Jonathan Gellert - 9th grade Drama lesson plan - ​AUGUST WILSON CENTURY 

CYCLE AND MONOLOGUE PERFORMANCE DAY 4 

Subject: 9th grade Drama   Grade  9  Date  11/26/19 
Unit:​ ​AUGUST WILSON     Lesson​GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES   
CENTURY CYCLE AND  REVIEW OF “MA RAINEY’S   
MONOLOGUE  BLACK BOTTOM” - 
PERFORMANCE  INTRODUCTION OF “THE PIANO 
LESSON”  
COLD READINGS OF 
MONOLOGUES FROM THE FIRST 
THREE PLAYS  
CCLS: C
​ CSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1​(​ P ​ repare for and participate effectively 
in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on 
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively) 
 
C​ CSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2​​(​Integrate multiple sources of information 
presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) 
evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.)  
 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4​​(P ​ resent information, findings, and 
supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the 
organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and 
audience.) 
Alignment with NYC ● STRAND ONE - T ​ heater Making : Acting, Playwriting/Play Making, Design and
Theater Blueprint Strands Technical Theater, and Directing
and Benchmarks ○ Benchmark - Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such 
that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, 
development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 
 
● STRAND TWO - Developing Theatre Literacy 
○ Benchmark - Understand theater as a shared communal experience between 
audience and actor. Develop an understanding of personal aesthetic and 
choice as related to production intent. 
 
  
Learning Objectives: ● SWBAT the major characters (who) Plot (what) and setting (where) for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - the 
third play in the cycle.  
● SWBAT begin to understand the major characters (who) Plot (what) and setting (where) for THE 
PIANO LESSON - the fourth play in the cycle of August Wilson’s plays 
● SWBAT choose and be prepared to read a Monologue “COLD” from either The Gem of the Ocean, Joe 
Turner’s Come and Gone or Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 
● SWBAT give their full attention to whoever is performing the “cold reading”  
.  
 
Aim:
AIM: How can we begin to appreciate the incredible
achievement of Playwright August Wilson through
understanding the WHAT (plot) WHO (Major Characters) and
WHERE (setting) of his fourth play in the CENTURY CYCLE ​“THE 
PIANO LESSON”​ ​and listening to our classmates perform cold
readings from his plays? 
Essential Questions  
How can we start to understand and appreciate the 10 play cycle of August Wilson 
● How can we review the third play in the cycle “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”  
● How can we begin to understand the fourth play in the cycle - “The Piano Lesson”  
● How can we approach a “COLD READING” of a Monologue from one of the plays 
that we have learned about so far?  
● How can we give our full attention to our fellow actor who is performing?  

 
 
What are we learning? ​ e are learning about the incredible achievement of dramatist August Wilson and his exploration of the black 
W
experience in America in the 20th century.  
 
We are reviewing the Given circumstances of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” the third play in the cycle.  
We are introducing the Given circumstances of “The Piano Lesson”  
We are READING MONOLOGUES FROM THE FIRST THREE PLAYS - COLD - THAT IS WITHOUT 
PREPARATION  
We are using our understanding of ACTIONS to begin to understand stories as a chain of events, linked by 
action.  
 

Why are we learning it? In order to get to know the major characters and events of August Wilson’s 10 play “Century”
cycle.

Because by knowing the basic situations and characters from the plays, we will have a greater
foundation when we perform our own monologue and when we are audience members for the
monologues of our classmates.

Broadly, because there has been no more important person in the world for Theater in the last 100
years than August Wilson.

 
What is it leading to? Preparation for the quiz on The Piano Lesson - which will be on Tuesday December 4th.

The ability to get to know characters that you can play.

We are generating Material for a class project that will be a showcase for your acting work.
. 
DO NOW
DO NOW/QUIZ ON ​MA RAINEY”S BLACK BOTTOM 

● (ANYONE WHO SPEAKS AT ALL DURING THE DURATION 

OF THE QUIZ WILL AUTOMATICALLY GET A ZERO) 
● (IF YOU ARE IN ANY WAY DISTRACTING DURING CLASS 
- AFTER TAKING THE QUIZ - GETTING 
UP/SIDETALKING/YOU WILL ALSO GET A ZERO)  
● WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THE QUIZ - TAKE THE 
FIRST PAGE AND PLACE IT IN THE RED FOLDER. BEGIN 
TO (SILENTLY) WORK ON A MONOLOGUE FROM YOUR 
PACKET  

1. WHAT YEAR DOES THIS PLAY TAKE PLACE?

2. WHAT IS THE SETTING OF THIS PLAY?

3. WHAT IS MA RAINEY PRAISED AS IN THIS PLAY?

4. WHAT INSTRUMENT DOES SLOW DRAG PLAY? WHAT DOES

THE WAY HE PLAYS HIS MUSIC TELL US ABOUT HIS WAY OF
LIFE?

