Drama 9 2018

Acting in a Haunted House: Characterization and Mask

Grade 9 Drama Unit
October 22, 2018 – October 31, 2018
École Camille J. Lerouge

C&I For Drama Majors

Emily MacQuarrie

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Drama 9 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rationale 3

Objectives and Skills 4

Overview 6

Lesson Plan 1 8

Lesson Plan 2 10

Assessments 12

Rubric 14

Checklist 15

Materials 16

Bibliography 16

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Drama 9 2018

RATIONALE
The intent of this unit is to help students to build and develop the tools and the

foundational knowledge in movement and acting that will help the students to transition from the

junior high level to the high school level. In this unit, students are continuing to develop their

repertoire of movement styles and encouraging the students to employ a variety of movement

styles within the context of drama.

This unit also promotes the awareness of emotional diversity and imparts to the students

the skills necessary to recognize and identify key features of body language. By teaching the

students to evaluate body language, the students are better equipped to navigate interpersonal

relationships and professional associations. Students will develop their natural sympathy and

embrace the diversity of the human experience. Students will also develop leadership and

cooperation through collaborative work.

This unit is a cooperative work between various fine arts disciplines including visual art

and music. A major goal of this unit is to create a demonstration of achievement in the fine arts

that is open for the families and friends of the students. There is a large community building

aspect built into this unit which strives to encourage families to become more aware of their

child’s learning and provides an opportunity for parents to see, first hand, the development and

successes of their child. While the drama students provide the actors within the haunted house,

the visual arts students will create some of the set pieces and props and the music students will

be working on percussion and sound effects. Each discipline is operating within the bounds of

their own curriculum however all students are working towards a cross-curricular assessment

task.

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UNIT OBJECTIVE AND SKILLS

Unit objective:

By the conclusion of this unit, the students will have the skills and the tools necessary to create

a haunted house. Students from the grade 9 drama class will create unique and well thought out

monster characters which they will portray in a haunted house at the school on Halloween night.

The students will create their own masks to enrich their character performance and will be

expected to embody both physically and vocally their characters. Using variety of movements,

the students will move about their designated area within the haunted house and attempt to

startle members of the school community and the public.

Skills needed to reach unit objective:

~Clocking (Technical Theatre 1,2,5) Lessons 2,7,8

~ Characterization (Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28 Speech 15,16,17 Technical Theatre

15,16) Lessons 1,2,5,6,7,8

~ Body Language (Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28) Lessons 1,2,6,7,8

~ Mask Technique (Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28 Technical Theatre 1,2,3,4,5,15,16,)

Lessons 1,2,3,6,7,8

~ Variation (Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28) Lessons 2,6,7,8

~ Mask Building (Technical Theatre 8,9,10,12,13,14,15,16) Lesson 4

GLOs

 GOAL I

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Drama 9 2018

To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on

dramatic experience.

 GOAL II

To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration

of various dramatic disciplines.

 GOAL III

To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.

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UNIT OVERVIEW
Lesson 1 – Putting on a mask
The students will demonstrate proper technique for putting on a mask
Exploring masks, Scavenger hunt, putting on a character, on and off, clocking, demonstration
and presentation.
Technical Theatre 1,2 Movement 26 Acting/Improv 33
TWO STARS AND A WISH

Lesson 2 – Embracing the Mask

The students will present a 20-30 second non-verbal greeting as a masked character
Walk and turn out, greeting others, body language, masks on, opposites (full group), opposites
pairs.
Technical Theatre 1,2,5 Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28,33
EXIT SLIP

Lesson 3 – History of Mask

The students will give a 1-2-minute presentation on an aspect of mask history
Activities:
Technical Theatre 3,4,5
CHECK LIST

Lesson 4 – Creating a Face

The students will create a monster mask with dynamic features
Character walks, greetings, looking at expressions, high status low status, mask build.
Technical Theatre 2,8,9,10,12,13,14,15
EXIT SLIP

