation?

Cheers!

---------------------------------
Sean Kifer
Drama Teacher/Director
Grosse Pointe Public School System
Grosse Pointe Woods MI
---------------------------------

Jonathan - Thanks so much!!!  I needed a little brain break for my Advanced Acting class today and this was a blast.  Indeed, "I'm here for the Leprechaun" launches a very entertaining exchange!

------------------------------
Amy Learn
Ballwin MO

Original Message:
Sent: 04-14-2016 10:42
From: Jonathan Dorf
Subject: Short Assignments

Why not have them do a quick writing exercise? They can do it individually, which will keep them quiet and allow the others to finish. When I teach dialogue, I often do a series of 6-line exercises, and it requires pretty much none of your attention other than getting them started.

Begin with a simple prompt line. One of my personal favorites is "I've come for the leprechaun." But it could be anything that might provoke a little dramatic tension. For instance, "This is a bad idea." That is character A's line. Their job is to come up with a very short exchange of 5 additional lines. So it looks like this:

A: This is a bad idea. [PROMPT LINE]
B: We're just borrowing the principal's computer.
A: We're stealing it. We're stealing the principal's computer. And when they catch us we'll go to prison. We'll never graduate if we go to prison!
B: Chill--we're giving it back.
A: When?
B: Later. Much, much later.

The marching orders I give them:
1. Try to create some sense of dramatic tension or conflict.
2. Vary the line lengths so that every line doesn't scan exactly the same.
3. Vary the punctuation.
#2 and #3 are because plays are like pieces of music, and it's important not to play the same note over and over.

Normally, I give them 3 minutes to do each exercise. In the workshop, we share right after, but you could have your students keep them all in a notebook and then turn in their favorites for extra credit, or have some day when everyone gets to pick their favorite one to read. But either way, it buys you time and builds some playwriting skills.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Jon

------------------------------
Jonathan Dorf
Playwright/ Co-founder of YouthPLAYS/ Co-chair of The Alliance Of Los Angeles Playwrights
Los Angeles CA

Sean,

One of the things that has been touted to implement in the curriculum across the schools I have worked at in the past few years, is feed back.  What I have begun to implement is a five to six question reflection piece about the scene students have done.  These are simple questions ranging from: What could I do to improve my character? Explain. to Critique another groups performance offer advice about staging or characters and what you would change.  This activity I find for the ones who are serious about developing their skills is very informative and helpful to them as actors.  Even the ones who aren't that dedicated find it useful to evaluate how they did and what they could have done differently.  I've had this take one student 10 minutes to another the whole 90.  The first time it took them the longest length of time to do it because it was a new activity. 

------------------------------
Veronica Davis
Okinawa, JP

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2016 09:03
From: Sean Kifer
Subject: Short Assignments

So here is my dilemma: Often when students are working on scenes or a project in my class, some students may finish a little earlier than the rest (5 minutes or so). Presently, when that happens, I have nothing for them to do. So I'm looking for some sort of assignment/performance/activity that will fill that time and be meaningful ( not just busy work). It also needs to be something that requires little to no guidance from me, as I will be working with the groups that are still rehearsing. We're talking about 2-4 students, so It can't require a large group. Is there anything you have found that works in this situation?

Cheers!

---------------------------------
Sean Kifer
Drama Teacher/Director
Grosse Pointe Public School System
Grosse Pointe Woods MI
---------------------------------