Performing and Analyzing a Scene of Romeo and Juliet Steps

Performance Assessment: Performing and Analyzing a Scene of Romeo and Juliet

Assignment

Your assignment is to work with a group to interpret, rehearse, and perform a scene from Romeo and Juliet as

well as to provide an actor’s or director’s notebook for this scene that analyzes your character and the overall

scene.

Steps

1. Read your assigned scene several times to become familiar with it and to clarify meaning.

2. Confirm who will play which roles. Remember, in Shakespeare’s time men played all roles, so

do not allow gender to dictate your casting choices.

3. Decide how you are going to perform your scene: videotaped or live on stage.

4. Decide the time period: are you using the original text, the modern text, or are you rewriting

the text to fit into another time period/setting?

5. Complete the Company Report as a group.

6. Complete the Prewriting/Performing Analysis and Costume Drawing/Description for each

character portrayed (preferably the character in which you are going to portray)

7. The Director needs to complete the Director’s Notebook taking the group ideas into

consideration for props, costume pieces, and background music that will enhance the

performance.

8. Begin the rehearsal process—

a. Say the lines naturally and clearly, with emphasis.

b. Move with purpose. Use appropriate hand gestures and facial expressions. Look at and

interact with the other actors. Avoid turning your back to the audience.

c. Use props, costume pieces, and background music as soon as possible.

d. Pay attention to your distance from one another, your position on stage, the pace of

your speech, and the volume of your voice.

9. Remember, the goal is to perform an interpretation of a scene to which everyone in the group

contributes. The test of the group’s success will be how well you work together to create a

polished performance.

10. Possibly ask another group to watch your dress rehearsal and provide feedback on how you

might improve your performance.

11. Perform your scene!

12. After your performance, describe the process you went through to complete this project, the

challenges you faced, how you worked to overcome them, and your evaluation of the final

performance.

Romeo and Juliet Acting Groups

Group #

Act. Scene

Characters /Roles

Pd. 2: Table 5

Pd. 3: Tables 5 & 7

Pd. 4: Tables 5 & 7

Pd. 5: Tables 5 & 7

Pd. 6: Tables 5 & 6

3.1

Director:

Mercutio:

Benvolio:

Tybalt:

Romeo:

Citizen of the Watch:

Prince:

Lady Capulet:

Lord Montague:

(No lines—Lord Capulet, Lady Montague, Mercutio’s page)

Pd. 2: Table 1

Pd. 3: Table 2

Pd. 4: Table 2

Pd. 5: Table 2

Pd. 6: Table 2

3.2

Director:

Juliet:

Nurse:

Pd. 2: Table 4

Pd. 3: Table 3

Pd. 4: Table 3

Pd. 5: Table 3

Pd. 6: Table 3

3.3

Director:

Friar Lawrence:

Romeo:

Nurse:

Pd. 2: Table 2

Pd. 3: Table 4

Pd. 4: Table 4

Pd. 5: Table 4

Pd. 6: Table 4

3.4

Director:

Lord Capulet:

Lady Capulet:

Paris:

Pd. 2: Table 7

Pd. 3: Table 6 & 1

Pd. 4: Table 6 & 1

Pd. 5: Table 6 & 1

Pd. 6: Tables 7 & 1

3.5

Director:

Romeo:

Juliet:

Nurse:

Lady Capulet:

Lord Capulet:

Romeo and Juliet Performance: Company Report

Company Name: _________________________________Act:______ Scene:______ Line(s): _______

After you have read your scene as an acting company, answer the following questions together—

1. What happens in your scene? Outline the basic events.

2. What do you think are the key purposes of your scene? That is, why do you think Shakespeare included

this scene in the play? In what way(s) is it important to the story?

(Keep these purposes in mind as you make decisions about blocking and characterization.)

3. What are your reactions to this scene?

Romeo and Juliet Performance: Prewriting/Performing Analysis

Be sure to answer each of the following thoroughly.

1. Describe the character from your scene. What are his/her personality, attitude, and emotions?

2. Describe some of your gestures, movements, voice, and facial expressions that you plan on using to

capture some of what you identified in #1? Be sure to explain why you are using them. Point to specific

lines from the play.

3. Copy out TWO significant lines from your scene spoken by your character. Why are these lines

significant?

4. How do you plan on performing the lines you identified in #3? Think about movement, gestures, voice,

and so on.

