INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PORTFOLIO

Project Title: A Beginner’s Guide to Acting

Presenting a well-crafted character in a performance or audition makes for a rewarding storytelling experience for actors and audience members alike. It is important that a character is crafted with strong acting choices that serve the story. A performance in which a character has not been fully realized can result in confusion, frustration, or boredom for the audience. Young or inexperienced actors often find themselves cast in theatrical productions with little to no formal training in acting. Likewise, amateur directors often lack formal skills with which to direct actors. The volume of untrained actors and the importance of competent character development to any production suggest the need for effective training.

Increase confidence, enjoyment, and preparation through improved character development.

The primary audience is comprised of performing arts students ages 13 to 18. They are interested in theater enough to seek out training in private lessons. Many of these students will go on to audition for college musical theater programs and pursue performance degrees. Theater directors are a secondary group. These adults often teach at high schools or are contracted to direct community theater productions. Frequently, their area of expertise is either in technical theater, language arts or music, with little to no formal training in acting.

Instructional delivery for this project will be blended. While students benefit greatly from face-to-face acting coaching, the target audience often has many demands on their time, including productions in which they are cast or are directing. The availability of online instruction can provide a framework for acting technique, and students can record and submit samples of their performance work to be evaluated by the instructor. Students who are available for in-person instruction will have the benefit of Discovery Learning opportunities facilitated in real time by the instructor.