Assignment/Activity Title— Inspirations Script Year— Freshman
Skill—Research, writing, group dynamics, public performance Portfolio Category— Media and Communications
For a final project in drama class, students had to get together in a group of about four people, and write a play to be performed. I was very excited about this project when it was assigned, because I really enjoy writing and acting, and to use both skills at once sounded really intriguing. I had never written a play before, and although exciting, this project also seemed challenging. Our first assignment was to think of a few different ideas for a play that we could share with the class, and then base groups off of which ideas people liked. My ideas were scattered and not organized, I was daunted by the fact that the play could only be ten minutes long. I realized that I did not really want to utilize my own ideas, so I listened to what other people had to say instead. I was interested in the ideas of Lily H and Siena, and eventually made a group
composed of Lily H, Lily M, Siena, Becca, and I.
My group had a lot to do- we first had to choose a sold topic. With the help of Ms. Jeral, and after lots of discussion, our topic came to be the influence of technology on young teens and families. I was eager to write a play about this topic, as I can relate to it in my everyday life. Technology is everywhere, and everyone uses it, so it was a relevant topic. The next step in our process was to research about technology. We decided a good approach to this was to read about the statistics of technology users, and the effects on the brain from phones, computers, and more. Researching this was very easy, as there are an abundance of articles on this topic.
Next, our group had to work on finding interviews and completing our prospectus. The prospectus included information about the target audience, why we wanted to create the play, the theme, key questions addressed in the play, the point of the play, setting, plot, exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and the layers of meaning. We also had a list of the characters, creative elements, sound effects, costumes, and whom we would interview. The prospectus was helpful in identifying the meaning our play, and staying organized when writing the script.
For the interviews, we decided to talk to the technology teachers at Blair, Sherry Turkle, and students around Blair. The most successful of these interviews were the students. They gave us the most in depth answers, describing how much they use their phones, and how it distracts them throughout the school day. The interviews conducted helped shape the lines of the family in our play.
The first draft of our script was okay, but improvements were needed. We listened to the advice of Ms. Jeral, and edited it so much it was almost a different play. After performing it once as a draft for Ms. Jeral, we then made many more edits, a second time. In the state that it is in now, I think our play is very impressive.
Our final performance in front of the class is coming up very soon, and I am nervous as well as excited. I think our play will have a real impact on the audience. It is a prime example of how technology can separate a family, and worsen someone’s life. I am very proud of how far our group has come with our script and play, and I cannot wait to perform it for our class, as well as the public.
No comments:
Post a Comment