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study guide
Prepared by
Disney Theatrical group
Education Department
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Welcome!
Everyone has dreams. Some
dream of fortune and fame.
Others dream of a serious
vacation away from school.
While some dream of being the star of the basketball team
or science decathlon, others hope to be the lead in the
school musical. What happens when someone wants to be
both? This is the million dollar question for the kids at East
High, who are used to maintaining a strict social order and
sticking to their respective roles. In Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL, a group of teenagers struggle together to find
out just who they really are while building relationships,
exploring new interests and dealing with others’ expectations
of them. Sound familiar? Beyond the show’s catchy
songs, the cool costumes, and the typical
high school dramas, their stories are ones
to which everyone can relate. HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL demonstrates how
it’s possible for young people to
achieve their goals by having
faith in themselves, pursuing
their passions and working
together to support their
friends.
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Disney Theatrical Group has brought the hit Disney Channel
original movie to life on stage, spreading its uplifting message
to audiences of all ages and attracting a new generation
of theatergoers. Inspired by popular teen musicals like
Grease and West Side Story, Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
brings a classic story to the modern world with today’s
music, updated technology, and contemporary themes
and situations.
Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL movie debuted on the
Disney Channel in January 2006 and quickly became a
world-wide phenomenon. Throw in eye-popping dance
numbers, inspired staging, and two new original songs to
supplement the film version, and you’ve got a hit! The
National Tour production is unique as the audience plays
a crucial role in making live theatre work. Just as Troy and
Gabriella learn, performers without an audience are just
rehearsing! Approximately one hundred million people in
one hundred countries have watched the movie, devoured
the junior book series, and sung and danced along to the
live concert or the soundtrack at home. The HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL soundtrack topped the pop music charts and sold
the most records of any album in 2006!
Enjoy the show and all of the great interactive activities
spelled out in the following pages. This Study Guide can
be really useful whether you dream of performing on stage,
aspire to write your own songs or just want to learn a little
bit more about yourself and your friends. As you watch the
live performance, take a second to think about your own
hopes and dreams. Consider how the characters achieve
their goals, but also realize that the actors portraying these
fantastic characters are fulfilling one of their dreams:
singing, dancing and acting in front of cheering
audiences such as yourselves!
“Wildcats, sing along-Yeah you really got it going on
Wildcats in the house-Everybody say it now!
Wildcats everywhere, wave your hands up in the air
That’s the way we do it, let’s get to it
Time to show the world!”
- Company (Wildcat Cheer)
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INFO SHEETS
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Pages 8-9
Synopsis of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Meet the Artists
Background on HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
A Brief History of Musical Theatre
Musical Theatre and Film
GROUP PROJECT:
Bring HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL to Life!
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Pages 13-14
Pages 15-16
Pages 17-19
Pages 20-21
Pages 22-27
Pages 28-31
Pages 32-33
Pages 34-35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
"The Playmakers:" Introduction to Theatre
The Characters of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
The “Theatre-Makers”
Community Building
Thematic Study: Getting to Know HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
WHO: Creating Characters!
WHAT: The Plot: What Happens Next?
WHEN: When Words Meet Music/When Do We Sing?
WHY: Story in Motion
WHERE: Design a World
Putting on a Show!
Community Connections
Resources
Look for the
Credits
dictionary
icon for
Licensing the Show
terminology
throughout
the guide.
Spot the
basketball
player icon
Look for the theatre mask for
for tableau
suggested
activities!
VARIATIONS:
variations on
exercises and
activities!
A NOTE ON LEARNING STANDARDS:
Each exercise includes a box with Learning
Standards. These standards are adapted
from a compendium of standards and benchmarks
and the New York City Blueprints for the
Arts.
TABLEAU: A theatrical
‘frozen picture’ in which
actors are positioned to
show a moment in time.
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Synopsis of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
ACT I
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL opens in front of East High School
after winter vacation as everyone looks forward to the new
year (“Wildcat Cheer”). Shy Gabriella Montez has just
moved to town, and jock Troy Bolton is anticipating a
successful basketball season. Troy and Gabriella met at a
New Year’s Party and were instantly drawn to one another
– while singing karaoke! Back at school, Gabriella tells her
new friend Taylor, the Science Club President extraordinaire,
all about meeting this cute guy, while Troy tells his friends
about this girl he can’t get out of his mind (“Start of Something
New”). However, neither mentions a new interest in singing!
In homeroom, drama teacher Ms. Darbus shares her disdain
of cell phones by handing out detentions to several students
including Troy and Gabriella. In the hallway, Drama Club
President Sharpay notices the star of the basketball team
and the new girl looking at the poster announcing auditions
for the new school musical and senses disorder in her world.
She orders her twin brother Ryan to research Gabriella’s
background. The Jocks head to basketball practice, where
Troy tries to concentrate despite his crush (“Get’cha Head
in the Game”). Later in Ms. Darbus’ detention, Troy discusses
the audition with Chad and Taylor shows Gabriella the
printouts that Ryan planted in her locker, which detail
Gabriella’s genius. Despite her wish to break away from
her old “Brainiac” role, Gabriella gives in to Taylor’s pleas
to join the Science Decathlon Team.
ACT II
School announcer Jack Scott recaps the day’s crazy events
as an overwhelmed Gabriella and Troy find some quiet time
in the Horticulture Garden on the school roof (“I Can’t Take
My Eyes Off of You”). But a storm is brewing downstairs as
the Brainiacs and Jocks decide that Troy and Gabriella
must be stopped before everyone abandons his or her
place in the school. They convince Troy to dump Gabriella
and avoid the audition (“Counting on You”). Gabriella
overhears Troy via cell phone and decides to give him up
as well (“When There Was Me and You”).
The next day Troy seeks out Gabriella to set things right.
Meanwhile, Sharpay, determined to avoid losing her prized
role in the musical, schemes to change the callback time
to conflict with the Science Decathlon and the basketball
championships. Chad and Taylor decide they should work
together to help their friends.
The championships, Science Decathlon and callbacks begin
on Friday at 3p.m. Taylor engineers and electrical meltdown
with her laptop bringing the game and the Decathlon to a
halt. Initially suspicious, Mrs. Darbus eventually allows
Gabriella and Troy to sing their callback song (“Breaking
Free”). Troy and Gabriella land the lead roles and East High
wins both the Science Decathlon and the basketball game
as everyone celebrates in song and dance (“We’re All in
this Together” reprise”).
After a series of awkward and painful auditions from other
students with composer Kelsi at the piano (“Auditions”),
Sharpay and Ryan sing their highly polished audition number
(“What I’ve Been Looking For”). A shy Gabriella musters the
courage to audition, and Troy steps in to sing with her when
she doesn’t have a partner (“What I’ve Been Looking For”
reprise). The pair gets a callback, and the news spreads
like wildfire across the school (“Cellular Fusion”). Sharpay
feels threatened, as the lead role has always been hers.
Her fury spills over to the lunch cafeteria, where cliques
begin to disintegrate and the whole school erupts (“Stick
to the Status Quo”).
CALLBACKS: A second audition in
theatre where the director decides
who plays which roles in the show.
Like a second interview for a job!
Break It Down: The Songs of HSM - Act 1
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Wildcat Cheer
Start of Something New
Get’cha Head in the Game
Auditions
Company
Troy, Gabriella & Co.
Troy & Jocks
The Thespians
What I’ve Been Looking For
What I’ve Been Looking For (Reprise)
Cellular Fusion
Stick to the Status Quo
Sharpay & Ryan
Troy & Gabriella
Chad, Taylor & Co.
Company
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Meet Some of the Artists
Peter Barsocchini wrote the Emmy® Award-winning, smash-hit Disney
Channel Original Movie "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL" for his daughter
Gabriella and many of her friends for whom he also named
characters. Barsocchini has subsequently written HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL 2 for Disney Channel and is writing HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
3 as a feature film (expected fall 2008 release). He began his writing
career as a music journalist in San Francisco, where he grew up.
As a young journalist, he spent weekends backstage at the
legendary Fillmore West, covering artists such as Janis Joplin, Jimi
Hendrix, Eric Clapton, the Kinks, and Elton John. Current projects
include films for DreamWorks, HBO, and MTV. He now resides in Los
Angeles and Pebble Beach, California.
While writing the book for HSM, David Simpatico drew on his own
drama class experience. Simpatico honored his own high school
drama teacher, Dorothy McLernon, by having Ms. Darbus be more
sympathetic than her movie counterpart. However, Simpatico has
reached far beyond the halls of his alma mater! In his theatrical
writing, his experience spans numerous adaptations, including
Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. and Aladdin, Truman Capote’s
classic In Cold Blood as well as his original musical The Screams of
Kitty Genovese. Simpatico enjoys writing for younger and older
audiences alike and was excited to write for HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL’s next generation of theatre audiences. “For a lot of kids,
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is their first experience with a story they
can really relate to,” Simpatico said. “The message is, ‘You can be
whatever you want to be,’ and it thrills me that I’m able to be a
part of it.”
Lisa Stevens is a choreographer for musical theatre, television variety
shows, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and even the 2007
Winter Canada Games! She was the choreographer for the national
tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams, having served as
the assistant chorographer for the Broadway and London
productions. Stevens also choreographed for the Off-Broadway
production of Bingo! and the New York Theater Music Festival 2006,
‘Common Grounds,’ for which she received a Best Choreography
Award. In regional theaters across the country she has worked on
Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Dolly, Cabaret and Jesus Christ Superstar.
She worked in tandem with director Jeff Calhoun to stage all the
dance numbers. Stevens was immediately drawn to the themes
of friendship and romantic connection when she first encountered
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: “ It’s got such a wonderful message,” she
said, “with that wonderful Romeo and Juliet pull.”
Bryan Louiselle began his musical theatre career acting in a high
school musical when he played Harold Hill in The Music Man – a
title that suits him today! Since then, Louiselle has worn many
musical hats – he is an arranger, composer, lyricist, conductor and
musical director. Since 2002, he has been the resident music
supervisor, adaptor, and recordings producer for Music Theatre
International/Disney KIDS, JR. and Theatre for Young Audiences
musicals. Louiselle brought all this experience to HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL, where he serves as arranger, composer and musical
director. He worked closely with bookwriter David Simpatico to
adapt the film into the National Tour version as well as a shorter,
one-act version. As the “music man,” he adapted the film’s music
and also composed the music for the two brand-new numbers,
“Counting on You” and “Cellular Fusion.” In his theatrical writing,
Louiselle’s experience spans numerous adaptations, including
Disney’s High School Musical 2 and Aladdin as well as A History of
Tom Jones.
