8th Grade Drama Workbook 201617

th
8 Grade Drama
______________________________
Name
This material was collected and/or created by Mrs. Eaton on her own
time. As such, Mrs. Eaton maintains intellectual property rights over this
material.
Mrs.
Eaton
teaton@y115.org
www.tammyeaton.weebly.com
Welcome to 8th Grade Elective Drama

Weve got quite a journey ahead of us. In the next 18 weeks well be covering the
following concepts
Theatre Vocabulary
Oral interpretation
Vocal production
Breathing
Tongue Twisters
Storytelling
Poetry
Monologue Performance
Duet/Scene Acting
Uses of Secondary Elements to convey meaning in film
Script analysis
Actor comparison
Character Study
This is a busy class, and a rigorous course. Very little work will be expected
outside of the class time as long as you work during class. Most of the work is
done with a partner or small group, but grading is on an individual basis. You are
expected to participate in class and to do all the activities.
This material was created by Mrs. Tamara Eaton for use in 8th Grade Drama in
conjunction with the textbook, Basic Drama Projects, by Fran Averett Tanner
(copyright 2004, Perfection Learning, Corp., Logan, Iowa).
Theatre Vocabulary
We need to speak the same language to communicate most effectively. Here are some theatre words
we need to have a shared meaning.
Words that name
What it means
something actors do
AD LIB
ANTICIPATING
BREAKING
CHARACTER
CHEAT OUT
GESTURE
HOLDING FOR A
LAUGH
IMPROVISATION
STAGE BUSINESS
Words in scripts
to direct the
elements
AT RISE
What it means
BLACK OUT
CUE
Oral Interpretation Unit 2
Name __________________________________
Read pages 64 69 in Basic Drama Projects
Define the following as related to vocal production:
Word
My educated definition
1. Articulation
2. Audible
3. Diaphragm
4. Diction
5. Enunciation
6. Inflection
7. Larynx
8. Pitch
9. Project
10. Rate
11. Tone
12. Volume
Now, put the words above into the appropriate group below.
Words that name body
parts (2)
Actual definition
Words about sounds (5)
Words about speaking (5)
10. List three ways to protect your voice:
11. Circle the correct words to complete this sentence: When breathing properly, the waist should
(expand/contract) during inhalation, and (expand/contract) during exhalation.
12. What word describes the relative highness or lowness of your voice?
Breathing--- Yes, you are probably doing it wrong.

Use the Word Bank to complete the
diagram of the human vocal system.
Now, group the words according to their function in vocal production
Articulator- an organ that

takes part in the
production of sounds.
Can be stationary or
movable (7)
Resonator- a cavity
that allows vocal
organs to change the
sound (2)
Vibratory apparatus organs that

vibrate to produce sound from air
flow (1)
Word Bank
Brain
Diaphragm
Esophagus
Hard palate
Jaw
Larynx
Lip
Lung
Nasal cavity
Nostril
Oral cavity
Soft palate
Teeth
Tongue
Trachea
Air pressure system

the organs that move
and direct air through
the vocal apparatus (5)
RUBRIC I
There are a few things that you lose as you move into adulthood. One of these is proper
breathing. Breathing correctly will not only help you be a better speaker, it will help reduce
stress and manage stage fright.
If you have ever watched a baby, they are breathing correctly from the diaphragm.
Yet somewhere on the journey to adulthood, adults become thoracic breathers who tend to
breathe from the chest rather than the abdomen.
As a result, you are not getting the stress-reducing benefits of breathing.
By learning to deeply breathe from the diaphragm or lower abdomen, you:
increase your lung capacity

increase the lungs capacity to oxygenate your blood
increase the restorative ability of your body and facilitate removal of waste products.
One way to reduce stress is through diaphragmatic breathing.

The major muscle of breathing is the diaphragm. This thin, dome-shaped muscle separates the
chest from the abdominal cavity.
Each time that you inhale, your diaphragm moves downward and your abdomen expands,
creating a vacuum in the lungs. This fills the lungs from the bottom.
Before starting your diaphragmatic breathing exercise it's useful to see what your breathing rate
is.
Grab a watch and count the number of inhalations you take over the next minute.
If you are a chest breather, like most of the population, you probably breathe 10-12 breaths per
minute.
This can lead to oxygen/carbon dioxide imbalance that may result in:
increased blood pressure

a faster heart rate
muscle tension and dizziness
So breathing incorrectly can perpetuate the stress and anxiety cycle.

Shallow breathing may also lead to a condition called chronic hyperventilation syndrome.
Just 5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing is a helpful start to promote health, short-circuit stress,
and combat any effects of shallow breathing.
How to do a diaphragmatic breath

1. Sit or stand in a comfortable position with your back straight and
your feet flat on the floor
2. Slowly inhale through your nose, counting slowly to 4
3. Slowly exhale through the mouth, counting slowly to 6
4. Thats it! Repeat several times.
Tips on diaphragmatic breathing:

1. Place one hand on the abdomen and the other on your upper chest. If you do a diaphragmatic breath,
you should feel the lower hand on your abdomen move out with the inhalation and in with the
exhalation. The top hand on the chest should remain relatively still. If you find it hard to do sitting down,
then try lying on the floor.
2. When exhaling, try to slightly sigh with exhalation as this can provide extra tension relief.
Six Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing

1. Slows your heart rate and calms you physically.
2. Provides oxygen to your brain.
3. Aids your stance and appearance, avoiding a "caved in" look.
4. Creates the sound of authority.
5. Supports sound to the end of the sentence, where the important words come.
6. You appear confident and in control (rather than gasping for breath).
Tongue Twisters You need to practice good articulation. Performing

tongue twisting repetitions is a great way to do that! Its not a race. Perfecting
the pronunciation is more important than speed. To prove your prowess in this
area, you will recite THREE of the selections below. The number in ( ) tells how
many reps are required.
1. Truly rural (10)
2. The big black bug bit the big black bear (5)
3. Tent tops and ten tops and ten dented tent tops (5)
4. Five wives wearily weave bright red rugs (5)
5. Two too tall tottering totem poles (5)
6. A tutor who tooted a flute tried to teach two young tooters to toot: said
the two to the tutor, Is it harder to toot, or to tutor two tooters to toot?
(3)
7. The sea ceaseth and it sufficeth us (5)
8. Whose zither is this? This is Samsons sisters zither. (5)
9.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If Peter Piper picked a peck
of pickled peppers, where is the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper
picked? (3)
10. I want a box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a box of biscuit mixes
(5)
11. A tree toad loved a she toad that lived up in a tree. He was a three-toed
tree toad, but a two-toed toad was she. The three-toed tree toad tried to
win the she toads friendly nod, for the three-toed tree toad loved the
ground that the two-toed she toad trod. (2)
12. Fill the sieve with thistles then sift the thistles through the sieve (3)
13. Better buy the bigger rubber baby buggy bumpers (5)
14. Round and round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran (5)
15. Six slim sleek silver saplings (5)
16. Tongue tanglers are tricky to try to say, try tripping your tongue on a
tangler today (5)
17. Aluminum linoleum, illuminate aluminum linoleum (5)
18. Billy Button bought a butter biscuit. Did Betty Button buy a better butter
biscuit? (5)
19. Cross crossings cautiously (10)
20. A cold, croaking, coal-colored crow clawed corn and cawed
21. Double bubblegum bubbles double
22. The swan swam over the sea, well swum, swan (3)
8
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Ten thin thistle-sifters sifted sixty thistles. (5)

Push, perseverance, punctuality, and personality place people in paying
positions (5)
A very vivacious villain vindictively voiced vengeance (5)
A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thunk that the skunk stunk; the skunk
thunk the stump stunk. (3)
I sit in solemn silence on a dull, dark dock in a pestilential prison with a lifelong lock awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock of a cheap and
chippy chopper on a big, black block. (2)
One smart fellow; he felt smart.
Two smart fellows; they felt smart.
Three smart fellows; they all felt smart. (3)
A) Which three tongue twisters will you perform?

Circle the numbers.
B) Why did you choose them?
C) How do you plan to prepare to present them?
RUBRIC II
Some words are commonly mispronounced.

