Issue 50
Theatrical Internet 101: Part One
Welcome!
In the May and June issues of the Theatrefolk newsletter, we're going to talk about using the Internet to your best advantage: how, when, and why you should bring theatre into the 21st century.
In This Issue
- INTRODUCTION
The Internet is your friend. - 21ST CENTURY RESEARCH
The first step in online research. - TRUSTWORTHY WEB
When do you trust the web and when do you need to back up your sources? - THE INTERNET IN YOUR DRAMA CLASSROOM
Exercises to use with your class. - THEATRE RESOURCES
Where to find theatrical resources on line. - STAY CONNECTED
Join us on Facebook and Twitter. - FREE RESOURCES
Some amazing (and free!) resources for drama teachers. - CONFERENCE ALERT
Meet us in person. - IN THE NEXT ISSUE
What you can expect next. - STAY IN TOUCH
How to reach us.
Introduction
With the development of the Internet...we are in the middle of the most transforming technological event since the capture of fire. I used to think that it was just the biggest thing since Gutenberg, but now I think you have to go back farther. John Perry Barlow
I had a recent Facebook chat about the need for theatre as a form of expression in the high school with someone from another country. I email teachers and students producing my plays daily. I found information online about two Poe museums I'm going to visit this summer for research on my upcoming adaptation. All my in-school workshops are co-ordinated through email. Suffice it to say, the Internet is my friend.
And it can be your friend, too. This 21st century tool can absolutely find a home in the theatre. The Internet can be an effective production and classroom resource. Use the Internet as an information tool, a research tool, a production tool, a communication tool, and a marketing tool. That is a box full of tools. A shed full of tools, even.
Why is the Internet good?
The Internet is a wealth of information at your fingertips; information that is usually up to date in a way that books can never be. It can expose you to a many opinions about a topic instead of just one or two. If you're a visual learner, there are videos. If you're a practical learner, there are tutorials. If you're interested in a formal study of a subject or an informal discussion, both are easily found.
The Internet is a forum of communication. Some say that the Internet is making individuals less social, that the Internet is worse than television. This may be a decisive argument for why the web and theatre shouldn't mix. Except that it's not true. It's certainly not my experience. The Internet is a place of communication. A place to give and receive information, a place to converse with someone who could live halfway around the world. The world becomes a much smaller, more connected, more accessible place on the web, expanding your resource base.
Why is the Internet bad?
The volume of information can be overwhelming, and the quality is not always reliable. Whereas books have editors and fact checkers, anyone can put up a website with any information they choose. A website author can skew facts to support their bias or opinion. If you're using your Internet research as a place of expert information, you have to be careful.
How do theatre and the Internet work together?
That's what we're here to talk about. In this newsletter we'll explore the effective use of the Internet, learning how to evaluate Internet sources, along with exercises for the drama classroom.
In June, we'll take that knowledge into further, using the web as an effective research, communication, and marketing tool for your production.
21st Century Research
One of the Internet's strengths is its ability to help consumers find the right needle in a digital haystack of data. -- Jared Sandberg
Where to start?
The World Wide Web is a big place. Sometimes the first step is the hardest. It's easy to spend hours and hours searching websites and end up with little to no useful information. Where do you start? How do you make sure your results are useful instead of time-consuming? The image of surfing the Internet is just that â you can skim the surface of what the Internet provides. Searching the Internet takes a little more skill and more focus.
The Search Engine
What is a search engine?
A website with the power to seek out whatever information you're seeking.
It's important not to put all your eggs in one basket. Google is good, very good, but it's not the only search engine. Ask.com, for example, lets you ask a question in the search box where Google is better with keywords. Also try Yahoo and Bing.
I also recommend the use of "meta-search engines." These search all the available search engines to give you even more comprehensive results.
You can also look for niche search engines that only focus on a specific subject area.
- Blinkx â audio, visual and podcasts
- Healthline â medical information
- Technorati â only focuses on blogs
- Google Books â just books.
Exercise: A Broad Search
Research the chorus in Greek drama. Compare the results from Google to those of one of the lesser-known search engines. What are the similarities and differences? Is the lesser-known search engine as easy to navigate as Google? Why or why not?
Research the chorus in Greek drama using Blinkx â what audio and visual results come up?
Research the chorus in Greek drama using Technorati â what does the blogosphere say about the Greek chorus? Is there anything useful in your search?
Narrow Your Focus
There's nothing more frustrating than search results filled with irrelevant information. The more specific you are, the less frustrating your search will be.
What is the goal of your search? Are you looking for a historical timeline? Costume ideas? Images? An informal discussion? A blog? Do you want newspaper articles? Reviews?
The more specific you are, the less time you'll waste.
Keywords
Keywords are just that - the key words that will get you the results that you want. Use a combination of words and phrases. For best results, you should be inputting at least five keywords. Be sure to omit unnecessary words from your search. Avoid phrases like, "I want to know about..."
