Lesson: the thru-line
Course: Acting/Directing
Unit: acting
Purpose: To teach students the importance of "doing" instead
of "acting." To help studentsunderstand the need for a purpose
in acting.
Time: fifty minutes
Materials: chalk board and chalk, or dry erase board and markers, or
poster board and markers
Participants: any number
Plan: 15 minutes- Running Person Exercise
Ask for two volunteers. Teach them the pattern that they have to run:
"run in, see a door, run to the door, try the handle, it does not
open, kick the door three times, turn, see another door, run to the
door, try the handle, it does not open, kick the door three times, turn,
see another door, try the handle, kick it three times, turn, see an
opening, run to the opening, fall to their knees. Have the students
practice it until they have it memorized. Then have them step outside
of the room so they can not hear. Tell the other students that the first
person is in a house with a murderer and desperately trying to find
a way out, they finally see an opening and run to it and the murderer
steps in front of them and they sink to the floor. The second person
really has to pee and is trying to find the bathroom. As they are running
to the opening, they realize it's too late and sink to the floor. Tell
the students not to say anything to the running students. Bring in one
students at a time and have them run the scene. Remind the runner to
just do the actions the best they can. After both have gone let them
know the scene they were in. Discuss as a group:
Did it look like player one was running from a murderer?
What specific things did they do that went with the scene?
Did it really look like player two had to pee?
What did they do to display their action?
If I were to ask you to act "having to pee" what would you
do?
Ask the class to do what they would have done if I had asked them to
act like they had to pee. Most students will squeeze their knees together,
put their hands in from of their crotch, and make a painful face. Ask
them which is more effective, when the runner had to pee or what they
were just doing. Ask them why? Ask them what the difference is between
the two. Have them state the intention for each (I have to pee vs. I
need to find a bathroom). Discuss how emotions are best shown through
actions. Player one was not acting "scared" but when we knew
the situation and saw them frantically trying to open a door, we saw
fear in them. Talk about the importance of "doing."
15 minutes- "I want" statements
Tell the students how in the last exercise, people were acting with
an "I want" statement. They were "I want to escape from
the murderer" and "I want to find a bathroom." Tell them
they are going to explore this concept a bit more. Brainstorm emotions:
happy, sad, excited, exhausted, frustrated, angry, calm, sad. Then brainstorm
situations where we might feel those emotions: birthday party, baby-sitting,
doing homework, looking for a favorite toy, waiting in line. Have students
pick an emotion and a situation. Then have them come up with an "I
want" line. For example: They are frustrated while looking for
a favorite toy. "I want to find my (favorite toy)." After
each student has decided and said their "I want statement,"
have them act it out all at the same time. Afterwards ask if anyone
wants to demonstrate theirs. Discuss how the action helps them display
the emotion.
15 minutes- Tactic Exercise
Tell the students that in order to get what they want in their "I
want" statements, they need to have tactics. Write a blank scene
on the board: A: hi, B: hello, A: How's everything? B: Fine I guess.
A: Do you know what time it is? B: No, not exactly. A: Don't you have
a watch? B: Not on me. A: Well? B: Well what? A: What did you do last
night? B: What do you mean? A: What did you do last night? B: nothing.
A: Nothing? B: I said nothing. A: Sorry I asked. B: That's alright.
Read it together as a group, then pair everyone up. Have them practice
the lines and try to memorize them. When they are ready give A a scenario,
but don't let B know what it is. Possible scenarios: 1) B is a child
standing on a 17 story high ledge. A comes up and slowly brings child
back inside. Hints: Speak to B as if B is a child, look down.
B is Santa Claus, A is a child. Hints: A uses child-like movements,
sits on B's lap.
B is A's grandmother. A comes in and sits her down, feeds her. Hints:
talk slower with B. Treat her as elderly.
A and B are in a war. B is injured. A is dragging B through land mines.
Hint: use tone to try and soothe B.
A is parent, B is child. A is brushing her hair.
Many other scenarios would work. Explain to B that they must react to
every move that A makes. They should go along with A's actions trying
to figure out their relationship. B is getting their energy from A.
A must convey to B their relationship and situation through tone of
voice and actions.
Have each pair try two different scenarios. Afterwards discuss as a
group how they figured out their relationship. Discuss how there were
differences between the scenes even though they said the same lines.
Discuss the importance of actions over words when acting. Discuss the
importance of tone.
5 minutes- Wrap up discussion:
Discuss what we have discovered is important in acting through our activities
today. They should mention the importance of "doing" instead
of "acting" and having an "I want" statement and
tactics.
Objectives:
students will do or watch, and discuss the running man exercise
students will demonstrate the difference between "doing" and
"acting" through portraying having to pee
students will make and act out "I want" statements
students will add tactics to a blank scene to display to their partner
what the scene is
students will discuss what they have learned about acting
Outcomes:
students will learn the importance of action to display emotion in acting
students will learn the importance of having a thru-line ("I want"
statement) when acting
students will gain communication skills such as using actions and tone
of voice to convey a message
Justification of importance of outcomes:
acting by doing is an important skill in acting. Students will also
discover how actions and emotions are connected. They will learn that
how they act does display an emotion.
Acting for a purpose is also an important skill in acting. Students
will understand that in life we are always acting and our emotions spring
out of that
Students will understand how influential their actions and tone of voice
are. They will become more aware of how they speak to others and act
around them. These skills are important in understanding a core part
of communication, which is part of every day life.