5. Describe one significant interaction between your character and one other character. How are you

planning on performing this interaction?

6. If you had no limitations on cost or time, describe the costumes, props and sets you might use for your

scene. Please remember, though, that it is a stage production, not a film.

7. Describe the process of rehearsing and performing. What do you like/not like? Why? How does your

group work together?

Romeo and Juliet Performance: Costume Drawing/Description

Character: ___________________________________ Actor: __________________________________

Costume Drawing

Front View Back View

(OR)

Description of Costume:

Head/Face: ______________________________________________________________

Arms/Body/Shirt: _________________________________________________________

Hands: __________________________________________________________________

Pants/Legs: ______________________________________________________________

Feet: ___________________________________________________________________

AND

Justification (Why your character is wearing this particular costume, instead of something from another

setting or time period): _____________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Romeo and Juliet Performance: Director’s Notebook

The Director’s Notebook Includes—

 A diagram of the set: include a sketch of the set from the audience’s perspective as well as an aerial view (a view from

above).

 A plan for lighting and sound: for both lighting and sound, include an explanation as to why you think your choices

are appropriate for your scene.

 A list of props

 An introduction for the scene: You will present this introduction before your acting company performs. In addition,

your teacher may expect you to be prepared to fill in for an actor (should one of the actors be absent on the day of the

performance) or take an acting role (if there are a small number of players in your group). Be sure to tell the audience

the time period in which your play is set (especially if it is different from the original).

Romeo and Juliet Performance: Scoring Guide

After Performance Self-Evaluation:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Standard

Exceeds Expectations

Meets Expectations

Does Not Yet Meet

Expectations

 Creates an Interpretation of

a character

 Speaking: Demonstrate

and apply knowledge of the

elements of an effective

oral presentation

Actions, facial expression,

and voice/emotions are

used to create a powerful

and believable portrayal of

a character.

Actions, facial expression,

and voice/emotions are

used effectively to portray a

character.

Actions, facial expression,

and voice/emotions are not

used in a way that portrays

a character.

 Draw conclusions about the

author’s purpose.

 Analyze characterization

The performance, staging

notebook, and analysis

reveal an insightful analysis

and mature understanding

of the scene and the

character(s).

The performance and

staging notebook reveal a

careful analysis and clear

understanding of the scene

and characters.

The performance and/or

staging notebook reveal a

limited analysis and

understanding of the scene.

 Analyze how dramatic

elements are used to

develop characters/mood

through dialogue,

soliloquies, asides,

character foils, stage

directions.

Carefully chosen and/or

created props, music and

sound effects, lighting, and

costumes work together to

create a mood appropriate

for the scene.

Props, music and sound

effects, lighting, and

costumes create a mood

appropriate for the scene.

Props, music and sound

effects, lighting, and

costumes are minimal and

may not create a mood

appropriate for the scene.

 Actively solicit another

person’s comment or

 Offer one’s own opinion

assertively without

dominating

The planning time and

performance reveal a

successful endeavor to

produce an effective

presentation. Obstacles are

overcome with cooperation

of the whole acting

company.

The planning time and

performance reveal a

sincere effort to work

together to produce an

effective presentation.

The planning time and

performance reveal a lack

of effort to work together to

produce an effective

presentation.

Romeo and Juliet Performance: Scoring Guide

Acting Company: ______________________________

Members: ______________________ ______________________ ______________________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Group Performance

/ 5

Preparation: on time, all items ready to be submitted, ready for performance

/ 5

Stage Set: resembles the design, matches time period

/ 5

Props/Costumes: Used and used well, matches time period

/ 10

Clarity to Audience: who's who, what's going on (introduce cast & scene)

/ 15

Acting - Line delivery: projection, showing understanding through tone, language reflects

the time period

/ 15

Acting - Physical: showing understanding through blocking and body language

/ 55

Group Performance Total

(*If there is unequal participation in the group, an individual rubric will be used)

Group Planning

/ 10

Director’s notebook: set design, prop list, lighting and sound plan, introduction

/10

Individual Character Line Break-down: the company's lines with paraphrasing, and some delivery

and blocking notes for each character (may be on notecards or script paper)

/ 5

Company Report: one per acting company

/ 10

Prewriting/Performing Analysis: one per character portrayed

/ 10

Costume Drawings/Descriptions and Justifications: one per character portrayed

/ 45

Group Planning Total

(*If there is unequal participation in the group, an individual rubric will be used)