Drama and Film
PA1250Z Drama I – Curriculum A
Grade 9 5 points
Drama 1 is an introductory course that approaches the study of drama through encounters with acting, improvisation, storytelling, playwriting, design, and dramatic literature. Beginning with the study of Oral Interpretation of Literature and continuing with character development, students will present scenes, monologues, and short original pieces to their peers. Emphasis will be placed on the physical work of an actor. Theatre history and play construction will be studied during the second term. The course is an introduction to drama and is meant as a survey course preparing you for more in-depth study in the future.
PA Advanced Scene Study One Semester
Grade 10 - 12 2.5 points
Through intensive work on scenes, students will improve rehearsal techniques and solidify acting style. An advanced version of Scene Study for Actors, this course is designed for actors with more experience. It is especially appropriate for students who have already finished another drama course. Students will work both collectively and in small groups to analyze and rehearse individual scenes from a variety of texts, building on the fundamental ideas of Uta Hagen. The process will culminate in a sharing of the scenes you have prepared.
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In this advanced acting class, students will learn methods for performing, preparing emotionally, and acting honestly in imaginary circumstances. Students in this workshop learn to analyze texts so that they can comprehend what they are expressing and doing. There are exercises for character development, motivation, transitions, moment-to-moment acting, going out of the head and into the heart, and script analysis.
In this class, we focus on the development of skills in the areas of composition and use of theatrical space, the creation of stage imagery, dramaturgy and historical research, script analysis and textual interpretation, casting and the development of a production concept, collaboration and communication with actors and designers, ensemble development, and the creation of “style.” We examine issues such as the interplay between politics and aesthetic practice, the function of the audience, the institutional realities of professional theater, the fidelity and "auteurism" of classical texts, multiculturalism and the politics of representation, and, most broadly, the function of theater-making in our society. The program will conclude with a public presentation of the students' projects.
PA Directing One Semester
Grade 11-12 2.5 points
PA Improvisation One Semester
Grade 10 - 12 2.5 points
This course is available to anybody who wants to improve their improvisational movement, communication, interpersonal, and presentational skills. It is meant for students who plan to get started in improvisation and the performing arts. In free form improvisation exercises, short and long form sketches, and conflict resolution, it gives experience in movement, voice, character study, spontaneity, presence, scene setting, and teamwork.
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This course stresses what makes a scene work, how to develop character via dialogue and action, and how to think in theatrical terms. It is intended for starting playwrights as well as writers of other media. Weekly writing assignments will concentrate on text and subtext, points of attack, conflict, and resolution.
PA Playwrighting One Semester
Grade 11-12 2.5 points
PA Theatre for Social Change One Semester
Grade 10 - 12 2.5 points
The specific developments in the American and Western European Theaters from the First World War to the present will be covered in this course. The performers and theater companies being considered will be those whose work has centered on current social issues and the power of live performance to affect social change. Students will also experiment with writing plays and performances that are based on current events. Readings will include passages from works by, Bertolt Brecht, The Federal Theatre Project, Harold Pinter, Augusto Boal, Anna Deavere Smith and other authors in addition to articles from periodicals, newspapers, and other media. Students will be given one significant research project in addition to creative and analytical writing assignments. Participation in class will be emphasized.
The program will conclude with a public presentation of the students' projects. Each student will be expected to perform their piece as well as take the lead during the audience feedback session after their performance.
PA4141Z Classic American Film One Semester
Grades 10, 11, 12 2.5 credits
This course is an introduction to film history covering the period 1915-1940s. Students will study how film reflects the major artistic and cultural developments in motion picture history of this era. Topics will include the invention of motion pictures, the establishment of a film industry and the studio system, and developments in the use of cinematic technique. Films explored will include Modern Times, Citizen Kane, and Casablanca (among others). In addition, each student will be required to complete an independent review of a film of critical substance from the list of suggestions or of a substantive film of his/her choice subject to teacher approval. The course is based on the belief that strong connections can be made between language arts and media, between composing and filmmaking, between literature and narrative film, between reader and viewer response, and between literary and film criticism. This is a one-semester class that fulfills 1/2 the credits of the fine arts requirement for graduation.
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This course is an introduction to film history covering the period 1940s-1990s. Students will study how film reflects the major artistic and cultural developments in motion picture history. Topics will include the idea of film as art, the development of a particularly American acting style. The historical and political movements that produce specific works of art will be explored. Films explored will be Rear Window, On the Waterfront, and The Graduate (among others). In addition, each student will be required to complete an independent review of a film of critical substance from the list of suggestions or of a substantive film of his/her choice subject to teacher approval. The course is based on the belief that strong connections can be made between language arts and media, between composing and filmmaking, between literature and narrative film, between reader and viewer response, and between literary and film criticism. This is a one semester class that fulfills 1/2 the credits of the fine arts requirement for graduation. (Classic American Film is NOT a prerequisite for this course.)
PA4142Z Modern American Film One Semester
Grade 10, 11, 12 2.5 points
Global Film Comedies One Semester
Grades 10, 11, 12 2.5 credits
This course explores the universality of comedy as represented in the study of a diverse world cinema. We will delve into how comedic films reflect beliefs, values, and traditions of various global experiences. What is considered funny in Europe, Africa, and Asia reveals significant differences and embraces the common bonds we all have. This is a one semester class that fulfills 1/2 the credits of the fine arts requirement for graduation.
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