Dont make these mistakes.
WORD
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Get
For
Again
Just
Because
Any
Chic
Duty
Assume
New
Poor
Route
Your
Roof
Suite
What
Worst
Sure
CORRECT
RHYME
Bet
Ore
Pen
Must
Pause
Penny
Sheik
Beauty
Fume
Mew
Sewer
Boot
Sewer
Proof
Sweet
Dot
First
Sewer
10
INCORRECT RHYME
Bit
Fur
Pin
Mist
Buzz
Skinny
Chick, cheek
Booty
Doom
Moo
Sore
Bout
Per
Foot
Boot
Rut
Nurse
Per
Say it
right!
On a personal level, I cringe when I hear someone
sound the t in often or pronounce pecan with a short
a, but I have to acknowledge that both these
pronunciations are widely accepted alternate
pronunciations that can be justified by the spelling.
Alternate pronunciations, however, are a different
matter from out-and-out mispronunciations. The latter,
no matter how common, are incorrect, either because
of the spelling that indicates another pronunciation, or
because of what is widely agreed upon to be
conventional usage. Word of caution: Im writing from
an American perspective.
Here are 45 frequently mispronounced words. The list
is by no means exhaustive, but provides a good start.
1.. anyway The problem with this word is not so
much pronunciation as the addition of an unnecessary
sound. Dont add an s to make it anyways. The word
is ANYWAY.
2. arctic Note the C after the R. Say /ARK-TIK/, not
/ar-tik/.
3. accessory the first C has a hard sound. Say
/AK-SESS-OR-Y/, not /ass-ess-or-y/.
4. ask The S comes before the K. Say /ASK/ not
/aks/.
5. asterisk Notice the second S. Say /AS-TER-ISK/,
not /as-ter-ik/. This is an asterisk *.
11
Annotate in this column. Be alert to the

Stances, Signposts, and Strategies & the Big
Questions
6. athlete The word has two syllables, not three. Say

/ATH-LETE/, not /ath-uh-lete/.
7. barbed wire- Notice the AR in the first syllable.
Say /BARBD/, not /bob/.
8. cache The word is of French origin, but it does
not end with an accented syllable. A cache is a hiding
place or something that is being hidden: a cache of
supplies; a cache of money; a cache of drugs. Say
/KASH/, not /ka-shay/.
9. candidate Notice the first d. Say /KAN-DIDATE/, not /kan-i-date/.
10. cavalry This word refers to troops that fight on
horseback. Say /KAV-UL-RY/, not /kal-vuh-ry/.
NOTE: Calvary refers the place where Jesus was
crucified and IS pronounced /kal-vuh-ry/.)
11. chaos The spelling ch can represent three
different sounds in English: /tch/ as in church, /k/ as in
Christmas, and /sh/ as in chef. The first sound is heard
in words of English origin and is the most common.
The second sound of ch, /k/, is heard in words of
Greek origin. The third and least common of the three
ch sounds is heard in words adopted from modern
French. Chaos is a Greek word. Say /KAY-OS/, not
/tchay-os/.
12. clothes Notice the TH spelling and sound. Say
/KLOTHZ/, not /kloz/.
13. dilate The word has two syllables, not three. Say
/DI-LATE/, not /di-a-late/.
14. drowned This is the past participle form of the
verb drown. Notice that there is no D on drown. Dont
add one when using the word in its past form. Say
/DROWND/, not /drown-ded/.
15. et cetera This Latin term is often mispronounced
and its abbreviation is frequently misspelled. Say /ET
CET-ER-A/, not /ex cet-er-a/. For the abbreviation,
write ETC., not ect.
12

Questions
16. February Just about everyone I know drops the

first r in February. The spelling calls for /FEB-ROOAR-Y/, not /feb-u-ar-y/.
17. foliage The word has three syllables. Say /FOLI-UJ/, not /fol-uj/.
18. Halloween The word for the holiday Americans
celebrate with such enthusiasm on October 31 derives
from Hallowed Evening, meaning evening that has
been made holy. The word hallow comes from Old
English halig, meaning holy. Notice the a in the first
syllable and say /HAL-O-WEEN/, not /hol-lo-ween/.
19. height The word ends in a /T/ sound, not a /TH/
sound. Say /HITE/, not /hith/.
20. heinous People unfamiliar with the TV show
Law and Order: S.V.U. may not know that heinous has
two syllables. (The show begins with this sentence:
In the criminal justice system, sexually based
offenses are considered especially heinous.) Say
/HAY-NUS/, not /heen-i-us/.
21. hierarchy The word has four syllables. Say /HI ER-AR-KY,/ not /hi-ar-ky/.
22. Illinois As with Arkansas, the final s in
Illinois is not pronounced. Say /IL-I-NOY/ (and /Arkan-saw/, not /il-li-noiz/ or /ar-kan-sas/). NOTE:
Some unknowledgeable folks may still be trying to
pronounce Arkansas as if it had something to do with
Kansas. The pronunciation /ar-kan-zuz/ is waaay off
base.
23. interpret The word has three syllables. Dont
add one! Say /IN-TER-PRET/, not /in-ter-pre-tate/.
24. incident Something that happens is an
incident. Dont say incidence when you mean a
specific event. There IS a word incidence, but it has
a different meaning.
25. irregardless See the real word, regardless.
13

Questions
26. jewelry The word has three syllables. Say /JEWEL-RY/, not /jew-el-er-y/. The pronunciation /jewl-ry/
is common but not correct, as it removes one syllable
from the word.
27. library Notice where the R comes in the word.
Say /LI-BRAR-Y/, not /li-ber-ry/.
28. miniature The word has four syllables. Say
/MIN-I-A-TURE/, not /min-a-ture/.
29. Mischievous This is the adjective form of
mischief whose meaning is calamity or harm.
Mischievous is now associated with harmless fun so
that the expression malicious mischief has been
coined as another term for vandalism. Mischievous
has three syllables with the accent on the first syllable:
/MIS-CHI-VUS/. Dont say /mis-chee-vee-us/.
30. niche The word is from the French and, though
many words of French origin have been anglicized in
standard usage, this is one that cries out to retain a
long e sound and a /SH/ sound for the che. Say
/NEESH/, not /nitch/.
31. orient This word has three syllables. As a verb it
means to place something in its proper position in
relation to something else. It comes from a word
meaning east and originally meant positioning
something in relation to the east. Now it is used with a
more general meaning. Say /OR-I-ENT/, not /or-i-entate/.
32. old-fashioned This adjective is formed from a
past-participle: fashioned. Dont leave off the ED.
Say /OLD-FASHIOND/, not /old-fashion/.
33. picture Theres a K sound in picture. Dont
confuse picture with pitcher. Say /PIK-TURE/, not
/pitch-er/. Pitcher is a different word. A pitcher is a
serving vessel with a handle.
14

Questions
34. precipitation This is a noun that refers to rain or

snow, or anything else that normally falls from the
sky. As with prescription (below), the prefix is PRE-.
Say /PRE-CIP-I-TA-TION/, not /per-cipi-ta-tion/.
35. prescription Note the prefix PRE- in this word.
Say /PRE-SCRIP-TION/, not /per- scrip-tion/ or /proscrip-tion/.
36. preventive The word has three syllables. A
common fault is to add a syllable. Say PRE-VENTIVE/, not /pre-ven-ta-tive.
37. pronunciation This word is a noun. It comes
from the verb pronounce, BUT it is not pronounced
like the verb. Say /PRO-NUN-CI-A-TION/, not /pronounce-i-a-tion/.
38. prostate This word for a male gland is often
mispronounced. There is an adjective prostrate which
means to be stretched out facedown on the ground.
When speaking of the gland, however, say /PROSTATE/, not /pros-trate/. One can get prostate cancer,
not prostrate cancer.
39. Realtor The word has three syllables. Say /REAL-TOR/, not /re-a-la-tor/.
40. regardless The word has three syllables. Please
dont add an IR to make it into the abomination
irregardless.
41. sherbet The word has only one r in it. Say
/SHER-BET/ not /sher-bert/.
42. spayed This is a one-syllable word, the past
participle form of the verb to spay, meaning to remove
the ovaries from an animal. Like the verb drown
(above) the verb spay does not have a D in its
infinitive form. Dont add one to the past participle.
Say /SPADE/, not /spay-ded/.
15

Questions
43. ticklish The word has two syllables. Say /TIKLISH/, not /tik-i-lish/.

Questions
44. vehicle Although there is an H in the word, to

pronounce it is to sound hicky. Say /VEE-IKL/, not
/vee-Hikl/.
45. wintry Heres another weather word often
mispronounced, even by the weather person. The word
has two syllables. Say /WIN-TRY/, not /win-ter-y/.
Write down two reasons why you should try to pronounce words correctly, especially in formal
speaking situations.
1.
2.
Make a list of words you frequently mispronounce (use the two lists above for help) and that you
are going to focus on pronouncing correctly from now on!
16
Body Language and Facial Expressions

It is said that people will believe what they see before they believe what you say.
I didnt win, but Im

totally happy for that
other person who did.
I would love
I
to go visit
your mother.
Body position (body language) also gives an audience cues. See what these people
seem to be telling you.
17
Fill in the speech bubbles for these images. Be sincere, not ironic or
sarcastic, please.
18
19
Oral Interpretation for Performance: Preparing

Reading Material
How Do I Get My Material Ready to Read in Public?
Diana Nygard, Yahoo Contributor Network
Sep 2, 2009
Once you have chosen the perfect reading selection, you need to
become familiar with it. You begin to prepare your material.
You need
several copies of your reading selection
a pencil to make markings and notes to yourself
Before you begin, photocopy or, better yet, in a word processor, type and save your selection, double
spaced. Feel free to make notes to yourself about anything you like and to erase any that you want to
change as the need arises (that's why you want a pencil, not a pen). The good thing about typing your
text is that you can reprint it whenever you need to. You may need to do that if you've made too many
markings that need to be changed. Or, you may like to have several versions of your reading
prepared; after practicing you can choose which version you like, or you can save different versions
for different audiences or performance settings, as appropriate.
Take a look at these tips.
Learn the gist of the story. What is it about?
Read the story silently over and over. And over. Really - I'm not exaggerating.
Get to know the characters, even the narrator. Who are they? How do they think? How do they
act? What do they look like? What are their voices like? Do they have certain gestures? [Note: You
don't need to make decisions yet. You're just getting acquainted with them.]
Get familiar with the grammatical structure of all sentences so you know how to read the
sentence. Watch the punctuation, ambiguous stress, rhythm, musical sentence flow (called cadence).
All of these things affect where your voice stops and starts, goes up and down, and whether a word
like content is a noun or an adjective. (Try that word aloud and see what I mean.)
20
Look up pronunciation and meaning of words you're not sure of (for example, indict,
ricochet, epitome).
Determine how you generally want to read the lines expressively. [Note: You are only
looking at the flow of the reading, not the interpretation.] Look for which words to stress, volume for
each line, emotions, pauses and spacing, breathing, the rhythm of your voice, the cadence of your
voice, key words, passing words.
In pencil, begin marking your copy of the selection with dynamic markings meaningful to you.
You can develop a system of marks, if you like. [See below for ideas. Remember - this is just an
overview of understanding the material in a general way. Once you examine the characters and the
story more closely, you will make specific interpretation decisions after you've become familiar with
the material. Marking lightly in pencil will allow you to change your mind later.
Go as far as you can to memorize your piece - even if you are going to read it from the book or
paper. This will help you more than you can imagine!
Some dynamic terms
staccato - short, crisp word
legato - smooth, even words
slur - a marking showing that a phrase should be smooth and tied together for a smooth effect
accent - a marking showing that a phrase should be given strong emphasis ^
key words - the main words in a message requiring more emphasis
passing words - words that are not key words in the message, not requiring strong attention; you can
mark passing phrases with a squiggle.
crescendo - an increase in volume
decrescendo - a decrease in volume
21
For your initial oral interpretation, youre going to present a

