Objectives (5 - 10 minutes)
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Understand the concept of dramaturgy and its evolution over time, focusing especially on contemporary theater. This includes understanding the structure, characters, conflicts, and the message intended by the playwright.
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Analyze contemporary theatrical plays from different authors, identifying the dramatic elements present and the historical, social, and cultural contexts that influenced their creation.
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Develop critical skills to appreciate and interpret contemporary theatrical plays, forming well-founded opinions and discussing their perceptions with peers.
Secondary Objectives:
- Stimulate creativity and artistic expression through the creation of a small theatrical scene inspired by the theme of a contemporary play.
- Encourage teamwork and collaboration through group activities and discussions.
Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)
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Review of Previous Content: The teacher should start the class by briefly reviewing classical dramaturgy, highlighting the main authors and works of that period. This will help students better understand the transition to contemporary theater and appreciate the changes and innovations that have occurred. (3 - 5 minutes)
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Problem Situations: The teacher should propose two situations that will arouse the students' interest and prepare them for the topics to be addressed. The situations can be:
- 'Imagine you are a playwright of the 21st century. How would you create a play that reflects the problems and dilemmas of current society?'
- 'Have you ever watched a contemporary theatrical play? How would you describe the structure, characters, and conflicts of this play?' (3 - 5 minutes)
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Importance of the Subject: The teacher should explain the importance of studying dramaturgy and contemporary theater, emphasizing how these forms of expression reflect and question the society in which we live. Additionally, the teacher may mention the relevance of this knowledge for students intending to pursue careers in performing arts, literature, or related fields. (2 - 3 minutes)
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Contextualization: The teacher should contextualize the importance of contemporary theater, highlighting how it reflects the cultural diversity and social and political changes of the 20th and 21st centuries. The teacher may mention examples of plays that address themes such as feminism, racism, human rights, among others. (2 - 3 minutes)
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Curiosities: To arouse students' curiosity, the teacher can share some curiosities about contemporary theater. For example:
- 'Did you know that contemporary theater does not have a single definition and that, in fact, it is a broad term that encompasses a wide variety of styles and approaches?'
- 'Did you know that, in contemporary theater, playwrights often break traditional dramaturgy conventions, experimenting with non-linear structures, characters without defined arcs, and open endings?' (2 - 3 minutes)
Development (20 - 25 minutes)
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Role-Playing Activity (10 - 15 minutes): The teacher should divide the class into groups of five students. Each group will receive a scenario and characters to develop a small theatrical scene. The scenarios should be based on situations from contemporary society, such as a courtroom, a classroom, a family in crisis, a group of activists, etc.
- Students should use the basic structure of dramaturgy (presentation, development, climax, and resolution) to create the scene. They should also consider the conflicts and messages they wish to convey.
- Characters can be adapted from contemporary theatrical plays or created by the students themselves, but they should reflect the diversity and complexity of current society.
- After creating the scenes, each group must present to the class. During the presentations, other students should pay attention to the dramatic elements present and the social and cultural contexts represented.
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Group Discussion (5 - 10 minutes): After all presentations, the teacher should lead a group discussion about the scenes and the dramatic elements present.
- The teacher can start by asking students what they observed in the scenes, what conflicts were presented, how the characters were developed, etc.
- The teacher should then guide the discussion towards the analysis of the dramatic elements and the social and cultural contexts of the scenes.
- Students should be encouraged to express their opinions and debate with peers, thus promoting the development of critical skills and understanding contemporary theater as a form of expression and societal questioning.
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Poster Creation Activity (5 - 10 minutes): To conclude the Development stage, the teacher should propose a poster creation activity.
- Each group will receive a blank poster and art materials. They must create a poster that represents the theme of their theatrical scene and the dramatic elements used.
- The posters should be creative and informative, containing images, keywords, and phrases that reflect the scene's message.
- Finally, the posters should be displayed in the classroom for everyone to appreciate and reflect on their peers' work.
Return (10 - 15 minutes)
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Group Discussion (5 - 7 minutes): The teacher should lead a group discussion for students to share their perceptions about the activities carried out. Some discussion points may include:
- 'How do you relate the theatrical scenes you created to the contemporary plays you have watched? What dramatic elements do you identify in both?'
- 'Do you think the theatrical scenes you created would be well received by contemporary audiences? Why?'
- 'What were the main challenges you faced when creating the scenes? How did you overcome them?'
The teacher should ensure that all students have the opportunity to express their opinions and that the discussion is respectful and constructive.
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Connection with Theory (3 - 5 minutes): The teacher should then make the connection between the practical activities carried out and the theory presented at the beginning of the class. Some points to be addressed may include:
- 'How do the scenes you created reflect the concepts of dramaturgy and contemporary theater we discussed?'
- 'What dramatic elements did you identify in your scenes and how did they contribute to the message and impact of the scenes?'
- 'How can understanding dramaturgy and contemporary theater help you appreciate and interpret theatrical plays more critically and informedly?'
The teacher can use examples from the scenes created by students to illustrate theoretical concepts and reinforce the importance of practice for understanding theory.
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Individual Reflection (2 - 3 minutes): To conclude the class, the teacher should propose that students make an individual reflection on what they have learned. Some points for reflection may include:
- 'What was the most important concept you learned today?'
- 'What questions have not been answered yet and you would like to explore further?'
- 'How can you apply what you learned today in other situations, such as watching a theatrical play or creating your own artistic work?'
The teacher should give students time to think about the questions and, if possible, ask some to share their answers with the class. This reflection will help students consolidate what they have learned and identify possible areas for further study.
Conclusion (5 - 10 minutes)
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Summary of Contents (2 - 3 minutes): The teacher should give a brief summary of the main contents covered during the class, recalling the concepts of dramaturgy and contemporary theater, and highlighting the changes and innovations that have occurred in this form of expression over time. The teacher can also reinforce the skills and competencies developed by students, such as the ability to analyze and interpret theatrical plays, and to express themselves artistically.
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Connection between Theory and Practice (1 - 2 minutes): The teacher should explain how the class connected theory, practice, and reflection. The teacher can emphasize how the creation and analysis of theatrical scenes allowed students to apply the theoretical concepts of dramaturgy and contemporary theater in a practical way, and how the discussion and reflection promoted a deeper and more critical understanding of these concepts.
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Additional Materials (1 - 2 minutes): The teacher should suggest some extra materials for students who wish to deepen their knowledge of contemporary theater. These materials may include readings of contemporary plays, such as Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot,' Henrik Ibsen's 'A Doll's House,' Anton Chekhov's 'The Seagull,' among others; biographies and essays of contemporary playwrights; and videos of contemporary theatrical performances. Additionally, the teacher can indicate websites, magazines, and television programs that cover contemporary theater and that may be useful for students to stay updated on trends and debates in this area.
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Importance of the Subject (1 - 2 minutes): Finally, the teacher should reinforce the importance of studying dramaturgy and contemporary theater. The teacher can explain how these forms of artistic expression not only allow us to understand and reflect on the society in which we live but also give us tools to question and transform that society. Additionally, the teacher can mention how the skills developed in this discipline, such as critical analysis, artistic expression, and teamwork, are valuable in various areas of life and work.