Reflection 1

The creation of a four-year Theatre scope and sequence can be difficult because there is no set place to start and the goal for each individual program can be vastly different. In fact, when I began working in my school district, there was no Theatre scope and sequence. It was up to me to create a curriculum that worked for my students and to develop all my lessons myself. This was in the time before Teachers Pay Teachers, as well. When my school district did design a Scope and Sequence, I was on the committee and we based the district-wide curriculum on what I had been teaching. I had already created a Year-at-a-Glance and lesson calendar without even really knowing it.

As I looked at the scope and sequence that I had been using and the variation that my school district adopted, I thought about what I really wanted students to know after four years in my program. I ultimately decided that I wanted my students to have experience in acting and tech, even if they never took the Tech Theatre class. I also wanted them to experience different genres of theatre, including musicals, contemporary and classical plays, abstract theatre and realism, as well as classic, experimental and new plays. Students will be able to answer the question, what is theatre?

It is important to me that students have a repertoire of theatre knowledge when they leave my program. I want them to see theatre outside of what is available in our immediate area and what we see at UIL One Act Play contest. I left high school with very little knowledge of theatre outside of what was happening in my city. I had a lot to learn outside of the curriculum that my undergraduate universities were teaching me. I felt behind and unconnected to this world that I felt so passionate about. Students will be able to answer the question, what is happening in theatre today?

Starting with these goals in mind, I intend to end the Advanced Theatre and Theatre Production classes with performances directed by Seniors. Advanced Theatre will direct scenes and Theatre Production will work on Student Directed One Act Plays. Some students will be involved in both. I think it is important that students experience the full production process from the perspective of a director before they graduate. Students need to know how to direct and block others. They need to understand the casting process, how to market a show and know what it is like to guide designers to see their vision. It is important that students understand what goes into the production of a show from a perspective other than that of an actor, designer or crew member. Students will be able to answer the question, what role do I/can I play in the theatre?

My scope and sequence has always included a Dramaturgy/Script Analysis unit, but I have now separated these ideas and will spend more time on each so that students can develop the skills they need to do this work on their own. Students will be lucky to work in a theatre with a dedicated Dramaturg, so they will need to know how to research a character and show on their own. I will use a modified version of Kevin Rigdon’s Condensed Script Analysis as a jumping off point when breaking down a script for analysis. I will use notes taken during Robert Shimko’s Dramaturgy class to introduce Dramaturgy Packets and 10 Minute Playwriting. There is no dedicated Theatre History unit. Without coming right out and teaching this directly, my classes will cover Theatre History when we analyze historical scripts, complete musical study guides and in conjunction with units like pantomime (commedia de’ll arte) and storytelling (primitive theatre, greek theatre). Students will also work on Theatre History packets and complete a Theatre History Digital Breakout in the spring when I’m out for UIL One Act Play. Students will be able to answer the question, why was this play written?

When teaching acting, I intend to continue to teach portions of Sonia Moore’s The Stanislavski System and Audition by Michael Shurtleff. This year, I will add The Monologue Audition by Karen Kohlhass to the Advanced Theatre curriculum. As always, Theatre I will open with Theatre Basic that include Parts of the Stage, Types of Stages, a brief chat about Shakespeare and The Globe, and an introduction to Blocking Terms. These concepts will, obviously, be a part of all future exploration across the curriculum. The design of my scope and sequence also includes College Readiness. Students will prepare college audition pieces using Kohlhaas’s technique. Students will be able to answer the question, how do I prepare for a performance?

My scope and sequence has always included a TV/Film unit. I’ve also done voice acting and podcasts during this unit. This seems to be a favorite for my students and hits on so many of the TEKS. It’s a great way to draw out some of those students that don’t like to perform in-person for others. They can perform for just their group and then the focus doesn’t seem like it is on them as much when we are watching the videos later. It’s also fun to see what kinds of stories they tell during stop-motion animation. This year, I wanted to begin to incorporate crankies and shadow puppetry into our film unit. I had so much fun creating my crankie and I can’t wait to see theirs. Students will be able to answer the question, in what other genres can I use theater skills?

After taking Teaching Voice for the Stage, I have a lot more information and many exercises to share with my students. We will be using The Vocal Arts Workbook by David Carey and Rebecca Clark Carey in Advanced Theatre. I hope to see (and hear) my students use this information and incorporate it into warmups during class and before shows. Students will be able to answer the question, how do I perform safely?

Ultimately, the benefits to a well-crafted scope and sequence provide students with the foundational knowledge to create characters, scripts and technical elements for any show that they may encounter. My goal is to foster their natural creativity and guide them to make choices about characters and shows on their own. I want to encourage them to do their “homework” on a character or script so that they can tell the most interesting and believable stories possible. Students will be able to answer the question, how do I create quality theatre?

The importance of this understanding goes beyond the Theatre classroom. They will use these skills in other classes, to seek, gain and maintain employment, and in their daily lives. We are so lucky not only to teach an art form, but a skill set. We teach students to be confident in interactions with others and how to handle themselves professionally. My goal is to make better humans and we get to have a lot of fun along the way. Students will be able to answer the question, how has this class prepared me for the future?

-September 1, 2021