story book.
RUBRIC III
Choose a story. Mrs. Eaton has a collection, or you
may bring in your own beloved childhood story.
Practice it. When you perform it for the assessment,
you should be extremely familiar with the words, the story,
the characters, etc.
This is a performance piece. Think showmanship, gestures, showing
the pictures to the audience, showing emotion with facial expressions,
and vocal variety (especially for different characters).
Effective Storytelling Performance Skills
When telling a story, an effective storyteller demonstrates the following traits
observable by others:
Voice Mechanics
Speaks with an appropriate volume for the audience to hear. Employs
clear enunciation. Uses non-monotonous, vocal expression to clarify the
meaning of the text.
Face/Body/Gesture
Expressively uses non-verbal communication to clarify the meaning of
the text.
Focus
Concentration is clear.
Eye contact with audience is engaging.
Maintains a charismatic presence in space (stage presence).
Characterization
If dialogue is employed, characters are believable to listener.
Storyteller's natural voice is differentiated from character voices.
Use of Space:
Storyteller seems comfortable, relaxed and confident in front of listeners.
Storyteller maintains clear spatial relationships for characters and
narrator.
Pacing:
The story is presented efficiently and keeps listeners' interest throughout.
22
And Now For Something A Little Bit Different

Your second oral interpretation piece will be a poetry selection. You
are to choose a poem of 16 lines minimum. For the purpose of this
assignment, you cannot use a nonsense poem or riddle. Shel
Silverstein is not a good poet choice for the parameters of analyzing
poetry. This piece doesnt need to be memorized, but like the story,
you need to become extremely familiar with it.
Heres a guide to prepare a poem for presentation
Read . Re-read. And read again:
First reading:
read straight throughignoring line and stanza breaksas though you were
reading prose (full sentences).
Second reading:
read out loud, paying attention to line breaks, and punctuation.
Third reading:
circle/underline words and phrases that you dont understand.
Fourth Reading:
circle/underline words and phrases that you do understand, and that you feel
help you to understand the poem. Perhaps a key word or phrase that
embodies a theme of the poem.
Fifth (and
subsequent
readings):
interact with the poem. Read out loud, again. Sound out individual words
and lines repeatedly, trying to gain a sense of rhythm (stress and accents), the
sound of letters (hard/soft). Mark up the page(s)and if you do not want to
write in your book, photocopy the page(s)writing down thoughts and
questions; recording definitions of words from your third reading, when you
noted words that you didnt understand.
Reverse Reading: To be performed after your first reading. As you read, and an idea enters
your head (you have a sense of the big picture of a poem, its theme), STOP
reading! and began moving backward through the poem, trying to locate the
word, image, line that triggered your idea. If you cant find a specific
triggermake a note in the margin that hereit occurred to methe poem
is a about death (for instance)
Now follow these steps to delve even further into the meaning of the poem.
look at the title
read the poem for the major indicators of its meaning -- what aspects of setting, of topic,
of voice (the person who is speaking) seem to dominate, to direct your reading?
read the ending of the poem -- decide where it 'gets to'
divide the poem into parts: try to understand what the organization is, how the poem
proceeds, and what elements or principles guide this organization (is there a reversal, a
climax, a sequence of some kind, sets of oppositions?)
23
pay attention to the tone of the poem -- in brief, its attitude to its subject, as that is
revealed in intonation, nuance, the kind of words used, and so forth.
now that you've looked at the title, the major indicators of 'topic', the ending, the
organization, the tone, read the poem out loud, trying to project its meaning in your
reading. As you gradually get a sense of how this poem is going, what its point and drift
is, start noticing more about how the various elements of the poetry work to create its
meaning. This may be as different as the kind of imagery used, or the way it uses
oppositions, or the level of realism or symbolism of its use of the natural world.
Reading poetry well is a balance among and conjunction of qualities: experience, attention,
engagement with the qualities which make the poem resonant or compelling, close reading of
structure and relationships. It's an acquired talent, you have to learn it. When you do, however,
more and more meaning, power and beauty start leaping out at you.
Analysis Read this information and answer the questions about your chosen piece.
1. What is the genre, or form, of the poem?
Is it a sonnet, an elegy, a lyric, a narrative, a dramatic monologue, an epistle, an epic (there are
many more). Different forms or genres have different subjects, aims, conventions and attributes.
A love sonnet, for instance, is going to talk about different aspects of human experience in
different ways with different emphases than is a political satire, and our recognition of these
attributes of form or genre is part of the meaning of the poem.
2. Who is speaking in the poem?
Please remember that if the voice of the poem says "I", that doesn't mean it is the author who is
speaking: it is a voice in the poem which speaks. The voice can be undramatized (it's just a
voice, it doesn't identify itself), or dramatized (the voice says "I", or the voice is clearly that of a
particular persona, a dramatized character). Identify the voice. What does the voice have to do
with what is happening in the poem, what is its attitude, what is the tone of the voice (tone can be
viewed as an expression of attitude). How involved in the action or reflection of the poem is the
voice? What is the perspective or 'point of view' of the speaker? The perspective can be social,
intellectual, political, even physical -- there are many different perspectives, but they all
contribute to the voice's point of view, which point of view affects how the world of the poem is
seen, and how we respond.
3. What is the poem about?
24
4. Are there key statements or conflicts in the poem that appear to be central to its
meaning?
Is the poem direct or indirect in making its meanings? If there are no key statements, are there
key or central symbol, repetitions, actions, motifs (recurring images), or the like?
5. How does the sound of the poetry contribute to its meaning?

Pope remarked that "the sound must seem an echo to the sense": both the rhythm and the sound
of the words themselves (individually and as they fit together) contribute to the meaning.
6. Examine the use of language.

What kinds of words are used? How much and to what ends does the poet rely on connotation, or
the associations that words have (as "stallion" connotes a certain kind of horse with certain sorts
of uses)? Does the poem use puns, double meanings, ambiguities of meaning?
7. What did the author think you already knew?
8. What challenged, changed, or confirmed what you already knew?
9. What surprised you?
When its time to present your poem to the class, remember good presentation skills. Check out
the relevant rubric.
RUBRIC IV
25
RUBRIC V
Monologue Performance
This presentation is to be of a short (1 -2 minute) monologue. You

may choose a comedic piece or a dramatic piece. It will be most useful
to you if you pick a piece you can identify with. For example, if your
piece is about the loneliness of being an elderly widow, and you a) are
not lonely, b) are not elderly, c) have not suffered the death of your
husband, or d) dont know anyone personally in that position , this will
be a very hard piece to identify with on a personal level. So, put some
time and effort into the choosing and youll have an easier time with
the analyzing and performing parts.
A monologue is by definition a solo project, so no, you cant do this with a partner. But you will
need a buddy to rehearse with. Below, list the steps you will take to prepare your monologue for
performance. It must be memorized. Remember what you have already learned about preparing
from the previous lessons, and from your own experience. Add additional steps as necessary.
1. _______________________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________________________________
FINAL STEP: Present with confidence!
Use the Character analysis worksheet as a preparatory step.
26
Monologue Character Study

Name _______________________________
Read your monologue several times. Then create a vision of the character represented. Use clues in the
monologue to determine the following:
Quality
Monologue
Characters
Clue (How do you know, evidence from the

text)
Posture
Mannerisms/Gestures
Clothing
Emotional state
What do they want
What is his/her family

like?
How is she/he like

you?
27
The last Oral Interpretation Project is to present a
duet or small group scene.
Youll use a script from one of Mrs. Eatons books, one you find on line, or one adapted from a
book. Minimal use of props is allowed. Your scene should last 5-10 minutes. It must be
MEMORIZED.
RUBRIC VI
Each person in the group should fill out the following to plan your performance.
Title of script:
Author:
Source:
Characters listed:
Students performing:
Theme of the piece:
Main thing the audience should look for or learn from this piece:
Additional information you want to note:
28
Secondary Elements of Theatre

Unlike the Primary Elements (Mind, Body, Voice), Secondary Elements are not required to convey
meaning to an audience. However, used effectively, they can be very beneficial to a performance.
Secondary elements include:
Scenery
Costumes
Music
Make Up
Sound
Lights
Props
Dance
Movement
Identify a scene (setting) for as many of the following as possible.

o Alice in Wonderland
____________________________
o Aladdin
____________________________
o The Lion King
____________________________
o Peter Pan
____________________________
o The Outsiders
____________________________
o Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_______________________
Identify a prop needed for as many of the following as possible.
____________________________
o Aladdin
____________________________
o The Lion King
____________________________
o Peter Pan
____________________________
o The Outsiders
____________________________
o Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
___________________
29
Identify a costume needed for as many of the following as possible.

