Art Form: Theatre

Supplies Needed

The Smallest Spot of a Dot book

Index cards or small pieces of paper

Pencil

Vocabulary

Character - A person in a story or play, or an animal or object that has human qualities

Scene - A part of a play or story that happens in one place for a continuous stretch of time

Improvise - To make it up as you go; to act without a script

Dialogue - The lines and speeches spoken by the characters in a story or play

Perspective - A way of looking at or thinking about something

Resolution - A solution to the problem, an agreement or development that ends the conflict or disagreement

Instructions

1. After reading through the book, look back through the book and choose one of the illustrations showing two characters that contrast each other. Talk about how the characters are different.

2. With a partner (or alone, using two different voices to represent the different characters) act out the characters discussing what makes them different from each other. Be sure to speak as though you are the character.

3. Write down a few topics on index cards or small pieces of paper that the characters might have different perspectives about. Fold the pieces of paper and mix them up on a table or the floor. Choose one; open it and read it aloud.

4. Improvise a way for the characters to reach a resolution about the topic. Again, use dialogue, speaking as though you are the character. Think about how resolution doesn’t always mean agreeing--the two characters could agree to disagree! The resolution is up to you!

Extensions

Write out your improvisation as a scene, showing what the characters say back and forth.

Improvise (with a little planning) a commercial as one of the characters trying to convince a larger audience of their viewpoint, including several reasons and details.