Exercise Articles for Drama Teachers

When it comes to analyzing a character, names are extremely important. In a play, character names are always specifically chosen by the playwright to give clues on personality, status, identity,...

One of the keys to Classroom Management is getting students to work well together. Group work is tricky if students don’t know each other. Why should I share something with this guy who doesn’t say...

Who am I? It’s a question not a lot of people ask. Who am I? What defines me? Effective artistic expression begins with you. If you’re going to write a well detailed character, you should know...

Did you know that the word moment actually used to mean a specific time? It’s so general now – Just a moment….. I’ll be there in a moment…. wait a moment.” In medieval time a moment meant 90...

Birthdays are wonderful character development material because every human being has an immediate emotional reaction to their birthday. It could be that the character hates getting older or isn’t...

This exercise works for both playwrights and actors. It can be done by playwright working on a new play, or by an actor in rehearsal. It’s very simple, but also illuminating. It will encourage you...

If you want writing to become a tangible act, practice it with consistency. Consistency does not mean volume – there’s no need to start with a 400 page project. That will weaken your resolve almost...

This is a great Fun with Words Exercise. Hopefully you can use this in your writing, or take them in your classroom. We’re taking a word that means a mouthful and using it as an inspiration for a...

We’re taking a word that means a mouthful and using it as an inspiration for a scene. But not only that, the word in question is from a foreign language. Today’s word is: Pachemuchka The definition...

It’s time to have some fun with words! We’re taking a word that means a mouthful and using it as an inspiration for a scene. But not only that, the word in question is from a foreign language....

Here’s the deal. There are many words out there that mean a phrase, their definition is practically a sentence. I love those words, it’s so cool to take one word and have it mean so much. For...

I received the trailer below for a production of Tuna Fish Eulogy and I think it’s great. It’s basically a commercial for the show, but also gives a clear indication of the style of the production,...

Sometimes I see a picture, hear a sentence, something flashes in front of my eyes and a dramatic conversation instantly forms. It’s a moment that would come alive on the stage. This is one of those...

Use this exercise to practice creating titles based on a picture. • Find a photograph. A great source for public domain photos is flickr.com/commons. • Take a few moments and study the photograph....

I’m working on a new play in a different way this month. It’s going to be from the ground up with a class. When we had the first meeting a student raised their hand and asked “What’s this play...

““I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged”...

In a previous Theatrefolk podcast I talked about celebrating the competition and got off on a little side tangent about what it must be like for athletes who not only must compete to excel in their...

This interactive version of van Gogh’s Starry Night by animator Petros Vrellis is so engaging. When I watch it, I feel like I’m been drawn into the picture, into the swirls of the night sky. It’s...