KRISTA D. PRICE

DAY 1: 

 

1.)  Reviewed composition & negative space in compositions, as well as the "role" of art in theatre.

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2.) Ms. Price explained that in all art there is no "good or bad", "right or wrong", etc.  Instead, there's simply STRONGER and WEAKER choices.  She explained that students would be re-working their initial scenes to become much STRONGER through the use of "creative thinking strategies", starting with employing SPECIFIC CHOICES to creative ideas.  

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3.)  Learned about today's topic:  How to better develop creative ideas.

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4.)  Journaled (in Google Classroom - "Acting PROCESS Journal"):  Journal Title:  Defining Creativity (Respond to the following:  How do YOU define creativity?  How do you come up with creative IDEAS?)  If absent, be sure to complete this journal response on your own before returning to class.

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5.) Discussed: Is there a difference between CREATIVITY & IMAGINATION? (If so, what?)

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6.) Watched a short talk by Sir Ken Robinson in which he shares his definition of creativity.  (Watch clip HERE from 3:02-3:55)

• Creativity = the PROCESS of having ORIGINAL ideas that have VALUE. ​

• Discussed the value of "thinking creatively" in your current culture, and future job(s). 

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7.)  Discussed that STRONGER choices...

• are SPECIFIC choices

• are NOT SAFE choices (ex: vague or easy choices such as "friends" or "at school", etc.)

• are NOT STEREOTYPES (ex: one-dimension characters such as the "nerd" or "ditz", etc.)

• explore the question:  WHY?  (ex: You're mad, but why?  You're at the park, but why?, etc.) 

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8.)  Ms. Price performed the open-ended scene with a volunteer student to illustrate the use of SPECIFIC CHOICES, and class discussed the results.

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DAY 2: 

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1. ) Introductory activity:  Watched a clip from The Sixth Sense which illustrated the film-maker's artistic intention with the color red in the film. (Watch HERE)

 

2.) Reviewed:  Often STRONGER choices...

• are SPECIFIC choices

• are NOT SAFE choices (ex: vague or easy choices such as "friends" or "at school", etc.)

• are NOT STEREOTYPES (ex: one-dimension characters such as the "nerd" or "ditz", etc.)

• explore the question:  WHY?  (ex: You're mad, but why?  You're at the park, but why?, etc.) 

 

3.) Discussed the value that IB places on "thinking creatively" and how students will be graded on this PROCESS in class.

• IB Rubric:  Criterion C - Thinking Creatively  (click to read/review this IB Rubric)

• Discussed IB terms:

  • Artistic Intention​ - what an artist INTENDS with her/his work (watched an explanation of a director's specific artistic intention with the color red, in the film The Sixth Sense)

  • Exploration of Ideas - the willingness of an artist to spend creative energy on exploring various ideas in order to get to the strongest

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4.) Journaled (in Google Classroom - "Acting PROCESS Journal"):

• Journal Title: Exploration of Ideas (Setting)  With your partner, list 10 different SPECIFIC locations where your scene COULD take place.  Don't judge ideas YET.  Just get down 10 specific locations.  

• Journal Title:  Exploration of Ideas (Characters)  With your partner, list 7-10 SPECIFIC relationships (characters) who COULD be in your scene.  (They can be totally separate from your location ideas.  Examples:  doctor/patient; hotel manager/maid; homeless woman and her estranged daughter; teacher/drop out-student; exes, etc.)  (If absent, do these journal entries on your own.)

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5.) Explored (with a partner) various ideas from journals ("put ideas on their feet") by acting a few of the ideas out with partners.

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DAY 3:

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1.) Reviewed yesterday's activities.  Shared  some locations/relationships with the class.

 

2.) Journaled (in Google Classroom - Acting PROCESS Journal):

• Journal Title:  Exploring Ideas (Reflection)  Name and describe at least 2 specific things that helped you to get to stronger ideas last class and why.   (If absent, do this journal entry on your own.)

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3.) Reviewed definition of creativity:  the PROCESS of having ORIGINAL ideas of VALUE  (Last class we worked on the PROCESS, and ORIGINAL ideas.  Today we will work on adding VALUE to our ideas.)

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4.) Ms. Price explained that creativity is a PROCESS, and that ACTing requires ACTion.  In order to have a product you're proud of, you must have a process you're proud of.  You can change ideas in rehearsal (but not lines) if you discover that something does/doesn't work.  But you MUST try, try, try various options and ways of doing those options (i.e. "exploration of ideas").  Remember, creativity is never "done"...it just becomes stronger or weaker through the process of bringing original ideas to life.

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5.)  Ms. Price led students in a final creative thinking behavior:  The 5 Whys  (If absent, complete this activity on your own in your Google Classroom PROCES journal.  Follow the example below to guide you.)

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6.) Journaled (in Google Classroom Acting PROCESS Journal):

• Journal Title:  5 Whys  With your partner, pick out a relationship/location from your previous journal entries that you'd like to move forward with.  Ask yourself WHY your chosen character would say one of the lines given in the script.

  • Below is just one simple example of the "5 whys" technique being used to create a more meaningful scene/relationship/backstory:

    • Chosen Relationship:  Estranged sisters

    • Chosen Location:  Hospital Room (one sister is very ill)

      • Why #1:  Why didn't the ill sister "expect to see" her sister visiting her in the hospital?

        •   Because they hadn't spoken in 20 years.

      • Why #2:  Why hadn't they spoken in 20 years?​

        • Because the ill sister had a falling out with her family.​​

      • Why #3:  Why did the ill sister have a falling out with her family?​

        • Because she eloped against her parents' will

      • Why #4:  Why did the ill sister elope?

        • Because she had to get out of an a​n abusive home, but regrets having left her younger sister there.

      • Why #5:  Why did she leave her younger sister there?​

        • Because she was scared, and thought she was the only one being abused.

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7.) Explored the "5 whys technique" (see link above) with your scene/partner, and continued putting developed ideas "on their feet" (i.e. acting out different options and arriving at choices you like best) while making stronger choices.

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DAY 4:  (if absent, Ms. Price will update after class how far we got today)

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1.)  Reviewed definition of creativity:  the PROCESS of having ORIGINAL ideas of VALUE

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2.)  Re-visited IB Rubric:  Thinking Creatively 

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3.)  Completed: Google Classroom - Reflection #1 (color scene) - answered questions 1-3.  (If absent, do this reflection on your own.)

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4.) Rehearsed scenes for performance.  (Ms. Price asked students to rehearse with AUDIENCE in mind.)

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5.) Performed scenes for the audience and received feedback.  (Note:  Students are required to write their audience feedback on their "Color Scene REFLECTION (#1)" in Google Classroom)

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6.) Discussed that in the next part of our unit, we will be focusing on WHERE dramatic stories are performed and HOW to "tell" great stories on stage.

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7.) Learned about the different types of stages on which shows can be performed ("KP's Theatre Class - Types of Stages) and took notes in Google Classroom - "Acting Class Notes").

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8.) Observed various photos from shows staged in the OHS Black Box Theatre and analyzed each.

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