Creating Character: Developing Original Roles Through Dramatic Exploration

Creating Character: Developing Original Roles Through Dramatic Exploration

Grade 8 · Theatre · NYS Arts Standards TH:Cr1.1.8a · 50 Minutes

NYS-Aligned Standard

TH:Cr1.1.8a — Describe and record the specific physical and vocal choices that define a character in a drama/theatre work. NYS Learning Standards for the Arts (2017)

Learning Objectives — “I Can” Statements

• I can identify the key physical choices (posture, gesture, movement) and vocal choices (pitch, pace, volume, accent) that define a character.
• I can develop an original character using physical and vocal choices.
• I can record my character choices in a written Character Blueprint.

Essential Question

What makes a character feel REAL — and how does an actor build that reality from the inside out?

Lesson Sequence

Hook / Warm-Up (8 min)

“Walk the space” activity:

1. Students walk around the room normally
2. Teacher calls: “You are 80 years old with a sore back” — students adjust
3. Teacher calls: “You are 6 years old and very excited” — students adjust
4. Teacher calls: “You are a powerful person who owns everything in this room” Debrief: “What changed? What physical choices did you make?”

Direct Instruction (10 min)

Character is built from:

1. Physical choices:
   • Posture: Do they stand tall or slouch? Lean forward or back?
   • Gesture: What do their hands do? Do they gesture a lot or very little?
   • Movement: How fast or slow do they walk? Smooth or jerky?
2. Vocal choices:
   • Pitch: High or low voice?
   • Pace: Do they speak quickly or slowly?
   • Volume: Loud and confident or soft and uncertain?
   • Pauses: Where do they pause — and why?
3. These choices reveal the character’s INNER LIFE — their feelings, history, and status.

Character Blueprint Activity (18 min)

Students receive a “Character Seed” card with one of three character outlines (teacher-created original archetypes):

• Option A: A scientist who has just made a discovery she doesn’t understand
• Option B: A teenager who must tell a friend difficult news
• Option C: An elder who has returned to a place from their childhood

Students complete a Character Blueprint form:

• Physical: Posture, gesture, movement — fill in 3 choices
• Vocal: Pitch, pace, volume — fill in 3 choices
• Inner life: What do they WANT? What are they AFRAID of?

Performance Share (10 min)

Volunteer students (or all, if time) perform a 30-second character monologue OR cross the room in character while narrating: “This character is ___ and they move like ___ because ___.”

Closure (4 min)

Exit ticket: “Name ONE physical choice and ONE vocal choice your character uses. Explain WHY that character would make those choices.”

SDI & Differentiation Block

Supports for MLLs/ELLs

Entering/Emerging (NYSESLAT Levels 1–2):

• Physical warm-up requires no language — all students can participate equally
• Character Blueprint: allow student to draw physical choices instead of writing
• If monologue is challenging, allow student to simply walk the room as their character and describe in 1–2 words: “fast,” “heavy,” “nervous”

Transitioning/Expanding (NYSESLAT Levels 3–4):

• Vocabulary: character, posture, gesture, pitch, pace, volume, status
• Sentence frame: “My character moves ___ because they feel ___. Their voice is ___ because ___.”

Supports for Students with IEPs

SDI Adaptation Dimensions: content, methodology, delivery

• Content: Reduce Blueprint to 2 physical choices and 1 vocal choice; eliminate inner life section
• Methodology: Provide a visual “posture scale” (pictures ranging from slumped to upright) and a “voice dial” (slow → fast) as prompts
• Delivery: Allow student to observe warm-up before participating; allow written blueprint instead of performance; partner work for monologue

Suggested Placement: ICT

Answer Key / Model Response

Exit ticket model: “My character (Option B) walks slowly and keeps their eyes down (physical choice: slumped posture, downward gaze) because they’re dreading a hard conversation. Their voice is quiet and they pause a lot (vocal choice: low volume, frequent pauses) because they’re choosing their words carefully and feeling guilty.”

Alignment Record