Playwriting Unit

Lesson Plan Three – The Monologue: Characterization

Subject:Theatre Topic: Playwriting

Teacher: Mr. Kingsbury Date: April 29th 2009

NC Standard Course of Study Objective: COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will write
based on personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and history.
 1.01 Read, understand and relate the basic content of a play.
 1.05 Write a monologue.

1. Focus and Review (Establish prior knowledge)

(a) Description of Activities and Setting
i. Discuss the components of a monologue
A. What should a monologue reveal to a listener?
B. Who does a monologue typically address?
C. Does a monologue traditionally have a plot structure like a play?
(b) Materials and Time
i. Powerpoint slide 1: The Monologue – Characterization
ii. 5 min.

2. Statement (Inform student of objectives)

(a) Description of Activities and Setting
i. Move to slide 2: What to expect.
ii. Go over with students the outline of what is expected in class today.
A. What is a monologue?
B. Direct and Indirect Characterization
C. Creating characters and an event
D. Creating the beginnings of a monologue
(b) Materials and Time
i. Powerpoint slide 2: What to expect
ii. 2 – 3 min.

3. Teacher Input (Present tasks, information, and guidance)

(a) Description of Activities and Setting
i. Move to Powerpoint slide 3: The Monologue.
A. Define and review parts of a monologue
ii. Ask students what they think characterization is
iii. Move to Powerpoint slide 4: Characterization
A. Define Characterization
B. Explain to students direct and indirect characterization
(b) Materials and Time
i. Powerpoint slides 3 and 4
ii. 7 min.
4. Guided Practice (Elicit performance, provide assessment and feedback)
(a) Description of Activities and Setting
i. Explain to students that they will be divided up into four groups; each group will
be given a sheet with an image on it, and a few questions.
ii. Explain that each student will individually want to take notes on what is decided
as a group, as a basis for a later activity.
iii. Each group must look at their image and answer the questions.
iv. They then must come up with a short story revolving around that image,
involving some form of conflict.
v. If their image only has on character in the image, they must create a second
character to be involved from outside of the image.
vi. Each group must also develop the characters themselves, giving them names,
identities, personalities, character traits, emotions, etc.
(b) Materials and Time
i. Powerpoint slide 5: Character and event activity
ii. Character sheets, one per group
iii. Each student will need paper on which to take notes.
iv. 10 min.

5. Independent Practice -- Seatwork and Homework (Retention and transfer)

(a) Description of Activities and Setting
i. Students will be expected to take notes in their groups on the group work and
the story of their characters.
ii. Students will then be expected to write a letter from the perspective of one of the
the characters in their story to the other character involved in their story,
focusing on the elements of characterization previously discussed.
(b) Materials and Time
i. Students will need paper on which to write.
ii. 10 min.

6. Closure (Plan for maintenance)

(a) Description of Activities and Setting
i. Each group must choose one representative who will share with the rest of the
class the group's picture, characters, and the story that is occurring. Each
group will present.
ii. The instructor will have slides of the images projected so that everyone in the
class can see during the sharing.
iii. Review elements of a monologue and direct and indirect characterization by
asking students to expound on these, and discuss how the principles connect to
the recent class activities.
(b) Materials and Time
i. Powerpoint slides 6 – 9: Character images
ii. Students will need their notes of the story and characters.
iii. 10 min.
Sources:
Downs, William, Lou Wright, and Erik Ramsey. The Art of Theatre: Then and Now. Belmont,
CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007. Print.

"Unit 3 – Character." Drama 30. Drama 30. 29 Apr 2009

<http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/drama30/teacher/3writing.html>.

Powerpoint Outline:
Slide 1: The Monologue – Characterization
Slide 2: What to Expect
 What is a Monologue
 Direct and Indirect Characterization
 Creating characters and an event
 Creating the beginnings of a Monologue
Slide 3: The Monologue
 A long speech by one character (human, animal or object) to self, an imagined other
character, or audience
 Reveals (through voice) the speaker’s personality, thoughts,emotions and some
aspects of his/her perception of life
 Might resolve a conflict, solve a problem, entertain or persuade
Slide 4: Characterization
 The author's portrayal, description of a specific identity within the play
 Direct Characterization: The author literally tells the audience what a character is like.
 Indirect Characterization: The audience must deduce for themselves what the
character is like through the character’s thoughts, actions, speech (choice of words,
way of talking), looks and interaction with other characters, including other characters’
reactions to that particular person.
Slide 5: Directions for Character and Event activity
 Explain to students that they will be divided up into four groups; each group will be
given a sheet with an image on it, and a few questions.
 Explain that each student will individually want to take notes on what is decided as a
group, as a basis for a later activity.
 Each group must look at their image and answer the questions.
 They then must come up with a short story revolving around that image, involving
some form of conflict.
 If their image only has on character in the image, they must create a second character
to be involved from outside of the image.
 Each group must also develop the characters themselves, giving them names,
identities, personalities, character traits, emotions, etc.
Slide 6: Nun
Slide 7: Shcool
Slide 8: Clown
Slide 9: Alien Bingo
 What happens after this photo is taken?
What is the man in the hat thinking?
What is the alien thinking?

Where is this taking place?

Who is in the clown suit? What did he/she do? What is he/she thinking?
What is the police officer thinking?
What is the child thinking/feeling who is perhaps watching the event?
 Why is the nun so happy at the computer?
What is she doing?
How long has she been a nun?
What is her dream in life?
Who was she before she became a nun?

How will they explain this mistake to the foreman?

What happens next?
How is this both funny and sad at the same time?