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  • 1.  Advanced Acting Class

    Posted 06-23-2025 18:09
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    In an effort to adapt to our state's ever-changing educational standards, our school has decided to offer Advanced Acting as a course.  This will be the only theatre-related course we are offering this year.  As the theatre director, I have been tasked with teaching the class.  I am a social studies and CTE Business teacher.  I have never taught a fine arts course but I do have years of experience in the content.  My problem is the state's lack of guidance on what to teach in this course.  We do have a very broad set of theatre standards and I do have access to the national theatre standards.  I do have a model curriculum map (see attached).  My question is this...what do I use as resources to teach this?  Those who have taught this course, what plays have you used?  How have you built the class?



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    Michael Putt
    Teacher
    Western High School
    IN
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    Attachment(s)

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    Theatre curriculum map.pdf   342 KB 1 version


  • 2.  RE: Advanced Acting Class

    Posted 06-24-2025 11:21

    Wow - you have an amazing curriculum mapped out for you!  It looks like you just need to plug in some plays.  I suggest the following that I have read with my high school students:

    Almost, Maine - Cariani (for beat work and analyzing a play for theme)

    The Heidi Chronicles - Wasserstein (for design work)

    The Mousetrap - Agatha Christie (for accent work) 

    Intimate Apparel - Nottage (play analysis)

    The Odd Couple - Simon (play analysis and then playwriting about odd couples)

    Break a leg with this new course :)



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    Marla Blasko
    Director/Teacher Theatre Arts
    Long Reach High School
    Columbia, Maryland
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  • 3.  RE: Advanced Acting Class

    Posted 07-07-2025 09:24

    I've had success using Meisner repetition and Viewpoints for warm-ups-they get students out of their heads and into the space quickly, which helps them connect better in scene work.



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    Gazz walker
    CA
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