Jeff Calhoun had more than a dozen Broadway credits as both
director and choreographer when he got the call from Disney
Theatrical Productions asking him to direct the HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL National Tour. He remembered his own experience well
when he started HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL rehearsals: “I think what’s
great is that it addresses every clique in school. I have a fondness
for it because I was a lot like Troy in high school,” Calhoun
remembered. “Like Troy, I played football and I directed the
musical.” Calhoun comes to the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL National
Tour production with firsthand knowledge of one its main inspirations
– he directed and choreographed the Broadway revival of Grease
in 1994! His other directing and choreography credits include Grey
Gardens, Brooklyn the Musical, Annie Get Your Gun, Big River,
Tommy Tune Tonight and Sleeping Beauty Wakes. “There’s
something about this show that seems to work anywhere and
everywhere,” Calhoun said.
Break It Down: The Songs of HSM - Act II
I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
Wildcat Cheer (Reprise)
Counting on You
When There Was Me and You
Start of Something New (Reprise)
Troy & Gabriella
Cheerleaders
Jocks & Brainiacs
Gabriella, Troy, Jocks & Brainiacs
Troy & Gabriella
We’re All in This Together
Chad, Taylor, Kelsi, Jocks & Brainiacs
Bop to the Top
Sharpay, Ryan, Brainiacs & Jocks
Breaking Free
Troy, Gabriella & Company
We’re All in This Together (Reprise) Company
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL Megamix Company
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Background on HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Have you seen the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
TV movie? Well get ready for HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL live on stage! The movie has been adapted
into a musical theatre stage show by Disney Theatrical
Group, adding two brand-new songs entitled “Cellular
Fusion” and “Counting on You.” This national tour will surely
add countless new audiences to the ever-expanding list of
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL fans!
When did the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL phenomenon begin?
Producer Bill Borden had a dream project. He kept thinking
about making a contemporary but old-fashioned musical
about a high school, inspired by classic musicals West Side
Story and Grease. Borden thought William Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet would make excellent source material
for his idea. When given the green light by the Disney
Channel to begin creating his movie, he hired writer Peter
Barsocchini, a former journalist turned screenwriter, to write
the script. Next, he invited Kenny Ortega to direct and
choreograph. Ortega, a protégée of film actor,
choreographer, and dancer Gene Kelly, leapt at the
chance, stating, “I really liked the idea of young people
coming to know their own voice, regardless of outside
pressure from peers, teachers, parents and society.”
Ortega set out to film with a cast almost entirely of teenagers,
some with impressive performing credits under their belts
and others who had never danced before! Starring Ashley
Tisdale, Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Corbin Bleu,
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL was filmed in just twenty-eight days
– a relatively short filming schedule – and the days were
often filled with eight-hour dance rehearsals alone. The
crew and cast filmed around Salt Lake City and Ogden,
Utah. “There were so many stand-out moments,” actor Zac
Efron said. “We’d be working on a dance number with
confetti shooting out at us – you don’t get to do that
everyday. Kenny would teach us all something. The whole
experience was about breaking free!” Ortega worked hard
to create this supportive and collaborative atmosphere.
“These kids were so ‘there’ for each other,” Ortega said.
“Some of them missed basketball practice so they could
be on the sets to cheer on fellow actors doing practice
runs. I had been waking up every morning thinking, ‘God,
I hope the kids like it.’ The public viewing seemed secondary.”
The movie first aired on the Disney Channel in January 2006
and was an instant hit! Since then, more than 100 million
people have viewed the movie around the world! “Kenny
Ortega has created a tableau through innovative dance
and choreography,” Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment
at the Disney Channel, said. “I’m most proud of this
production. The themes of ‘follow your dreams,’ and ‘express
yourself,’ are all things kids are grappling with.” The movie
also received multiple industry accolades including Emmy®,
Billboard Music, and American Music Awards for both the
movie and its soundtrack! The soundtrack itself was 2006’s
highest selling CD. The release of the DVD – including a
karaoke and Dance-Along special edition – set historic sales
records, selling 1.2 million copies in six days! In addition to
the stage version, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL has been
adapted into a concert tour, ice show, video game, and
book series! The sequel HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 premiered
in August 2007 on the Disney Channel.
ADAPTED: Modified or
changed into another form.
Many films are adapted into
stage versions, like Disney’s
Broadway shows The Lion King,
Beauty and the Beast and Mary
Poppins.
“You know the world can see us
In a way that’s different from who we are!
Now is the time to free us
To touch the sky, to reach for the highest star!”
- Troy, Gabriella & Company (Breaking Free)
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A Brief History of Musical Theatre
Songs and singing are used in many ways in
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL – karaoke, audition
songs, and traditional musical theatre, where
characters break into song in the middle of
spoken dialogue. Ultimately, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
is part of the musical theatre tradition, a distinctly American
invention. Like other uniquely American arts, such as the
blues and jazz, the musical theatre genre is a combination
of European operetta and comic operas (including the stillpopular Gilbert and Sullivan), musical and dance revues,
and vaudeville comedy acts.
The modern musical is generally thought to have begun in
the Jazz Age of the early 1920’s. Shows such as George
Cohan’s No No Nanette and George and Ira Gershwin’s
Show Boat began incorporating each of the ingredients
into a theatrical narrative, though often the plot stopped
to make way for elaborate and lavish dance numbers that
rarely related to the story. Tin Pan Alley, the area in midtown
New York City where composers created and recorded
their Broadway songs, became known for cranking out
popular musical theatre hits that were massively reproduced
for the population’s consumption. This began the decadeslong tradition of Broadway songs infiltrating the radio waves.
Today, singers and songwriters such as Gwen Stefani, JayZ and Missy Elliot have all sampled musical theatre songs in
their pop music hits!
But more change was still to come! Musical theatre, which
had been largely comedic or melodramatic in tone, showed
a new side with the premiere of West Side Story in 1957.
Based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the show
was much more serious than other Broadway musicals and
included themes of gang violence, forbidden love and
death in 1950s New York City. The lyricist of West Side Story
was a young Stephen Sondheim. He continued exploring
more dramatic and darker themes in his own subsequent
work as both a lyricist and composer, and his classical and
opera-influenced shows Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music,
Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods further
expanded what was considered musical theatre!
Meanwhile, the rock operas The Who’s Tommy, Hair, and
Jesus Christ Superstar all reflected the turbulent 1960s and
1970s. The shows were aimed at younger audiences and
focused on rebellion and coming of age themes. In the late
1970s and 1980s, technological advances led to bigger
spectacles, musical synthesizers, and more lavish productions
with British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of
the Opera – with its famous giant crashing chandelier –
Cats, and Boublil and Schöengerg’s Miss Saigon playing to
packed houses on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1996 another
rock opera named Rent, based on the opera La Bohéme,
featured modern characters struggling with artistic expression
and the AIDS epidemic in 1990s New York City.
The face of musical theatre changed forever when the
legendary team of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist
and bookwriter Oscar Hammerstein adapted the play Green
Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs into Oklahoma! in 1943.
Considered the first fully integrated book musical, the show
revolutionized how songs could tell a story. Oklahoma! was
a watershed moment in theatre history, and Broadway saw
its theaters fill with now classic musicals such as Kiss Me Kate,
South Pacific, The Pajama Game and Guys and Dolls.
BOOK MUSICAL: All of the elements of a
musical – the dialogue, the songs, the
instrumental music and dance numbers all
carry the narrative to tell the story. Rather
than functioning as isolated pieces, the
song lyrics propel the action forward and
the dance numbers and choreography
reveal character and plot.
ROCK OPERA: A show that has rock-androll musical influences and, like the opera
in its name, is usually sung-through without
pause for dialogue.
"I can make this happen
I know it in my heart
All I have to do is prove
That I can play the part"
- Company (Bop to the Top)
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Musical Theatre and Film
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is part of a long tradition of recorded musical theater stretching back to the
beginning of motion pictures!
While stages were filled with musical theatre,
the first films were silent. Up until 1927, a pianist
or band in each movie theater accompanied
the films live. Head of Warner Brothers Henry
Warner announced, “Who wants to hear
actors talk? The music – now that’s the plus.”
The very first movie with recorded song and
dialogue was popular singer and actor Al
Jolson’s The Jazz Singer. Most of the film was
silent except for his musical numbers, though
Jolson did ad-lib some dialogue, including his
famous catchphrase “You ain’t heard nothing
yet!” Audiences hadn’t – and the film was a
roaring success! Silent films were largely
abandoned and almost all of Hollywood’s
early sound films included at least one song.
1920s
No one loved musicals more than the head of Metro-GoldwynMayer Studios’ Louis B. Mayer. He spared no expense to create
the most lavish and star-studded films. He also actively sought out
“triple-threat” stars, so deemed because they could act, sing and
dance. 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, starring a young triple-threat named
Judy Garland – who would appear in fourteen musicals in ten years
for MGM – was Mayer’s crown jewel. Who hasn’t sung along with
Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow?” On a smaller scale, Twentieth
Century Fox filmed most of the popular theatre team Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s musicals, including Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music,
The King and I, and South Pacific. West Side Story was also made
into an Academy Award®-winning film in 1961.
1930s
The 1930s and the Great Depression
brought audiences to the theaters
looking for escape and happy endings,
and musicals were a perfect fit.
Soundtrack production and quality rose
as movie studios rushed to out-do each
other with competing collaborative
teams that could make bigger and
better musicals. Musical film director and
choreographer Busby Berkeley perfected
the then-new technique of synchronizing
the filmed image to a pre-recorded
musical soundtrack. Berkeley also
invented a new technique to build
cameras on cables and rails so they
could move all around to capture his
dance numbers – something that the
previously fixed camera couldn’t do –
and his musical films single-handedly
revolutionized the entire film world!
8
1960s
1940s
1950s
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Musical Theatre and Film
(Library of Congress)
The big studios and their chains of theaters, whose
big budgets and contracted talents had helped
produce expensive musicals, were disbanded. But
musicals still made it to big screens, particularly
1978’s huge hit Grease – set in a high school, and
one of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL’s main inspirations!
1970s - 1990s
The 21st Century
In the 21st century the
film industry has seen a
new boom of
popular musicals.
Moulin Rouge, Chicago, and Dreamgirls were
critical and audience
hits – and Chicago won the Academy Award® for
Best Picture in 2003.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL broke all Disney Channel and
sales records when
it premiered in 2006 – so the musical film genre proves it’s
not only still alive,
it’s also kicking!
