Title – Drama Class – Character Development Lesson

By – Stephen Ingle

Primary Subject – Language Arts

Grade Level – 9-12

Topic:

Character Development

Unit:

Intro to Acting

Learner objectives:

• The students will create characters through completing character profiles
  
• The students will present their character profiles to the class
  
• The students will demonstrate how to create dialogue for their original character by starting to write a monologue
  
• The students will participate in the mirror exercise to be able to understand the importance of observation as a key tool in creating a character

Instructional materials:

• laptop
• projector
• screen
• slides of famous character actors
• Character Profile Worksheet (teacher created)

West Virginia Theatre Arts Content/Standards Addressed:

• TH1.1.1: Improvise characters, environments, dialogue, and action, both individually and in groups.
  
• TH1.2.2: Demonstrate physical control and expression through character exercises, scene work, and performance.
  
• TH1.2.8: Create and justify characters and roles on the basis of his or her observations of people’s interactions, ethical choices, and emotional responses.

Hook:

As students enter, have a slide show on the screen of famous original characters from film and TV

Essential Questions:

Why is it important for an actor to be as detailed as possible when creating a role? What is the difference between creating and performing a character?

Learning activities:

1. Students answer the essential question on a piece of paper to be turned in at the end of class.

2. Students will engage in physical warm ups:
   • Roll head around in slow circles
     
   • Roll down starting with head one vertebrae at a time until bent over, but don’t force yourself to try and touch your toes, then back up
     
   • Stretch out arms
     
   • Lunges to stretch out legs
     
   • Sit on floor legs crossed, bend from waist to get stretch, then twist torso to get side stretch
     

3. Students will engage in vocal warm ups:
   • Close eyes and focus on breathing in through nose out through mouth making sure chest expands and contracts, not stomach
     
   • Say “Ah” going from the lowest note you can hit to the highest then back down
     
   • Say “Ah” with different beginning consonants in short bursts loud and controlled (ex. ah, bah, kah, dah, etc.)
     
   • Deep breath in then blow through lips to make horse sound; repeat with sound going low note to high
     
   • Act like cows chewing invisible cud
     
   • Tongue twisters – red leather, yellow leather; Peter Piper; She Sells Sea Shells

4. Students take their seats

5. Teacher presents mini-lecture on dialogue and monologue.

6. Revisit definitions of dialogue and monologue

7. Compare/contrast these performance elements.

8. Narrow down discussion to monologues – what is the purpose of a monologue? What should a monologue convey?

9. Direct volunteers in improv scenes with dialogue.

10. Ask for volunteers to try to do an improv monologue where the teacher gives them a broad topic and they come up with a monologue.

11. Teacher hands out
    
    Character Profile Worksheet
    
    for students to fill out. Teacher displays a blank one on the projector screen and goes over the expectations for filling it out.

12. Students will begin answering the questions on the profile sheet to create their original character.

13. Students brainstorm on a monologue for their character

Assessment:

Answer to essential question

Homework:

Complete the character profile worksheet and prepare to present their characters to the class the following day

E-Mail

Stephen Ingle

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