Lesson 5 – Character Building

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The students will build and present a brief character bio for their monster
Character walks, making a strong choice, pin the mask on the actor, brainstorming, bio,
presentation.
Technical Theatre 15,16 Speech 17
PEER AND TEACHER FEEDBACK

Lesson 6 – Moving as a Monster

The students will demonstrate an appropriate character walk
Fill the space, stand crouch kneel, high status low status, freeze, group practice, performance.
Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28,33 Technical Theatre 1,2,5,15,16 Speech 15,16,17
OBSERVATION

Lesson 7 – Startling Guests: Use Contrast

The students will perform a movement piece as their monster
Character walk, slow fast sonic, unexpected reaction, shift, big group rehearsal, performance.
Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28,33 Technical Theatre 1,2,5,15,16 Speech 15,16,17
GROUP TO GROUP CONFERENCING FEEDBACK

Lesson 8 – Haunted House

The students will put on a haunted house for guests
In this lesson, students will be putting together all their knowledge in order to be monsters within
the school’s haunted house.
Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28,33 Technical Theatre 1,2,5,15,16 Speech 15,16,17
RUBRIC (SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT)

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Lesson 1 – Putting on a Mask

Teacher: Miss MacQuarrie

Grade/Subject: Grade Drama Unit: Characterization and Mask Lesson Duration: 50 Minutes
OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES
Overview of lesson:
This lesson will serve as a starting point for the mask/characterization unit. In this lesson students will be introduced to
masks, engage with the wide variety of characters/features and begin to make decisions about what characters they see
reflected in the masks. By the conclusion of the class, students will present a semi-circle entrance in mask to their
peers.
General Learning Outcomes:
 GOAL I To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on
dramatic experience.
 GOAL II To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration
of various dramatic disciplines.
 GOAL III To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
 Technical Theatre 1,2 Movement 26 Acting/Improv 33
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will (be specific)
1. Evaluate various masks and derive meaning/character from their features, expressions, colours, etc.
2. Develop the skills necessary to make a quick decision about the character reflected in various unique masks.
3. Learn the proper technique for putting on and removing a mask on stage.
4. Present an on-stage entrance for a masked character following a set of guidelines.
5. Evaluate the performance of their peers and provide feedback.

Inquiry Question:
How do you perform a character entrance in mask?
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
 A variety of paper-plate masks.
PROCEDURE
Introduction (5-10 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
 Have the students walk around the room to warm up their bodies. Gradually, ask the students to begin
greeting those they pass. Provide a prompt for a character and have the students embody that character and
walk around, greeting their peers in that character.
Assessment of Prior Knowledge:
 Ask students to share any previous knowledge that they may have about acting in mask. Have they performed
in mask? Have they seen a play which incorporated mask?

Body (25-30 min.):

Learning Activity:
 Have the students take a seat in the center of the room while the teacher spreads a variety of masks out on the
floor around the students. Without getting up from their spots, ask the students to look around, paying
attention to the variation in the masks and any unique features that they might have.
 Students are asked to share their immediate thoughts about the masks with an elbow partner. Which masks
stand out to them? What diversity can be seen? Are there any trends or similarities in the masks’ features?
What might these trends imply?

