A Streetcar Named Desire Lesson Plan

Text and Performance

Kind of Activity:

whole class

Objective:

Understanding a play as a performative text

Structure:

Plays are meant to be heard, not read. Some teachers may choose to read each scene in class over the course of the unit, while others may prefer to have students read the play for homework and then organize a reading of the entire work as the culmination of the unit.

Explain to students that unlike a novel, a play is designed to be experienced in a group. Therefore, it is impossible to get the full experience of a play if they only read it; it is vital to hear the words aloud.

Playwrights commonly evaluate early drafts of their work by doing informal readings...