Theatre play
Instructions:
Choose up to, but no more than, four characters from this list:
Shoe salesperson
Real estate agent
High school teacher
Football coach
Army recruiter
Dry cleaners store clerk
Insurance salesperson
Judge
Movie theatre ticket taker
Carpenter
Undertaker
Dentist
Babysitter
Dairy farmer
Skate boarder
2. Choose up to, but no more than, two settings from this list:
Airport gate
Church social hall
Bowling alley
Used car lot
Dressing room area of a clothing store
Kitchen of a restaurant
Bus stop
El train platform
Shopping mall food court
Daley Plaza
The Bean at Millennium Park
3. Choose one prop from this list:
basket of apples
hammer
can of paint
basketball
movie poster
broken cell phone
map
flashlight
concert tickets
roller blades
toilet paper
trumpet
antique radio
salsa recipe
garbage can
4. Make up a story using the characters, setting(s) and prop that you picked by following the four-step sequence below. You can introduce the prop at any step, but make sure the prop is used in some significant way as part of the action of your story. Don’t write out your story word for word. Instead, simply outline the thing(s) that happen under each of the four steps.
Step One: Introduce character(s) and setting. (All of the characters don’t have to show up in the beginning of the story.)
Step Two: Introduce conflict/problem for the characters.
Step Three: Characters do something about conflict/problem.
Step Four: Resolution (the results of step three).
Your First Task Story Outline should look like the example below:
Your Name______________________
Characters chosen: dancer, baseball player, pizza delivery guy
Setting chosen: garage
Prop chosen: old phonograph
Step One: Introduce character(s) and setting
Dancer (girl) seen in a two-car garage flipping though old records next to an old phonograph
Baseball player (boy) comes in side door carrying baseball cleat shoes and ball glove saying he was late because his game went into extra innings.
Girl suggests boy is not committed to practicing for the dance contest.
Step Two: Introduce conflict/problem for the characters.
Pizza delivery guy shows up with pizza.
Girl tells ball player he can leave because she has a new dance partner, the pizza guy.
Bewildered pizza guy doesn’t understand but goes along with girl as she gets him to dance to music on the phonograph.
Step Three: Characters do something about conflict/problem.
Ball player makes excuse to stay and watch because he is secretly is attracted to girl, although he hates the idea of having to dance.
Ball player intentionally distracts pizza guy by talking baseball with him.
Girl gets mad and throws both guys out.
Ball player rushes back into the garage badly tap dancing in his baseball cleats.
Girl laughs.
Ball player confesses that the only reason he agreed to enter the dance contest was because he was attracted to her.
Step Four: Resolution
Girl forgives him.
Girl offers him some pizza.
Ball player offers to take her out for pizza instead, after they practice their dance.