I don't have anything in an organized form that I can share because it shifts a bit every year, but I do a directing unit with my Introduction to Theatre students, focusing on movement and devising over scene work. Sometimes we do an abbreviated version of Viewpoints and then I have the students each create a piece according to specific guidelines. Sometimes I have each student create a movement piece where they sculpt their partner into 3-5 frozen statues and then build in transitions between the positions that help tell a story. Sometimes I make them biographical and ask the director/ sculptor to express what past, present and future means to them, or sometimes I give them a piece of abstract visual art and ask them to create a story. We always do a lot of reflection about the experience of directing, being directed, your "style" of directing, and collaboration between the performer and the director.
The culmination of the unit is usually a music/ poem video where each student has to express their poem or song visually, using at least one actor besides themselves.
This is really the tip of the iceberg, but I am happy to detail anything further that sounds promising.
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Elana Kepner
Theatre Instructor
The Oakwood School
Greenville NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-23-2019 16:21
From: Christopher Hamilton
Subject: Directing Unit
Anyone out there have a good directing unit they'd like to share? I teach a beginning Drama class at the same time as an Advanced Drama class. I'd like to have the advanced students (9 of them) direct the beginning students (20 of them) somehow. Any ideas?
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Christopher Hamilton
Drama Teacher
Kennewick WA
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