Saturday, July 14, 2018
In our last post, we talked about creating a monologue notebook to help students collect and reflect on various monologues that could be useful for any upcoming auditions. In this post, we…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, July 7, 2018
Finding the perfect monologue for an upcoming audition is often challenging. Students want to have the best piece possible, but may not know how to go about finding a good monologue, or what…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 30, 2018
When you’ve reached the end of the semester or completed your school show, it’s likely your students will be dealing with some post-show blues or wondering – what is the next step? Hop…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 16, 2018
“Special needs” is a broad term that describes individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Every student with special needs is diff…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 9, 2018
As drama educators, we obviously believe that the arts should be a crucial part of a student’s academic experience. Do a quick web search of “why study the arts?” and hundreds of artic…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 2, 2018
In a scene from the Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the lead character Christopher explains how he solved a difficult math problem for his A-level e…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, May 26, 2018
You’ve gotten the go-ahead from your school’s principal to produce a show this year! You have an awesome show in mind that would be absolutely perfect for your students, and you can’t …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, May 19, 2018
It’s never a question of “if” something will go wrong during a theatrical production…it’s completely a case of “when” something will go wrong! But when things do inevitably go …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, May 12, 2018
Show programs (also known as playbills) are the easiest way to share important production information with the audience. Programs are a method of acknowledging all the hard work done by the …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, May 5, 2018
The role of the producer is often a mysterious one and hard to define. No two producers are alike, and each producer sees his or her job differently. In the simplest terms, a producer’s jo…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, April 28, 2018
When students are looking to get involved in theatre, do they have the needed skills? We aren’t just talking about “hard skills.” Hard skills are the specific abilities or knowledge ne…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, April 21, 2018
Creating a theatrical production is a group effort. For every student who appears onstage, there are even more students, staff members, and volunteers who help breathe life into the producti…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, April 14, 2018
Real talk: Teachers, it is likely you won’t have every item on your props, costume, and set wishlists for the show. It is also unlikely that you are staging your show with an unlimited bud…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, April 7, 2018
Producing a musical is a big job – the cast sizes are generally bigger, the costs to produce the show are usually higher, and of course the artistic staff team is bigger. In addition to th…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 31, 2018
In our recent post 3 Tips for Keeping Your Voice Healthy, we discussed three ways for students to focus on vocal health and vocal hygiene, working from the inside out (focusing on good healt…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 24, 2018
Isn’t it funny how some students are loud and enthusiastic during break time, but once they’re onstage, their voices seem to disappear? No, you haven’t lost your hearing – it’s one…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 17, 2018
Student actors often find it challenging to create a character with a unique-sounding voice – that is, to make their character not sound just like they do themselves. Whether students are …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 10, 2018
Vocal health and hygiene are crucial for drama students. Whether students are working on monologues, group scenes, or musical numbers, having a healthy voice is a must. It’s important for …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 3, 2018
One of the exciting aspects of rehearsal is experimenting with the text of the script and figuring out what the characters are saying and how they should say it. Each approach to the text wi…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, February 24, 2018
Teachers and directors – have you ever watched a run of your show, noticed a particular student, and wondered, “Now where did that performance come from?!” I’m talking about the stud…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, February 17, 2018
For those students who love dancing, simply mentioning the word “dance” gets them up on their feet and immediately moving. For other students, the idea of pirouettes, step-touches, and f…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, February 10, 2018
Stage combat is always one of the most eagerly anticipated lessons in drama class. Stage combat is fun to do and it’s a great workout. And when it’s done well it looks spectacular onstag…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, February 3, 2018
Fitness? Hey, this is supposed to be drama class, not gym class! I’m not a jock! I’m terrible at sports! Are you telling me I need to lose weight? Fitness is so important for drama stude…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, January 27, 2018
A common question that is asked of student actors when they’re analyzing their character is: “What was your character doing before this scene?” Or “What is your character going to do…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, January 20, 2018
What is a signature gesture? It’s a nonverbal, repeated movement your character is known for, that you perform in a particular way that is unique and identifiable. Common, well-known gestu…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, January 13, 2018
There are so many approaches to developing a character and making them fascinating and engaging. Some methods are more analytical, some are emotional, and some are physical. In this case, th…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, January 6, 2018
What do the musicals The Little Mermaid, Honk!, and Cats all have in common? They’re all shows that feature actors playing animals. It’s a lot of fun to play non-human characters, but th…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, December 23, 2017
After a production closes, reflecting on your process and thinking about the future are the natural next steps. They’re definitely an important part of the process, for you as a teacher an…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, December 16, 2017
After a show closes, there is often a ton of stuff left over – set pieces and flats, furniture, costume items, props, makeup and hair products… the list goes on and on! Ideally, your sch…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, December 9, 2017
Once a show has finished, the “post-show blues” often hit students. This can have a number of symptoms, including obsessively quoting lines and song lyrics from the show, starting every …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, December 2, 2017
Once the final performance of a show is completed, what comes next? It’s time to tear down the set, clean the theatre from top to bottom, and return the space back to its regular, unadorne…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AM 
