Hi all,
Usually I teach two sections of acting, one for my juniors and one for my seniors. This year I have everyone combined into one class. I am mostly using my senior curriculum but changing up some things to give the juniors the skills they need. However, if I keep this same schedule next year and my current juniors take the class again, I will need new material. I would love to hear your thoughts. I'll lay out what I'm doing now and what I've done in the past in the hopes that you'll have suggestions of what I should resurrect and what I need to create afresh. Please share anything you have that I might want to include in a new combined studio class next year. My hope is then I'll be able to alternate between this year's lineup and whatever I do next year so no students repeat anything. Thank you!!
This year
Combined: Ensemble building, spontaneity, communication, feedback, headshots & resumes, mindfulness, mask work, commedia, Viewpoints, voice/radio acting, Story theatre, script analysis, character creation, student-directed scenes, devising and/or workshopping an original play.
Previous years
Acting I: ensemble building, focus & concentration, constructive feedback, the actor's body, the actor's voice, imagination, chamber theatre, monologue preparation, script analysis (
She Kills Monsters), scene study, character creation, Stanislavski method of physical action, GOTE, undirected scenes or group performances, rehearsal etiquette, audition portfolios
Acting II: headshots & resumes, mindfulness, mask work, commedia, Viewpoints, voice/radio acting, Michael Shurtleff's
Audition, scene study, audition preparation, acting styles & practitioners, staging and composition, undirected scenes, devising/forum theatre
------------------------------
Cassy Maxton-Whitacre
Theatre Department Coordinator
Shenandoah Valley Governor's School
VA
------------------------------