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VIRTUAL LEARNING LESSON PLANENGLISHA STREETCARNAMED DESIREBY TENNESSEE WILLIAMSLESSON PLAN LENGTH: 60 MINUTESWRITTEN BY: SUSIE FERGUSON
LESSON PLANA STREETCAR NAMED DESIRELEARNING OBJECTIVESBy the end of this lesson, students will be able to: Explore a key scene from the play Form independent interpretations of a scene, using professional comments andanalysis to evaluate those choices Track the build-up of tension in a scene and consider how Tennessee Williams hascreated it using dialogue Develop a more nuanced understanding of characters’ motivations avoiding oversimplifications and generalisations Consider, through extension tasks, the style and context of the play, including the useof music.To teach this lesson, you will need the following resources: A Streetcar Named Desire : Chelsea Walker on DirectingA Streetcar Named Desire: Kelly Gough on Playing BlancheA Streetcar Named Desire : Patrick Knowles on Playing StanleyA Streetcar Named Desire: Practical Workshop GuidePractitioners on Practice. On Sound Design: An Interview with Paul ArdittiTennessee Williams: A Concise IntroductionPlus: Paper and a pen Copies of Scene 10 from Blanche: “How about taking a swim ” to Stanley: “Ha –ha – ha!”*Keeping students and teachers safe during remote education is essential. Please ensure anyonline platform you are using to communicate or coordinate with students is suitable for theirage group and check privacy settings. For further information, see the NSPCC guidance.For further resources to help you teach A Streetcar Named Desire, including aPractical Workshop Guide, visit www.digitaltheatreplus.com
LESSON PLANA STREETCAR NAMED DESIREEXERCISE 1INTERPRETING BLANCHE ANDSTANLEY Setting a three-minute timer, ask students to write downadjectives to complete the sentences, “Blanche is ” and“Stanley is”. Encourage answers beyond the obvious by asking forconcise adjectives or phrases, for example, “Blanche isfragile”, “Stanley is emotionally inarticulate.”ESTIMATED TIME:10 MINUTESThe aim of this exercise is forstudents to consider theirinstinctive reactions to these twocharacters. They can refer back tothese notes at the end of thesession to consider how and whytheir opinions and interpretationshave changed. After the three minutes has elapsed, ask students to share (if in an online lesson) or writedown (if working independently) justifications for their choices; making reference to thetext. In an online learning context, you can immediately deal with misconceptions, askingstudents to extend their answers making more detailed references to specific moments inthe play. Students working independently can submit their answers to you for feedback.For further resources to help you teach A Streetcar Named Desire, including aPractical Workshop Guide, visit www.digitaltheatreplus.com
LESSON PLANA STREETCAR NAMED DESIREEXERCISE 2TRACKING POWER ANDTENSION Students should read Scene 10, using the copies you haveprovided. If working in an online situation, allocate shortchronological chunks of the scene to pairs who can thenread consecutively. Students working independently can read alone or recruitsomeone at home to read with them. Depending on theability of your students, you may wish to shorten theextract, or allocate extracts to students in order to cover thefull section suggested here. Highlight that this scene takes place with Blanche heavilyunder the influence of alcohol, whilst Stanley is awaiting theimminent birth of his son (Stella is in the hospital). ESTIMATED TIME:20 MINUTESThe aim of this exercise is toexplore a key scene from the playand understand the complexities ofthe relationship between the twocharacters.The motivations of each characterwill become clearer and will helpstudents to appreciate the delicatechanges between defence andattack on the part of bothcharacters. It should elicitresponses about the nuances ofthe two characters, which can thenbe supported by video interviewswith creative practitioners.Have your students draw a line graph of the tension (Y-axis) and quotations (X-axis), betweenthe two characters. Instead of tension, you could use ‘aggression’, ‘dismissal’, ‘dominance’ –depending on what you want to explore further from their original responses. Students should now justify their choices, considering the specific language used. Thisfeedback can be given through guided discussion in an online lesson, or in writing (essay,annotated script or mind map depending on your students’ ability) for electronic submission.For further resources to help you teach A Streetcar Named Desire, including aPractical Workshop Guide, visit www.digitaltheatreplus.com
