Korean Job Discussion Forums

[highdials5]

Hi,

I am going to be teaching a drama class to pretty advanced 13-15 year olds next semester. Basically they are going to have to learn a play and act it out in front of parents in July. I think it could be fun, but does anybody have any links/resources that could help me get started? I have to produce a rough lesson plan (70 minutes) before next week...

Thanks a lot!

Rich

[Yu_Bum_suk]

2-3 months is not a lot of time to get a play ready if you're only seeing them once or twice a week. How many students are in this class and how many times will you see them before the play's supposed to be ready?

[harlowethrombey]

Yeah, even with advanced kids they're still going to need to memorize their lines, get their spacing and marks right, etc.

What about incorporating some songs (easy to memorize, everyone can sing together, it will eat up time )?

Sorry, I've done some acting, but I've never taught drama so I dont know any links; it sounds like it will be difficult, but rewarding!

good luck

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[highdials5]

[Insidejohnmalkovich]

Write the play as a series of dialogues. That way the children need not get confused about whose turn it is to speak.

Simply teach each child a few lines at a time, showing them exactly how to say it. (I usually ask everyone how thye could say it first, then incorporate the best ideas.) Have them memorzie only those lines at home. Do not let them memorize all their lines at home before you have instructed them, ebcause they will say them horribly and never be able to fix them.

Emphasize these things: a loud, almost shouting voice (this is not natural conversation, this is about stage projection); a slow pace with emphatic breaks between phrases (remember the audience is Korean and the students probably have some minor pronunciation problems, especially with vowels); exaggerated emotions and gestures.

This is all advice completely contrary to any drama course. But this is advice which will make a play impressive to the audience of parents and Korean parents. And I do not mean this in a snide way: in this case hoi polloi have a better idea what they want than any want-to-be-a-Broadway-producer.