Posted by:
Beverly Cook
2/24/2008 5:38:40 PM
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| Title: |
All the World is a Stage Design |
| Grade Level: |
High School |
| Subject Area: |
Arts
Social Studies
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| Lesson Time: |
Two weeks or ten class periods |
| Introduction: |
Stage design provides great learning experiences for a
variety of subject areas. This lesson will concentrate on
stage design for a Tet (Asian New Year) performance, but it
is a template for any type of production. The same process
can be interchanged with any subject. Because there are
many roles to fill and activities to complete, every
student will participate in the planning and implementation
of building the sets. The students will learn how to
effectively collaborate, taking a brainstormed idea from
sketch to completed product. They will research the
material, construct super-sized props and backdrops, and
evaluate their individual and group process. |
| Standards: |
Theatre Standard 3. Designs and produces informal and
formal productions Visual Arts Standard 3. Understands
the visual arts in relation to history and cultures |
| Objectives: |
Students will: - develop a deeper understanding for the
traditions and celebrations that surround the Asian New
Year
- collaborate with other students to work on the stage
design
- work as a team to produce one aspect of a larger
product
- participate in the design process from the first
idea sketch to finished product
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| Resources: |
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| Materials: |
- art supplies - craft paper
- corrugated cardboard
-
paint
- brushes
- monofilament
- duct tape
-
2x4x8 wood
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| Vocabulary: |
- stage design: the art of planning theater sets
- set:
an artificial setting for a scene of a theatrical or film
production
- pho: a type of Vietnamese soup
- mung: a
type of bean, common in Asian food
- stage left: the
left side of the stage (as from the stage, looking at the
audience)
- stage right: the right side of the stage (as
from the stage, looking at the audience)
- stage apron:
the part of the stage in front of the proscenium arch
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proscenium: the stage of an ancient Greek or Roman
theater; the part of a modern stage in front of the
curtain
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| Procedures: |
Have students research the traditions and celebrations of
Tet* in Asian communities. Research may include interviews
of members of a local Asian society, or museum, or of Asian
students and their relatives. Share findings with the class
in a story circle. Research is a very important part of the
activity, as it will inform what images and ideas the
students use in their designs. Tell the students that the
performance they will be designing a set for is a Tet
Performance. Each student can then choose to work in one of
three groups: 1) Banners 2) Props 3) Backdrops Group
One Group One will design and create colorfully painted
paper banners to be hung as overhangs. The banners should
depict the twelve Zodiac animal portraits, six class years'
and their corresponding zodiac animal (i. e. 2008-Year of
the Rat), and three very large Happy New Years signs.
Students working on the posters will need to research the
Tet celebration, as well as the signs of the Zodiac. They
should study the different symbols and design their banners
based on their findings. Group Two Group Two will
design large props to fill the massive space on and around
the stage. As a group, students should research the Tet
celebration and traditions. Through their research, they
should decide on appropriate props to create. Students
should also consult with the actors in the performance to
find out about their needs and how they will use the space
on the stage. Using all of this information, students
should begin designing the props. They should consider size
based upon room on the stage, the needs of the actors, and
also the view from the audience. Using cardboard and kraft
paper, students can build their designs. Remind them that
the props must share the stage with the actors and dancers.
Group Three Group Three’ s task is to design a
backdrop to hang behind the performance. Students must also
engineer a way for the backdrop to hang depending on the
space. Have the group research the Tet celebration. They
should also meet with the actors and dancers to find out
about the performance and the main themes of the
performance. With this information in mind, students should
design the backdrop. They should be aware of the scale of
the backdrop from the audience’ s perspective. All
groups should sketch their designs as a rough draft. Once
the rough draft is complete, each group should critique the
others. Changes should be made and then performers should
critique the designs. Once changes have been implemented,
students can begin implementing their designs. |
| Assessment: |
Students write a self-assessment of their own
participation and answer the following questions: What was
your role in the group and how did you contribute to its
effectiveness? How is collaboration and teamwork important
in stage design? Provide an example from this experience.
What is one thing you have learned about yourself, your
peers, and the culture studied that you did not know and
were surprised to learn? |
Enrichment
Extension Activities: |
The students could explore other types of stage design
throughout history (Globe Theatre, Greek Amphitheater,
Japanese Kabuki) or in contemporary times by attending
cultural performances, plays, or ballets at local venues.
They could then compare and contrast the techniques used
and make a PowerPoint presentation about successful
techniques. |
| Teacher Reflection: |
The number of students will determine the size of the
groups and the scope of the work. The students were very
successful in part because they were allowed to choose
which group they worked in, thus matching their skills with
the work to be done. A written assessment was more
informative than a standard rubric because it lends itself
to reflecting upon personal experiences throughout the
whole process. Students need to revisit the difference
between consensus and majority rule. Instructional
strategies such as conducting interviews and communication
opportunities between the groups were most effective. If
given additional time, I would incorporate more elaborate
materials i. e. papier mache into the prop design. |
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