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COM 216 is a pragmatically-oriented performance course designed to give highly motivated students opportunities to apply performance theory to real life situations. Students will participate in performances in the community at local elementary schools. The focus of the course is on storytelling for young children (K-third graders), but we also perform for older children as well. During the semester we will concentrate on how performing for children can enhance their understanding and appreciation of literature and performance of it. The course encourages a strongly participatory performance style in order to directly involve the audience in each performance. I firmly believe that the activities you engage in this course will do as much to strengthen your understanding of the theoretical principles of performance as any course you've taken. Although the class atmosphere is rather informal, I don't want you to think that hard work, dedication, and commitment are not absolute requirements. They are. This course is, in many ways, the most important course I teach because of what it communicates to youngsters about UNCW and because of the potential role-modeling that you do for children. It has far-reaching implications that go well beyond what most traditional, theoretical courses offer. Therefore, I expect each and every one of you to take the responsibilities of the course seriously. I want you to have fun, but I also want you to grow and develop as performers, AND, I want our young audiences to benefit from our performances. We will use initial class time to critique each others' performance selections and stories, and later in the semester, go out into the schools and perform. I expect you to come to class fully prepared with your selections and performances. Also, remember that each of you is functioning as an "ambassador" in public relations for UNCW. Therefore, you want to present your most professional selves when we are out in the public.
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PHILOSOPHY: My goal in this course is to have you develop the interpersonal and performance skills necessary for working with children. You should enjoy working with children in order to be successful with this course. They will tax your patience with interruptions, yelling, and questions before, during and after your performances. But they also will reward you with sincere, unadulterated appreciation and applause. It's very gratifying. I've learned over the years that some approaches to performance work better with children than with adults. Therefore, I would like to structure the performances this way. First, you MUST develop a two-story repertory. Be SURE you select your stories wisely; and pick TWO stories that you love equally. Don't fall into the trap of selecting one story you love and a second that you don't feel as strongly about. Also, be sure you select two stories that will both work well among all age groups (K-5th graders). One problem that has developed in the past involves students who decide they only want to tell one of their stories. You must tell both stories every week to develop the kind of skill necessary to complete the requirements of the course. I will be checking with each teacher after every performance to ensure that you are all performing each of your stories at least once per week. IF YOU DO NOT PERFORM BOTH STORIES EACH WEEK, YOU WILL JEOPARDIZE YOUR GRADE. Please choose your stories carefully so that you don't compromise your grade by over-relying on only one story. Your first performance MUST allow for a great deal of audience participation. The story should still be organized clearly, but you want to leave room to do such things as ask children questions that would require brief answers, get them to repeat actions or sound effects with you, get them to supply what they think names of characters will be, etc. Here, your goal is to involve them as much as possible in the performance. It should truly be a “sharing.” At the same time, however, you will need to keep the group under your control and not let things get out of hand. Therefore it's imperative that you discuss with me any ideas you have for audience participation before you perform. I can tell when something might become problematic and suggest an alternative. Your second performance may be slightly more "set". You will want to perform in a way that will encourage them to listen, with a little less audience participation. However, it should still include them throughout the performance. It should include a great deal of exaggerated, but sincere nonverbal communication (facial, gestural, movement, even noises). You want to entertain them and keep their attention at the same time. You are trying to encourage listening AND participation skills in the children here. I will be showing you either live performances or videotapes of performances that illustrate what I'm talking about. Furthermore, the new students will benefit from seeing "veterans" perform. For those of you who are motivated, you may develop a third story. Some students tire of telling the same two stories over and over. Naturally, those students are more likely to be rewarded for their extra motivation. Please discuss any choices with me.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES: Completion of this course should help you: 1. To attain a sense of the importance and relevance of artistic performance to real life 2. To adapt your performances to audiences of various composition (different ages, cultures, genders, etc.) 3. To develop performances not possible in traditional classroom situations (i.e., creating and performing for at-risk or underprivileged children) 4. To evaluate and analyze the communication situations in literary texts designed for young children in order to successfully embody the speakers in a performance 5. Refine your physical-vocal expressiveness in performance situations 6. To accept and offer constructive criticism of self and others 7. To provide highly motivated students with individual coaching 8. To improve students' abilities to analyze and adapt to varying audience situations 9. To help students learn specific strategies for directing communication anxiety into performance energy 10. To improve one's ability to do truly interactive (audience participation) performances 11. To develop a two story repertory of highly polished stories that you can tell over and over
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Everyone is required to perform a minimum of 2 new stories. They should be short in length (5-8minutes) and appropriate for kindergartners through sixth graders. It's ESSENTIAL that you get these stories as quickly as possible EXACT PERFORMANCE ASSIGNMENTS MAY VARY FROM SEMESTER TO SEMESTER. You may choose from among the following:
AND/OR
AND/OR
AND/OR
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