1. Journal #1: Your Favorite Story
Think back to your childhood. Write down the plot of your favorite fairy tale (Cinderella, Snow White, etc.) or fable (tortoise and the hare, princess and the pea, etc.
Make sure that you recount all the major events in the story, as if you were telling it to someone who’d never heard it before.

2. By Vanessa Molden Western High School
Stories for Theatre
By Vanessa Molden
Western High School

3. There are 3 important factors in ANY kind of artistic performance
The story as presented in a book, song, play, movie, video, television show…
The performer who is the writer, singer, actor, or television personality…
The audience that is responding internally to the story and the performers.
In the context of THEATRE, the story is called the play

4. What is a PLAY?
Play: (n) A story told in dialogue form by actors on a stage for an audience
Types of Plays:
Tragedies -Musicals
Comedies -Mysteries
Dramas

5. Tragedy
A Tragedy is a play in which the main character has a major flaw or is caught in circumstances that must be overcome in order to prevent the destruction of the character’s life.
The character (TRAGIC HERO) either becomes a better person or is wounded or destroyed by the conflict.
The audience usually feels sympathy or pity for the tragic hero because there is a sense of doom

6. Comedy
A Comedy is a play with a happy ending and humorous treatment of characters and situations
Comedy appeals to everyone because through clever dialogue and silly misunderstandings, we learn about ourselves.
Because laughter is unpredictable, comedies are harder to perform than other types of plays.

7. Specific Time and place Ending Unhappy, Inevitable
Tragedy
Comedy
Story
Universal Themes
Specific Time and place
Ending
Unhappy, Inevitable
Happy, Unpredictable
Protagonist
Average or Noble
Average or less than average
Goals
Failure to achieve
Successful resolution
Audience
Emotional appeal
Physical, Romantic or intellectual appeal

8. Other Types of Plays
Drama: A play that considers serious issues and suggests solutions.
Musical: A type of play that contains both song and dance.
Mystery: A type of play that focuses on a crime or situation that requires the use of clues to figure out the solution.

9. A little assignment…
On the back side or opposite page of your notes, make a list of at least 3 movies, TV shows, or plays that fit each of the 5 genres of plays that we have discussed (For a total of 15)
You will have about 6 minutes to complete this individually, and then we will discuss.

10. A Bigger Assignment… Get into groups of 5 or 6
Choose 1 person’s “favorite story” from the journal entry to perform as a play for the class.
Decide the style of play you will perform (Musical? Comedy? Tragedy? Drama? Mystery?)
Make a list of characters you will need. Decide who will play these roles.
As a group, begin writing dialogue for your short play. (Keep it under 7 minutes)