Walt Disney: 1930s – Today!
When Walt Disney expanded beyond animated short films to begin
creating his first full-length movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
in the 1930s, he also included songs – and the result was decadeslong dominance of the animated film world! Each song moved the
plot and characterizations along just like the stage book musical,
and the film was a smash hit. Millions of children and adults can sing
every word to the classic Disney tunes of Snow White and the films
that followed – Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and
the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, and The Jungle Book –
and the studio continues its success today. Disney Theatrical Group
has adapted the films Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, TARZAN®,
Mary Poppins, and most recently The Little Mermaid into successful
Broadway musicals.
9
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“The Playmakers:” Introduction to Theatre
Have you ever been involved in theatre before? Or secretly
sung along to a favorite song in the privacy of your room?
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is chock-full of passionate feelings
and experiences involving theatre. Sharpay and Ryan live
for performing. Brainiac Gabriella and jock Troy discover
new sides of themselves when they have to sing karaoke
and are drawn to auditioning for the new feminist musical
at their school, Juliet and Romeo. Quiet Kelsi works day
and night to compose an original score for the show. Ms.
Darbus loves introducing young people to theatre. However,
not everyone at East High School has a passion for theatre.
Coach Bolton has no time for anything theatrical, Troy’s
friends and basketball teammates Chad and Zeke are
highly skeptical about anything involving singing or the
possibility of leotards, and Gabriella’s friend Taylor is 100%
focused on science!
What is it about theatre that
can bring them all together?
Throughout the following section,
you will explore the themes of
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL in a
hands-on introduction to
theatrical technique that even
Coach Bolton would enjoy!
Here and throughout the guide,
the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
characters offer help for each
other and you.
Theatre Pop Quiz: part one
TRAGEDY:
It’s when the hero or heroine (some
might say protagonist) fails to achieve
goals or overcome negative forces.
BREAK A LEG:
It’s what we say in theatre to wish
a performer good luck!
CAT WALK:
It’s that little bridge above the
stage providing access to scenery and
lighting units.
DRAMATIC:
It’s when we as actors portray emotions,
story, or conflict in a heightened manner.
So is that why you’re
such a good performer!
OBSTACLE:
It’s any person, place or thing in
the way of a character reaching their
goals.
Wait, that makes sense!
Just like when the
Science team must
overcome our challenges.
Like, your hair
is a tragedy!
Ow! That has to hurt!
Oh, that’s why
that’s up there!
Sharpay
Taylor
(Chandra
Lee Schwartz)
Inspiration #1
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to
the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for
newer and richer experience.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt (one of Taylor's heroes!)
10
You Learn By Living: 11 Keys For a More Fulfilling Life. New York: Harper
and Brothers Publishing, 1960 (p. XII, forward)
(Shaullanda
LaCombe)
the character
the characters of High School Musical
Character Profiles: Say What!?!?
Get to know the characters of HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL by checking out their
profiles below. Then write one line of
dialogue that you think each character
would speak or think in the dialogue
bubbles provided. What vernacular – or
unique words or phrases – would they
use that could only be spoken by that
character? Be creative!
SHARPAY EVANS is the
president of East High’s Drama
Club. She’s used to getting all
the lead roles and her way.
(Shaullanda
LaCombe)
TAYLOR MCKESSIE lives for
science, thinks sports are for
“morons,” and is the president
of East High’s Science Club.
She hopes that befriending
new student Gabriella will help
her team win the prized
Science Decathlon!
(Chandra Lee Schwartz)
TROY BOLTON is the star of the
basketball team and son of
Coach Bolton. He is not so
secretly interested in theatre
and Gabriella!
KELSI NIELSON is a quiet, hardworking lyricist and composer
currently writing Juliet and
Romeo, the new feminist
school musical.
(John Jeffrey Martin)
RYAN EVANS is Sharpay’s
sidekick and fraternal twin,
younger by eight minutes – a
fact Sharpay won’t let him
forget! He has starred opposite
Sharpay in seventeen
productions. He also loves
(Bobby List)
wearing hats.
(Arielle Jacobs)
(Olivia Oguma)
MS. DARBUS is East High’s
“dramatic” drama teacher!
She loves introducing students
to the “magic” of theatre. She
frequently fights with Coach
Bolton over the relative
importance of theatre and
(Ellen Harvey) sports.
GABRIELLA MONTEZ is the new
girl at East High School. While
she tries to keep her brilliant
math skills undercover, she finds
herself drawn to Troy and
auditioning for the new
musical.
CHAD DANFORTH is Troy’s best
friend and teammate. He
loves basketball and has no
interest in theatre or wearing
leotards. He develops a crush
on Taylor when they work
together to help Gabriella and
(Shakiem Evans) Troy.
COACH BOLTON is Troy’s father
and the basketball coach. A
former Wildcats player himself,
he has high hopes for his team
and even higher expectations
for his star son.
ZEKE BAYLOR is a basketball
player on the Wildcats team.
He has two secrets, a crush on
Sharpay and a love of baking,
both of which are eventually
revealed!
(Ron Bohmer)
(Ben Thompson)
LEARNING STANDARDS:
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will provide details of fictional characters.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will write in response to literature.
11
the
theatre m
the “Theatre-Makers”
What is your unique talent and passion? There’s a role for everyone in the creation of a musical
production! Read through the following roles – and see which one captures you!
MARKETING STAFF. This
department is in charge of
media and public relations. It
also creates newspaper, web,
radio, and television
advertisements and posters.
ORCHESTRA/BAND.
A full orchestra (up
to thirty players) or
perhaps a small
band plays live
music to
accompany each
show. It is led by the
conductor.
CHOREOGRAPHER.
Creates and
arranges the dances
in the show.
MUSICAL DIRECTOR.
He or she teaches
and directs the score
to the actors. Also
often conducts the
show through its run!
STAGE MANAGER.
Schedules and
organizes all parts of
rehearsals, takes
notes, and “calls the
show” (gives cues to
the lighting and
sound operators
during
performances).
DIRECTOR. The creative
leader. Collaborates with
the writers, designers, and
actors to transform what’s
on the page to the stage.
Also “blocks,” or arranges
the actors in the space
of the stage to tell the
story.
Activities:
Research a role or
roles that particularly
interest you through
one of these
activities:
Interview!
HOUSE MANAGER. Person in
charge of running the “house”
or audience. He or she
supervises the ushers,
merchandise and
concessions.
DESIGNERS. The set,
costume, lighting, and sound
designers all work with the
director to visually and
aurally tell the story through
their respective designs.
LYRICIST. Writes
the lyrics for the
songs.
BOOKWRITER.
Creates the plot
and story of a
musical. Also
writes the
dialogue.
COMPOSER. Writes
the music for the lyrics
and any other
incidental music. All
three writers work
together to shape the
show!
ACTORS. Use their
voices and bodies
to portray
characters and
work in rehearsals
and at home to
learn their lines,
songs, and blocking.
PRODUCER. In charge of
raising the money to fund
the show and overseeing
the budget. Sometimes
a producer is a “creative
producer” and oversees
the whole production
while offering feedback.
Get to know one of these roles better! Interview a local
theatre professional about his or her job. Research the
role beforehand and write ten questions you’d like to ask.
Write up your interview as a dialogue and perform for
your group!
BOX OFFICE
MANAGER AND
STAFF. Runs the ticket
sales, keeps receipts
and records of sales,
and creates “house
maps” to ensure the
audience is divided
equally in the seats!
Role-Play a
Production Meeting!
Production meetings are
held before rehearsals to get
all the people involved on the same
page! Pretend your group is putting on
a production of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL –
or apply it to your own show! Cast the roles with
students. Ask each person to write down four
goals and tasks he/she needs to accomplish.
How can you work together to put on the show?
LEARNING STANDARDS:
THEATRE LITERACY: Students use vocabulary that is authentic and integral
to theatre.
THEATRE: Students will improvise dialogue to tell stories.
12
THEATRE: Students will recognize and create a variety of vivid
characters in improvisation, scenework and plays.
community
bu
community building
The following exercises will help build classroom community by encouraging students to work
together constructively and take creative risks.
MIX & MINGLE:
PAIR INTERVIEWS
SKILLS: FOCUS & LISTENING
Play music from the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL soundtrack
while students mingle around the room, making eye contact
and getting comfortable in the space. Pause the music
and ask them to find a partner and stand back to back.
Students assign themselves A and B. A will answer one of
the following prompts, while B listens. B then tells A’s story
to the group. Switch. B tells their story while A listens and
re-tells.
· Talk about one thing you love to do.
· Explain the role of music in your life.
· Tell a favorite memory of a time you sang, acted, or
danced in public.
Crucial Theatre Lingo
ENSEMBLE &
TEAM:
You have to work together & trust your
team or cast to perform on any stage
in life!
CHARACTER:
It’s not just a role in a play, but how
you treat everyone you know - that
reveals who you really are - your
character.
MOTIVATION:
We’re talking about what drives you what makes you work hard to do the best
you can in sports, arts, academics,
work, and life.
Troy
(Ellen Harvey)
(John Jeffrey Martin)
FRIENDS & ENEMIES
SKILLS: BUILDING CONFIDENCE AND TEAMWORK
What are the relationships among the characters? Not
every character in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL gets along in
the beginning – in fact, the different cliques are in direct
conflict – and it changes how they move with one another!
In this exercise, students physically explore the characters’
relationships through physicality and space.
Students will silently choose one person to be their pretend
“enemy,” but keep their decision a secret. Call “action”
and have students move (safely) around the room –
but avoid their chosen “enemy” at
all costs! Call “freeze” and have
them silently choose a “friend.”
Call “action” again. This time
they must move throughout the
room, keeping their chosen
“friend” between them and
their “enemy.”
Afterwards, discuss reactions:
· Could you tell who was
your friend or “enemy”?
How?
· Did you change your
physicality? What did
you do?
· Do similar situations ever
really happen in school
(in the hallway,
cafeteria, etc.)? If so,
how?
Gabriella
(Arielle Jacobs)
(Ellen Harvey as Ms. Darbus &
Ron Bohmer as Coach Bolton)
“Oh, the magic that is theatre!
I have lots of ideas. So you might
hear from me from time to time, my
dears. Try modeling these exercises
for and with students! They can also
be modified to accommodate your
group’s comfort level. Now, if I
could just get them to get rid of
those horrible cell phones.”
