Activity Lesson Plans

Chapter 10: Acting

Introduction
Students have studied the importance of the basic types of movements on stage. In this lesson, students will read an article on performance fighting from the Academy of Theatrical Combat.

Lesson Description
Students will read an article titled "Common Factors of Performance Fights." Then they will answer questions about the basic principles of performance fighting.

Instructional Objectives
1. Students will be able to summarize text.
2. Students will be able to draw conclusions.

Web Quest Activity Answers
1. Answers may include that although the audience perceives the actors to be fighting onstage, the actors are actually cooperating and working toward the same goal: the creation of drama. Just as dancers work together as a unit to create smooth movements, so do performance fighters.

2. Answers should include timing, distance, cueing, and reversal of tension. Timing incorporates the speed at which actions and reactions are performed. Distance involves the distance between the actors and their distance from each other's weapons during a strike. Cueing is the technique that hints to one's fighting partner that a planned action is about to occur. Reversal of tension provides the illusion that fighting is being done with full force when in reality movements are carefully controlled.

3. Answers should include that these common factors need to be present for the actors to "fight" safely and in turn provide the audience with believable fight sequences.