Dramaturgy and Historic Newspapers: Music Man Research

Grade Level/Subject:

8th grade "History of Theatre and Technology" class, more commonly known as "stage tech". Note: Students at Eagleview Middle School in Colorado Springs were preparing for the spring performance of The Music Man, and this class was responsible for set design, stage management, and other technical aspects of the production.

Focus:

Students will develop questions about the the year 1910 - the time period of The Music Man - to determine events, advertising, fashion, and other cultural categories that were similar to or different from today, and will research newspapers to find the answers to their questions. They will determine if any discoveries they have made that would help with their production of The Music Man.

Time:

Two class periods in the computer lab (three hours total in the lab for the research and a whole semester for the final product) and one week of class time to create dramaturgy bulletin board.

Content Standards Assessed

Theatre Standard #4 Historical and Cultural Traditions - Students understand and relate the role of theatre arts to culture and history.
Theatre Standard #6 Connections - Students know and apply connections between theatre and other disciplines.

Assessment

• The Music Man script analysis and research questions
• Relevance of selected article
• Media analysis form
  
• Group discussions

Standards Addressed

History Standard #2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.

Materials/Teacher Preparation

• Arrange time in library media center computer lab and support from library media center staff
• The Music Man script
• media analysis form
• video of The Music Man
• construction paper
• letters
• tacks

Possible Procedures

1. Attention Getter: Show video bits of The Music Man.
   
   
2. Discuss time period, costume, and props. Give students brief synopsis of The Music Man.
   
   
3. Read The Music Man script and as a class analyze the musical. Students will write down questions we don't understand as a class and other important aspects to research, such as time period, fashion, etc.
   
   
4. Students will be briefed the day before going to the computer lab on computer lab rules and expectations, how to get to the newspaper website (http://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/), and how to fill out the Media Analysis Form, see above.
   
   
5. Students will go to the computer lab and research questions we discussed in class as well as a list from the teacher. Questions will be written on the board and as soon as one student finds the answer, he or she can erase the question on the board.
   
   
6. The teacher will check material the student found from the newspaper and if it is appropriate, he or she will print a copy for the dramaturgy bulletin board.
   
   
7. Each student has to find one article and fill out the Media Analysis Form. The printed newspaper article must be attached to the form.
   
   
8. As a class print and arrange historical newspaper material creatively as a dramaturgy bulletin board in the hallway outside the performing arts room.
   
   
9. Discussion: Will any of the research discoveries made help with the production of The Music Man? How is historical research important for technical aspects of theater production?