____________________________
o Aladdin
____________________________
o The Lion King
____________________________
o Peter Pan
____________________________
o The Outsiders
____________________________
o Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
___________________
Some secondary element choices are prescribed by the script, as are most of
those in the preceding exercise. Others are artistic choices made by the director.
All of the choices help to direct the meaning for the audience. So lets look at
three essential questions:
What is the effect?
Why does it matter?
How could it be different?
To do this, we are going to compare two versions of Romeo and Juliet. Both
versions are based on William Shakespeares script, and both maintain the Middle
English language of Shakespeares time. However, they differ in setting,
costumes, props, music, lighting and sound.
The first version was filmed in 1968 by director Franco Zeffirelli. It is a very traditional
production in regards to secondary elements. Stars in this production were (top row)
Leonard
Whiting
as Romeo
Montague
Leonardo diCaprio
Olivia
Hussey as
Juliet
Capulet
Claire Danes as Juliet

Capulet
John
McEnery as
Mercutio
Michael York as Tybalt
Harold Perrineau as
Mercutio
John Leguizamo
As Tybalt
as Romeo Montague
The second version was filmed in 1996 by Baz Luhrman. It is a very non-traditional production.
The stars of this production are shown in the bottom row above.
30
NEXT.
Now youre going to use information from the table above about
the two productions to produce a response that addresses the
thesis below and all three essential questions.
Thesis: Secondary elements are used convey meaning to the
audience.
31
RUBRIC VII
8th grade Drama Script Analysis Unit

Part 1
Name _____________________ Partner _________________________________
Title of script __________________ Playwright ________________________
Choose a partner and a script. The script needs to be read completely at least
three times before you do much of anything else. Use this page for notes on the
following:
o
First reading get the basic plot and a summary of the events.
Become familiar with the characters
What is this play about?
Who are the main characters?
Second reading look for the theme and cause and effect relationships
What is the theme of this play?
How do you know? Give evidence from the script.
32
What events happen that cause other events to

occur? (Cause and effect)
1.
Because _____________________, ____________________ happened.
2.
3.
4.
Add more if you need to.
33
o Third reading Really focus on the characters:

Who are each of the characters? Fill out the chart.
Character
What do they
What obstacles
want (goals)?
are standing in
the way of them
achieving their
goals?
34
How do they
react to each
other, what
relationships are
evident?
After those three readings, start making some notes. Answering the questions
below will help you put the story in your mind. Include line numbers where
evidence for the answers appears in the text. Note which character says a line
that proves your point.
Where does the story take place in general?
If there is more than one scene, what specific settings will be needed
What time period is this set in?
What historical events impact this story (if any)?
What famous or historical persons figure into this story?
Is this play based on a real person or event?

Who is the main character?
Do any other works reference this event, this play, this story, these
characters?
35
RUBRIC IV
Activity 1 - Dramaturgy:
Its time for a little research!
Research into the playwright, the background and history of a play or the
events depicted in a play is called dramaturgy. It helps the director, and
sometimes the actors and audience, gain a greater appreciation of the play.
Youll need to decide on something to research about your play. Looking at
the questions above may give you some ideas.
Topic to research
_________________________________________________________________
How it relates to the play
___________________________________________________________
Now put your information together into a short expository essay of a minimum of
3 paragraphs (introduction, body, conclusion).
Use the space below for pre-writing and planning your essay.
36
PART TWO Secondary Elements

To get the meaning of this play across to an audience, the director (thats you) can
use the secondary elements of theatre (music, scenery, lights, costumes, make
up, props, movement and dance). Youre going to collect all of the following
information. Do this together with your partner. Youll answer the questions and
do the work together. Each of you should fill out the workbook sections.
Scenery:
o Read Chapter 18 pages 212-225 in the Basic Drama Projects
textbook. Additional information can be found in How Does the Show
Go On pages 48 53, 90-93 and 98-103.
o How many different settings are there? Make a list.
Scene Where is it? Indoors ? Script-required elements
Characters in
out
1st
scene
2nd
scene
3rd
scene
4th
scene
5th
scene
6th
scene
37
7th
scene
8th
scene
9th
scene
10th
scene
Add more if necessary
38
o How will you stage them? Think about the scenery to paint, or the
furniture, or what needs to be built. Think about how it would work out
on a stage. Remember, this isnt a movie where you can shoot on
location. Once you have a plan, write out a description of each setting,
and draw a sketch of each scene. Use a separate piece of paper and put
it in the front folder. Label each scene. Use the template below.
Scene _________
Back drop:
Furniture? Set pieces? What needs to be purchased, built, or

painted?
(Do this for each different scene)
o Make a model for one of your scenes. Use either Google Sketch Up,
or some other design program, or make a diorama with a box.
RUBRIC IX
39
Lights:
o How will you use lighting to highlight or enhance
meaning in this play? Read chapter 19
beginning on page 232 in the Basic Drama
Projects textbook. Additional information can be found in How Does
the Show Go On pages 104-107.
o Follow the steps in the reading to produce a light plot for one of your
scenes.
Use the space below to develop your light plot.
40
Music:
o Choose a song to function as an introduction piece to play at the
beginning of the play.
o Title of Song ____________________________________
o Performer _____________________________
o Now, explain fully why this is a good song to start this show with.
What mood does it set, and how?
o Now do the same thing for a song for the end of the show.
o Title of ending song ________________________________
o Performer ___________________________
o Explain why this is a good song to have at the end of this play.
o What other music will there be in this show?
o Where, what, and why?
How about sound effects? Read chapter 20 in the Basic Drama Projects textbook,
beginning on page 252. Additional information can be found in How Does the
Show Go On pages 34-37 and 54-55.
o Are they indicated in the script, or is it your idea (creative vision)?
What purpose does each effect serve?
o Will there be any dance numbers? How will those look? Why?
41
Costumes
o Describe the costumes your characters will wear. List the characters,
and write a description of their costume.
Make note of any characters needing more
than one costume. Read chapter 21
beginning on page 264 in the Basic Drama
Projects textbook. Additional information can
be found in How Does the Show Go On pages
56-59.
Character
Costume notes
Add more if necessary
42
Costume Rendering: Use the space below to sketch out two of your characters
costumes.
RUBRIC X
Character 1:
Character 2:
Indicate what color and what kind of fabric. You might have to do a little research
on what kinds of fabrics are used for different things. Attach a small piece if you
want.
43
Make Up
o Read chapter 22 beginning on page 280 in the Basic Drama Projects
textbook. Additional information can be found in How Does the Show
Go On pages 90-93 and 98-103. Additional information can be found
in How Does the Show Go On pages 60-67.
o Describe how make up will be used in your show. Will anyone need
character make up? Aging? Trauma?
Character or Character group Make up Notes
44
Props
o What props will be necessary to get the ideas across to your
audience? Make a list.
o Where will those props come from? Read chapter 23 beginning on
page 300 in the Basic Drama Projects textbook.
Scene
Props needed
Source (Where will you get each

prop?)
45
8th
grade Drama Script Analysis Unit Part 3
Name __________________________________ Partner _________________________________

Title of script __________________________________ Playwright ________________________
Who will play each part? Here is your chance to cast a dream team for your show. Below, list each
character, then cast a celebrity or someone from this school to play them in your production. Explain
your choices.
Character
Who should play it?
Why?
RUBRIC XI
46
Script Analysis Part 4

Publicity: You have to let the public know about your show. You dont make any money if no
one attends. You will do this with your partner to produce ONE review and ONE poster
together.
1. Write a short review of your play as a critic might. Refer to text book page 386 for
information about writing critiques. Be sure you include the following: Title of the play,
a positive view point about the play (you wouldnt share a lousy review with a bunch of
potential investors), use of strong adjectives, specific details that you like about this
production, and that your review covers at least three aspects of production.
RUBRIC XII
2. Make a poster to advertise your show. Include: Title, playwright, producer/director

(thats you), venue, dates and times, stars, a phrase or word to catch attention,
graphics
RUBRIC XIII
47
Actor Comparison
Actor
Adam Sandler
Character
Bobby Bouche
(Waterboy)
Adam Sandler
Happy Gilmore
Keira Knightley
Elizabeth Swan (Pirates

of the Caribbean)
Keira Knightley
Elizabeth Bennett (Pride

and Prejudice)
Attributes
What is good acting? What is bad acting? Write a personal definition

