About This Lesson
Unit Synopsis: The Art of Disguise
In this genre-focused unit on drama, students explore the essential question: How do we perform for different audiences? Through a diverse selection of texts, learners examine the roles individuals play in daily life—whether shaped by social expectations, personal identity, or survival. The unit invites reflection on authenticity, adaptation, and the masks we wear.
Anchored by dramatic works such as A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Act II, Scene II), and Arthur Laurents’ West Side Story, students analyze how characters navigate complex social performances. Cross-genre texts deepen this inquiry: Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem We Wear the Mask and Margaret Chase Smith’s speech Remarks to the Senate in Support of a Declaration of Conscience challenge students to consider the tension between public persona and private truth.
Additional selections—including Romiette and Julio, The Pose, Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird, A Story of Vengeance, The Cask of Amontillado, Quiet: The Power of Introverts, and Eulogy for Mahatma Gandhi—offer varied perspectives on identity, voice, and visibility. Students conclude the unit by crafting research reports that synthesize their understanding of performance, audience, and self-presentation across contexts.
