The Tell-Tale Heart Production Project

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The Tell-Tale HeartProduction Project

• Mrs. Malones 8th Grade
• Advanced Literature

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Anticipation Guide

• Describe 5 things you expect to find in scary
  stories.
• ___________________________
• ___________________________
• ___________________________
• ___________________________
• ___________________________

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(Anticipation Guide)

• List 5 events, occasions, things that scare you.
• For each of the above, how did/do you react
  emotionally to these events, occasions, things?
• For each of the 5, how did/do you react
  physically?
• Compare/contrast classmates responses.

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Anticipation Guide Agree/Disagree

• Read each of the following write whether you
  agree or disagree with each statement.
• After we read the story, we will come back to
  these statements determine whether we think the
  author agrees or disagrees with each statement.

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1. People who are insane always know that they
are insane.

• (write Agree or Disagree)

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2. Sane people sometimes imagine that they hear
things.

• (write Agree or Disagree)

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3. If you commit a major crime, sooner or later
you will be caught.

• (write Agree or Disagree)

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4. When youve done something wrong, its agony
to wonder if youll be caught.

• (write Agree or Disagree)

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5. All people share the same fears (i.e., the
same things frighten all people).

• (write Agree or Disagree)

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Time to READ the story, The Tell-Tale Heart by
Edgar Allan Poe
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Production Project

• Objectives
• Develop awareness of elements that contribute to
  the production performance of a play
• Make creative choices and be able to defend those
  choices
• Explore the richness of Edgar Allan Poes writing
  by investigating The Tell-Tale Heart in an
  unconventional way
• Analyzing literature

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Production Project

• You are no longer students! You are now
  THEATRICAL PRODUCERS who are going to create a
  production of Edgar Allan Poes The Tell-Tale
  Heart
• STEP ONE
• Divide into Production Teams of 4-5 students
• Each Production Team must decide on a name for
  their production company!
• Assign roles to team members (recorder, materials
  manager, leader, etc.)

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Production Project

• STEP TWO
• Character Creation
• Write down how many characters will be in your
  production
• Will it include characters who were not in the
  story
• DO NOT share with other teams!
• Give your characters names write this list down
  turn it in!

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Production Project

• STEP THREE
• CASTING CALL
• Cast actors to play the roles in your play
• You can cast anyone in the world from the past or
  present, actors or non-actors, famous or
  non-famous
• Make a written list of your cast include
  written reasons for selecting each particular
  actor for that particular role (He is an old
  man, He plays a policeman on TV, etc.)

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Production Project

• STEP FOUR
• Give your adaptation of the story a title
• The only thing Edgar Allan Poe wanted you to do
  is to change the title
• You MUST use something other than and dissimilar
  to The Tell-Tale Heart
• Alternate title must be written down turned in

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Production Project

• STEP FIVE
• Soundtrack Time!!
• As a group, create a write-up of the soundtrack
  you would use for your production
• May include a list of songs/kind of
• music you would use
• Tell what rhythms/instruments/
• sound effects you would use where in the story

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Production Project

• STEP SIX
• Set Design
• What would the set look like?
• Consider colors, lighting, time period,
  furniture, the mood of the story itself.
• Compose a one-paragraph description of your
  production set include sensory details
  (sights/sounds/smells/feeling . . .)
• Create a full-color illustration or model of the
  set for a scene

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Production Project

• STEP SEVEN
• Script Writing
• Each group will compose a script for ONE scene
  from the story
• The scene can be one that actually happened or
  was just implied by the story
• Written scenes must be at least 6 lines
• Scenes will be performed as part of final
  presentations must be at least 3 minutes long

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Production Project

• STEP EIGHT
• Advertising is the key!!
• Come up with an advertising slogan for your
  production
• Create a flyer/poster advertising your production

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Production Project

• STEP NINE (wow, what a lot of steps!)
• FINALLY time to PRESENT to the CLASS!!
• Each group will present their Production Plan,
  sharing all of their decisions about casting,
  alternative title, soundtrack, set design,
  advertising
• AND
• Each group will also perform their scripted scene
  (six line minimum, 3-5 minutes performance time)

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FIN