Synonyms
Synonyms can be helpful. Say you're researching the purpose of the Chorus in Greek drama. So you plunk in, "Greek drama chorus purpose." That nets 197,000 hits. Add a synonym for purpose, like function, and the number of hits drops to 31,600. Still a lot of hits, but you can see the difference. The synonym might garner better hits as well â what happens when you enter, "Greek drama chorus function?" What happens to the quality of the results?
Be Precise
The more precise you can be, the narrower the search. If you're looking for Oedipus Rex, put it in quotation marks, i.e. âOedipus Rex.â
Further to that, you can use linking tools to help you be exact:
- Use a + sign if you want to look up two related subjects: "Oedipus Rex" +costumes
- Use a - sign to remove phrases from your results: "Oedipus Rex" -"study guide"
- You can also use AND, OR, and AND NOT: "Oedipus Rex" OR "Agatha Rex"
Advanced Search
But wait, there's more! You can focus further still by using the Advanced Search option. The advanced Search gives you more space to construct your search, words and phrases to include, words and phrases to exclude, and the type of result you would like (e.g. web pages, images, PDFs, Word Documents, etc.)
Exercise: Using Google
Type 'Greek Drama' into the search box. How many hits do you get? What kind of websites are listed? Are any on the first page useful for your specific search? How far do you have to scroll to find information on the chorus? Realistically, how long would you spend searching through these websites before giving up?
Type 'Greek chorus' into the search box. Pause as you type. List the search suggestions that appear below the search box (e.g. Greek chorus information, Greek chorus masks, Greek chorus production, etc.) Will any of these other subject searches be helpful to you?
Type 'Greek Drama Chorus' into the search box. How many hits do you get? What's the first website listed? Look at the first page of each of the sites listed. Is the information useful?
What happens when you put quotation marks around 'Greek Drama Chorus.' How many hits now? Does the first website change?
Add another keyword to the search. You want at least four or five key words in the search box. What exactly about the chorus do you want to explore? Try adding 'purpose.' How many hits now? What's your experience with the sites listed on the first page? Any new ones?
Add a + sign between the words chorus and purpose (i.e. âGreek drama chorusâ +purpose). How many hits now?
Find a synonym for purpose. Try 'Greek drama chorus' function. How many hits? Have the websites changed? Change 'function' to 'role.' Any changes?
What happens when you add +purpose+function?
At any point does the search become too narrow, in that you've ruled out some potentially useful websites?
Are there any websites that appeared on the first page of each search query?
What did you learn from this experience?
Trustworthy Web
It is an equal failing to trust everybody, and to trust nobody. -- English Proverb
It's important to understand the reliability of information found on the Internet. There is no overseer checking sites for accuracy. Depending on the site, information can be out of date, biased, and/or uninformed. Some sites are only there to sell you something.
Entries on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia can be changed by anybody, so how do you know if the information is correct? Wikipedia has a system of checks and balances but incorrect information often slips through the cracks.
Q&A sites such as Yahoo! Answers, Ehow, and WikiAnswers are community-driven; the answers are provided by anyone who chooses to respond. The answers are often opinion, not necessarily fact.
You don't need to be paranoid by the web, but you need to apply critical thinking. Don't take everything you read at face value. Assess the trustworthiness of what you are reading.
Weigh the Web
How do you know if a website has trustworthy information?
WHAT
Look at the end of the website domain name. Are they a commercial or network site (.com & .net)? Do they represent the government (.gov) or an educational institution (.edu)? Is the site connected to a company or an organization (.org) and is that organization recognized as reliable? There is a degree of reliability with the New York Public Library, but not so much with JimmyJoe's Information Emporium. Sites like Wikipedia can exist in a grey area. The information can be changed by anyone, but are generally well-sourced with references and links.
Next, look at the site itself. Is it laid out professionally? Is it easy to read? Are there popups trying to sell you something? Is the page covered in ads instead of content? Are there any broken links? Is there any attempt to get you to pay for information? All this lends to the reliability of a website.
WHO
Can you identify an author or someone responsible for the website? Is there contact information? A biography or resume for the author? What does it say in the 'About' section. Is there an About section? If the answer is no, you have to question why the author doesn't want to be contacted, doesn't want you to know who they are, and what they may be hiding.
WHEN
Is the site frequently updated? If the last time any activity occurred on the site was 1996, then you have to question the currency of the information, especially if you're researching a time-sensitive topic, such as the latest information on cyber-bullying.
WHY
Why was the website created? Why did the author go to the trouble? For the New York Public Library, the purpose is simple: to provide a resource. Is the purpose transparent in the website you want to use as a source?
