Course Syllabus

Faculty

First Peoples Principles and Land Acknowledgement

I acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are honoured to live, work, and play on this land together.

As part of contribution to reconciliation, this course makes First Peoples Principles of Learning visible in class by:

• Recognizing the role of First People's knowledge by studying works by Indigenous theatre artists 
• Embedding learning in history, memory and story
• Taking an experiential approach by learning through doing
• Encouraging students to explore their own identity through theatre
• Learning about the responsibilities associated with of knowledge, from sharing stories to cultural appropriation

Course Description

Drama 11 is both a pivotal stepping stone in the development of young, experienced St. George’s actors and a wonderful introduction to the craft for students newly-interested in theatre. Students will learn technical acting skills, practice directing and staging scenes, and develop in-depth script and character analysis abilities. Students will perform contemporary scenes from some of the most exciting modern playwrights, and along with challenging and rewarding classical scenes that will prepare them for any audition.

Drama 12 is the final developmental stage for experienced St. George’s actors, but also offers an enriched introduction to the craft for students newly interested in theatre. The course aims to sharpen the skills of young actors to best prepare them for the professional or university theatre world, while also offering a home for students who wish to navigate a different path. High-level acting exercises, scene work, direction, and most importantly, performance, make up the landscape of Drama 12. Students in this course will take on leadership roles in the class, and are supported by learning more about directing actors, staging scenes, and analyzing characters, as they take their skills to new levels while working on the same performances tasks as their Drama 11 classmates.

The goal of both courses is for students to perform outside of their immediate school environment, and students should be prepared to attend at least one local drama festival, which is an incredible opportunity to meet other young theatre artists, win awards and scholarships, and to see some of the best high school level acting, directing and writing in the province. All of the work in this course will prepare students to take on roles in Saints’ Players’ productions, but is also aimed at giving students who cannot participate in school plays an opportunity to shine onstage.

Contacting Me

Please feel free to contact me during work hours (7:30am - 4:30pm) by email (jdonnici@stgeorges.bc.ca), my school phone number 604-224-1304 (ext. 3643), or arranging an in-person meeting with me before or after class, or during lunch.

Learning Outcomes

Based on the B.C. Ministry of Education curriculum, students will learn and be evaluated on the following knowledge and skills:

• Application of feedback [10]
• Dramatic creation [15]
• Expression of character and intention [20]
• Response to drama [10]
• Physicality [10]
• Script interpretation [10]
• Technical and production elements [5]
• Use of stage [10]
• Vocal control [10]

Assessment and Evaluation

A student's final mark will be determined by evaluation of their ability to demonstrate proficiency in these skills and learning these concepts.

Major assessments for this course include:

• Collaborative storytelling project (T1)
• Directing & script work project (T1)
• Classic scene study performance (T2)
• One act play performance (T3)

Skills

• Create dramatic works for an intended audience 

• Communicate about and respond to environmental and social issues through drama

• Describe, analyze, and respond to ways in which props, technologies, and environments are used in drama, using discipline-specific language

• Develop a repertoire of dramatic skills and techniques through presentation or performance 

• Develop and refine performance skills in a variety of contexts

• Explore and create dramatic works to express ideas, meaning, and emotions 

• Express personal voice, cultural identity, and perspectives using dramatic techniques

• Experiment with a range of materials, props, processes, and technologies to create and refine performances

• Examine the influences of social, cultural, historical, environmental, and personal contexts on dramatic works

• Examine the impacts of dramatic works on culture and society 

• Purposefully select and combine dramatic elements and conventions

• Reflect on dramatic works and make connections with personal experiences

• Reflect on aesthetic experiences and how they relate to a specific place, time, and context

• Receive and apply constructive feedback to develop and refine ideas

Content

• Dramatic forms and conventions

• Ethics of cultural appropriation and plagiarism

• History and theory of a variety of dramatic genres, including their roles in historical and contemporary societies

• Influences of time and place on dramatic works

• Movement, sound, image, and form

• Representing the personal voice, perspective, or worldview of another individual, and the process of refining that representation

• Roles of performer, audience, and venue

• Skills specific to a dramatic genre and/or style

• The use of dramatic elements and devices in rehearsal and performance contexts for a desired effect, including:
  use of levels, blocking, movement elements and speaking to the audience, character techniques involving body language, expression, gesture, and interaction, speech techniques such as tone, pitch, tempo, accent, and pausing, interpretation

Grades

• Calculation method: The latest attempt at a learning outcome will be weighted for 65% a student's grade in that outcome, while the previous attempt(s) will be weighted for 35%. This means that improvement is valued and rewarded, allowing students to take risks and learn from mistakes early on in the course.
• Please do not ask me what your mark is - this can be calculated using your grades on the learning outcomes and the weights listed above.
• If you would like to discuss a mark you have received, please wait at least 24 hours after receiving it, to allow yourself to read and process my feedback and your own emotions.

Both the school’s assessment expectations and supports that teachers provide can be found online. Academic dishonesty to any degree is not acceptable.

There are a variety of academic supports available at St. George’s for students. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the range of supports available to them which include:

• Faculty support
• Support Block
• Head of Grade
• Student Success Centre
• Personal Counselling

Learning Resources

This course syllabus, all current unit and major assessments for the current term, and a plethora of helpful learning resources can be found on my Canvas page. 

Resources that will be used as part of this course include:

• Selected scenes from various plays (Redpatch, Lobby Hero, Take Me Out, The Humans, Far Away, Company)
• A full length play for festival performance (TBD)

Course Expectations

• Students are expected to use class time effectively, and if they do, homework will be minimal. During some performance cycles, students may have to memorize lines for 1-2 hours outside of class per week.
• Almost all assessments are performances and marked in class, but the few written assessments (reviews) will be submitted on Canvas

Learning Plan

[Add/remove units as needed]

Literacy/Numeracy

This course makes literacy/numeracy visible by using the following comprehension tasks and strategies:

• Learning the technical language of theatre and drama
• Close reading scenes to identify beats, shifts, action, character traits, and subtext
• Learning various types of literacy, including: oral/auditory, emotional, visual-spacial, movement/gesture

Core Competencies

This course incorporates Core Competencies into the routines, learning, and culture of the class in the following ways:

• Creative thinking to create characters and stories
• Critical thinking to analyze scripts and evaluate dramatic works
• Communication in collaborative group work, but also communicating in mediums of acting, writing, directing
• Personal responsibility in learning to be part of a team, memorizing lines, doing your share of the work
• Social responsibility in learning about the world through art, creating social messages through art, creating art responsibly