Othello Play--Preparation and Performance

You and your group members will have class time from now through Monday, December 6 to prepare yourselves
for your performance.  This is a lot of time.  This means you are expected to have your (minimum 30) lines memorized
and read your remaining lines with fluency.  If your group shows that it does not need the time allotted, you will perform
earlier than the rest of the class.
Expectations for Performers
1. Students understand the words they are saying.  This is demonstrated through proper pronunciation, 
tone, and pacing (including enjambment).  Singing characters should sing.  If a student is not 
comfortable with this, develop a workaround.
2. All words are clearly, easily audible to the whole audience.  
3. Characters move according to the stage directions and the situation.  This includes coming on and 
going off stage, facing the way most fitting the situation, and making gestures.  The timing should be 
accurate.
4. Costumes and props are not required but may be used.  Pool noodles will take the place of swords.  
Any sounds indicated by the stage directions should be included in the performance.
5. Students will not actually touch each other whether kissing or fighting.
6. Those not speaking but on stage will behave in a way that suits the character in that moment.
7. Students playing more than one character at a time will make it clear to the audience which part they 
represent at any given time.  Explanations will come before the performance begins.
8. Students not performing in a scene will not be on the stage.
9. Scenes should move at a suitable pace.  
10. Students are not to read lines from their phones; no phones are to be out at all.  Students who have 
lines they have not memorized may use the book or photocopies of their designated lines.  Students 
may request that I make photocopies.  Requests must be received no later than Monday, November 29.  
Allow three full school days for the copies to be made. 
**Students will be tested on their memorized lines the week of November 29.  There is no particular order to 
the testing.  All students must have their required lines memorized before class on Monday, November 29.  
Lines must be recited audibly with proper pronunciation, tone, and pacing.
Preparation Grades
You will grade each other after the last performance is done on a scale from 0-100.  These points will go in the
20% category of your grade, “Various Credited Assignments.”  
*For anyone to earn an A, the group performance must have earned an A.  
*No one may earn a score for preparation higher than the group’s performance grade.
*No one may earn lower than a D.  If someone is not participating and needs to be spun off from the group,
inform the teacher no later than Monday, November 29.  Students who find their groups are not working out for
them may also ask to spin off no later than Monday, November 29.  See “Spin-Offs” section (on the back) for
further details.
Students who earn
90-100 points consistently supported the group’s efforts to improve the performance.  These students 
practiced lines with others, made helpful suggestions and decisions, kept the group focused, 
and themselves were never off task.  **If more than two students are to earn an A, the group 
must ask no later than Monday, November 22 for this consideration.  
80-89 consistently worked on their own performances.  They may have helped others from time to 
time or worked with others regularly but the performance did not earn an A.  These students 
were never off task.
70-79 generally used their class time preparing.  These students may have been off task for short 
periods of time or did not make much effort to help others prepare.  They could have done 
more to prepare their own performance. 
60-69 spent too little time preparing, leading to a lower performance grade for the group.  They may 
have distracted others from time to time.
**No one may earn lower than a D if working in a group.  
Spin-Offs  
Students who are spun off from a group, voluntarily or not, will be assigned anywhere from thirty to one
hundred lines to memorize and recite to the class, depending on when they begin working alone.  They will be
held to the same requirements as the groups in terms of the performance.  Spin-offs will perform before the
groups and will earn the same percentage for their preparation as they earn for their recitation.  In other words,
spin-offs will not evaluate themselves on their preparation.

Performance Grades
Groups will be scored on a scale from 0-100.  These points will go in the 30% (Tests and Quizzes) category. 
Spin-offs will be scored the same way.

If a group earns
90-100 points all members of the groups did an exceptional job during the performance.  All lines were 
clearly audible.  There were few, if any, issues with pacing, pronunciation, and movements.  
This group obviously put much care into preparing for the performance.  
80-89 the group performed well.  There may have been some stumbles, lapses in lines, or other, 
minor issues, but the overall performance demonstrated a good effort on the part of the 
Players.  All or most lines were audible and movements were generally well-suited to the play.
70-79 some or all of the players had issues.  Lines may have been inaudible more frequently, words 
may have been often mispronounced in some way, and/or movements may have been mistimed 
or missing.  Still, students did show they had memorized their required lines and made some 
effort to perform the play.
60-69 students more or less read their lines with little effort to perform the play; there was some 
attempt to do more than simply stand before the class and read off the words.
0-59 students simply read the lines in front of the class or did not present.  

**Students who are absent on the day of the performance will perform their parts after the final the last week of
the semester.  Their group members may decide whether or not to perform with them.  They will be scored the
same way spin-offs are scored for preparation and performance.  Students who miss both the group play and the
opportunity to perform on the day of the final will earn zero points for both the preparation and performance.