Exercises
In groups, each chooses a Q&A website such as Yahoo! Answers, WikiAnswers, and Blurrit. Create a profile and ask a question about the role of the chorus in Greek Drama. What kind of answers do you get? Are the answers consistent? Are they reliable? Would you use this information? How would you cite it in a paper?
In groups, examine the following sites about Oedipus Rex. Evaluate their trustworthiness using the above WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY criteria.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_the_King
- http://www.tqnyc.org/2005/NYC051339/oedipusindex.htm
- http://www.novelguide.com/oedipustheking/
- http://ynej06.multiply.com/reviews/item/3
- http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~loxias/myth.htm
- http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/educational/lesson4.html
- http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/oedipus/characters.html
Discussion Topics
- What makes the web more reliable than traditional sources?
- What makes the web less reliable traditional sources?
- Have you ever been misled by a website?
- If the website has a number of ads which have nothing to do with the content, are you more or less likely to think the website as trustworthy?
The Internet in your Drama classroom
I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them. --Isaac Asimov
How to combine the Internet with drama? Here are some exercises for your class.
- Each student must find a warm up exercise on the web that hasn't been used in the class before. Bring the exercise to class and use it to lead the days' warm-up.
- Each student must research an audition tip, bring in their source, and then share with the class.
- In your improv unit, each student must research a new improv game, bring in their source and then teach the game to the class. OR, give each student the name of a common game (like Freeze) and have them search that specific game.
- If students are performing in an Individual Event, have them research the competition rules and performance tips.
- In a student directing unit have students research and choose a play. What is the student's online experience with publishers? Are students able to get enough information on a play? How much are the royalties? Is the website easy to navigate? Are all the student's questions answered? It's important to note that if the answer is 'no' to some of these questions that the student isn't penalized if they can show they searched to the best of their ability.
- The class is in groups. Tell each group that the class is going to perform Alice in Wonderland and they have to research potential play versions on the Internet. What information does each group come up with? What do they learn about the different versions? Which is the cheapest? Which is the easiest to stage? What can they find out about the play simply through their Internet research? Are they able to read a sample?
- In a playwriting unit have students research five playwriting tips and bring them in to share with the class. Perhaps the class is divided into groups and each group must research a different element: character building, writing in groups, conflict, how to write a ten minute play.
- Have students find blogs kept by actors. What do they learn about the business from these blogs? Does their impression of being an actor change from reading actor experiences? What are the similarities and differences between the blogs?
- Have students do an image search for whatever play you are studying. What can you tell about the interpretation of the play based on the images? Do you agree or disagree with the costumes? The casting? The set? Can you tell what scene is being shown simply by looking at an image? What are the major personality characteristics? What is the source of their name?What costume does the character usually wear?How does the character usually stand? Who is a modern version of this character?
- Do a round robin research task in groups. Each group must answer the same five questions. Which group can do it the fastest with the most accurate information? If there's only one computer in the room, make it a time trial, with each person in a group answering one question before tagging off the next group member. Here are some sample questions:
- What is the standard formatting for plays? For screenplays?
- Is TS Eliot's poem 'The Wasteland' in the public domain?
- Who wrote the music and who wrote the lyrics for Seussical the Musical?
- Is it legal to write a spoof of Harry Potter?
- Why is it bad luck to whistle backstage?
- What is the origin of the terms upstage and downstage?
- What does Deus ex Machina mean?
- Why did the characters in ancient Greek drama wear masks?
- Who is Blue Roses? What play is she in?
- What play has the line, "A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing." Who says it?
- What show won the 1985 Tony Award for Best Musical?
- What is a ghost light?
- Who was Sarah Bernhardt?
- Name two playwrights known for their work in the Theatre of the Absurd.
- What actress originally played Maria in the Broadway production of West Side Story?
As a side note, you'll need to acquaint yourself with your school's Internet policy. There are some boards with open access, some are heavily restricted, and some block social sites such as Facebook.
Theatre Resources
These days, you don't have to travel to your nearest reference resource library. The library is at your fingertips! Here are some general theatre resources.
Multi-topic sites
These sites cover the Theatre basics from Auditions to World Theatre
- Artslynx
- Google Theatre Directory
- Yahoo Theatre Directory
- Ultimate Theatre Homepage: More geared toward the working actor, but a valuable nonetheless.
Broadway
Costumes
Current News/Blogs
- Alltop: gathers the top headlines from a variety of topics. Look under theatre for related blogs and websites.
Improv
Shakespeare
Technical
Stay Connected
We’ve got big plans for this year, including giving away some free plays through our Twitter and Facebook pages. Now would be a really good time to friend us up!
Free Resources
Did you know we have a page full of free resources for theatre teachers? Check it out here!
Conference Alert
Here's our upcoming conference schedule. If you're attending, please drop by and say hi!
In the Next Issue
In the next issue we will continue our exploration of the Theatrical Internet. Using the web as a production tool, a communication tool and a marketing tool.
Stay in Touch
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