Creating Backdrops, Props and Costumes

Today we spent time adding details to our backdrop and we worked together to decide which props we needed so the audience will better understand our play.  The students eagerly divided up the work that needed to be done and began creating.  

Just like last week, they had so much fun seeing it all come together.  They were excited to create their costumes.  The students who won't be able to make it to AIMs night, dug right in and helped out the rest of the students with their costumes.  

Ms. Kneeland helping out
to make safari vests for our
tour guides (narrators).

Everyone was eager to
try this costume on!

Jackson concentrating on
creating some cool grass!

Blowing this up takes team work!

Backdrops, Props, and the Creative Cadre

This week students focused on any last minute backdrop details. We read through the scripts carefully and with deliberation. I asked students to stop as certain characters were speaking to see if there were visual details we could add to enhance their roles. After the read through, the group agreed on working collectively on finishing all the cottages in the sky.

Karl and the Root read through

Backdrop for Karl and the Root

Cottage creations

Next up, the final run throughs with staging and props. We're almost ready and are excited to share our scripts!

Modifying a bear mask to a mouse mask

Additional props with a purpose

Creating a Backdrop

vines

flowers from the rainforest

an adorable sloth

Last week, we met in groups and went over the plays we'll be doing.   We read the scripts and then decided what we might want to create as a backdrop.  Once the students got started, it was hard for them to quit.  They have such creative ideas and were excited to make them!  They used books, ipads, computers, and  magazines to brainstorm and look up images/facts about animals and plants that live in the rainforest(the setting of our play). They worked so well together and they were very proud of the things they were creating.  We will continue working on our sets this week. 

python

Karl and the Root, aka Jack and the Beanstalk

The focus - backdrops for the main scene.

This week we focused our attention on visualizing our main scenes. Teachers and students met in their assigned practice areas.  Once there, each group re-grouped by reading their scripts paying close attention to the details of the main scene. 

I met again with the group Karl and the Root. After reading through the script twice, students were assigned creative tasks based on what the group decided as a scene. We collectively made a list including a blue sky, clouds, potato vine, large cloud on the ground, small cottages in the sky, and a big castle. Then we got busy. Students worked in pairs or threes and used butcher paper and construction paper and lots of glue. 

Each meeting area had prepped the backdrop 3-panel screen with several sheets of butcher paper. Students could then see how hanging their creations vertically might be a challenge! The first round of clouds attached to the backdrop all crashed within an hour of application. Students in charge of the cloud formations wanted to have enormous puffballs of crumpled white butcher paper, well it failed the "hanging" test. After school let out, I gathered the fallen clouds, trimmed them considerably, and reapplied with extra tape. Hopefully, the group will realize that less is sometimes more when it comes to backdrop creations.

This week, we turn our attention to props, costumes, and getting personal with the script. Only a few weeks left.....AHHHHHHH!

The Final Four

This week we met to narrow down our script choices. Based on student's ability to attend our final AIM Showcase at the Mabel Tainter Theater, we chose 4 scripts for our focus. We surveyed students to get their choice of non-speaking, narrator, main character or other character roles. Then, based on the results, we placed any playwrights of the chosen scripts, in to their scripts first. Next, we assigned students to their preferred choices, paying attention to the combination of personality and abilities in each scripted group. Students that are unable to make the showcase were then placed with a script to act as a support team. Basically, we mixed all three 3rd grade classrooms together similar to our first showcase efforts.

Melissa shared her ideas about scene and backdrop designs before we met with our four groups. She displayed several examples and asked students about their ideas for materials used. Standup props were another example of utilizing simple items for an impact. Students shared some ideas for costumes too, but we wanted to keep the focus on the set first.

We announced the final four scripts and names of students assigned to each and the groups reported to separate classrooms to begin their work. We each worked with a script and Cindy's student-teacher Logan was assigned a group too. Melissa checked in with all four groups as we sat and read through the scripts for the first time.

Students were excited to start this collaborative group work of creativity. I worked with the group that was assigned to the script, "Karl and the Root" based on "Jack and the Beanstalk". Students read through the scripts several times. After the 3rd read, they were making suggestions for subtle word changes, scene ideas, props, and costumes.

Over the next few weeks we will continue our rehearsals both with Melissa and behind the scenes within our own classrooms. It's a very busy time of the school year with state testing, common assessments and report cards finalized, but 3rd grade teachers and students are determined to make this work. The "drama" buzz has hit our rooms, can't wait for the final four performances!

Playwrights

6 Fairy Tales

Mrs. Kneeland explains the jobs behind the play

Students read the original fairy tale

Small groups work on adapting their fairy tale

Different ways to adapt a fairy tale

The selection of stories

Graphic organizer to guide script writing

Happy Playwrights with a finished script!

Who's Who in Theater

Mrs. Kneeland showing the students the difference between how a book is
written and how a script for a play is written.

For today's lesson, the third graders were introduced to the many important people needed to help make a play successful.  We put together a slide show that Mrs. Kneeland discussed with the students. Each slide focused on  these important roles:

playwright, director, stage manager, set designer,  costume designer, makeup, lighting, sound (foley artist), choreographer, and actors  

Playwrights hard at work

After the students learned about the different roles, they became the playwrights of their own fairy tale plays. The students were divided into groups of 3 or 4. Each group was given a different familiar fairy tale and then asked to rewrite it (and make changes if they would like). They worked together to create a script for their version of a fairy tale. They are excited to see their plays come to life! They were also excited to know that over the next few lessons, they will also be creating a set, designing costumes and adding sound to their plays.