Acting: Lesson 1 - Self-Concert
LESSON PLAN
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SELF-CONCERT
OBJECTIVE: To devise and perform a personal movement piece.
DESCRIPTION: Students explore what makes a character engaging through analyzing personal props and how body language can show a story (e.g. how someone is feeling, character traits, relationships between characters, etc.). What do objects say about us? What can you infer about a person by the objects they carry with them? The lesson culminates in students devising a movement piece based on their own lives that includes gestures and body language with minimal text.
TIME NEEDED
Devising & Rehearsing: Two (2) Class Periods of 50 minutes each, or one (1) class period of 90 minutes.
Performance & Reflection: 45 minutes (depending on class size)
MATERIALS
Journal and pencil
Comfortable clothing for movement
Portable speaker for playing music
Set pieces as needed (Rehearsal cubes, chairs, bench, etc.)
Whiteboard with dry erase markers (or large paper on an easel)
Backpack with miscellaneous items that suggest a character (school supplies, books, wrappers/bottles, a “strange” object that implies a larger story such as a novelty key chain).
Character Build Sheet
Self-Concert Brainstorming Sheet
Self-Concert Stage Direction Template
Exit Slip(s)
INSTRUCTION
Entry Prompt (5 minutes): In their journals, students answer this prompt, “How does body language show a character’s personality traits? List gestures and poses that you do and what you think they say about you.”
Note: When the first student finishes, instruct them to bring the “Character Bag” with them to the warm-up and discussion for the exercise later in the class.
Warm-up (4-5 minutes)
Play music that is calming and instrumental (e.g. Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”). The intention of this exercise is for students to release tension from the stresses outside the class and focus on the tasks ahead.
Instruct the students to spread out in the room, at least arm’s length away and stand in neutral/natural position (balanced head/neck, shoulders relaxed, arms at sides, tailbone toward the floor, knees “soft” or slightly bent).
The students should be silent, eyes closed, letting breath drop in naturally.
Guide students using the following script:
“Stretch your fingers and toes as far as you can while you inhale. Hold it for a moment, and then exhale, relaxing your body into the floor.” Repeat two more times.
“Focus on breathing from your diaphragm. Let a breath drop in through your nose, out through your mouth, relaxing your lower jaw as you exhale. Inhale…then exhale. After a couple breaths, exhale on a relaxed ‘AH,’ letting the voice drop out when all breath is released. Repeat five times.”
Lead the students through breathing in and out, inhaling focus and exhaling tension.
When the song begins to end, instruct the students to wake up their feet, knees, hips, bellies, shoulders, arms, fingers, and heads by lightly shaking each body part.
Once the song is finished, students complete a spinal roll: drop their chin to their chest, let the weight of their head gently curve their spine, and reach their hands towards the floor, then roll up one vertebra at a time (use a 10-count if they’re too quick).
Discussion (5 minutes): Students form a circle, sit in a comfortable position, and share their answers to the entry prompt.
Activity: Character Bag (20 minutes)
Transition: “Imagine that [student name] is playing a character in a scene named Andy.” Ask the student with the character bag, “Andy, could you bring your backpack to the center of the circle?” Choose a volunteer to write on the board, paper, or whatever large writing surface is available in the class.
Pull out the items one at a time. Have the students discuss each item and what it suggests. What can they learn about the owner of the bag?
Student volunteer writes down everything the class says about the contents of the bag and what they infer from the items. How do the items shape their knowledge of the character’s personal history?
Activity: Character Build (10 minutes)
Students will build a character: Andy’s friend. Who would be friends with Andy? What is their personality?
Character Builds include:
A brief personal history of the character including: full name, birthday, parent information, sibling information, personality, favorite color, favorite food.
Students create a narrative on how their character knows Andy. Examples: friend, ex-boyfriend, brother. Why are they friends with Andy? How long have they been friends with Andy?
Students write a letter to Andy from the friend’s perspective. The letter addresses what they think might be going on in Andy’s life and any advice they would give him.
Students identify 5 items that they would find in the friend’s bag that shows specific details about the friend’s life.
Note: If the class is 45-50 minutes, use the below wrap-up section and begin the next class with repeating the above warm-up and review/collect character builds as a “do now”/bell ringer. If the class is 90 minutes, move to the Self-Concert section and combine exit slips.
