Monday, November 9 th Students will demonstrate their understanding of the difference between narrative and dramatic writing by creating scenes where story is told mostly through action.  The first piece is narrative.  Like fiction, it uses words in order to tell its story. The audience functions as a reader and is given all of the information they need. Why is it effective?  The second is dramatic.  We see actions, and we as an audience take a more active part since we have to make decisions about why what we are seeing is happening. Why is it effective? Which do you prefer as an audience? Which do you prefer as an actor?  The focus is scripts for this unit will be dramatic. Which of the following scenarios would be most interesting: 1. A drunk sits at a bar and starts telling the audience the story of his life. He tells anecdote after anecdote of how difficult his life has been and that he has been misunderstood and frustrated by everyone he has met and known. The stories are entertaining and well told and they all illustrate the same point: which is why this man has ended up as the hopeless drunk that we see today. 2. A man sitting at a bar doesn’t say a word. Instead he picks up a bottle and throws it against a wall.

Hamlet Performance  The rule of theatre : Don’t tell us, show us! This rule makes theatre unique from other literary styles.  First twelve lines of Hamlet written on it.  Review the scene and become familiar with it.  Although Shakespeare is considered a literary writer because of the poetry of his language, he knows that it is important to show instead of tell.  Look for clues in the script about how to perform the scene. Answer the following questions with a partner:  Where and when is the action taking place.  What is the emotional state of each?  Each pair of actors “perform” the scene based on their interpretations:  You can turn off some of the lights in the room to create a night atmosphere and give prop weapons to the actors..  what they are “told” in these lines?  What information do we learn about these people, their situation by their actions and conversation?

ActionsVisualsStakes Under each word, list what actions, visuals, and stakes are shown in the first 12 lines of Hamlet. rewrite the first 12 lines of Hamlet in a narrative form, having all characters express what the class got out of the scene with their lines only. (For example—have the scenes start by having a character say, “I sure am cold and scared tonight.”