44 stories by "Guest Blogger"
Jim Hoare is the author of Your High School Improv Show Playbook and has added a Virtual Performance Pandendum (Pandemic Addendum) to the resource for adapting improv to a virtual environmen…
As drama educators, we have the opportunity to instill a love and appreciation of theatre for all students. Teen Plays for Inclusive Classrooms by Dara Murphy is a fantastic resource for cla…
Nineteen million people tuned in to watch the 2018 Golden Globes. And I bet you a number of them were students (maybe some in your classroom), and many were drama educators. Listening to the…
Do you include student directing in your program or are you thinking about introducing it this year? Tfolk playwright Clint Snyder reveals some tips for student directors. Directing can b…
The following exercise has lots of variations and ways to adapt it for your classroom. No matter what variation you use, however, the ultimate goal (see what I did there?) of the exercise is…
Large drama classes can be lots of fun " they are often noisy, but full of energy and excitement, and the time absolutely flies by. But there are challenges too " with larger classes, it can…
This improvisation game is great for students who are brand-new to improvisation. It focuses on students going with the flow and joining in the scene, rather than trying to one-up another an…
The "show circle" is one of my go-to theatre techniques, no matter whether I'm teaching a drama class or directing a production. Whenever it's time for class or rehearsal to start, the first…
Creating rituals in the drama classroom is a great way to build community and a sense of teamwork " a feeling of "we're all in this together." The most easy, basic ritual is starting each cl…
Devising a brand-new piece of theatre from scratch can be exciting, overwhelming, or just plain scary for students. It can be challenging for students to narrow their focus when there are li…
Are your students feeling stuck or frustrated with their playwriting assignments? This exercise will help get them unstuck by challenging them to explore alternative situations for their sce…
So, you've decided to do some playwriting with your students. Fantastic! But now comes the hard part " actually sitting down and writing. Whether in a notebook or on a computer screen, that …
Scenes from a Bag is one of my most favourite theatre games. It can easily become one of those "takes over the whole class period" games because it's simple and fun for students. This game i…
When working with historical theatre pieces by playwrights like Shakespeare and Marlowe, a common complaint is that their diction is difficult for students to understand. One way to help stu…
Commedia dell’arte is a style of theatre that was popular in Italy during the 1500's. It was recognized for being comedic, improvised, and having clear elements: Stock characters inclu…
Since Shakespearean plays have been around for hundreds of years, we need to shake things up by trying new ideas in order to make these shows different and exciting. One of the most wonderfu…
In Ancient Greek Theatre, there is an interesting similarity among the plays written during that time: there is always a chorus included. Nowadays most people would associate a chorus with m…
What is ambiance? Ambiance is the feel of your production, or the mood and tone of it. One way you can shape the mood of a show is with lighting and sound. They are your best tools to portra…
Kristi Ross-Clausen, Production Stage Manager at the University of Wisconsin – Madison is constantly thinking about theatre safety. She's taught drama and been behind the scenes for bo…
When it comes time to perform and students have their amazing new costumes on, they will need some extra tools to finish their "look" " and that means hairstyles and makeup! The right hairst…
So much emphasis in theatre and drama classrooms is placed on acting, that we often forget the unsung heroes of the theatre " the crew (also known as the "techs" or "techies"). This includes…
Teachers often have the task of producing a school show with grand ideas but with little to no budget. Before you start organizing a fundraiser, digging into your own pockets (because who wa…
A vision board is a visual representative of the look of the show. Directors can use a vision board to illustrate their concept of the show to their design team. It can also be used to illus…
Student actors are frequently cast into a role that is totally outside their comfort zone. They might have to portray someone completely different than themselves, with radically different b…
Monologues. The word can send shivers down the spine of the bravest actor! It's just you up there on stage with all those words. When faced with a monologue, will you sink like a rock or shi…