“YESTERDAY, WE WERE ALL ON OUR OWN ROAD
WE DIDN’T REALLY KNOW
THAT EACH OF US BRINGS SOMETHING TO THE TABLE
TO HELP THE OTHERS GROW”
- Chad and Taylor (We’re All in this Together)
13
community
bui
community building
GROUP TABLEAUX
Create a Group Contract!
To help build community
in your classroom, create
a class contract to
articulate the group’s
collective goals. Post it in
your class for the rest
of the year!
Write the following character types from HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL on enough index cards for every
student (i.e., if you have twenty-five students, five will get
Cheerleader, etc.):
CHEERLEADER
JOCKS
BRAINIACS
DRAMA CLUB
SKATER DUDES
Distribute one card to each student. Give students 1 minute
to create a gesture that embodies their character. (i.e.
Teacher writing on the board). On the count of three,
students demonstrate their gesture at the same time.
Announce that multiple students were given the same
character. Encourage students to silently repeat their
gestures and find the students who share their character
type. When the groups have discovered one another, each
group will create one tableau of their character together.
For example, the Cheerleader group
could have two students making the
pom-poms, one making a leg-kick,
one making giant cheer arms and
one a big grin. Or, it can be a
group of cheerleaders making
one pose together.
BLOCKING:
CAST:
GEL:
PROPS:
ROLE:
(Ellen Harvey)
Theatre Pop Quiz: part deux
Reject a dunk
or jump shot.
Actually, it’s actors’ stage
positioning and movement.
Used to protect
your broken leg.
Uch! The cast is a group of
performers in a show.
Keeps your hair
looking fly!
Um, no, they are colored plastic sheets
fit to a lighting instrument to enhance
the lighting design.
Respect!
Please! They’re items held by
actors on stage.
Every athlete must
know the part they
play in the big
picture.
Wait, what, yes! That’s it exactly!
Actors portray characters but also need
to contribute to the larger production.
Chad
(Shakiem Evans)
LEARNING STANDARDS:
14
THEATRE:
Students will gather, analyze and elaborate
on information to generate ideas, choices
and concepts for written and improvised work.
THEATRE:
Students will be able to contribute positively
and responsibly to the ensemble through
collaboration, sustained focus and
concentration.
Ryan
(Bobby List)
Thematic Study:
thematic
stu
Getting to Know HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
EXPLORING HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL'S THEMES!
Skills: Identifying and Portraying Stereotypes
Step One: Word Web.
Read the following chorus from the song "Stick to the Status
Quo" aloud as a group. Play the song on the CD.
NO, NO, NO, NO! NO, NO, NO
STICK TO THE STUFF YOU KNOW
IF YOU WANNA BE COOL
FOLLOW ONE SIMPLE RULE:
DON'T MESS WITH THE FLOW, NO, NO
STICK TO THE STATUS QUO
Step Two: Tableau!
Ideas into action! Break the class into groups of
four to cover each role on the word web. Each
group will:
1. Create a theatrical tableau that highlights their role or
stereotype.
2. Share the tableau with another group and ask them to
name three things they observed about your character
based on the tableau. Observe the other tableaux and
give feedback as well.
- What does "status quo" mean to you? Why do you think
the songwriters chose that term?
3. Re-construct the tableau, portraying different aspects
of the character that the observing group didn't name
(for example, skater dudes could be portrayed as
stereotypically indifferent or as dedicated and hardworking). Share again.
- Do the characters accept their respective roles?
Debrief afterwards:
- How might stereotypes by limiting?
- Why did you choose the stereotypical gesture you
portrayed in the tableau? What does that say about
how we perceive people versus how they really are?
Discuss:
- Do any of the characters try to break out of their assigned
roles? How do the other characters react?
Write the following question on the board: What are the
different roles people play in our school? Create a word
web (a series of ideas where one word is associated with
the previous word) based on this question. When the word
web is finished, discuss the findings and have students justify
their answers. See below graphic.
Students should come up to the board and write words,
phrases, or lines of dialogue associated with the character
types (some examples of roles could be jocks, cheerleaders,
brainiacs, theatre club members, etc.). Ask: What are the
stereotypes, reputations and expectations associated with
each role? When the word web is finished, discuss the
findings and have students justify their choices.
- How are they similar, or how do they fit together?
- How can the character fit into two groups or explore two
different roles?
friends
books
homework
basketball
athlete
ZEKE :
student
school
lunch
room
“So, uhm, anyway, like I thought maybe you’d
like to come see me play ball sometime….”
SHARPAY: “I’d rather suck the mucous from a dog’s
nostrils ‘til his skull caves in!”
15
Thematic Study:
thematic
stud
Getting to Know HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
CONFLICT AND RESOLUTION
Skills: Role-Playing and Debating
VARIATIONS:
The drama teacher Ms. Darbus and basketball coach Bolton
are passionate about their respective professions. However,
they clearly believe their activity is more valuable to their
students than the other. Students will have the chance to
create trial roles and debate whether basketball or theatre
is more important in high school life.
Stage a trial! Cast a
prosecutor, defense
attorney, and witnesses
(portrayed by students involved in
each activity, PTA, school
administrator, the coach and drama
teacher). End in a musical number
working out the conflict!
Divide the class into three groups: the drama club, basketball
team, and the judges. Each group will have ten minutes to
collect their thoughts and brainstorm their best arguments
for the following questions:
JUDGES:
What are the similarities and differences
between the drama club and the basketball
team?
How might you highlight the similarities?
Is there a way to encourage student support
and respect instead of competition?
DRAMA CLUB:
What makes theatre
more important than
basketball?
What are five skills needed
to perform theatre?
How does participating in
theatre help the
individual/group?
BASKETBALL TEAM:
What makes basketball more
important than theatre?
What are five skills needed to
play basketball?
How does playing basketball
help the individual/group?
Stage a debate between the two groups. After each presents its case, the judges
decide the strongest argument.
Discuss the process!
- How did each person support his or her role and position?
- Is there really a conflict? Why or why not?
Hot Topics
Debate other hot
topics that relate
to HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL themes.
- What are constructive ways of solving conflict?
- Gabriella calls both the theatre and the basketball court "stages." Do you agree?
LEARNING STANDARDS:
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will provide details of fictional characters.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will write in response to literature.
16
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will organize ideas for oral presentation.
WHO:
who
Creating Characters!
I live and breathe theatre my first word was thespian!
Just kidding. Well, not really!
These are some of my favorite
ways of getting into character.
Don’t forget: I’ve been in
seventeen shows, so I know what
I’m talking about!
(Chandra Lee Schwartz)
The Actor’s Body
Sharpay
Character Walk!
Now it’s time to move as characters!
Recall the findings in the “Character
Profiles” section. How can we work as
actors to bring them to life? Students
will embody the characters from HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL in frozen poses. Call
out character names one by one and
ask students to transition between the
characters. Then students pick their
favorite character and pose using their
whole bodies.
Clear a space in the classroom. Frequently call “freeze!”
so students know to stop, observe their peers, and listen to
directions. Students will walk around the room as their
characters. As students walk, use the following prompts to
encourage full body response and character transformation:
· What sort of posture does the character have? Eye
contact? (Can they make it, or do they avoid it with the
other characters?)
Discuss afterwards:
· You were just acting! What did you discover about the
character? Yourself?
· How do people express themselves through body
language? What do you notice in school and on the
street?
· Why is it important for actors onstage to physically express
meaning behind words and the script? How can they
do this? How did you do it?
If students are reluctant
to move at first, use
prompts such as "Walk
fearfully, intensely, shyly,
boldly" etc. to begin the
"Character Walk."
· What sort of gestures do they make? (Hair pulling, hair
tossing, nail biting, finger-snapping, hiding their hands,
unconsciously dribbling a ball, etc.)
Call out “Home” so students can show their characters at
home, not at school. Use the following as prompts:
· Show the characters when they feel most comfortable.
· What is their favorite activity at home?
(Ellen Harvey)
· How do they eat? Sit? Sleep? Pick an activity!
Add in levels! Levels can be high, medium,
and low positions of the body - it’s fun
to move around and explore different areas
of space!
THESPIAN: Someone or something related to
the theatre or the profession of acting. The
word comes from the ancient Greek poet
Thespis, who is known as the first actor and
won the first tragedy competition in ancient
Athens.
LEARNING STANDARDS:
THEATRE: Students will create appropriate physical gestures and
facial expressions that serve a character.
THEATRE: Students will be able to respond imaginatively and
expressively to imaginary and scripted circumstances.
17
WHO:
who
Creating Characters!
The Actor’s Voice
How do we transform our voices as actors to show a character
and meaning? These exercises use choral speaking – where
everyone speaks together in unison – to help students prepare
their voices for acting and character work.
Focus on Breath and Vocalizing
Students should concentrate on their breathing and lead a
group breath together several times until everyone is focused.
When exhaling, ask students to vocalize by holding the sound
of the letter A, S, or F in unison.
Tongue Twisters
Tongue Twisters help with diction and prepare the students
for working on text. They should be repeated as spoken
tempo is adjusted. Some great tongue twisters include:
1. “Red leather, yellow leather.”
2. “You know New York. You need New York.
You know you need unique New York.”
3. “Simple Caesar seized his knees and
sneezed!”
4. “Whether the weather be cold, or whether
the weather be hot, we’ll be together
whatever the weather, whether we like
it or not.”
Use your whole body and voice to
communicate! Remember to pay
attention to how they speak. What
is the unique slang and vernacular
your character would use? Try
different tactics to convince your
audience! Use levels and gestures!
Body and Voice:
30-Second Monologues
This exercise introduces improvised language inspired by
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL.
Students are asked to talk “in character” as their favorite
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL character for 30 seconds on topics
given to them by their fellow classmates. They can use the
“Character Profile” dialogue they wrote as inspiration to
begin. Share monologues aloud with the class.
VARIATIONS:
Improvise a "Dialogue."
Add a second person and
have a conversation based
on the subject matter. Do you get
along? Are they a friend or "enemy?"
Write down and polish your dialogue!
"Remember: Be like a sponge!
Soak up other ideas for warm-ups
and exercises if any of these
activities do not work for your
particular group. Research others
and give them a whirl!"
(Ellen Harvey)
(Derek Ferguson as Ripper)
LEARNING STANDARDS:
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will provide details of fictional characters.
THEATRE: Students will create appropriate physical gestures and facial expressions
that serve a character.
THEATRE: Students will use physical transformation to create a viable characterization.
