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Unit 2 - Theatre History
Module 1: Understanding Historical Context
Lesson 5 - World Theatre

Introduction:
Theatre means different things in different cultures throughout the world. When we in western nations think of theatre, we think of a realistic play on a stage. In reality, theatre is far more diverse than many people realize. The focus of this lesson is that diversity, and the goal of the lesson is to experiment with it.



This icon indicates an advanced print resource you can refer to for more in depth research information. It has been provided courtesy of Dr. Moira Day, University of Saskatchewan, Drama Department.

Activities:

Warm Up:

Identify the culture represented in the pictures below: (Thailand; China; Africa; Latin America)
1) 2)
3) 4)

 

Assignment 1 - Putting Storytelling into Practice

Story Telling Traditions:
The oral tradition of storytelling is prevalent in cultures the world over. Some very ancient stories remain with us today due to the skills of certain story artists.

Telling a story requires much from the performer:

  • You must know the story well (obviously).
  • You must be able to keep the audience's attention through voice, rhythm and gesture.
  • You must practice the story enough to feel comfortable with the words, so it can flow naturally.
  • You want to create images for the audience to visualize.
  • Know at which point tension is created and built.
  • And finally, create a strong impression for the ending.

Choose a common fairytale from your own cultures and tell it to another student. The role of your partner is to listen to the story and make suggestions about flow, tone and pace. The purpose is to prepare you for the second assignment.

"Advanced Practice"
Retell the story using only movement

Assignment 2 - Creating a puppet for Storytelling:

You should read the background information and complete assignment steps on the assignment page. The teacher may provide stories like Sedna (pdf), from a variety of cultures, for your use. Following performance, you should fill out the self-evaluation and return it to the teacher.

Evaluation:
Peer-assessment of storytelling, self-evaluation of puppetry work, bonus opportunity.


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