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 Have the students stand up and look for a mask that catches their eye. Ask the students to walk with intention
and fluidity towards their chosen mask and stand in front of it. If two students are headed towards the same
mask, they must change direction smoothly and choose a new mask.
 Ask the students to call out (one at a time) the first word (this could be an emotion, a feature, etc.) that comes
to mind when they look at their mask. Give the students about 5 seconds to think of a word but, not much
longer (this is to prevent students from overthinking and censoring themselves).
 Have the students repeat this process again, using a different mask.
 Students should return to the center of the room. Explain to the students that you will call out a prompt
(emotion, characteristic, occupation) and that the students will have to quickly find and stand in front of a
mask which they believe fits the prompt.
 Ask for some students to justify their choice. What was it that prompted them to choose the mask? Was is the
colours? The expression? The design?
 Repeat this process again.
 Have the students move fluidly to a new mask and demonstrate for them the proper technique for putting on a
mask. Students will:
1. Face away from the audience.
2. Make a choice about the character reflected in the mask.
3. Settle into the physicality of that character.
4. Put on the mask.
5. Turn (in character) and reveal the mask to the audience. They must also pause briefly after turning to
allow the audience to fully take in the mask.
 Students will be walked through this process with vocal directions from the teacher several times using
different masks.
 Students will choose their favourite mask and stand in front of it. In their own time, the students will make a
decision about the character, settle into its physicality and put on the mask.
 Establish an area of the room which will be the “audience” and have the students practice moving around in
character whilst ensuring that they are constantly facing the front.
 Demonstrate for the students that the angle at which they face the audience can affect how much of the
character is conveyed to the audience. Keeping your head facing forward is almost always best in the case of
mask.
 Give time for the students to rehearse a semi-circle entrance in character. Students will:
 mask. Students will:
1. Face away from the audience.
2. Make a choice about the character reflected in the mask.
3. Settle into the physicality of that character.
4. Put on the mask.
5. Turn (in character) and reveal the mask to the audience. They must also pause briefly after turning to
allow the audience to fully take in the mask.
6. Walk a large semi-circle while facing the audience.
7. Turn in character and remove the mask.
 After the rehearsal period, the students will take turns presenting their semi-circle entrance to their peers.
 Each student will receive 2 stars (things they did exceptionally well) and a wish (an area that they can work
on for future growth) from their classmates.

Closure: 5-10 minutes

Consolidation/Assessment of Learning:
 Gather the students in a circle and have them each briefly share what they took away from the
experience in class.

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Drama 9 2018

Lesson 2 – Embracing the Mask

Teacher: Miss MacQuarrie

Grade/Subject: Grade Drama Unit: Characterization and Mask Lesson Duration: 50 Minutes
OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES
Overview of lesson:
In this lesson, the students will further develop their characterization skills in the context of mask through cooperative
scenes in pairs. Students will expand their understanding of characters through their interactions with others and will
perform a character entrance/greeting with a partner.
General Learning Outcomes:
 GOAL I To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on
dramatic experience.
 GOAL II To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration
of various dramatic disciplines.
 GOAL III To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
 Technical Theatre 1,2,5 Movement 26 Acting/Improv 28,33
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will (be specific)
1. Initiate an interaction in mask with a partner.
2. Further improve and refine their character entrance in mask.
3. Assess the body language of a partner and apply that to their interaction.
Inquiry Question:
What are the similarities between a single character entrance and a partner character entrance? What
additional skills are required to effectively interact with another masked character? How can their relationship
be communicated to the audience?
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
 A variety of paper masks
PROCEDURE
Introduction (5-10 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
 Students will begin by walking around the room. Ensure that you put emphasis on fluidity. The
students’ movement should be purposeful and should seem effortless.
 Encourage the students to shift their focus from themselves to the people around them. For this
warm up, they will need to be aware of where others are.
 Ask the students to pay attention to the spaces between the other students and to move to fill those
gaps. Decrease the space that the students are allowed to walk in and keep encouraging the students
to seek out the empty spaces.
 Have the students pause while you explain to them that they are going to attempt the same warm up
while walking backwards. Emphasize to the students that they need to be aware of those around
them and prompt them to find the empty spaces.

Body (25-30 min.):

Learning Activity:
 Students will begin by standing in front of one of the masks. As they walk toward the mask, they must be
aware of those around them. If another student is walking towards the same mask, they must both change
directions smoothly and choose another mask.
 Students will practice a character entrance using that mask. Students must:
 mask. Students will:

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Drama 9 2018

1. Face away from the audience.

2. Make a choice about the character reflected in the mask.
3. Settle into the physicality of that character.
4. Put on the mask.
5. Turn (in character) and reveal the mask to the audience. They must also pause briefly after turning to
allow the audience to fully take in the mask.
 Using the same character as the last exercise, the students will move about the room greeting other actors.
Stress to the students that they must be focused on the behaviour of the other characters. How might your
character react to theirs? Would they be excited? Bashful? Fearful?
 Students will choose one person in the room that their character might be fearful of. They must walk around
the room, interacting with their classmates while maintaining a sense of where that individual is in the room
and they must attempt to keep their distance.
 Pause and ask the students to choose one person who they think their character might be interested in being
friends with. They must now maintain an awareness of two other students while walking around and greeting
their peers. There will now be one individual they are trying to stay close to and another who they are trying
to avoid.
 For the final activity/performance, the students will need to choose a person who has a contrasting character
(they have a contrasting feature, contrasting colours, contrasting expression, etc).
 Demonstrate for the students that they will be entering the stage in a neutral manner. Retrieving their mask
from the floor, turning away from the audience, settling into character, putting on their mask and turning to
face the audience.
 They will perform these steps in their own time. Once both people have entered the scene, they will begin to
notice one another. The partners will approach one another in character while reacting to their character. The
students will take turns doing a non-verbal greeting before parting ways.
 Students must establish a relationship between the characters through their interaction (are they friends?
Enemies? Acquaintances?)
 Students will have time to rehearse their interaction with their partners.
 Have the students form an audience and ask for a volunteer group to perform first. Once they finish, prompt
the students to provide them with feedback in the form of two stars and a wish.
Closure (5-10 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning:
 Prior to leaving the classroom, the students must submit an exit slip with the following prompt
“How can a character relationship be communicated in mask?”

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Assessments

Lesson #1 The students will demonstrate the proper technique for putting on a mask.
Students must enter the stage space in a neutral manner, spot the mask on the floor, retrieve it
and turn their back to the audience. While facing away, they will make a decision about who
their character is and physicalize that character. They will then put on the mask, turn around in
character and pause. Students will walk a semi-circle while clocking the audience and then turn
away and remove the mask. Once the mask is off, they will return to neutral. A formative
assessment will be conducted through peer feedback (two stars and a wish).
Lesson #2 The students will present a 20-30 second, non-verbal greeting as a masked
character with a partner.
Students will be paired with a peer with a contrasting mask. The pair will perform a proper
character entrance, notice one another and move, in character, towards one another. They will
take turns greeting one another non-verbally and then they will leave the stage. A formative
assessment will be conducted at the end of this lesson using an exit slip.
Lesson #3 The students will give a 1-2 minute presentation on an aspect of mask history
that interests them.
Students will be given multiple suggestions for areas of focus and research to choose from (ex:
carnival, Noh, ancient Greek theatre, etc.). In groups of up to three, the students will conduct
research on the topic the use of mask within that context. Groups will present a 1-2 minute
summary presentation of their findings to their peers. Students will be formatively assessed
using a checklist.
Lesson #4 The students will create a monster mask with dynamic features.
Students will receive a plastic mask base and a multitude of sharpies, paints, paper and craft
foam. Using the concepts of expression and dynamic features, they will create a face for their
monster character. Once they have created a mask with dynamic features, they will add elastic
which will be sized for their head. A formative assessment will be conducted in the form of an
exit slip with the prompt “What are the strongest/most expressive components of your mask?
What might they convey about your character?”.
Lesson #5 The students will create and present a brief character biography for their
monster.
The students will create a character biography which accurately conveys/represents a well
thought out monster character. The content in the biography should be consistent with the visual
cues provided by each students’ mask and should answer questions about the monster’s past,
their views, and their general disposition. Students are expected to share one or two facts about
their character with the class. Students will be formatively assessed on their presentation and
will receive feedback from both their classmates as well as from the teacher.
Lesson #6 The students will demonstrate an appropriate character walk.