18
THEATRE: Students will recognize and create a variety of vivid characters in
improvisation, scenework and plays.
THEATRE: Students will use variations of locomotor and non-locomotor movement and vocal
pitch, tempo, and tone for different characters.
WHO:
who
Creating Characters!
HOW TO: Creating an Original Costume Design!
Skills: Designing Costumes
Step One: Creating an Original Character and His/Her Look.
Who else could be in this show? Brainstorm and choose a
character you would like to see included. The costume
designer’s job is to create a costume that shows each
character’s personality and actions through their choice of
clothing, fabric, and color. Use the following questions to
help you create:
Step Two: Gallery Walk!
Display the costume designs throughout the room or a
school hallway, and take other invited students on a “walk.”
Ask students to offer commentary or take notes, and discuss
their observations later. As the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City does each year for their annual costume
show, you can also make color-copies of all the works and
create a “Limited Edition Costume Design Volume” to
accompany the “Gallery.”
· How does your character present him or her self to the
world through clothing?
· How do they view themselves? How is this reflected in
their appearance?
Write down five articles of clothing, colors, or accessories
your character would wear:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Use these ideas to begin your original costume design!
Using the template to the right, draw your character’s
costume. Identify fabrics and colors in your sketches. To
finish, add in a catchphrase your character might say inside
the dialogue bubble.
LEARNING STANDARDS:
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will provide details of fictional characters.
VISUAL ARTS: Students will create a series of drawings that demonstrate
volume, proportion and control of materials.
THEATRE: Students will investigate and analyze theatre components.
THEATRE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the skills
required to work as a costume designer.
19
WHAT:
what
The Plot: What Happens Next?
Telling The Story
Skills: Story Structure
Step One: Storyboarding.
Whether a novel, screenplay, play or musical, the story is
revealed through the plot - a sequence of events. The plot
usually begins with an inciting event that kicks off the action
to come for the rest of the story. Characters within the plot
encounter both obstacles and opportunities that further
the action.
Pass out copies of the Synopsis on page 4. Ask for volunteers
to read each section of the plot. Discuss the plot using the
following questions:
- What are the main events?
- How does each obstacle or opportunity lead to the
next scene?
- What are the conflicts in the
story?
- How do the characters
work to resolve them?
I like to read so much that my mom usually
has to pry me away from my books - so I
know all about stories and their plots!
Still, I can't help wondering - how is
this plot going to unravel? I wouldn't
mind knowing a little bit more about a
certain guy and what's going to happen at
the callbacks. (Shhh!)
Now students will use visual art to further
explore the setting through
storyboarding! Designers and directors
of film and theatre use storyboards to
visually represent the sequence of
events. They resemble a comic strip
and include the following criteria:
- Labeled details of the setting and
characters
- Dialogue bubbles to convey the
interactions and scenes
- Color sketches of people or events
portrayed
(Arielle Jacobs)
Gabriella
Give each student a small section of the plot. Ask them to
create a storyboard of their event, as if they were the director
of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. Share storyboards with the class
and arrange them in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL plot order.
Tableau!
Transform your storyboards into tableaux. Students can
create tableaux from each storyboard and take pictures to
create photographic storyboards.
(Michael Mahany
as Jack Scott)
HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL sketches
Courtesy of Steve Downing & Ed Resto
20
Comic Strip.
Students can make color copies of all the storyboards and
turn them into a comic-strip version of HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL.
WHAT:
what
The Plot: What Happens Next?
Step Two: Improvisation: Conflict and Resolution in Your
Own School.
Storyboards also help the actors see their roles in telling the
story. Break the class into small groups to cover the main
events of the plot. Give each group the accompanying
storyboard(s) to create an improvisation that shows the
event and conflict of the scene. Students can also transform
chairs and other room equipment into any setting they need.
VARIATIONS:
What are some other
obstacles and
opportunities students might
face? Improvise a scene that
is not in the show.
How would this same scene play out in your own school?
In groups, discuss the differences and similarities between
the plot points and your everyday life and integrate them
into the improvisation. Re-play the scene, but this time call
"freeze" at the moment of highest conflict. How could this
scene be resolved effectively? Share ideas, and play the
scene with different resolutions. Other students can also
"tap out" a character and jump in to offer their resolution,
or add in new characters.
Use the "W's" (i.e. "Who is in
this scene? What is the conflict?
Where is the setting?” etc.)
Restate the meaning of the scene
in your own words. This gives
you ownership of your
interpretation!
VARIATIONS:
Students can also choose
their favorite character
and storyboard the
character's viewpoint,
perspectives, and evolution through
the story.
(Shakiem Evans as
Chad Danforth)
If you are worried about students’
reluctance to discuss their own school
issues, keep things safe by staying in
the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL world! Ask students
to identify issues the characters would
find if they transferred to a different
high school setting.
LEARNING STANDARDS:
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will provide details of fictional characters.
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will narrate a sequence of events.
THEATRE: Students will understand how descriptions, dialogue, and actions
are used to discover, articulate, and justify character motivation.
THEATRE: Students will improvise dialogue to tell stories.
21
WHEN:
when:
When Words Meet Music
Songs and Songwriting
Skills: Finding Meaning in Song
What do we know about singing and songs?
What experience do you have with singing and
songwriting? Students can interview each other or
write answers to the following questions:
This is my first show, and I've been working day
and night to get it ready for two years...I just
keep reminding myself that every great artist
was once an amateur. Right, Sondheim? Oh, I
hope I can pull this off! Now back to the
finale...I've almost got the perfect hook for
the melody...and that second song needs another
verse...I'll take a nap later...
- When, if ever, do you feel like singing?
Voice Prep:
- When do you listen to music?
- Have you ever written or composed a song?
- What do you think are the steps involved? What sort of
teamwork might be necessary?
Share findings with the class orally or write responses on a
large poster. These reflections can be added to the
Songwriting study!
Use of Song in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
When do the characters sing in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL?
Look at three contrasting songs from the show:
"Start of Something New" (Beginning of show)
"Stick to the Status Quo" (Middle of show)
"Breaking Free" (End of show)
Listen to the songs. Students should take down notes based
on the following prompts:
- What is the main message of each song?
- How is it conveyed in the chorus, verses and hook?
- What phrases or words pop out to you? What do they
reveal about the characters or event in the song?
(Ellen Harvey)
- How does this song advance the plot? Why do you think
the composer and lyricist chose this moment to be sung
and not spoken?
Practice the
Tongue Twisters
from page 18, and
research and add
in new ones!
When Do We Sing? No Time Like Now!
We know the characters of HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL sing constantly. Every actor
sings at some point in his or her career
– and some, like the HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL stars, are triple-threats that can
act, dance, and sing! The voice is your
personal musical instrument. Here are
some great warm-ups and tips to help
you keep it in tip-top shape – whether
you are singing, or preparing for public
speaking!
Kelsi
Diaphragm Muscle.
Correct breathing starts with this muscle, which is at the top
of your stomach and shaped like an upside-down soup
bowl! It expands – and moves downward when you breathe
in. Place your thumb on it and feel its movement. Try
panting like a dog to feel it move even more!
The Fuel of Your Voice = Air!
Your sound – like an upright or grand piano – is made inside
of you, so the direction of your air should always be inward
before making sound.
The Preparation.
We prepare to sing by breathing in through the nose because
it exercises the yawning muscles, opens the throat, and
allows the air to be placed deeper inside the body.
CHORUS: The chorus is a rhythmic lyric that
is repeated throughout the song and usually
states the main message or idea. In the
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL song "Bop to the
Top" the chorus is the part that begins "Bop
to the top/wipe away your inhibitions…" The
last chorus can be modified within the set
rhythmic pattern to include a decision or
change.
VERSE: Verses support the choruses and
come in between them. They usually
contain details, information and story. In
"Bop to the Top" the verse begins "I believe
in dreaming/shooting for the stars…"
HOOK: The hook is both a musical and
lyrical phrase that appears either in the
verse or chorus. It is used to "hook" the
listener. It is often the title as well: "Bop to
the Top!"
TROY: "Isn't the author of a musical like the playmaker
in basketball?"
KELSI: "Playmaker?"
22
(Olivia Oguma)
TROY: "The person who makes everyone else look good.
Without you, there is no show. You're the
playmaker here, Kelsi."
WHEN:
when:
When Do We Sing?
Karaoke Jam Sing-a-Long
Karaoke is an excellent way to conquer stage fright and
build teamwork for your group – and remember, Gabriella
and Troy first met at karaoke! Brainstorm favorite and
appropriate songs with the group. Create a circle and ask
for a volunteer to enter singing one of their favorite songs
– or a song from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. As they sing, the
rest of the circle can join in to "jam" with them (encourage
students to add in rhythm and beats using vocalizing and
hand percussion!). Ask for a volunteer to take a word from
the song and start another song that it triggers. Allow
students one by one to enter the circle and jam with the
class.
Reflect after the activities:
- You took a huge risk by singing! How did this exercise
encourage you and your group's creative risks?
- What did it feel like to sing by yourself or with the class?
- How did the class support each other with teamwork?
What examples did you see?
Some of my own students are shy at
first. Try this exercise several
times throughout your sessions
because it may allow shy students
time to get comfortable and volunteer
later on. The questions can also
be used time and time again, so
students can see how far they've
come!
Singing in Context
and Character!
In musical theatre, a reprise means the song returns later in
the show in a different context. “What I’ve Been Looking
For” is a great example, as it is sung as an audition piece
in two very different styles! Sharpay and Ryan perform a
very polished, choreographed version, while Gabriella and
Troy sing a slower, more tentative and tender version.
Write the following excerpt of the song on the board:
"It's hard to believe that I couldn't see
That you were always here beside me."
Sing the song once as a class in the Sharpay/Ryan rhythm
and style (listen to the CD if needed). Try these variations:
1. Sing in different contexts (sing the song as an elderly
person, sing the song as a dog, sing the song as someone
who has just gotten very bad news, etc.)
2. Sing it as the different characters from HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL. How would each perform it?
3. Sing in different musical styles (rock, pop, hip-hop, country,
etc.).
Add in gestures and physicality to perform
the song in each of the brainstormed
ways. Does the tempo change? The
pitch? Volume? Do these change
the meaning of the song?
PITCH: the highness or lowness of a note
(Arielle Jacobs
& John Jeffrey Martin)
LEARNING STANDARDS:
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will provide details for fictional characters.
THEATRE: Students will be able to use the voice to express choices of character
voice, emotional quality and intention.
