Steve Pearson

Longer unit on obstacles and objectives in acting that includes a power point presentation, scene analysis, and performance rubric. Discusses the different type of objectives and presents 7 obstacles : Other character Internal SettingSelf-TraitPhysicalEnvironmentalSocietal

This is a scene analysis following the Affective Memory technique of Lee Strasberg. It asks actors to attack the scene by using Sense Memory and Emotional Memory as it applies to their character and given circumstances.

This is a lesson geared towards introducing students to Strasberg's technique in how words and phrases can shape behavior and reaction.

Simple Props List Sheet

This is a simple scene analysis covering props, objectives/obstacles, given circumstances and beats. It assumes you have covered these topics.

This is a Theater Arts I assignment in which I gave students 1 page of a script and they continued the story in their own original way. There is a written script grade and a performance rubric. They have basically a week to write it and a week to rehearse/perform. There is a separate Word rubric available in my Store.

This is a unit on pantomime. It includes a couple presentations, activities, and a performance rubric.

Simple unit in which students "assume the pose"- frozen ; and peers discuss what they believe is happening. Lesson in facial expression, stage areas, levels, control, etc.

This is a lesson on how to apply various images in character development. It asks students to think of mental and physical qualities of a non-human image and apply them to their development of a character.

This is a nice introduction to a theatre production class or technical theater class. It asks students at the beginning of the semester to do some preliminary research careers the course will be discussing. It comes with a rubric. It also comes with an application piece (mine was for The Dining Room).

This is for a technical theatre student to locate the sound cues in a script.

Rubric for a performance in a Strasberg Sense/Emotional Memory unit.

Personal Strasberg exercise utilizing Sense Memory

6 quick open dialogues in which students fill in the missing lines. Challenges students to take the same dialogues and create original and different interpretations.

Simple light cue sheet

This is a 3-phase assignment. In theory, students have 30 minutes to write a script, 30 minutes to add stage directions, and 30 minutes to rehearse it. The project is handed to different groups for each phase.

This is an exercise in which an original script created in rounds for a performance. Actors are responsible for different phases of the writing and performance.

This is a small presentation on the different types of production rehearsals.

Reflection for students for their Meisner performance in which they were not allowed to actually rehearse with their partner. Individual learning of lines (rote) and interpretation followed by a performance in which they get together and create a very organic scene - since they don't know what their partner has rehearsed.

These are closed "straight" dialogues to be used for Meisner's belief in actors' "communion." They have no plot. The challenge is to see who controls the scene, who can emotionally hold the scene, who can maintain an activity on stage while engaging in the dialogue. Have one actor doing a mundane activity, but one that require focus: circling adjectives in a script, playing solitaire, separating items by color, etc.