1. Opening Agenda Things you need: Things to do: Notebook – page 110
Monologue from last class
Things to do:
Opener Review Questions
Monologue completion – This will be a zero in the grade book if you do not perform today!
Purposes of Theatre Notes/Examples
Start Architecture

2. Opener – complete on the back of page 109
1. Which of the following is a performance element?
exposition b. makeup c. costumes d. inflection
2. Which term means ‘to speak clearly’?
projection b. motivation c. breath control d. articulation
3. Which of the following is NOT a technical element of drama?
suspense b. props c. scenery d. sound
4. Which of the following is NOT a literary element of drama?
language b. lighting c. theme d. suspense
What is a term that means “untying of the plot”?
a. blocking b. tension c. denouement d. resolution

3. Purposes of Drama Sharing the Human Experience
Passing on Tradition and Culture
Recreation
Artistic Expression

4. 1) Sharing the Human Experience
Plays that are designed for this purpose show social change, communicate universal themes, or recreate/interpret information.
Ex. A Raisin in the Sun Trailer

5. A Raisin in the Sun -Synopsis
A Raisin in the Sun portrays a few weeks in the life of the Youngers, an African-American family living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. When the play opens, the Youngers are about to receive an insurance check for $10,000. Each of the adult members of the family has an idea as to what he or she would like to do with this money. The matriarch of the family, Mama, wants to buy a house to fulfill a dream she shared with her husband. Mama’s son, Walter Lee, would rather use the money to invest in a liquor store with his friends. As the play progresses, the Youngers clash over their competing dreams.
The play concludes when the Youngers eventually move out of the apartment, fulfilling the family’s long-held dream. Their future seems uncertain and slightly dangerous, but they are optimistic and determined to live a better life. They believe that they can succeed if they stick together as a family and resolve to defer their dreams no longer.

6. 2) Passing on Tradition and Culture
Plays that are designed for this purpose are used to express or communicate feelings, ideas or information.
Ex. The Lion King – Circle of Life

7. 3) Recreation
Plays that are designed for this purpose focus on providing entertainment for the audience.
Ex. In Living Color
Substitute Teacher

8. 4) Artistic Expression
Plays designed for this purpose are created to show storyline or topic of interest to the playwright.
Ex. Seven Year Itch Trailer

9. “The Seven Year Itch”
The phrase “seven year itch” has been used by psychologists to describe the declining interest in a monogamous relationship after seven years.

10. Performance Elements
of Drama
What elements of drama do actors use to convey their emotions or the theme of the play to the audience?

11. The Performance Elements
Breath Control: when an actor controls his or her breathing to adequately deliver his or her lines
Articulation: the clear and precise pronunciation of words
Inflection: variety in speech reflecting changing thoughts and emotions
Projection: when an actor raises his or her voice to emphasize a statement or to be heard on a stage
Rate: the speed that someone talks
Body Alignment: the posture of an actor onstage
Gesture: an expressive movement of the body or limbs