THEATRE: Students will be able to respond imaginatively and expressively to
imaginary and scripted circumstances.
MUSIC: Students will understand how expressive devices are used in music
from diverse genres.
MUSIC: Students will use the elements of music for expressive effect.
23
WHEN:
when:
When Do We Sing?
songwriting AND LYRICS
Skills: Writing Original Song Lyrics
Step One: Song Criteria
How can we analyze, create, and sing original songs like
the writers of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL? Let's look closer at
the song "What I've Been Looking For," this time to figure out
how a lyric is put together. Listen to the song on the CD
while students respond to the following prompts:
- What is the hook (a phrase that is repeated throughout)?
- What repetition do you hear?
- What is the main message? How do the characters
support this message (justify with text examples)?
Step Two: Writing Original Monologues & Lyrics
Using the criteria, ask students to create their own original
songs! A lyricist often begins by writing a monologue, which
is then used as source material for the lyric. Using the themes
of aspirations and dreaming big from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL,
students will write a half-page monologue that details their own
dreams. Each monologue should include:
- Lyrical language - metaphors and similes, imagery, puns,
plays on words!
- Details - why is it their dream? What will they do to get
it? What makes it so special and unique to them? What
does it reveal about their character?
- What are the different parts of the song (verse, chorus,
bridge)?
- How do the characters reveal their personalities? What
words or phrases do they use? Metaphors and similes?
Sounds?
Share findings as a group and create a
shared song criteria chart.
Be creative: What's your
dream? A good lunch? Your
career? Dream to get a dog?
Dream of world peace?
Be specific!
Ask students to read over their monologues and circle the
following:
- What phrases or sentences represent the main idea or
message?
- What words or phrases support the main idea?
- What vernacular or lyrical language did you use that
would work well in a song?
- What could be repeated?
Next
Using the criteria from Step Two above, students will use the
template on the next page to write a song.
(Olivia Oguma)
“Why am I feeling so wrong?
My head’s in the game but my heart’s in the song
She makes this feel so right”
– Troy (Get’cha Head in the Game)
24
when:
WHEN:
When Do We Sing?
HOW TO: SONGWRITING TEMPLATE
Verse #1 = 4 lines
This verse presents a character’s perspective on the given circumstances or a bit of the story (e.g. “I believe in
dreaming/shooting for the stars”).
(8 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
(8 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
(8 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
(8 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
Chorus #1 = 4 lines
This chorus states the main message or theme of the song, e.g. "bop to the top."
(6 syllables) ________________________________________________________________
(6 syllables) ________________________________________________________________
(6 syllables) ________________________________________________________________
Remember: A
hook can be
included in the
chorus OR verses!
(6 syllables) _________________________________________________________________
Verse #2 = 4 lines
This verse should include a discovery that the character has made or an action they have taken. It provides more
emotional insight or content.
(8 syllables) _______________________________________________________________________________________
(8 syllables) _______________________________________________________________________________________
(8 syllables) _______________________________________________________________________________________
(8 syllables) _______________________________________________________________________________________
Chorus #2 = 4 lines
This chorus can repeat, or can change to include a decision or conclusion.
(6 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
(6 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
(6 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
(6 syllables) ______________________________________________________________________________________
25
WHEN:
when:
When Do We Sing?
Lyric and Music Collaboration through Teamwork!
Step One: Marrying Lyric and Music.
The character Kelsi in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL has created
her own musical, Juliet and Romeo. She writes all the lyrics
and composes the music. In musical theatre, either one
person will write all the lyrics and music, or composers and
lyricists will collaborate to write what is referred to as the
score. You will collaborate with fellow students to create
original music for your own lyrics!
Kelsi composes her songs on a piano. But even if you don't
have musical training, everyone is familiar with rhythm and
melody from years of listening to songs. Whether you’re a
beginner or an accomplished musician, one of these options
will work for you!
- Write to the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL music of "What I've
Been Looking For." Or, choose the music of your favorite
song. You can use the karaoke version to sing your own
lyric. Classic children's folk songs are also great to rewrite
and update (e.g. "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")
I'd like to suggest
speaking your lyric in
rhythm several times to
yourself! Often your ear
will catch irregularities
in the rhythm, and you
can edit to find a regular
beat in each line.
(Olivia Oguma)
- Create a rhythmic beat and rap your lyric. The song can
be a cappella, or you can incorporate sounds, drumming,
clapping, etc.
- What musical style (rock, pop, hip-hop, country, etc.)
do you envision for your song? Sing in that style - just
like in the singing exercises! Edit your lyric to fit your
style.
- Are there any musicians or composers in the
classroom? Collaborate to create an original
melody for the lyric. If your school has a
music room, ask the music teacher for
permission to use one of the musical
instruments, or ask if he or she will
collaborate with you!
SCORE: All of the songs and any music,
instrumental or otherwise, in a musical. Also called
a “musical score.” If Kelsi won the Tony Award®
she could win as composer/lyricist for “Best Musical
Score” and as book writer for “Best Book”
MELODY: A series of musical notes that make up
a recognizable phrase and usually have a distinct
rhythm. Can be repeated. You probably know
dozens of melodies you can hum by heart, either
songs or advertising jingles!
A CAPPELLA: Sung without accompaniment.
Sometimes groups perform songs only a cappella!
Barbershop quartets are famous for this.
LEARNING STANDARDS:
26
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS: Students will use literary devices to enhance style and tone.
THEATRE: Students will creates improvisations and scripted scenes based on
personal experience and heritage, imagination, literature, and
history.
THEATRE: Students will be able to respond imaginatively and expressively to
imaginary and scripted circumstances.
MUSIC: Students will use the elements of music for expressive effect.
MUSIC: Students will use a variety of traditional and non-traditional sound
sources.
MUSIC: Students will compose short pieces with specified guidelines.
WHEN:
when:
When Do We Sing?
Lyric and Music Collaboration through Teamwork! (cont.)
Step Two: Performing Songs.
Using the vocalizing techniques you've explored, how could
you share your song with your songwriting partner? Practice
together, creating your own rhythms with sound, claps, or
beats. Perform for the class in a mini-concert!
Afterwards, discuss the songwriting process with the following
questions:
- What could you work on to become a stronger songwriter
and singer?
- How did you use collaboration and teamwork? What
was effective?
- How does songwriting depend on collaboration and
teamwork?
VARIATIONS:
If you would like your group
to try collaboratively writing
a song, try the Orchestra Game!
One person starts a rhythm,
and the next person adds
another rhythm on top until
everyone has joined in. Repeat,
adding in an action verb. Pay
attention to beats and
syllables in the word, and
try to match it to your
rhythm. You can also use
students' names!
Original Cast Album!
You can also record the
songs and create an album
together, writing artistic statements
to present your songs. Take a picture
of the group and illustrate for
original cover art!
(Ellen Harvey)
Inspiration #2
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
– Nelson Mandela
Quoting author Marianne Williamson in his presidential
inauguration speech.
Williamson, Marianne. Return to Love.
New York: Harper Collins, 1996 (p. 165)
27
why:
why:
Story in Motion
WHY Do the Characters Dance?
Skills: Learning to Dance
I’ve been playing basketball since my
dad first gave me one at my third
birthday party. So I'm a pretty physical
guy. But this whole musical theatre
thing - whoa. Gabriella says the court
is like a stage - but do I have what
it takes to really get on a theatre
stage?
Dancing Figure: Why Do We Dance?
Take a moment to assess what experience the students
have with dance. On posterboard, draw an outline of a
dancing person. Write above the illustration: "Why Do I
Dance?" Have students come up in small groups and write
what they know about dance inside the lines and questions
they have about dance outside the illustration. Add to the
dancing figure list as you study!
Troy
(John Jeffrey Martin)
Movement Warm-Ups
Touching Toes.
Extend your arms straight out to your sides, palms down.
Bend at the waist to touch your opposite foot. Repeat, and
follow with the other side. Repeat 8 times each side.
Isolation Rolls.
Isolate different parts of your body. Slowly drop your chin
to your chest. Bring your right ear to your right shoulder,
then towards the back, then your left ear to your left shoulder,
then back to your chest. Repeat the other direction.
Repeat with shoulders, chest and hips.
Full-Body Roll.
Reach up to the ceiling like a puppet, as if you have strings
attached to your fingertips, wrists, elbows and top of your
head. Let the "strings" break one by one, dropping your
fingertips, wrists, elbows and finally the top of your head.
Let the weight of your head slowly roll you to bending over.
Then, as if your spine is a staircase, slowly bring yourself up
to standing, one vertebra at a time until you are standing
again.
Plies. (pronounced plee-ays)
Stand with legs parallel to your hips. With heels on the floor,
back straight and knees bent, slowly squat for four counts,
and come up for four counts. Repeat eight times.
ISOLATIONS: Exercises that focus
on a specific body part or muscle
group
(Bobby List
& Chandra Lee Schwartz)
“We’re gonna bop bop bop, bop to the top
Wipe away your inhibitions
Jump and hop, hop till we drop
and start again…”
28
(Ellen Harvey)
“Don't forget, my
friends! Research other
fun dance warm-ups for
your group. The more
the merrier!”
why:
why:
Story in Motion
Movement to Music: Getting Comfortable in Space
Skills: Developing Physicality
Dynamics play an important role in how people become
comfortable moving their bodies in place and through
space. Play a favorite instrumental piece of music. Pause
the music as students "freeze" so they can hear directions
(you can model this a couple of times to focus the group).
Encourage them to fully explore the space and use their
entire bodies. Ask them how the music makes them move:
Is it fast or slow? Sharp or smooth? What pictures do you
see in your mind? How could you show them? Play and
freeze the music, each time calling out different dynamics:
(Ellen Harvey)
“Stretching helps to relax,
focus, and prepare my
students to dance. Establish
neutral position for each
of the following stretches,
dance moves, and choreography.
In neutral position feet are
hip width apart with the arms
resting at your sides.”
- Move straight! Now move in curved lines! Skip! Gallop!
Walk! Hop!
- Move as low as you can to the floor; high to the ceiling;
twice as fast; twice as slow.
- Move big! Bigger! Biggest! Small! Smaller! Smallest!
DYNAMICS: Different levels that
choreographers and directors use to
define space and sound. How high or
low, fast or slow can you go?
- Repeat as many times as desired and ask volunteers for
other dynamics variations (wide/narrow, high/low energy,
light/heavy, etc.).
Discuss!
- What can you tell about
people through their
movements?
- What does your body
language say about
you?
- How do you
think dance
can tell a
story?
