Introduction
Performing a play for a big audience is exciting but needs good planning. In this chapter, we learn how to put together everything we’ve learned so far to create a successful performance. From choosing a story to practicing and setting up the stage, every step is important. We also learn from a story about a class that forgot to plan for backstage work and needed help to make their play a success. This chapter teaches us how to work as a team, manage time, and use the right techniques to make our play fun and memorable for everyone.
Step 1: Storyboard and ScriptChoose one story to enact at the end of the year.
- The story should:
- Be interesting for everyone in class.
- Be short and simple (5–8 minutes).
- Use props and costumes that are easy to handle.
- Include creative elements like a song or a dance.
Tip: Involve all students—some can act, some can handle story, props, or backstage work.
Example Story: The Jungle Adventure
- Students of Class 5B decided to perform a play with talking trees, dancing monkeys, and a detective squirrel.
- Everyone wanted to act, but they forgot about backstage work like lights, music, props, and costumes.
- Class 5A helped by managing backstage tasks—pulling curtains, playing jungle sounds, fixing costumes.
- The show was a big success, and the backstage team received loud applause.
Lesson: A play shines only because of the team behind the curtain.
Try yourself:
What should the story for the play be like?
- A.Long and complex
- B.Interesting and simple
- C.Without any props
- D.Only for a few students
View SolutionStep 2: Planning
- List all tasks needed to present a play.
- Divide responsibilities among classmates according to the amount of work.
- If many props are required, more members are needed in the props team.
- If make-up is simple, only one or two students may help.
Tasks for the Play
- Story and script: Writing the story and the lines for the play.
- Stage set: Setting up the background and scenery for the play.
- Props: Creating or finding objects used in the play.
- Make-up: Helping actors look like their characters.
- Costume: Preparing clothes for the characters.
- Music and sound effects: Adding music or sounds to make the play exciting.
- Acting and dance: Performing the roles and any dances in the play.
Step 3: Timeline
- Plan timelines carefully to avoid problems.
- If the show date is too close:
- No time for rehearsals.
- No time for costumes and props.
- Actors may forget lines.
- If the show date is too far:
- Team may lose interest.
- Too many rehearsals may become boring.
- Other events may disturb preparation.
Best plan: Have the show 15–20 days after starting preparation.
Step 4: RehearsalsRehearsals take the most time and need the most hard work from the team.
- Follow these steps in order:
- Script reading: The whole team reads the script together, taking turns to read lines, repeating it many times.
- Casting: Deciding who will play each character.
- Scene blocking: Planning where actors stand and move in each scene.
- Practice with dialogue and movement: Rehearse each scene with lines and movements.
- Full play run-through: Practice the entire play from start to finish.
Tip: Make a separate timeline for these rehearsal steps to finish on time.
Try yourself:
What is Step 4 in the process?
- A.Rehearsals
- B.Recording
- C.Planning
- D.Feedback
View SolutionThe Tech Team
- The tech team includes people working on set props, costume, make-up, music, and other backstage tasks.
- While actors rehearse, the tech team works on their tasks at the same time.
Set Props
- Make props using cardboard or borrow items.
- Use object improvisation skills from Grades 3 and 4 to turn simple objects into props.
Costume
- Plan costumes using available resources, like making a crown from cardboard.
- Avoid buying or renting costumes; borrow or make them instead.
Music
- Use skills from the last two years to create sound effects or sing songs for the play.
Step 5: Get-set-SHOW!
- It’s normal to feel nervous as the show day gets closer, even for professional actors.
- Nervousness can help actors perform better.
- Work hard, know your lines and movements well to feel confident.
Note: Additional tips for beating nervousness and staying confident were not provided in the document due to truncation.
Tips to Beat Nervousness
- Rehearsals: Practise again and again. Do a final run like the actual show.
- Use the Arts: Music, dance, theatre, and drawing help reduce stress and refresh the mind.
- Team Connection: Sit together, breathe deeply, and stay calm as a group. Recite a prayer for teamwork.
Prayer from the UpanishadsOm Saha Naavavatu | Saha Nau Bhunaktu | Saha Veeryam Karavavahai | Tejasvi Naavadhitamastu Maa Vidvishavahai | Om Shantih Shantih Shantih ||
Meaning:
- Together may we progress.
- Together may we enjoy.
- Together may we perform with energy.
- May our work lead to knowledge and not create hostility.
- Peace, Peace, Peace.
Try yourself:
What is one way to overcome nervousness?
- A.Leave the room
- B.Stay quiet
- C.Take deep breaths
- D.Ignore your feelings
View Solution
Things to Avoid Before a ShowTo make your play awesome, avoid mistakes that can mess things up:
- Skipping Rehearsals: Missing practice means you might forget lines, move awkwardly, or miss cues, making the show look messy.
- Last-Minute Changes: Changing the script, characters, or scenes right before the show can confuse everyone, like adding a new scene or switching roles at the last second.
- Forgetting Backstage Jobs: Not planning props, costumes, music, or lights can ruin the play. In The Jungle Adventure, the actors forgot these jobs, like jungle sounds or a monkey’s tail, and almost failed without help.
- Bad Timing: Planning the show too soon leaves no time for practice or props, causing stress. Planning too far away makes you lose excitement or get busy with other things, like a friend’s trip or a school event.
- Letting Nerves Win: Being too nervous can make you freeze or forget lines. Practice calming tricks to stay focused.
- Not Talking as a Team: If you don’t check in with each other, actors and crew might not match up, like missing a sound cue because no one talked about it.
ConclusionPutting on a play is a big job that needs careful planning, teamwork, and the right techniques. This chapter teaches us how to choose a fun and simple story, divide tasks like props, costumes, and music, and plan a timeline to stay on track. The story of The Jungle Adventure shows us that backstage work is just as important as acting. By rehearsing well and working together, we can create a show that the audience loves. Even if we feel nervous, hard work and preparation will make our performance shine and be a fun experience for everyone.
Important Vocabulary
- Storyboard: A picture plan, like a comic, showing a play’s scenes, characters, and actions.
- Script: The written words and actions for a play.
- Teamwork: Working together, on stage or backstage, to make a play great.
- Timeline: A schedule for planning jobs like writing or practicing for a play.
- Rehearsals: Practice time to learn lines, moves, and scenes for a play.
- Technical Team: People who handle props, costumes, make-up, music, and sounds backstage.
- Scene Blocking: Planning where actors stand or move in a scene to make it lively.
- Object Improvisation: Using everyday things, like a box, to act as props, like a treasure chest.
- Dress Rehearsal: A full practice with costumes, props, and music before the show.
- Stage Cues: Signals, like lights or sounds, that tell actors and crew what to do next.