Evidence: Understanding Stage Directions

Enduring Understanding:
Every element of a play (set, character, props, etc) are there to help tell the story

​Essential Questions:
1) How does a tableau tell a story through one single image?
2) How can we use sources from other cultures and art forms to inspire stories?
                                   
Basic Structure:
 Students recreate paintings from around the world by following pre-written directions, written in stage direction language.

Assessment:
  1. Can students follow the directions correctly, regarding stage directions and levels, to create the image?
  2. Can students accurately direct other students to create the images?
 
Further modifications:
  1. Have students find images from their home cultures and write out the stage directions to recreate the image. Give these directions to other students and see them recreate the images themselves.
  2. Use tableaux from the museums or cliches to begin lessons on storytelling, movement, characterization, plot, etc.
 Links to other subjects:
Art - students are creating living representations of fine art, discussion pointillism, and
Music - exposure to the music of Stephen Sondheim
Cultural - paintings come from Europe, India, Mexico, and Korea. (Open to any cultures represented by the students)

Sample Instructions:

SET:
Chairs or blocks all next to each other, creating a wall/railing. They are placed at an angle, from downstage left to upstage center.

Person #1: Stand Center Stage Right at a high level, looking over their Stage Left shoulder, facing downstage

Person #2: Stand Center Stage Right, slightly upstage of Person #1, at a high level, looking over right shoulder.

Person #3: Downstage Center, facing upstage, at a low level on all fours, on a diagonal. Head is looking upstage right, feet are slightly angled towards downstage left.

Person #4: Standing Downstage Left, facing stage left, at a medium level. Leaning against the set, downstage arm is on the wall, head is in the downstage hand.

Person #5: Standing Upstage Center, facing upstage, at a high level.