Scenes from a Crowded Classroom: Teaching Theatrical Blocking in English Language Arts Leah Zuidema
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Language Arts Journal of Michigan Volume 29 Article 9 Issue 2 Location, Location, Location 4-2014 Scenes from a Crowded Classroom: Teaching Theatrical Blocking in English Language Arts Leah Zuidema Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/lajm Recommended Citation Zuidema, Leah (2014) "Scenes from a Crowded Classroom: Teaching Theatrical Blocking in English Language Arts," Language Arts Journal of Michigan: Vol. 29: Iss. 2, Article 9. Available at: https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.2013 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Language Arts Journal of Michigan by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PRACTICE Scenes from a Crowded Classroom: Teaching Theatrical Blocking in English Language Arts LEAH A. ZUIDEMA ne of the greatest challenges that could help them in visualizing the taken place in somewhat crowded class- of teaching plays in English action of the play. This is problematic, rooms, typically with about 35 students Olanguage arts courses is the as the cognitive work of visualization per section and little room to move fact that scripts are intended for the is a stepping stone to comprehension: about. The lesson sequence continues stage, not the page. While the plots, practiced readers use visualization to to evolve each year with small changes themes, and dialogue of the best scripts help them understand, make connec- and additions, often inspired by stu- are ripe for intensive literary study, care- tions with, and interpret literary texts dents’ suggestions about “what else” we ful attention to dramatic elements— (Wilhelm, 2008). Teaching about block- should do in our study of blocking. including casting, costuming, lighting, ing is an effective way to help students and blocking—can further enhance stu- visualize the action of the play as they Setting the Stage: Curricular dents’ understanding and engagement. read. Ultimately, visualization lessons Context But English language arts courses are focused on blocking can help readers to not theatre courses, and often, resources be more skilled in independently under- Most recently, I have taught these for bringing plays to life through perfor- standing, interpreting, and responding lessons in conjunction with class study mance are severely limited. It is the rare to plays. of Shakespeare’s Othello, The Moor of English language arts class that has ac- The short lesson series shared in Venice (trans. 2009). However, I have cess to a full stage, costumes, props, and this article takes into account these also used variations on the sequence lights—let alone time for staging activi- contextual considerations. Additionally, with more contemporary plays. These ties and an instructor with the training teachers aligning curriculum with the lessons on blocking are not the sole fo- and confidence to engage a room full of Common Core State Standards may be cus of our study of any play; rather, they non-actors in a theatrical performance. interested to note that this lesson se- are interspersed with the other activities Despite these challenges, it is es- quence can also help students to achieve and discussions that also unfold our un- sential to help students gain a basic un- CCSS targets for reading literature in derstanding of and response to the text. derstanding of blocking (i.e., the posi- grades 6-12, which call at each level for The lessons work best when they focus tioning and movement of actors): what students to “read and comprehend lit- on scenes from the play in which atten- it is, how it is guided by the script, and erature, including stories, dramas, and tion to blocking helps to illuminate the how it can advance the plot and inten- poems…[in their appropriate grade lev- characters’ actions and motives. sify the experience of the play for the el’s] text complexity band proficiently, Identifying these scenes takes a audience. These lessons are especially with scaffolding as needed at the high bit of imagination: I read the play in important in introductory courses, as it end of the range” (2014). I have used advance with my students’ eyes, watch- is often the case that students will have variations on this lesson sequence with ing for the moments where the words seen and read few plays, and some will high school students in grades 9-12, and themselves are easy to understand, and not have had any experiences as theatre more recently this sequence has played yet the conversation is tricky to follow goers. Because of their lack of familiar- an important role in my introductory lit- unless the reader visualizes how the ac- ity with plays as a genre, these students erature course for college students. As tors are arranged on the stage and inter- often overlook important textual cues might be expected, these lessons have act physically with one another. 48 LAJM, Spring 2014 Leah A. Zuidema These lessons emphasize how a director has already made some in- Taking the Stage: The Lesson terpretive choices where other options blocking functions as a dramatic Sequence convention—that is, how the actors’ po- were possible. Although there is no sitioning and movement across the stage An outline of the blocking-focused specific stage direction to indicate that function as signifiers that the audience is segments from each of our five acts of Iago and Roderigo are walking as they speak the first 75 lines, Parker’s choice meant to read in “agreed upon” ways. study for Othello is offered here as an illustration of how a lesson sequence to have them walk while talking seems Since the idea of convention is founda- on blocking can work (perhaps with consistent with the note about the set- tional, it is helpful if the lessons build other plays) in an English language arts ting (a street) and with the stage direc- from prior discussions of the form and course. For this unit, class periods were tion for the two to enter. Furthermore, function of other conventions in litera- 75 minutes long and, as noted previous- the dialogue also guides Parker’s choice: ture and drama. ly, also included other discussions and Roderigo observes, “Here is her father’s During the class period before activities. house; I’ll call aloud” (1.1.76). It seems students begin reading the play inde- Prologue: Blocking as Interpreta- likely that his reason for saying aloud pendently, we explore several conven- tion for Directors and Readers that the house is “here” is because the tions for writing and reading scripts. We Following brief class discussion two characters have just come upon the examine the list of dramatis personae to- of students’ prior knowledge of Shake- house—not because they have been gether, and I ask questions that prompt speare and Othello, we delve into the standing outside of it throughout and students to note characters’ roles, de- exploration of script conventions, as Iago has failed to notice it. Drawing stu- termine their relationships, and make described previously. Our first look at dents into the conversation, I help them predictions about possible conflicts that conventions for blocking is a viewing to notice that both the stage directions of a performance, and it works con- and the dialogue guide the actors’ move- could arise in the play. We look at the currently with students’ first look at ment and positioning. system for numbering acts and scenes, the plot: in class, we watch the open- Additionally, the director’s discre- and I show students how to quote and ing of director Oliver Parker’s (1995) tion plays a role: although there is no cite excerpts from the script in their film interpretation of Othello, starring indication in the stage directions or written commentaries. We note the play- Laurence Fishburne, Kenneth Branagh, dialogue that Iago should be hidden be- wright’s description of the setting and, and Irene Jacob. Our class viewing oc- hind a pole, Parker’s choice works with as appropriate, consult maps and time- curs before we start reading, and it cor- the dialogue and helps to draw atten- lines as we hypothesize about how the responds roughly to the first two scenes tion to Iago’s control and manipulation setting might affect characters’ attitudes, from the play (though Parker also incor- of Roderigo for his own purposes. Of beliefs, and actions. porates glimpses from later scenes in his course, understanding Iago’s manipula- Students learn to identify stage screening of 1.1-1.2). tive control of Roderigo is easier to see directions, and those class who have Posing questions that guide the after one has already read or seen the worked from scripts before explain class in understanding the plot, charac- full play—and I note this to students as terms like exeunt. We find examples of ters’ motivations, and conflicts, I also well so that they understand that I no- offer observations and ask questions ticed this not because I am the teacher stage directions in the script and think that draw students’ attention to the di- or an expert reader, but because I am aloud together about the degree to rector’s choices about blocking. For ex- “reading against memory” from a prior which the playwright does or does not ample, near the beginning of the film, viewing/reading of the play (Rabinow- provide direction for blocking and ac- Iago and Roderigo walk together until itz & Smith, 1998). tion. (For more regarding conventions they pause under Brabantio’s window— Near the end of this first lesson, in plays and how to read them, see Hay- where Iago (but not Roderigo) is ob- students are asked to reflect on our man, 1999.) Taken together, this discus- scured from Brabantio’s view by a wide reading for the day and to note what it sion about conventions in the script pole and the cover of darkness.