1,392 stories from Theatrefolk
Commedia dell’arte is an improvised comedic theatre form that flourished in Italy in the 1500's. The exact origins of Commedia are fuzzy and hard to pin down. There is not much documen…
Episode 132: Google Drive in the Drama Classroom Joshua Hatt was a frustrated drama teacher. He put together an extensive curriculum booklet for his students only to have them lose it time a…
or, “Dipping the Toe Before Diving in the Deep End” Do you use close reading in the drama classroom? Close Reading is an analysis tool. Students read a text multiple times for in…
We have a great community of amazing playwrights here at Theatrefolk that contribute to our collection of middle, and high school plays. We hope you'll enjoy this peek behind the cu…
Episode 131: Talking with an Adjudicator What is an adjudicator looking for? How do you handle an adjudication? How does an adjudicator approach their task? Lindsay talks to Matthew MacDermi…
Let's face it - there is a lot of videotaping going on out there in those school theatres. Search the title of any popular play on YouTube and you'll see what I mean.
It happens all the time in young or beginning actors. You're sitting in the audience and out of the corner of your eye you catch it – an actor starts to shift back and forth on their f…
We have a great community of amazing playwrights here at Theatrefolk that contribute to our collection of middle, and high school plays. We hope you'll enjoy this peek behind the cu…
Came across this lovely article about costumer Jane Greenwood over at the TDF Stages website. She has been designing costumes since 1963 with multiple Tony nominations under her belt. She…
Episode 130: Connecting to a Challenging Script Heather Meeks is a middle school teacher who did not shy away from a challenging script. What can you do to meet a challenge head on? How do y…
Episode 129A: The Drama Teacher Academy We've opened the doors to the Drama Teacher Academy! What is DTA? Who is DTA for? Why should you join? Plus! A sneak peak into one of our courses. Sho…
Breath Control and Projection are critical skills for an actor, but they're just as critical for drama teachers. The trick is to speak loudly and project without yelling. We often tell our s…
The Drama Teacher Academy offers Professional Development on-demand through video on-line courses. Every course in the DTA is specific to teaching theatre. It is a membership-based site c…
Episode 129: Let's Get Vocal! How do you incorporate vocal technique into the drama classroom? How do you succeed with choral work? We've got two teachers talking about the voice today. Elis…
Episode 127A: The Drama Teacher Tune-Up Are you looking for a tune-up? Listen in and learn all about Theatrefolk's FREE video series, Drama Teacher Tune-Up. It's all about getting some hints…
I am thrilled to be able to introduce this blog post from renowned theatre educator Gai Jones. Gai Jones is a retired theatre educator and the author of Raising the Curtain: Activities fo…
Ideas can come from anything and everything. But it's always a good idea to give students a jumping off point. Picture Prompts are a great tool in a playwright’s arsenal to inspire cre…
Episode 128: Educational Theatre is the Bridge Craig Branch is a Educational Programs Manager with the Educational Theatre Association. He started out with theatre in high school, pursued a …
"Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up" " Pablo Picasso Creativity is a misused, maligned, misunderstood word. Especially in the drama classroom. Many s…
“I’m just one hundred and one, five months and a day.” “I can’t believe that!” said Alice. “Can’t you?” the Queen said in a pitying tone…
Episode 127: Â Small Budgets: Doing so Much with so Little For many drama teachers the dwindling production budget is an ongoing struggle. How do you put up a full production with limited …
If you want your students to take their character development to the next level, introduce them to Laban Movement. Laban Movement will provide them with a clear and understandable tool set t…
Last week I gave you a Monologue Evaluation Sheet to share with your students. Click below for a completely different monologue to use in class! What makes a good monologue? What criteria do…
Episode 126: Middle School Theatre in a Rural Community Patrick Derksen works in a school with 200 students. In total. He's a grade eight classroom teacher and playwright who decided five ye…
At the end of this post, you can download a Self Assessment Checklist and a Self Assessment Question Sheet to share with your students. Not only is it important for students to reflect on an…