5. WHAT INSTRUMENT DOES LEVEE PLAY? WHAT WORDS ARE

USED TO DESCRIBE HIS TEMPERAMENT?

6. WHAT INSTRUMENT DOES TOLEDO PLAY? WHAT WORDS

ARE USED TO DESCRIBE HIS TEMPERAMENT ?

7. WHAT MONOLOGUE HAVE YOU CHOSEN FOR YOUR COLD

READING? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SENTENCE FROM THIS
MONOLOGUE?

 
  
  
Procedure The QUIZ/DO NOW is the way we have been and will continue to begin class until 
we have covered the Given Circumstances in all 10 plays of August Wilson’s Century 
Cycle 
● The Gem of the Ocean (1900-1910) 
● Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1910-1920) 
● Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1920-1930) 
● The Piano Lesson(1930-1940) 
● Seven Guitars(1940-1950) 
● Fences(1950-1960) 
● Two Trains Running(1960-1970) 
● Jitney (1970-1980) 
● King Hedley II (1980-1990) 
● Radio Golf (1990-2000) 
 
After no more than 10 minutes the time for the quiz will be over. If students come to class late 
then they will receive a 0 on the quiz unless they have a valid excuse. The questions and answers 
for each quiz are posted on Skedula/Pupil Path so if a student misses a day of review they have 
no excuse not to be prepared for the daily quiz.  
 
Once the quiz is over - we will review the answers for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. 
 
I will remind students that the next play in the cycle is The Piano Lesson - and that the 
questions for that quiz are printed on their handout for the day. I will tell students that we will 
spend the first part of Monday’s class on the 3rd of December - going over the questions for 
The Piano Lesson. 
 
- We will then move into Cold Readings - which will take the remainder of the class until 
the Summary. 
 
Every student in the class must “Cold Read” from the packets that I have distributed - that 
contain monologues from “The Gem of the Ocean (1900-1910) - Joe Turner’s Come and 
Gone (1910-1920) - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1920-1930).  
 
very student in the class must “Cold Read” from the packets that I have distributed - that 
contain monologues from “The Gem of the Ocean (1900-1910) - Joe Turner’s Come and 
Gone (1910-1920) - Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1920-1930).  
 
 After each individual cold reading we will ask the following questions. - STUDENTS WILL 
WRITE DOWN THEIR ANSWERS NEXT TO EACH LINE FOR AT LEAST ONE 
MONOLOGUE PER CLASS.  
 
Given Circumstances 
Who is the character that is speaking? 
What Play is this monologue from? 
Who is the character speaking to? 
What do they want to achieve in the Monologue?  
 
Performance 
Can we hear the Performer? 
Are they attempting to make a connection with the person they 
are speaking with? 
What are they doing well? 
What can they do better?
 
With five minutes remaining in class we will move to the Summary + Homework  
  
 
Summary

​ ​ How did we begin to appreciate the incredible achievement

of Playwright August Wilson through understanding the WHAT
(plot) WHO (Major Characters) and WHERE (setting) of his fourth
play in the CENTURY CYCLE ​“MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM”​ ​and
listening to our classmates perform cold readings from his
plays?
HOMEWORK   

Review the WHAT, WHO AND WHERE of “​THE PIANO LESSON​ ”

- BE READY TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
FOR THE QUIZ TOMORROW
IN ADDITION LOOK OVER THE MONOLOGUES FROM
THE FIRST TWO PLAYS AND CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE -
BE PREPARED TO ANSWER WHY THIS MONOLOGUE IS
YOUR FAVORITE ON THE QUIZ

1. WHAT YEAR DOES THIS PLAY TAKE PLACE?

2. WHAT IS THE SETTING OF THIS PLAY? (NOT JUST THE
HILL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH - WHOSE HOUSE?)
3. BOY WILLIE AND LYMON ARE SHARECROPPERS WHO
HAVE TRAVELLED UP FROM MISSISSIPPI TO PITTSBURGH
IN ORDER TO BUY THE LAND THAT THEIR ANCESTORS
USED TO SLAVE ON. WHAT DO THEY WANT TO SELL FOR
THIS LAND?
4. BERNICE IS BOY WILLIE’S OLDER SISTER - WHAT IS HER
VIEW ON WHAT BOY WILLIE WANTS TO SELL?
5. WHO IS DOAKER IN THE PLAY?
6. WHO IS AVERY IN THE PLAY?
7. WHO IS WINING BOY IN THE PLAY?
8. LOOK OVER THE MONOLOGUES THAT I HAVE GIVEN YOU
SO FAR - FROM GEM OF THE OCEAN THROUGH THE PIANO
 LESSON - WHICH ONE COULD YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING
AND WHY?