below. List at least four attributes of a good actor.
Good acting-
48
FYI:
How to Write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay
Introduction
How to Write a Compare-and-Contrast Essay in 8 Easy Steps
A compare-and-contrast essay might seem like the easiest type of paper to write: just find things
that are alike and then find things that are different. Piece of cake, right? Theres a catch,
however. It is up to you to argue why those similarities and differences matter; otherwise, you
dont have much of a paper. The following steps will guide you through the process of writing an
effective compare-and-contrast essay that actually has something valuable to say.
1) So theyre alike and theyre different. So what? A good paper will not simply offer a
summary of themes, characters, or plot. Your job is to think about how these comparisons and
contrasts create meaningful connections to a larger issue.
2) Create an effective thesis statement. Again, you need to say why the comparison and
contrast is worthy of note. Lets say you want to compare and contrast the heroines of Pride and
Prejudice and Jane Eyre. Your thesis might be this: Although Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre
are very different on the outside, their shared internal values connects them in literary history and
in the fight for womens rights. Now you have a reason for your efforts and a compelling case
for your audiences attention.
3) Select a pattern. There are two ways you can write a compare-and-contrast paper. You can
present your arguments in a "tandem" pattern or an "alternating" pattern.
Tandem. Separate your pros and cons into two camps. For example, if you are
comparing Jane Austens Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice to the heroine of Charlotte
Bronts Jane Eyre, you would list all the ways in which the protagonists are similar and
different. A rough list might look something like this:
Elizabeth
Upper class
Beautiful
Outspoken
Resists marriage
Socially inappropriate
Ends up with her man,
and all is well
Jane
Dirt poor, orphan
Plain
Outspoken
Resists marriage
Socially awkward
Ends up with her man,
but only after trauma
Once you have your list, the body of your paper will address everything you have
discovered about one character, then everything about the other character.
49
Alternating. If you opt for this choice, you will be juxtaposing Elizabeth and Janes pros
and cons. Creating the list of likeness and differences will be handy here as well, but in
using this method, you will continually address the two characters back and forth as
you compose the body of your paper. For example, you might say, Elizabeth is easy on
the eyes, a traditional beauty, but Bronts Jane is continually described as plain and
homely.
4) How to decide on a pattern. While there is no rule about selecting one method over another,
for longer papers (those that exceed five or six pages) you should probably go with the
alternating pattern. It is hard for the reader to retain all the pertinent information about each side
of your argument in lengthier discussions. For shorter papers, the tandem pattern will probably
be the best bet.
5) Support with primary text. Support your analysis by providing primary textual support; in
this case, the primary sources are the novels Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. For each point
you address, whether in a tandem or an alternating pattern, offer textual evidence for your
positions either by directly quoting from the text or by paraphrasing. Be sure to properly cite
each quote or paraphrase in whatever format your instructor requests (e.g., MLA, Chicago, etc.).
6) Support with secondary sources, if required. Some instructors may ask that you use sources
other than the text itself to support your argument. A secondary source is anyone other than the
original author. Use secondary sources to provide additional backing for your thesis, especially
in arguing for why the compare-and-contrast approach you have selected is valid.
7) Include your own voice. One of the biggest challenges for a writer is to offer his or her own
take on a topic. You may feel that everyone else has already said everything there is to say about
your subject. Dont be discouraged! Your own interpretation is what is most valuable in the end.
8) Review. Revise. Repeat. Compare-and-contrast essays can often become convoluted if a tight
check is not kept on your writing. Review your work often to make sure you have not suffered
the sins of summarizing plot, soapboxing, or wandering pointlessly in the literary woods. Move
or delete text if you have to: dont keep trying to pound a piece into the puzzle if it clearly
doesnt fit.
ASSIGNMENT: To further discuss the concept of good acting we will watch

two films starring the same actor in contrasting roles. You will take notes
during the films and then produce a product of your choice to demonstrate
your opinion of whether the featured actor is good or bad at acting. The
attributes in your own definition should form the basis for your opinion, and
youll use specific details from the films to support your claim. Use the
information about Writing Compare and Contrast Essays above and the notes
youll take in the chart below to compose a compare/contrast Product about the
acting performance of the featured actor in two different film roles.
RUBRIC XV
50
Comparing Two Roles of the Same Actor

Using the word below, note the traits you observed in the two characters.
Also note specific incidents from the films to support these claims.
BOTH
Character Traits Word Bank

adventurous, afraid, ambitious, arrogant, bad, bold, bossy, brainy, brave, brilliant, calm, careful,
careless, cautious, charming, cheerful, childish, cowardly, cruel, curious, demanding, depressed,
dishonest, eager, easygoing, energetic, evil, faithful, fearless, foolish, friendly, funny, gentle,
giving, gloomy, graceful, greedy, guilty, happy, healthy, helpful, honest, hopeful, imaginative,
impatient, impolite, innocent, inventive, intelligent, jealous, kind, lazy, lonely, loving, loyal,
lucky, mature, mean, mysterious, nervous, nice, noisy, obedient, peaceful, pleasant, polite, poor,
proud, quiet, responsible, rough, rowdy, rude, sad, scared, selfish, serious, shy, silly, sly, smart,
sneaky, spoiled, strange, sweet, talented, tender, thoughtful, thoughtless, trusting, trustworthy,
unfriendly, unhappy, upset, warm, weak, wealthy, wicked, wise, worried, zany
51
Additional Unit:
Character Analysis
1. View a version of 12 Angry Men. Use the script in the Appendix to follow along
and highlight parts you think are important.
2. Choose one of the characters to analyze.
3. Answer the questions below based on the script and performance of that
character. You may need to provide some of the back story yourself, but all of
your responses should be based on the characters actions and reactions in the
script. There should be a valid reason to the Why do you think so? question.
Character Analysis Worksheet

1. When does my character live? Past, present or future?
2. Where does my character live? In the country, the city, the suburbs?
3. What is the socioeconomic background of my character?
4. Does my character work? If so, at what?
5. Who lives with my character and what are their relationships?
6. Is my character very religious, political, or otherwise a member or some
kind?
7. What is my characters biggest life goal?
8. What is my characters biggest goal within the play?
52
9. How does my characters motivation change from the beginning of the play
to the end?
10.What is the primary emotion my character has throughout this piece?
11.What other emotions are affecting my character underneath that emotion?
12.Does my character have mental or emotional difficulties, illnesses or tics?
13.What kind of self-esteem does my character have?
14.How does my character relate to the outside world?
15.What props or scenic elements does my character relate to within the play?
16.How do those props/scenic elements develop my character?
17.What emotion should the audience feel toward my character? Sympathy,
hate, friendly?
18.In the beginning of the play, what do we discover about my character?
19.In the middle of the play, how does my character grow and change?
20.At the end of the play, what will happen to my character?
21.What information about my character has been cut out of the piece for
performance?
53
22.How important is my character to the action of the play as a whole?

23.When does my character help the plot along and how?
24.What is the most important element to my character: family, love, or
career?
25.How old is my character? What major historical events have they lived
through?
26.Does my character have children? How does (s)he feel about them?
27.Is my character manipulating or being manipulated by anyone?
28.Does my character have a hidden agenda or a deep secret?
29.Who are they hiding this from? Another character? The audience?
30.How strong are my characters emotions in this piece? Pure hatred? Mild
lust?
31.What is my characters greatest fear?
32.What is my characters greatest accomplishment?
33.Does my character have their wants achieved at the end of the play?
34.What person or fictional character does my character most remind me of?
54
35.If I met my character, how would I react to them?

36.How is my character like me? How is he different?
55
Self-Reflection 1: following Breathing,

Articulation, Vocal Production &
Pronunciation Lessons
Name ____________________________________
What did you already know
about these topics?
What new information did you

learn?
How did you connect the new

information to what you already
knew ?
How can this information be

useful to you in other situations?
56
Self-Reflection 2: following Storybook

Performance
Name ____________________________________
Complete the following sentences.
The most important thing I learned was
I still need help with
I would like to learn more about
The best part of the storybook performance

was
I can apply what Ive learned to
57
Self-Reflection 3: following Poetry

Performance
Name ____________________________________
Summarize this oral interpretation experience in
25 carefully chosen words.
58
Self-Reflection 4: following Monologue

Performance
Name ______________________________________
Rating Scale
= I am totally cool with this!
= I am working on this! Im pumped!
= Im getting there, but I still have some questions
= I need to work on this.
Rating Circle the icon
that best describes your
feeling about the criteria.
Criteria
Goal for Improvement or

How to Use this Skill in
Other Situations
Following the lesson during

class; paying attention; focus
on the topic.
Using my class time
effectively.
Staying on task and not
distracting others, or getting
distracted by them.
Preparing for a performance.
Memorizing my piece.
Rehearsing my performance
so Im comfortable
Speaking in front of an
audience.
Understanding a character
and performing as that
character.
59
Self-Reflection 5: following Duet/Scene

Performance
Name ____________________________________
Three things I
did well
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Three new
things I learned
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Three things I
can improve
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Now make 3 Goals for using what you have learned about Oral Interpretation,
Presentations, Pronunciation, and Breathing in other situations
1._________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
60
Self-Reflection 6: following Comparing

Secondary Elements in Romeo & Juliet
Name ______________________________________
Rating Scale
= I am totally cool with this!
= I am working on this! Im pumped!
= Im getting there, but I still have some questions
= I need to work on this.
Rating Circle the icon
that best describes your
feeling about the criteria.
Criteria
Comparing two versions of
the same script.
Understanding how setting
and scenery convey meaning
Understanding how music
conveys meaning
Understanding how prop
choices convey meaning
Understanding how costume
choices convey meaning
Understanding the language
of William Shakespeare
Writing my thoughts in an
essay
Connecting the three
essential questions with the
concept of secondary
elements
61
Goal for Improvement or

How to Use this Skill in
Other Situations
Self-Reflection 7: following Script Analysis

Partner Project
Name _____________________________________
Rate the following statements on a scale of 1-5
1= Strongly
disagree
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2 = Disagree
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
3 = I dont really
have an opinion
on this
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly
agree
I did my best work on all aspects of this project.