Wrap-up (5 minutes)
Students will finish their Character Builds for homework.
Exit Slip: Summarize today’s exercises. How can we apply them to character development in a play? Students hand in the exit slip as they leave class.
Self-Concert Rehearsal (45 minutes)
Transition: “You don’t always need dialogue to show character dynamics and relationships. Sometimes silence, body language, and specific blocking speak louder than words.”
Students will apply the principles from the previous character build activities to a story from their own life.
Students will perform this story in a movement piece between 4-5 minutes. This can be a solo piece or students can choose a partner (but that partner must also perform their own self-concert).
Instructions for a successful performance:
Think about the purpose of each action in the scene. How can you use body language and movement to show relationships?
What about yourself would you like to reveal? This should not be a dissection of your life, but a window into your character.
Plot: Your self-concert must have a conflict as well as a beginning, middle, and end. However, it should not be your life story condensed into 5 minutes. Use a transformative or important moment in your life. If you are not ready to share a particular story, choose another.
Script: Use one or two sentences or phrases; they could be said just once or repeated, but should not use traditional monologue or dialogue structure.
Set: Any furniture or other set pieces must be set and struck within one minute. Use fellow students to help you, if needed.
Props: Using a few key personal items is encouraged, however they must be able to be seen from the audience. For example, photos on your phone or a page from a book are difficult to see, but a larger framed photo or a book cover are more visible choices. Utilize movement and pantomime for most of your piece, this isn’t “show & tell.”
Costumes: Anything you wear will be interpreted as your “costume” for the piece and will affect the overall interpretation of your self-concert.
Sound: Use instrumental music or sound effects, no songs with lyrics as that could be interpreted as dialogue and is an expression of that musician’s character, not your own.
Note: Use the next class for performances, giving students time to rehearse outside of class with their personal props, costumes, and sound, which they should bring to their performance.
Wrap-up (5 minutes): Students will write a reflective journal entry on their self-concert. What was your experience in this activity? What was easy? What was challenging? What can you infer about a character through movement? How can you apply body language to future work?
ASSESSMENTS
Formative:
Participation in the Character Bag Activity
Exit Slip
10 points for thoughtful, well-formed responses to each question of 2-3 sentence paragraphs.
5 points for one-sentence answers that show some thought.
2 points for one-word answers that portray a surface answer.
Summative:
Character Build:
Are all elements included?
Is each element well thought out?
Is there attention to the presentation, spelling, and grammar?
Self-Concert:
Does the student understand the assignment?
Did they follow the instructions?
Did they thoroughly rehearse and prepare their piece?
Was there a clear conflict and story structure that did not require explanation?
REFLECTION
One of the most stirring days in our Teaching of Acting class this past summer was when we presented our “DNA Play.” Not only was I able to devise and perform a piece that I could be proud of, but I feel that I grew closer to so many of my cohort who were baring their souls, sharing something deeply personal and making themselves vulnerable in the safe space we had created. I knew immediately I wanted to adapt this lesson to my acting class. As I explained in the scope & sequence reflections, my acting class this year consists of eight seniors, so I felt comfortable in teaching more advanced lessons, challenging both the students and myself in potentially exciting ways.
I’ve taught a similar lesson at previous schools called the “Self-Concert” which was an effective way to introduce students to one another. But I loved the way that the DNA Play structure allowed for a deeper connection to the story being played, stipulating that rather just tell someone’s likes & dislikes or other superficialities, there is a conflict and a story being told. It’s a closer look at someone’s multi-faceted essence rather than an academic rundown of their basic qualities.
The students seemed initially open to the concept, it being so early in the year, I suppose. It also helped that I demonstrated the DNA Play that I performed for my cohort. They seemed to enjoy the prospect of contributing to my own education as I contributed to theirs. When the focus was on them, however, they were hesitant. At first I tried a bit more of an unstructured, self-managed approach to see what they could come up with, but the first showing was tentative and over-scripted, too much tell and not enough show. I got more success from adding a more structured approach to devising and creating character details first before turning that focus inward. I also added a basic movement plot that they could start with, because the self-concerts were so static at first. Even the three of my four troublesome students gave a solid effort. So the final lesson plan I’m presenting in this portfolio is a reflection of those structural adjustments I made. Next time I teach this project, I’ll only use one showing rather than two.
EXAMPLES OF STUDENT WORK:
