Create a Character: Acting & Language Arts with Caren Graham

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Create A Character: Acting & Language Arts With Caren Graham ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS LEARNING TARGETS ● How do actors create a character? ● I can make creative choices with my voice and body ● How can characters I discover in other disciplines like to invent a variety of characters history, fairy tales, or literature come to life in ● I can create other forms of dramatic writing or drama? analyze a recording of myself performing MATERIALS NEEDED: Paper and Pencil DIGITAL SUPPORT RESOURCES: <link> INSTRUCTIONS 1. Choose a character from a favorite book. Examples: Harry Potter or Hermione Granger. 2. With pencil and paper write down 3 sentences to describe your chosen character. 3. Use descriptive words like tall, lanky, bent over. 4. Add personality traits like brave, scary, quick witted, confident. 5. Now use your imagination to create a character statue which is a frozen moment in time in a posed position. Start with your face. Try making a “brave” facial expression! a. Is there a moment in Harry Potter, when Harry or Hermione felt clever or brave? Write it down. b. Create that moment in a character statue and then come to life. c. Try to exaggerate (make bigger) a personality trait: for instance brave, and then switch to another feeling or trait like scared. 6. Now add a gesture (an expressive movement) to go with that character trait! a. Move your whole body with expression, posture and gesture. Try saying something in the manner your character might speak with the gesture. b. Acting like the character, did it feel better to be brave or scared? Why? 7. Create another character statue with a feeling or personality trait you choose to describe your character. How did that feel as the character to change personality traits? ACTOR’S TOOLBOX: Feelings, Expression, Gestures and Posture help a character to come to life! MORE IDEAS ● Find a partner and have them create a character too! What might the two characters say to one another? Find a prop around the house to use as your character, example a paintbrush. ● Look up facts about a historical figure and then create a character based upon your research. ● Put on a show with various characters for your family and friends. ● Call someone on the phone and speak with them as the character! Get them excited about character creation! Make up a story together about your characters. ● If you have a recording device, record a speech or improvisation you create as your character. .

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