(Arielle Jacobs & John Jeffrey Martin)
“Bop bop bop straight to the top
Going for the glory
We’ll keep stepping up and we just won’t stop
till we reach the top!
Bop to the top!”
- Sharpay, Ryan and Company (Bop to the Top)
29
why:
why:
Story in Motion
HOW TO: Basic Dance Choreography Steps
Choreography from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL draws from
many sources. For example, "Get'cha Head in the Game"
incorporates basketball moves, and "Wildcat Cheer" uses
pep rally and cheerleading moves. Other dances
incorporate hip-hop, traditional musical theatre, modern
and jazz traditions. There's even some free-style! The
following exercises will introduce you to basic dance steps
inspired by HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL to lay the foundation
for creating your own original choreography!
STEP ONE: Learn the moves!
"Strike a Pose."
One of the favorite moves in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is
"striking a pose." As a group, strike one of the character
poses from the Character Walk exercise on page 18 and
hold four counts. Choose a favorite character and strike
his or her character pose. Strike another pose. Repeat to
strike four poses total for 16 counts. Add in jumps! Strike
the pose for three counts, then jump up into the air with
legs apart.
Cheerleader Arms.
Picture how cheerleaders use their arms. Make ninetydegree angles with your arms! Hold them straight up by
your ears or in a "V.” Clap in between each movement.
Come up with your own arm variations for four counts.
Step Clap.
Step to the side with your right foot. Bring your
left foot in and clap. Step on your left and
reverse. Repeat for eight counts.
Box Step / Jazz Square.
Step on your right foot. Cross your left foot over the right.
Step your right back, then uncross your left. Start over.
Do it three times. Jump together and clap. Repeat starting
on the left foot. Practice each side for eight counts each.
Lunge.
Face forward, lunge to the right side and put your right arm
straight out to your side. Come back to the middle. Repeat.
Add in arm variations, and try lunging forward and
backwards too!
Paddle Turn.
With your left foot on the ground to pivot, let your right foot
make eight small taps to "paddle" you around in a full turn.
Keep arms out to each side. Go around once, then clap
or pose. Switch so that the left foot pivots, with the right
foot "paddling." Repeat each side for eight counts.
3 Step Turns.
Step on your right foot. Bring your left side around and step
on your left foot. Open up your right foot back-to-front.
Clap. You have just turned yourself completely around in
three steps and a clap! Repeat to turn yourself around
again. Do the whole turn in eight counts.
Free-style.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL choreography uses lots of free-style
within a certain beat count. Use your previous knowledge!
Create eight counts of hip-hop, jazz, funky,
cheerleading, funny, aerobic, boogie, Latin
A count is a beat
or African dance. Use your imagination.
about one second
long!
CHOREOGRAPHY: A series of
movements often set to music, that
create patters in and among
dancers’ bodies.
STEP TWO: Choreograph a Sports Moves Dance!
Use moves and gestures from your favorite sport to come
up with an eight-count dance sequence. Share and teach
to another person. Share all the moves with the group!
FREE-STYLE: An un-choreographed
dance that reveals your personal
style! The Greek roots of the word
dance (choros) and
writing/drawing (graphia).
LEARNING STANDARDS:
30
DANCE:
Students will be able to use the body in a variety of movements, demonstrating
understanding of levels, composition, rhythm, quality of movement, setting and
personal space.
DANCE:
Students will know basic dance steps, body positions, and spatial patterns for
dance from various styles or traditions.
DANCE:
Students will improvise, create, and perform dances based on personal ideas and
concepts from other sources.
DANCE:
Students will use kinesthetic awareness, concentration, and focus in performing
movement skills.
why:
why:
Story in Motion
HOW TO: Basic Dance Choreography Steps (CONT.)
STEP THREE: Choreograph Your Own Dance Sequence!
With a partner or small group, choose your favorite four
moves and put them together in a sequence for thirty-two
counts. Teach your dance to another group. Perform all
the dances as a concert!
“Don't forget: Use movements from life to
transition from one move to another! Simple
walking, bouncing or swaying on the beat
makes great choreography. Turning left or
right by a 1/4 or 1/2 or full turn can be
linked in a variety of combinations. Basic
movements can also be changed by expanding
or contracting them! Make it big, make it
small - just make it you!”
(Ellen Harvey)
VARIATIONS:
Choreograph Your
Original Song! Using
these steps, choreograph sequences
for the chorus and each verse. You
can do this alone as the sole
choreographer, or by breaking into
three small groups. Give each group
a part of the song to collaboratively
choreograph. Ask the dancers to
consider the following questions as
they create:
(Lizzie Weiss
as Martha Cox)
" Do the movements you choose enhance
the lyric?
" What does the movement express
that the song does not? Do the
two fit together?
" Perform for the group then hold a
question-and-answer session to
discuss your choices and what the
audience noticed and interpreted.
How do you feel when we move with
it? What might our audience feel?
MARTHA COX: “Hip-hop is my passion. I love to pop, lock,
break and jam.”
BRAINIAC #1: “Is that legal?”
MARTHA COX: “It's just dancing. Sometimes I think it's
cooler than homework.”
31
where:
where:
Design a World
Skills: Set Design
Step One: Storyboard a High School Setting.
The director collaborates with the costume, lighting, and
sound designers to visually represent the show through the
setting, the backgrounds, furniture, and panels you see on
stage. A set can be as simple as a chair and a cloth that
are transformed throughout the show to represent the setting,
or as elaborate as a full school cafeteria with matching
tables and plastic milk cartons!
Set designers often start by researching the setting and
drawing a simple sketch. You are lucky – you already know
what a school setting looks like! The school is a classic
American image- teen films like Mean Girls and Clueless
are set in high school.
Which area of the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL setting would
you love to design? Pick one and visualize this area during
a busy part of the day. For example, in East High, the
characters sit and eat with their cliques.
Answer the following questions in your sketch:
- Who are the characters in this area?
- Where do they stand/move? Who chooses the spotlight,
and who does not?
- How does the setting show the status and roles of the
people in the room?
- What colors do you see? Furniture? Objects?
Step Two: Build Your Own Cafeteria Set Diorama
Next, take your sketch and transform it into a set diorama!
Put me in a science lab or give me an
equation and I'm a happy girl! I don't know
anything about this theatre stuff - but if
I had to do it, I would study design. And
dioramas are so cool - I like checking them
out at all the science museums I visit every
weekend. Increasing your brainpower and
knowledge is so not demeritorious!
Gather the following materials:
- Cardboard box (a shoebox can work
well)
- Coloring materials
- Fabric swatches
- Glue and tape
- Scissors
(Shaullanda
- Scraps of fabric
LaCombe)
- Clay
- Photographs from magazines or
newspapers
- Cardboard
- Popsicle sticks
Taylor
In your group, create a diorama. You may also create the
characters in your setting and place them in formations to
show their roles.
Step Three: Presentation.
Present your model to the class. Describe your choices and
ask for feedback. How did you represent your cafeteria?
What changes could you make? How does set design help
tell a story?
How can you represent your chosen high school area in a
set model? Would you like to create a more realistic or
more abstract set? How can you represent the parts of the
setting to show the story being told?
DIORAMA: A threedimensional representation of
a scene using a small scale
model, usually ½ ”= 1’. Often
used in museums as well!
photo: T. Thayer
THEATRE:
Students will identify connections among design elements,
including spatial relationships, patterns, and placement of objects.
THEATRE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship of the
character to the setting and environment of the play.
VISUAL ARTS: Students will create a series of drawings that demonstrate volume,
proportion and control of materials.
32
where:
WHERE
Design a World
Try these VARIATIONS for the diorama you’ve created on
page 32.
VARIATIONS:
VARIATIONS:
Gallery Walk II. Create
a "Gallery Walk" for
your dioramas! Display
the dioramas around the room. Ask
for a volunteer from each set design
team to act as a guide while the
other students "walk" through the
gallery, introducing and answering
questions about their work. You can
also photograph the dioramas and
create a "How To: Set Design" book.
LIGHTING AND SOUND
VARIATIONS:
Add another level of
design to your diorama! Are you
interested in lighting or sound
design? A lighting designer creates
the colors, shades and levels and
also uses spotlights to create the
mood of the story. A sound designer
creates the sound-scape of the world
using music and sound effects to
bring the story to life for the
ears!
Lighting designer: Using flashlights
and simple gels - plastic sheets or
tissue paper over the head of the
flashlight - "light up" your diorama!
What colors would you choose? Is
the lighting dark and dim, or bright
and florescent? Who is in the
spotlight?
Sound Designer: What sounds do you
hear in this area (for example, a
hallway with running and meandering
feet, ringing bells, lockers
slamming, muffled gossip filling
the halls)? Sound designers use prerecorded sounds, but they also create
their own. Use instruments, simple
objects in your classroom, or your
own music. What volumes and tempos
of sounds would you use?
sketch by Kenneth Foy
LEARNING STANDARDS:
THEATRE: Students will investigate and analyze theatre components.
THEATRE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the skills
required to work as a set designer.
33
Putting on A Show!
putting
on A S
WORK TOGETHER
We always thought theatre was
just all leotards. Or like a
bunch of dudes in “Phantom of
the Opera” masks. We had NO
idea... Now we know it's way
worthwhile, and it takes
everyone working together to
make a musical.
How could you work together in your classroom to stage
your very own show? Take a moment to reflect and prepare
as a group:
- What have we learned about creating a show like HIGH
SCHOOL MUSICAL?
- What were the favorite activities and creative work we
did together? How can we include them?
Here are some sharing models to help you put all your new
knowledge together onstage. Choose the one that works
best for your group!
Concept Model: Choose original monologues, scenes,
improvisations, storyboards, and designs based on your
favorite HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL theme. Put them together
in a narrative arc, and use transitions to move from one
selected scene to the next.
Tableau Model: Using short pieces of original text,
create an original tableau to theatrically illustrate
the plot and characters. Add in scenes that aren't
in the show!
(Shakiem Evans)
Chad & Zeke
(Ben Thompson)
Concert!: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL became a sell-out
concert. Put together your own original songs and
choreography to perform.
Next, cast the actors, the creative team and the
other theatre roles. Create a rehearsal schedule
and a group rubric for how you want to work
together to put your piece on its feet.
- What teamwork skills could you incorporate into your
own rehearsal and sharing process?
- What are the different roles each student can play?
Check out the Theatre-Makers information sheets on
page 12.