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The students will delve more deeply into the characterization aspect of this unit during this
lesson by creating a distinct character walk for their monster. This character walk should reflect
their character’s basic personality or attitude towards life. The character walks will be shared
with small groups of 3 or 4 and feedback will be provided to students by their peers within the
context of their group. The instructor will be circulating the room to provide formative
assessment by means of observation.
Lesson #7 The students will perform a movement piece as their monster.
In groups of up to 3, students will be creating a non-verbal movement piece within their groups.
These movement pieces should display a range of movement styles and must include
contrasting movement (quick vs slow, brief vs prolonged, fluid vs choppy, etc.). Each group will
present to the class and will be formatively assessed by one other group who will provide them
with feedback on what they did well and areas that they may continue to work on in the future.
Lesson #8 The students will put on a haunted house for the school community and
members of the public.
This is the final, summative assessment. Students will perform for the public within a class-run
haunted house. Students will be acting as the characters that they developed and created in
class and will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of mask performance as well as
characterization. Students will be formatively assessed by the instructor using a rubric to
evaluate their understanding.

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Focus
Does the student retain
focus throughout the entire
performance?
Voice
Does the student use
his/her voice as an
instrument to propel their
performance?
Physical
Characterization
Is the body utilized to aid
in the development
character intent and
delivery of lines?
Ensemble Teamwork
How does the student work
with others?
Poor
Actor does not listen and
respond to others on stage.
Performance is not
believable.
Poor
Words muffled and unclear.
Monotone. Words
pronounced incorrectly.
Poor
Character is not different
from self.
Not believable. Breaks
character, or no character
created.
Poor
Awareness and empathy
towards other cast members
is nonexistent.
Student has no concept of
how to work as a group
member.
RUBRIC
Fair
Actor listens to and responds
to others on stage, but
concentration is incomplete.
Fair
Words clear. Varied rate and
volume. Voice fits character.
Words pronounced correctly.
Fair
Character is slightly different
from self. Movements show
age and physical condition.
Performance had character
breaks.
Fair
Student's awareness and
empathy towards other cast
members is weak.
Student seems to have little
concept of how to work as a
team.
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2018
Good
Actor listens to and responds
to other characters on stage.
Concentration complete.
Remains in character.
Believable.
Good
Words clear and well-
projected. Varied rate,
volume, pitch and pause.
Voice fits character. Words
pronounced correctly.
Good
Character is different from
self. Movements show age,
physical condition, personality
and attitudes.
No character breaks.
Good
Student's awareness and
empathy towards other cast
members is acceptable.
Student's attainment of
teamwork and fruition of goal
to work effectively together is
acceptable.
Excellent
Actor listens to and responds to
other characters on stage.
Concentration complete.
Remains in character. Smooth
line delivery and transitions.
Believable.
Excellent
Words clear and well-projected.
Varied rate, volume, pitch and
pause.
Pitch and inflection match
character. Voice fits character.
Words pronounced correctly.
Excellent
Character is different from self.
Facial expressions reveal
thought and action. Movements
show age, physical condition,
personality and attitudes. No
character breaks.
Excellent
Student's awareness and
empathy towards other cast
members is very apparent.
Student's attainment of
teamwork and of the goal to
work effectively together is
superlative.
Drama 9 2018

Checklist

I chose a specific area of research relating to mask

I used a variety of resources to thoroughly examine the topic
I presented a clear description of the use of mask in my area
of research
My presentation was clear, well-rehearsed and brief

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Material List and Bibliography

Materials:

 A variety of paper-plate masks

 Plastic mask bases
 Glue
 Craft foam
 Constriction paper
 Paint
 Sharpies
 Extra craft supplies (pipe cleaners, googly eyes, etc.).
 Elastic
 Scissors
 Hole-punch

Bibliography:
Alberta Education. (November 2015). Drama (7-9) [Program of Studies]. [Edmonton], Canada:
Alberta Education.
Wingert, Paul. S. (2013, September 18). Mask. Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/art/mask-face-covering/Theatrical-uses
Vamos Theatre Company. Mask Theatre terms. Retrieved from
https://www.vamostheatre.co.uk/learning/resources/mask-theatre-terms

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