Drama

Level 1-2

Tell the story of Yuanxiao again but before you do, ask your students to listen very carefully for the characters they would need, if this story was to be made into a play.

List the characters on the whiteboard. For example:

• Yuanxiao
• the Emperor Wu Di
• the Minister Dongfang Shuo
• the Fire God
• the people of the town
• Yuanxiao's family

As a class practice miming emotions. For example:

• A sad palace maid
• A clever minister
• A worried emperor
• A wild fire-god

Develop and mime the different scenes from the story. Do this one part at a time so the task is quite simple.

Students can develop each part of the story in a group of five but remind them first of what their mime needs to show. Give them time to talk about it in their groups. For example:

• The kind and clever Yuanxiao who was sad because she was locked up in the palace all year round.
• How can we show she is kind and clever?
• How can we show she is sad?
• How can we show she is locked up in the palace. (The groups may decide for example, that guards are needed for their mime.)

Students can rehearse and present their mini-mime to the class. Other parts of the story can include:

• Yuanxiao becoming friends with the Minister Dongfang Shuo and the Minister telling the very worried Emperor the story of the fire dragon.
• The lanterns being lit and the firecrackers being let off? with the fire dragon and Emperor looking very pleased.
• Yuanxiao returning to her very pleased family and the making and sharing of sweet dumplings.

The groups can now try to put their whole story together and share them with the class.