I used my class time effectively during this project.
I did my fair share of the work on this project.
I understand how to really read a script.
I understand the theme of my script.
I understand cause and effect relationships.
I know how to study characters in a script.
I understand how setting and scenery impacts meaning.
I recognize that stage and screen have different strengths.
I know how lighting can convey meaning to an audience.
I can explain how music influences mood in a scene.
I know why costume choice is important in a production.
I understand why make up is important on stage.
I practiced for our presentation.
My partner did his/her fair share of the work.
I chose my partner thoughtfully.
I used materials in the classroom carefully and appropriately.
I was responsible about cleaning up and putting away daily.
I enjoyed the Script Analysis project.
Now, choose two of the statements above to elaborate (explain further with
details, examples, explanations) upon. Do this on the next page.
62
Self-Reflection 8: following Comparing Two

Characters by the Same Actor
Name ____________________________________ Complete the sentences.
I totally understand
was really important

about this unit.
I still have questions

about
surprised me.
.. reminds me of .
will be useful later when
63
Self-Reflection 9: following Character Study

Using 12 Angry Men
Name ____________________________________
List 10 things you learned from this activity in order of importance, with 1 being
most important.
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Now explain why you chose your number one as most important.
64
Self-Reflection 10: Course Evaluation of 8th

Grade Drama
Name ______________________________
What did you already know
What new information did you
about these topics?
learn?
How did you connect the new

information to what you already
knew ?
How can this information be

useful to you in other situations?
65
Theatrical Myths
and Superstitions
Shakespeare's play Macbeth is said to be

cursed, so actors avoid saying its name
(the euphemism "The Scottish Play" is
used instead). Actors also avoid even
quoting the lines from Macbeth before a
performance, particularly the Witches'
incantations. Outside a theatre and after a
performance the play can be spoken of
openly. If an actor speaks the name
"Macbeth" in a theatre prior to a
performance, he or she is required to
leave the theatre building, spin around
three times, spit, curse, and then knock to
be allowed back in. There are several
possible origins for this superstition. One is
the assumption that the song of the Weird
Sisters is an actual spell that will bring
about evil spirits. Another is that there is
more swordplay in it than most other
Shakespeare plays, and the more
swordplay must be rehearsed and
performed, the more chances there are for
someone to get injured. Yet another idea
is that the play is often run by theatres
that are in debt and looking to increase
patronage. Another superstition is the
belief that the Globe Theatre was burned
down during a performance of Macbeth,
though it was discovered that this was
actually during a performance of Henry
VIII. There is also a legend that the play
itself was cursed because the first time it
was ever performed, the actor playing
Macbeth died shortly before or after the
production (accounts vary).[citation
needed] Another version of this legend
claims that it was the actor who played
Lady Macbeth who died during the play's
first production run and that Shakespeare
himself had to assume the role. There is no
evidence that either version of this legend
is factual. Another legend states that
Annotate in this column. Be

alert to the Stances, Signposts,
and Strategies & the Big
Questions
MacBeth was cursed by witches because

the play revealed their secrets. Another
legend claims that the original production
of the play used actual witches and
witchcraft, and so the play is cursed
Generally, it is considered bad luck to wish

someone "good luck" in a theatre. Prior to
performances, it is traditional for the cast
to gather together to avert the bad luck by
wishing each other bad luck or cursing in
English-speaking countries, the expression
"break a leg" replaces the phrase "good
luck". The exact origin of this expression is
unknown, but some of the most popular
theories are the Shakespearean Theory or
Traditional Theory, and the Bowing
Theory. If someone does say "good luck",
they must go out of the theatre, turn
around 3 times, spit, curse, then knock on
the door and ask to be readmitted to the
theatre.The expression "break a leg" has
spread outside of the theatre and is
regularly used by non-actors toward actors
and in non-theatrical situations. One
theory is that the expression comes from
the idea that a performer must go on
stage and hopefully perform well by
'breaking through' the side curtains, which
are known as 'legs
One should always leave a light burning in
an empty theatre.[citation needed]
Traditionally, the light is placed upstage
centre. That is, farthest from the audience,
centre stage. Several reasons are given for
this, all having to do with ghosts. The light
wards off ghosts. A theatre's ghosts always
want to have enough light to see. Failure
to provide this may anger them, leading to
pranks or other mishaps. It prevents nonspectral personnel from having to cross
the stage in the dark, falling into the
orchestra pit, dying in the fall and
becoming ghosts themselves. Though it's a
superstition, it does have practical value:
the backstage area of a theatre tends to
be cluttered, so someone who enters a
completely darkened space is liable to be
67
injured while hunting for a light switch.

One ghost-related superstition is that the
theatre should always be closed one night
a week to give the ghosts a chance to
perform their own plays. This is
traditionally on Monday nights,
conveniently giving actors a day off after
weekend performance
It is considered bad luck for an actor to
whistle on or off stage. As original stage
crews were hired from ships in port
(theatrical rigging has its origins in sailing
rigging), sailors, and by extension
theatrical riggers, used coded whistles to
communicate scene changes. Actors who
whistled would confuse them into
changing the set or scenery. In today's
theatres, the stage crew normally uses an
intercom or cue light system.
No real money should be used on stage.
This may derive from gamblers'
superstitions about money, or it could just
be a sensible precaution against theft. In a
similar vein, it is considered unlucky to
wear real jewelry on stage, as opposed to
costume jewelry
It is bad luck to complete a performance of
a play without an audience in attendance,
so one should never say the last line of a
play during rehearsals. To get around this,
some production companies allow a
limited number of people (usually friends,
family, and reviewers) to attend the dress
rehearsals.
In some companies wearing the t-shirt of
the play being produced before opening
day is considered bad luck. Other
companies however hold the exact
opposite opinion, and actually encourage
their actors to wear the shirt as often as
possible before opening night to increase
ticket sales.
A bad dress rehearsal foretells a good
opening night. Possibly, this is an example
of sour grapes. However, it has a tendency
to be true in that cast and crew are scared
straight by a bad dress rehearsal and
therefore fix their mistakes by opening
68
night. (Alternatively, a director may offer

this superstition to boost the confidence
of the actors after they were disheartened
by the bad dress rehearsal.)
A company should not practice doing their
bows until the final dress rehearsal.
Gifts such as flowers should be given to
actors after a show, as opposed to before.
Peacock feathers should never be brought
on stage, either as a costume element,
prop, or part of a set piece. Many veteran
actors and directors tell stories of sets
collapsing and other such events during
performances with peacock feathers.
Some actors believe that having a Bible
onstage is unlucky. Often, other books or
prop books will be used with Bible covers.
Specific colors
o Blue is considered unlucky, unless
countered by wearing silver. As
blue dye was once very costly; a
failing acting company would dye
some of their garments blue in the
hopes of pleasing the audience. As
for the silver to counter it, one
would know that the acting
company was truly wealthy if it
could afford to let its actors wear
real silver.
o Green is also considered unlucky.
This is said to date from the time
when most performances were
given out-of-doors. Wearing green
would make it hard to distinguish
the actor from grass/trees/bushes
in the natural setting beyond the
performing area. Another possible
cause of this superstition is that
green light tends to make actors
look corpse-like. In addition,
Molire, the famous French actor
and playwright, died from
pulmonary tuberculosis just hours
after performing in his own play,
Le Malade Imaginaire (The
Hypochondriac). He was wearing
green and, since then, it has been
believed unlucky for actors to
69
wear green during a performance.

Despite this superstition, the offstage waiting area for actors is
referred to as the green room.
Yellow is another that is
considered unlucky. This is said to
date from the days of the religious
plays. Yellow was the color worn
by the actor playing the devil.
70
Glossary of Theatrical Terms

