1. GENERAL HEADING: Exploring the Text
2. TITLE OF EXERCISE: "Have I Scene You Before?"
3. GOALS: Have students think about the scene and act structure of the play.
4. NUMBER OF STUDENTS: Any class
5. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES: Scripts copied to regular paper
6. CLASS TIME NEEDED: 20 minutes (discussion time)
7. STEPBYSTEP DESCRIPTION: Download the play you will be considering from the Internet. The two best places I have found are the following:
http://thetech.mit.edu/Shakespeare
or
http://www.gh.cs.su.oz.au/~matty/Shakespeare/.
Using your word processor, remove all act and scene divisions from the script.
Have students read the play first from the unmarked script, putting in act and scene divisions where they think they fit. Then, compare with the Folio and a modern edition.
8. POINTS FOR OBSERVATION, DISCUSSION: Emotional and dramatic structure of the play; dynamics of audience response.
9. SOURCE/REFERENCE: Dan Colvin
10. ADDITIONAL READING: N.A.
11. VARIATION: Give students one scene from a play. At the top of
the scene, list all textual stage directions. Then have students insert
stage directions where they believe the text has them.