Discover Who Should Play What Character. . . . Audition
Micro Bites:
1st audition micro bite: Play the Theater Game “Mirrors” (page 22 in the Opera by Children
manual) Help the students pay close attention to each other as they prepare to
watch each other audition and cast one another in roles.
This activity
takes movement and concentration. Follow the instructions and take it to
another level in groups of four stationed in a diamond shape to watch and
follow—when the leader turns full body in another direction the person
stationed in the point of the diamond in that direction takes the lead, etc.
Play “Doggie,
Doggie, Who Has the Bone” for younger children (page 22 in the Opera by
Children manual) . Sing it as you
play it!
2- Next Micro Bite: Now that the class is focused and paying attention
to each other, the next time you work on opera have the students play
“Character Walking” (page 23 in the Opera by Children manual). This will give
the students an opportunity to pretend how each character in the opera moves
before they audition. This may
happen before any music for the opera has been returned to your class.
3- Next Micro Bite: Do Tongue Twisters!!! This will help the students develop great articulators for
auditions!!! Sing the Tongue
Twisters!!! Have fun. The "Theatre Games" chapter in the Opera by Children manual
has some fun ones on page 24.
4- Next Micro
Bite: When the music is back from the
music mentor have the class sing through the opera entire Opera!!! (Repeat this
micro bite as often as you wish. It is a great idea to have a CD made and to
print off the score and send it home with each child.)
5- Next Micro
Bite: next time have the class listen to
the opera as they do their math
6- Next Micro
Bite: have them sing the first song as
they line up for recess
7- Next Micro
Bite: have the class sing the final song
of the opera as they line up for lunch
8- Next Micro
Bite: Have the class sing the middle
part of the opera as they clean up their areas and move to a new activity.
9- Next Micro
Bite: Ask the students if they have been
listening to their CD at home and use your class room system of reward to
celebrate their learning the opera at home.
10- Micro Bite: Have the students sign up for their first and second
choice for characters.
11- Micro Bite: Tell the students the criteria which they will use to
select their peers to play parts: Project,
Enunciate, Be Believable and Sing in
Tune. Talk about these with your class and how you would like them to use
them during the opera process. If you plan to have them record it on a similar
audition chart found on page 77 or whatever plans you have.
12- Micro Bite: Sing through the opera and have the class decide on the
measures that each character will sing to audition with for each part. Remember
that groups may audition together if they sing together, but solo parts should
be sung by individuals. Do this at least a week before the actual auditions so
that the students may practice and be prepared for the parts they wish to play.
13- Micro bite: Hold auditions.
14- Micro bite: another day . . . announce the results of the auditions!
Notes on
Audition Micro Bites: Some of
these activities are option, but all of the suggested activities have a purpose
Have more questions about student determined auditions? leave a comment or email Pamela Gee.
