Design: Mask Design & Creation

Design: Mask Design & Creation

In what is the eighth of 10 exercises focusing on design aesthetics from Associate Professor Rostampour, students design a character mask based on one of the following- Kabuki, ancient Greek, African, Commedia dell´Arte, or virtual game character/anime. They must also

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Design: Visual Narrative

Design: Visual Narrative

This exercise asks students to create a triptych that tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The three panels, which are developed as collages, must utilize the principles and elements of design. This is the sixth of 10

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Design: Music Composition

Design: Music Composition

In the fifth of 10 design aesthetics exercises from Auburn associate professor Fereshteh Rostampour, students are given the creative task of translating a 3 to 5 minute piece of music into a visual display. This is a wonderful mid-range exercise

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Design: Composition

Design: Composition

This design aesthetics exercise focusing on composition requires that students convey a focal point, asymmetrical balance, and movement. Students write a short story or develop a theme and then illustrate their central idea through collage. The point is to create

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Design: Color Wheel and Tones

Design: Color Wheel and Tones

This exercise, which is the third of 10 focusing on design aesthetics, demands that students create their own color wheel and tones. Tones are developed by using varying amounts of black and white. This is an exacting exercise from designer

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Design: Articulate with Lines

Design: Articulate with Lines

In this innovative exercise from theatre designer Fereshteh Rostampour, students are given 9 adjectives and they must draw lines to illustrate the emotion each evokes. Creativity, execution and presentation are all important in what is the second of 10 design

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Design: Creating Art with Point

Design: Creating Art with Point

is is the first of 10 exercises from Auburn professor Fereshteh Rostampour focusing on design aesthetics. The exercise involves some basic research, the use of a specific artistic technique and incorporation of fine motor skills as students recreate painting using

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Playwriting Exercise: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

It’s not uncommon for writers to observe people in everyday life and get ideas for characters and even entire plays. This playwriting exercise offers 30 pictures of 30 different people. The assignment is to create a play creating and using

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The Dynamics of Classroom Playwriting and Reading Aloud, Part I

Playwriting in the classromm, theatre arts and teaching

Why Dramatic Writing and Reading? Playwriting can be a useful tool in active learning, especially if you take the stance that plays are meant to be heard and seen and not simply read silently by individuals. Just about any subject

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Basic Playwriting Exercise: Character Conflict

This is a simple playwriting exercise designed to get students writing dialogue and creating conflict on stage. As it is with all exercises, there are rules for this one. Sometimes students will protest the fact that there are rules for

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Directing Exercise: The Sound of Music

Directing Exercise: The Sound of Music

This is a great group exercise for advanced high school students or college students. The exercise refers to each group creating a set. The elements used are whatever happens to be handy such as rehearsal blocks, chairs, benches, some hand

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Directing Exercise: Objects in Space

Directing Exercise: Objects in Space

The Objects in Space exercise is not about creating a playing space for actors. It is about learning to create an interesting, dynamic space that captures and holds the viewer’s attention. Directing students are divided into groups of four or

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Creative Drama for The Classroom: Acting Through Animals

This acting exercise gets students focused on doing rather than thinking. This is useful and fun for every age, from pre-school through college. Get out of your head and into your body! As an acting teacher, one of the biggest

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Acting Exercise: Body Mapping Kinetic Energy

Acting Exercise: Body Mapping Kinetic Energy

Acting and energy go hand-in-hand. This exercise uses Body Mapping to help actors realize their characters. See the Body Mapping explanation. Part One Step One: Go over Body Mapping information with students. Step Two: Students talk about and discuss characters

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