ART - DRAMA 8 (MDR--08)

Drama 8 is an active participatory course which encourages students to learn the basics of acting and relate to others in a confident, comfortable and respectful manner.  This course enables the student to develop a strong sense of self-worth and interpersonal skills. Topics include: trust, concentration, observation and sense awareness, imagination, movement, speech, teamwork, improvisation and theatre background.  Drama is working under pressure, taking risks, dealing with disappointments as well as enjoying and celebrating our successes.  Above all, Drama is FUN with a capital "F".  This is a course recommended for ALL students.  Assignments and activities include: a lot of theatre games, communication skills, concentration exercises, writing and performing in class, group and individual improvisations, scene-work, film and more. Assignments are based on cooperative group learning and solo presentations.

DRAMA 9 (MDR--09)

Drama 9 will focus on a student’s development through work in the following areas: trust, concentration, voice, teamwork, script work and movement. Students should be able to present ideas in an open manner, remain in character and show concern for the well-being of fellow students. It is our goal to continue to build a student’s confidence and allow them to feel safe to express themselves free of judgement. Assignments take the form of many theater games, exercises, monologues and dialogues, as well as unit projects such as scene work, camera technique, lip sync battles and more. Drama 9 is a course where students can come to play and create!

DRAMA 10 (MDRM-10)

Drama 10 furthers the topics taught in Drama 9 and shifts its study to the technical skills of theatre such as: character portrayal, script analysis, vocal enhancement, and play production as well as the technical components. Continued emphasis on trust, concentration, sensitivity, imagination, improvisation and role-playing will also be explored. Group interdependence is stressed.  A new emphasis on solo performances begins through rehearsal and preparation for monologues, memorization of scripted material and project work in which the individual is responsible for the presentation of a specific skill (e.g. directing or blocking). Projects can include scene work, monologue creation, podcasts, infomercials, special effects make-up, stop motion animation, a mystery role play event and our annual lip sync battle! Come join us play!

ACTING 11 (MDRM-11)

Acting 11 is designed for the student who is interested in performance and seeking a creative outlet.  It is a practical course dealing with theatre both on stage and off.  It teaches a student skills in front of an audience which will provide self-confidence and self-awareness.  At all times, participation, cooperation, attendance and teamwork are of major importance. Assignments and activities will include: acting techniques, acting styles, scenework, scriptwork, camera technique and editing, stage combat, radio, technical theatre and more. This is an excellent course for a student who enjoys playing and expressing themselves through performance. Come join us and enjoy a chance to play!

ACTING 12 (MDRM-12)

This course is designed for the advanced acting student.  It reinforces the skills emphasized in Acting 11 and goes further in content and expectations.  Students will deal largely with scripted roles and their skills of critical evaluation will be emphasized through script reading and other projects. Assignments and activities will include projects in acting styles, devised theatre, film acting, auditioning technique, stage combat and script analysis. The course will culminate with a solo self-representational project which the student gets to create. This is a fantastic course to end your senior year at McMath.

THEATRE PERFORMANCE 12: DIRECTING & SCRIPT WRITING (MDRDS12)

Prerequisite:  ACTING 11 or Teacher Permission

Admission to the course is based on the approval of the instructor.  A student learns to read and analyze scripts with the intention of production.  The student will be led through the process of directing including topics such as:  play selection, conflicts within the play, research, imagery, text analysis, auditions, blocking, objectives, actor-focusing techniques, etc.  It is an excellent course in which to learn responsibility, leadership and cooperative skills.  Assignments and activities will include reading scripts, writing scripts for various media, script analysis, directing scenes and working with peers to enhance their performances.