Above the title In advertisements, when the performer's name appears before the title
of the show or play. Reserved for the big stars!
Ad Lib Shortened from ad libitum (roughly with freedom). It means unscripted or in the
moment.
Amplifier Sound term. A piece of equipment which ampilifies or increases
the sound captured by a microphone or replayed from record, CD or tape. Each
loudspeaker needs a separate amplifier.
Anticipating When an actor tips off the audience that something is expected instead of
letting it happen naturally.
Apron In a traditional theatre, the part of the stage which projects in front of the curtain.
In many theatres this can be extended, sometimes by building out over the pit.
Assistant Director Assists the Director by taking notes on all moves and other
decisions and keeping them together in one copy of the script (the Prompt Copy). In
some companies this is done by the Stage Manager, because there is no assistant.
Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) Another name for stage crew (usually, in the
professional theatre, also an understudy for one of the minor roles who is, in turn, also
understudying a major role). The lowest rung on the professional theatre ladder.
At Rise A note in the script to describe what will be seen or heard by the audience at
the moment the curtain opens.
Auditorium The part of the theatre in which the audience sits. Also known as the
House.
Backing Flat A flat which stands behind a window or door in the set.
Barn Door An arrangement of four metal leaves placed in front of the lenses of certain
kinds of spotlight to control the shape of the light beam.
Beginners Those members of the cast who are on-stage when the curtain
goes up. The call "Overture and beginners" is a signal to the orchestra to start the
introductory music and to the cast to get into position on-stage
Blackout Lighting term: switching all lights out at once, leaving the stage in complete
darkness. See also DBO.
Blacklight Ultra-violet light. Can be in bulb or, more usually,tube form.
Blacks Black curtains at the back and sides of the stage.
71
Blocking The setting of the actors' positions and moves at the beginning of rehearsals.
Occasionally known as plotting, but this term is usually reserved for use in lighting.
Board Another name for a control desk, either lighting (most usually) or sound.
Book (The) A copy of the script, kept by the Stage Manager, which includes
all cues and notes. Also known, usually in amateur theatre, as the "prompt copy."
Box Office The place where the tickets are sold. Also used colloquially to mean the
size of the audience ("What's the box office like tonight?")
Box Set A set which consists of three walls, around a proscenium arch stage. The
proscenium opening is the fourth wall. Also known as a "room set".
Breaking Character When an actor onstage behaves in a way that doesnt fit the role
he/she is playing.
Call Generally, some sort of instruction to the company: a rehearsal call is an instruction
to attend a rehearsal at a particular time; time calls are given just before each
erformance ("Ladies and gentlemen, this is your thirty minute call"); treasury call is pay
day in the professional theatre. Note that time calls are all related to the "Beginniners"
call, not to the actual time of starting the show. In other words, the 30 minute call is
given 30 minutes before "Orchestra & Beginners" is called, or 35 minutes before
the curtain goes up.
Cast The list of characters in a play and the actors who play them. Also, as a verb, to
allocate parts to members of a company.
Cheat (Cheat Out) To make an action on stage look realistic without actually doing
what you seem to be doing; e.g. an actor looking towards the audience in the general
direction of the person he is talking to, is cheating.
.
Choreographer Devises and rehearses the dance routines, following the concept laid
down by the Director.
Cloth Backdrop scenery painted on fabric. Cloths can be on a banjo(usually in the
amateur theatre), can be rolled up, or can be flown.
Color Frame A frame which fits over the front of a lantern to held a coloured
filter or gel. They can be made from metal (preferred) or a kind of cardboard.
Come down In the theatre, a show does not finish; it comes down, i.e. the
curtain "comes down" to end the show.
72
Corner Short for the "prompt corner"; the place from which the Stage Manager controls
the show. From here he has communication links to all parts of the the theatre and
gives cues to all departments. The corner can be on either side of the stage but
traditionally it is on the left (i.e. the prompt) side. Perversely some theatres have the
prompt corner on the "opposite prompt" (OP) side of the stage! The person who is
operating the corner is sometimes said to be "in the corner" and sometimes "on the
book".
Corpse Not a dead body in a thriller! An actor who gets an unintended and
uncontrollable fit of laughter on stage is said to "corpse".
Cross Fade Lighting term: fading one lantern (or group of lanterns) up while
fading another down.
Cue An instruction given by the Stage Manager to one of the technical departments to
take some action; e.g. LX cue 7 is the seventh instruction in the play to the lighting
department. Also used in the sense of the point at which an actor must enter or
speak.
Curtain Call Taking a bow in front of the audience at the end of a show. Usually
abbreviated to "curtain".
Cut-out A free-standing piece of scenery, e.g.a tree, cut out of board into the correct
shape and painted.
Cyclorama Also known as a cyc. A very large piece of white fabric, tensioned on two or
more sides, which covers the entire back wall of the stage. It can be lit in various
colours or have slides or gobos projected onto it.
DBO Lighting term. Dead blackout: a sudden, instantaneous switching off of all lights.
DSL Down stage left: towards the front of the stage on the left-hand side as you look at
the audience.
DSR Down stage right.
Deputy Stage Manager (DSM) The deputy to the Stage Manager. He usually runs the
corner and is therefore responsible for the minute by minute running of the show.
Designer Designs all aspects of the production: set, costumes, wigs, although he will
work closely with the Lighting Designer.
Desk See "Board"
73
Die A production is said to die if it fails to please the public and so is taken off. In the
much less polite circles of the variety world, a show or act which fails to draw applause
is said to "die on its arse".
Dimmer A piece of equipment for varying the amount of electricity sent to a lantern,
thus varying its brightness. Sometimes (inaccurately) used for the fader which controls
the dimmer. Originally dimmers were variable resistors but now are either thyristors or
triacs, i.e. they work electronically rather than by physically moving a resistor along a
coil of wire. The verb "to dim" can be used to mean increase ("dim up") or reduce ("dim
down") the amount of light, or even switch it off entirely ("dim out").
Dips Electrical socks set into the floor of either the stage or the wings, and, usually,
covered by little trapdoors.
Director In control of all aspects of the production.(S)he develops the concept of the
production, briefs the designer and lighting designer, plots the actor's moves, rehearses
the actors, etc. etc. etc..
Doubling One actor taking more than one part in a play.
Downstage Towards the audience.
Dresser One whose job it is to help an actor (or actors) in quick changes of costume.
Dry Verb: an actor who forgets his words is said to "dry". Can also be used as a noun.
Effects Spot A spotlight which projects a slide, or a still or moving picture, i.e. of rain or
clouds, onto the stage or, more usually, the cyclorama.
Fade Sound and lighting term: to increase (fade up), decrease (fade down) or eliminate
(fade out) gradually the brightness of a lantern or the volume of a sound.
Flat An oblong frame of timber, covered with either canvas or hardboard and painted,
which forms part of the set. There are also door flats, window flats, even fireplace flats.
Canvas flats, being lighter and easier to move around, are the preferred option, but
schools often go for hardboard-covered flats which are more hardwearing.
Flood A floodlight: a lantern which gives a wide-spreading, unfocused beam of light.
These can be symmetric (i.e. casting the light equally in all directions) or asymmetric
(casting it more in one direction than the others). The symmetric flood is probably the
cheapest stage lantern - and the least useful!
Fly Verb: scenery which is raised into the roof (flown out) or lowered on the stage (flown
in). The apparatus for doing this consists of a series of ropes and pulleys in the "fly
tower" (a very high roof space) and they raise or lower the scenery by means of a
74
counterweight system or by directly pulling on "hemp lines". The men who operate the
"flies" are called "flymen" and the area in which they work is called the "fly floor"
of, quite simply, the "flies". People can also be flown (as in every production of "Peter
Pan"!) in a harness.
Focus Verb used in lighting: to point the lanterns in the right direction and set the
correct beam-spread and edge.
FoH Front of House: anything which happens on the audience side of the curtain is said
to happen "front of house". The term "the house" is used to mean either the auditorium,
or the audience ("We had a good house tonight"), or even the theatre itself.
Follow-spot A type of profile spotlight with an irs diaphragm and a handle so that it can
be used to follow a performer around the stage in a beam of light of exactly the right
size. Traditionally called a "lime": hence the term "being in the limelight". These produce
a very bright beam of light which is more powerful than that produced by any other
lanterns. Modern limes almost always use CSI lamps.
Footlights A series of floodlights placed on the stage floor along the front of the stage.
Traditional in variety theatres, foots are nowadays rarely used.
Fresnel A kind of spotlight in which the light is concentrated by a Fresnel lens (a lens
with concentric ridged rings). Projects a variable angle soft-edged beam. Sometimes
called a frnel and given the French pronunciation.
FX Effects: usually sound effects in the theatre but can also refer to pyrotchnics. In film,
usually refers to visual (i.e. computer generated) effects.
Gate The focal plane of a profile spot into which gobos and iris diaphragms can be
placed.
Gauze A loosely-woven cloth on which a scene can be painted. When lit from the front,
it is opaque and only the painted scene is seen; when lit from behind, however, it
becomes transparent. Commonly used in pantomime.
G-clamp Used for fastening lanterns to a bar. A G-shaped piece of metal with a screw
throught the bar of the G which clamps to the lighting bar.
Gel A filter placed over the front of a lantern to change the color of the light.
Gesture Indicating with a movement of hands, or head.
Gobo A piece of metal or glass, which fits into the gate of a profile spot and projects a
pattern onto the set. Gobos can be very complex. They are first fitted into a gobo holder.
Holders vary in size (each type of lantern requires a different size), although the gobos
75
themselves are of a standard size. Most basic gobos are made of metal but very
complex patterns can be created on glass gobos.
Go Up In theatre slang, a show does not start, it "goes up"; i.e. the curtain goes up.
Greenroom A room backstage, often licensed, in which the company can sit and relax
before, during or after a show. Once common, greenrooms are rarely found in modern
theatres.
Half (The) Half an hour before the first actors are due on stage (i.e. 35 minutes before
the show begins). All actors must be in their dressing rooms by the Half. Traditionally
the audience is allowed into the auditorium at that point. Traditionally too, the House
Manager blows a whistle in the auditorium to announce the Half.
Hold for a Laugh When action onstage pauses to allow the audience to finish laughing.
House See FoH.
House Manager In charge of everything which happens front of house (FoH):
box office, ushers/usherettes, the bars, cash, etc..
House Tabs The curtains across the front of the stage.
Improvisation Acting without script or rehearsal. See also Ad Lib.
Ingenue Old fashioned term for the female juvenile lead.
Instrument An American term for lantern, what in domestic terms we mean
by the word "light".
Jack A type of connector used in sound equipment; sometimes called a phone jack.
There are two types, mono and stereo, found in two sizes (standard: 6.3mm and mini:
3.5mm). At one time most sound equipment used standard jacks, but now they are
usually only used on line-level gear: microphones normally have XLR connectors.
Juve Abbreviation for Juvenile Lead: the young male main part.
Lamp In the theatre, the bulb which is fitted to what, in normal use, we
call a light, is referred to as a lamp.
Lantern What in normal English we call a light, in the theatre is called a lantern.
Actually, it's a slightly old-fashioned expression: luminaire is used more often nowadays,
whereas some prefer the American term instrument.
Left Stage left, or the LHS as you face the audience. Also called the Prompt Side or PS.
76
Legs Curtains used to cover the wings.

Lighting Designer Responsible for designing, focusing and plotting the lighting for
a production. In the professional theatre he is not normally responsible for operating the
lighting, although he will usually do that in the amateur theatre. Responsible to the
Director, not the Stage Manager. Works in close co-operation with the Designer.
Luminaire The more modern term for Lantern.
Maroon An electrically fired thunderflash, set off in a steel tank fitted with a wire mesh
top, to simulate an explosion. These are so loud that it is as well to inform the police in
advance if one is to be set off (and at what time), so that they can be ready to deal with
hundeds of reports of bombs going off!
Mask To hide: an actors masks another when he stands in front of him and prevents the
audience from seeing him properly. Also a noun: fabric hiding a row of lanterns hung
above the stage.
Mixer Or Mixing Desk. A device for mixing together and modifying sounds from a
variety of sources: microphones, tapes, CDs, musical instruments, etc..
Mr Sands Theatrical code to warn theatre employees of a fire without frightening the
audience. "Mr Sands is in the foyer" means that fire has broken out in the foyer.
Musical Director (MD) In complete control of the music in the production, under
the overall control of the Director. Rehearses the singers and musicians, conducts the
orchestra or band, and usually arranges the music too.
Notes At the end of each rehearsal, the director will give his notes, which are his
comments on the performance.
OP Opposite prompt: the right hand side of the stage as you face the audience.
Open White A lantern is said to be "in open white" if no filter or gel is used to
colour its light.
Paper Complimentary (i.e. free!) tickets. If someone says, "The house is all paper
tonight", it means that most, if not all, of the audience have free tickets.
Par Can A type of lantern which projects a near parallel beam of light, much used by
rock bands. The lamp is a sealed-beam unit (like car headlights) fitted inside the "can".
Available, usually, in 300W or 1kw power, they are sometimes known as parblazers,
while lighting manufacturer Strand calls them "beamlights".
Pebble Convex A type of spotlight, with a harder-edged beam than a fresnel but
softer than a profile. They have a convex lens with a pebbled rear surface. Strand call
their PC lanterns "prism convex".
77
Phono Plug A type of connector used on some sound equipment, usually domestic HiFi
or video gear.
Pin Spot Either a small (usually 100W) spotlight used for special effects (i.e. with a
mirror ball) or, more usually in the theatre, a follow- spot with its iris diaphragm closed to
its smallest diameter to illuminate, for instance, just a face.
Pit The sunken area in front of the stage in which the orchestra sits.
Plot Lighting term: the actual brightness settings of each lantern and the LX cues. Also
used to describe the process of setting the cues. Can also be used as an alternative for
"blocking", i.e. setting the actors in their positions on-stage at an early stage in
rehearsal.
Practical Adjective used to describe properties or scenery which have to work as in real
life when used; e.g. a practical ceiling light must actually light up when switched on by
an actor.
Preset The ability, on a manual lighting control desk (as opposed to one which is
computer-controlled) to set up a lighting cue before it is actually operated. Also the
lighting state on a stage before the show actually starts.
Producer In amateur companies usually synonymous with the Director, but in the
professional theatre the person who makes all the necessary arrangements for the
production to be put on: finding the finance, smoothing the way for the Director. Almost
the equivalent of the Business Manager. The best producers (the best known is
probably Cameron Mackintosh, who produced Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and many
other great hits) has the genius to recognize a potentially great piece of theatre as well
as find the finance for it to be put on.
Prompt (Side) The left side of the stage, as you face the audience.
Prompt Copy See Book. The copy of the script n which all notes, moves, cues etc. are
noted.
Prompter Amateur companies almost always have a prompter, someone who sits in
the wings and prompts the actors if they forget their lines. There is no such position in
the professional theatre pros should not forget lines! Neither should amateurs, for that
matter, but it happens - so, if a prompt is needed, it is given by whoever is "in the
corner".
Properties Small items (a sword in an historical play, for instance, or a briefcase) which
actors carry onto or around the stage. Also used loosely for "set dressing". Usually
abbreviated to props.
78
Property Master (or Mistress) Responsible for the obtaining and/or construction
of the properties.
Proscenium The traditional picture frame type of stage, usually with a curtain. Often
abbreviated to "pros".
Proscenium Arch (Or "pros arch"). The actual opening of a proscenium stage.
Pyropot A safe container into which a pyro (see Pyrotechnics) charge is plugged for
firing.
Pyrotechnics Usually abbreviated to "pyro". The use of explosions, flashes, smoke,
etc. on-stage.
Rake Many stage floors, usually in theatres built for dance or variety, are higher at the
back than at the front, to give the audience a better view. These stages are said to be
"raked", and the "rake" is the angle of slope from back to front. In most modern theatres
it is the audience seating that is raked, not the stage.
Reprise Musical term: to repeat, in whole or in part, a song which has already been
sung in the show.
Rig A lighting term. To set the lanterns in position. As a noun, its refers to the actually
positioning of the lanterns.
Right The right hand side of the stage as you look at the audience. Also known as the
"opposite prompt" or "OP" side.
Rostrum (Plural: rostra) A moveable platform
Scene Dock Backstage area for storing scenery (and loads of other things
too!).
Set The scenery for a particular show or individual scene.
Set Dressing Items on a set which are not actually used by anyone but which
make it look more realistic (e.g. curtains over a window, a bowl of flowers on a table,
and so on).
Sightlines The area of the stage which can be seen by everyone seated in the
auditorium. In some (badly designed!) theatres, a member of the audience sitting at the
ends of certain rows, can only see two thirds of the stage!
Special Lighting term: a lantern - usually a spotlight - not used for general illumination
but for a special effect, such as lighting a single actor in one place.
Spotlight (Or, simply, "spot") A type of lantern whose beam is focused through a lens
or series of lenses to make it more controllable.
79
Stage Manager (SM) In charge of everything that happens backstage: all other
backstage peronnel, including heads of departments, report to him. In the professional
theatre, once the show starts its run, (s)he takes complete control (including taking any
rehearsals for understudies etc.), as the Director's job is finished once (s)he has
given his notes after the final dress rehearsal.
Strike (See also "Take Down") To dismantle the set and remove it from the stage.
Strobe A lantern which emits a regular, controllable series of high power flashes rather
than continuous light. NOTE: strobes can induce fits in epileptics and so warning about
their use should always be given in the programme and verbally before the show starts.
Tabs Curtains. The curtains which close across the proscenium arch are called "House
Tabs".
Tab Dressing Light on the House Tabs (see "Tabs") before the curtain goes up and
during the interval.
Thrust A type of stage which projects out into the auditorium and has
audience seated on three sides.
Tracks The rails on which curtains (tabs) run.
Trap A trapdoor set in the stage floor.
Truck A rostrum or platform on wheels, on which scenery can be mounted so that it can
be rolled into any position on-stage.
Understudy An actor playing a small part in a production or, in the professional theatre,
often an Assistant Stage Manager, who has learned and rehearsed the part of one of
the leading actors to take over from him/her in the event of illness etc.
Upstage At the back of the stage; away from the audience. As a verb: when one actor
deliberately draw the attention of the audience to himself for purely selfish purposes.
USL Upstage left.
USR Upstage right.
Wardrobe Master (More usually Wardrobe Mistress) Responsible for the making
(under the direction of the Designer), repair and washing of all costumes.
Wings The sides of the stage, out of sight of the audience, where actors stand before
making their entrance, and where props are kept, ready to be brought onto the stage.
80
XLR A type of connector for sound equipment. The best microphones use these rather
than jacks. Now becoming more common on all kinds of sound equipment. Mics which
require phantom powering must have XLR connectors: one terminal carries the signal,
one is a shield, and the third carries the phantom power current.
81

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Welcome to 8th Grade Elective Drama

Oral Interpretation Unit 2

Words about sounds (5)

Words about speaking (5)

10. List three ways to protect your voice:

(expand/contract) during inhalation, and (expand/contract) during exhalation.

Breathing--- Yes, you are probably doing it wrong.

Now, group the words according to their function in vocal production

Articulator- an organ that

Vibratory apparatus organs that

Air pressure system

increase your lung capacity

One way to reduce stress is through diaphragmatic breathing.

increased blood pressure

So breathing incorrectly can perpetuate the stress and anxiety cycle.

How to do a diaphragmatic breath

Tips on diaphragmatic breathing:

Six Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing

Tongue Twisters You need to practice good articulation. Performing

Ten thin thistle-sifters sifted sixty thistles. (5)

A) Which three tongue twisters will you perform?

B) Why did you choose them?

C) How do you plan to prepare to present them?

Some words are commonly mispronounced.

Annotate in this column. Be alert to the

6. athlete The word has two syllables, not three. Say

Annotate in this column. Be alert to the

16. February Just about everyone I know drops the

Annotate in this column. Be alert to the

Annotate in this column. Be alert to the

34. precipitation This is a noun that refers to rain or

Annotate in this column. Be alert to the

Annotate in this column. Be alert to the

44. vehicle Although there is an H in the word, to

Body Language and Facial Expressions

I didnt win, but Im

Oral Interpretation for Performance: Preparing

For your initial oral interpretation, youre going to present a

And Now For Something A Little Bit Different

read out loud, paying attention to line breaks, and punctuation.

circle/underline words and phrases that you dont understand.

5. How does the sound of the poetry contribute to its meaning?

6. Examine the use of language.

8. What challenged, changed, or confirmed what you already knew?

9. What surprised you?

This presentation is to be of a short (1 -2 minute) monologue. You

Monologue Character Study

Clue (How do you know, evidence from the

What do they want

What is his/her family

How is she/he like

The last Oral Interpretation Project is to present a

duet or small group scene.

Theme of the piece:

Additional information you want to note:

Secondary Elements of Theatre

Identify a scene (setting) for as many of the following as possible.

Identify a costume needed for as many of the following as possible.

Claire Danes as Juliet

8th grade Drama Script Analysis Unit

Who are the main characters?

How do you know? Give evidence from the script.

Because _, happened.

Because _, happened.

Because _, happened.

Because _, happened.

Name __ Partner _