LESSON PLANA STREETCAR NAMED DESIREEXERCISE 3DIFFERING INTERPRETATIONS Students should watch the chapters listed from thefollowing Digital Theatre resources, making carefulnotes as they watch:o A Streetcar Named Desire : Chelsea Walker onDirecting - chapters entitled Blanche andStanley (you may wish to set this interview as anextension activity if you feel your students wouldbenefit from more discussion time.)o A Streetcar Named Desire : Kelly Gough onPlaying Blanche – chapter entitled Blanche.ESTIMATED TIME:30 MINUTESThe aim of this exercise is toexperience alternativeinterpretations of the charactersfrom the point of view of a directorand two actors involved in the2018 Nuffield Southamptonproduction.Students can then review theiroriginal notes and ideas andevaluate them in the context ofthis new information.o A Streetcar Named Desire: Patrick Knowles on Playing Stanley – chapterentitled Stanley and Blanche.Assignment/Discussion: In either written or discussion form, students should answer the following questions:o What words would you add and/or remove from your original list of adjectives usedto describe Stanley and Blanche?o Return to your line graph for the scene between Stanley and Blanche. Is thereanything you would change? Why? What was said in the video clips that has alteredyour ideas?For further resources to help you teach A Streetcar Named Desire, including aPractical Workshop Guide, visit www.digitaltheatreplus.com
LESSON PLANA STREETCAR NAMED DESIREEXTRA TASKS To extend awareness of genre and context, students canwatch the chapters of Practitioners on Practice. On SoundDesign: An Interview with Paul Arditti, entitled SoundDesign and A Streetcar Named Desire . Having watched the video sections, have your studentscreate a playlist with one or more of the followingheadings:o A track (or tracks) without lyrics that could be used tounderscore the scene between Stanley and Blanchein this lesson to heighten tension, create mood andatmosphere and control pace.The estimated time required forthese extension tasks can be setaccording to your knowledge ofyour specific students.In this extension activity, studentsshould become more aware of theexpressionist element of the playand the way in which TennesseeWilliams creates mood, atmosphereand insight for the audiencethrough the use of music.By asking students to justify theirplaylists, either in discussion orwritten form, they are extendingtheir ability to consider their impacton an audience.o Music listened to by one particular character.o A playlist of each character’s favourite songs.o Jazz relevant to the original period in which the play isset. If students wish to transpose the production to a different time period than the original,they should create a playlist which gives a clear indication of this new time period and/orlocation.For further resources to help you teach A Streetcar Named Desire, including aPractical Workshop Guide,Guide visit www.digitaltheatreplus.com
For further resources to help you teach A Streetcar Named Desire, including aPractical Workshop Guide, visit www.digitaltheatreplus.comWant more resources to support your teaching? Discover thousands of engaginglesson materials from Digital Theatre . Explore some of our most popular contentby clicking the links below.Cat on a Hot Tin RoofBy Tennessee WilliamsPractical Workshop GuideTennessee Williams Concise IntroductionThe Lively Arts BBC DocumentaryMacbethBy William ShakespeareEveryman Theatre ProductionStudy GuideManga ShakespeareShakespeare In Your Space WorkshopAntigoneBy SophoclesBBC ProductionPractical Workshop GuideStudy GuideTeaching Antigone with Digital Theatre Romeo and JulietBy William ShakespeareShakespeare’s Globe ProductionStudy GuideHistorical Context WorkbookShakespeare In Your Space WorkshopAnd more!
o A Streetcar Named Desire : Kelly Gough on Playing Blanche - chapter entitled Blanche. o A Streetcar Named Desire: Patrick Knowles on Playing Stanley - chapter entitled Stanley and Blanche. ESTIMATED TIME: 30 MINUTES The aim of this exercise is to experience alternative interpretations of the characters from the point of view of a director