“You can use all of the warm-ups
and activities in this guide to
help guide your rehearsals! I'm
always inventing new ones - so
can you!”
- What materials (set, costumes, makeup, lighting, sound)
will you need to gather? Be creative!
Darbus’ Five Audition Tips
34
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be on time
Dress sharp
Know your material
Project
Smile
Putting on A Show!
putting
on A S
Skills: Refection
Continue building your teamwork and ensemble skills. After
rehearsal, this activity can be done in pairs, or shared on
a large poster with post-its:
- What did you discover about yourself today? The
ensemble?
- What was successful? What was difficult?
- What is one way you would like to improve?
- What questions do you have about the work we did in
class?
ENSEMBLE: A group of musicians, dancers,
actors, and theatre artists who perform
together with equal contributions!
Continue reflecting after each rehearsal to build your
community skills!
Theatre Pop Quiz: part tres
MUSICAL:
CUE:
A genre of theatre that usually has songs and dances that help tell the story
with the traditional spoken text (book). The songs often reveal the characters’
thoughts and feelings.
An action, word or even music that signals to the cast and crew what is to
happen next.
DICTION:
Kind of what it sounds like, it’s the enunciation of the words as the actors
say their lines. It can also mean the word choice made by a playwright.
FOURTH WALL:
It’s that invisible barrier or removed “wall” through which the audience sees
action of the play.
UNDERSTUDY:
So important! A performer who learns a role to “go on” in case the primary actor
cast is absent or unable to perform.
Kelsi
(Olivia Oguma)
LEARNING STANDARDS:
THEATRE: Students will select and organize available materials that suggest scenery, properties,
lighting, sound, costumes, and makeup.
THEATRE: Students will construct imaginative scripts that convey story and meaning to an
audience.
THEATRE: Students will conceptualize and realize artistic interpretations for informal or
formal productions.
35
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS CO
How do the artistry and themes of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL connect to your world?
Put your show in the spotlight! Perform your show for a
younger class in your school. Make advertising posters and
invitations to give to the other class. Does your school have
a Talent Night or Family Day? Sign up to show your show!
Or travel even further: Perform your show at a community
center or retirement home. Invite your favorite teacher to
help out.
Grab a Seat! Theatre needs an audience – and audience
members get the joy of participating in a live event. Learn
more about professional theatre by seeing local productions,
or traveling to Broadway in New York City. Research places
to go to see live theatre.
You’re the Critic! Read some reviews of HIGH SCHOOL
MUSICAL or a local production to understand how a critic
reviews a production. Then, write your own review on the
next musical you see. Send it in to your local newspaper or
publish it in your school’s paper.
Adapt Your Own Show! Turn your favorite film or book into
a musical! Your local library has excellent resources to help
out. Check out books on playwriting and DVDs of theatre
productions. To aid your process, compare and contrast
how other writers have adapted works.
36
Tour a Theatre Space! Take a tour of a high school or local
theatre auditorium from a director’s perspective. Ask for
a representative of the space to show you the lighting and
sound equipment, and how the backstage area is put
together. How would you stage HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
or your own show?
Volunteer to Work on a Local Show! Using the experience
you’ve gained from your HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL study,
volunteer your services for a local community production.
Many productions are in need of interns, production
assistants, box office help or ushers. You can gain valuable
theatre and life experience while contributing to the arts!
Be Your OWN Darbus! With other interested thespians, you
can start your own theatre company! What sort of theatre
are you interested in (improvisation, musicals, plays, comedy
sketches, etc.)? Create a group contract from Page 14
and start putting together your own show based on your
troupe’s interests! Is there a theater, coffee shop, or
organization in your area that offers “open mic” or free
nights for new performers and groups? Investigate!
Support Your Fellow Students! Be the first to organize a trip
for all school clubs to see and cheer for your basketball
team. Encourage the athletes and others to support the
school play! Arrange for discount tickets to see a local
school or community musical for your classmates.
“We’re all in this together
Once we know that we are
We’re all stars and we see that
We’re all in this together
And it shows when we stand
Hand in hand, Make our dreams come true.”
- Company (We’re All in this Together)
Resources
Resources
RECORDING / MUSIC:
High School Musical: The Soundtrack (Disney, 2006)
Disney’s Karaoke Series: High School Musical (Disney, 2006)
High School Musical 2: The Soundtrack (Disney, 2007)
High School Musical: Vocal Selections (Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006)
DVD / VIDEO:
High School Musical: The Disney Channel Original Movie (Disney, 2006)
High School Musical: The Concert (Disney, 2006)
BOOKS ON THEATre:
Boal, Augusto. Games for Actors and Non-Actors. (Routledge, 2002)
Cameron, Kenneth and Gillespie, Patti. The Enjoyment of Theatre. (Allyn & Bacon, 2007)
Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities in Theatre and the Performing Arts. (Facts on File, 1992)
Filichia, Peter. Let’s Put On a Musical! (Back Stage Books, 2007)
Gilbert, Anne Green. Creative Dance for All Ages. (American Alliance for Health Physical, 2002)
Hagen, Uta. Respect for Acting. (Wiley, 1973)
Heathcote, Dorothy, and Gavin Bolton. Drama for Learning. (Heinemann, 1995)
Hunt, Gordon. How to Audition. (Harper & Row, 1992)
Inoanzzi, Daniel. The Stagecraft Handbook. (Betterway Book, 1996)
Johnstone, Keith. Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre. (Theater Arts Book, 1987)
Lecoq, Jacques. The Moving Body: Teaching Creative Theatre. (Routledge, 2002) ** Integrates sports movements!
Saldana, Johnny. Drama of Color: Improvisation with Multiethnic Folklore. (Heinemann, 1995)
Schumacher, Thomas. How Does the Show Go On? (Disney Editions, 2007)
Spolin, Viola. Theatre Games for the Classroom. (Northwestern University Press, 1986)
Thomas, James. Script Analysis for Actors, Directors and Designers. (Focal Press, 1998)
WEBSITES:
Disney Channel HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL:
tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/originalmovies/highschoolmusical/index.html Everything HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!
American Musical Theatre History:
www.theatrehistory.com/american/musicals.html Explore the tradition of musical theatre!
Playbill:
www.playbill.com All the scoop on what’s happening today in theatre – plus backstage interviews, columns and even internship
and job opportunities!
American Alliance for Theatre and Education:
www.aate.com “The National Voice for Theatre and Education”
Educational Theatre Association:
www.edta.org Honoring excellence among students of theatre and supporting the work of theatre educators.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES LINKS:
National Standards
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) offers a compendium
of K-12 standards and benchmarks adapted from the standards texts of professional
subject-area organizations and the standards of selected states.
www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
The New York City Department of Education’s Blueprint for Teaching and Learning
in the Arts: Theater
The Blueprint establishes a framework for theater arts education for every child in
New York City and acknowledges the collaboration between schools and the New
York theater community to forge this plan.
schools.nyc.gov/offices/teachlearn/arts/oaspimages/theaterbpfull.pdf
37
credits
credits
Music Credits:
“Wildcat Cheer,” “Start of Something New,” “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and “We’re All in This Together” by Matthew
Gerrard and Robbie Nevil © 2005 Walt Disney Music Company (ASCAP); “Get’cha Head in the Game” by Ray Cham,
Greg Cham and Andrew Seeley © 2005 Walt Disney Music Company (ASCAP)/Five Hundred Songs South (SESAC); “Bop
to the Top” by Randy Petersen and Kevin Quinn © 2005 Walt Disney Music Company (ASCAP); “What I’ve Been Looking
For” by Andy Dodd and Adam Watts © 2005 Walt Disney Music Company (ASCAP); “Cellular Fusion” and “Counting on
You” by Bryan Louiselle © 2006 Wonderland Music Company (BMI); “Stick to the Status Quo” by David N. Lawrence and
Faye Greenberg © 2005 Walt Disney Music Company (ASCAP); “When There Was Me and You” and “Breaking Free” by
Jamie Houston © 2005 Walt Disney Music Company (ASCAP). Additional lyrics by Bryan Louiselle ©2006 Walt Disney Music
Company (ASCAP)/Five Hundred Songs South (SESAC).
Photo Credits:
Original production photography by Joan Marcus. All other photos by Robert Bruce.
about Disney Theatrical group:
DISNEY THEATRICAL GROUP (DTG) operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher and is among the world’s
most successful commercial theatre enterprises. DTG produces or licenses live entertainment events that reach
a global annual audience of more than 20 million people in more than 40 countries. DTG produces and licenses
Broadway musicals around the world, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida,
TARZAN® and Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh. Recently, Disney Theatricals
launched the professional touring stage version of Disney’s High School Musical, which is scheduled to reach 60
cities through 2008, and coming soon to Broadway is a stage adaptation of the beloved Disney classic, The Little
Mermaid. DTG also delivers live entertainment around the world through its license to Feld Entertainment, producer
of Disney on Ice and Disney Live!, including High School Musical: the Ice Tour and Playhouse Disney Live! both
of which launch this fall. In addition, DTG licenses musical titles for local school and community theatre productions
through Music Theatre International.
Study Guide Created by:
Mariana Elder (Writer)
Tim Thayer (Designer)
Peter Avery (Education and Outreach Director)
Additional information about Disney Theatrical Group can be found at www.disneyonbroadway.com
To contact the Education Department: Disney Theatrical Group, ATTN: Education, 1450 Broadway, Suite 300
NY, NY 10018, 212-827-5400
“Living in my own world
Didn’t understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance”
- Troy (Start of Something New)
38
licensing the show the
licensing
Perform in your own production of
High School Musical!
Contact MTI at www.MTIShows.com for more information
“I never believed in
what I couldn’t see
I never opened my heart
to all the possibilities”
- Gabriella (Start of Something New)
39
Troy –
Way to go, big shot!
Wildcats rule!
–Zeke
–
Martha n awesome
You’re a
dancer! la
-Gabriel
Zeke Baylor
Troy Bolton
Martha Cox
(Ben Thompson)
(John Jeffrey Martin)
(Lizzie Weiss)
Chad Danforth
Ryan Evans
Sharpay Evans
(Shakiem Evans)
(Bobby List)
(Chandra Lee Schwartz)
Taylor McKessie
Gabriella Montez
Kelsi Neilson
(Shaullanda LaCombe)
Taylo
Brain r –
look s AND
-Cha s – YES!
!!
d
(Arielle Jacobs)
(Olivia Oguma)
Kelsi – You’re the
playmaker…
Thanks!
-Troy
Study Guide ©2007 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved