Questions

It’s incredibly rewarding to see your drama students grow and improve their skills during your time together. But sometimes it can be hard for students to see that improvement themselves. It’s easy for students to compare themselves to others, or only focus on the things they can’t do yet. Fortunately, reflection questions can help with this. They help students to pause, think about what they’ve accomplished, and realize that they’ve come much further than they thought. When students recognize their own growth, they build confidence in themselves and connect more deeply to their work. Here are three reflection questions you can use in your drama classroom to make growth visible to your students. You can have students respond to the questions individually (in writing or in a recorded verbal response) or use them to spark a class discussion. 1. What can you do now that you couldn’t do at the beginning of the semester (class, term, etc.)?This question encourages students to compare themselves to themselves, not to their classmates. They might notice they are now able memorize their lines faster, or that they feel less nervous performing in front of their peers. Maybe they can hold neutral for longer periods of time, they’ve written a monologue that they’re really proud of, or they’ve worked in a new technical area and gained skills there. Tip: Frame this reflection as a celebration, not an evaluation. Encourage your students to think about any bit of growth, be it small or big. Small wins might include improving their vocal projection in even one class or remembering to not look at the floor during scene work. 2. What surprised you about yourself in this class?Drama class challenges students to recognize their comfort zones, and then take a risk and push beyond them. By asking students what surprised them, you can help them to recognize moments of bravery, or an exciting discovery they experienced in class. Maybe a shy student found success in mime work or clowning, or a seasoned student performer realized how much they enjoyed stage management or costume design. Tip: Use this question midway through the term, as well as at the end. Surprises often show students both how far they’ve come and areas, topics, or concepts for further exploration. On that note… 3. What’s one thing you’d like to keep working on or learning about?Growth is continuous, and this question helps students to reach the next level. Students can use their reflections on their growth to set personal goalsthat they can work on going forward. Tip: You can use students’ responses to help shape your classroom curriculum focus, to create a choice board activity, or for students to create independent study projects.

Icebreakers are not only great tools to help students get to know each other at the beginning of a new class or the start of a school production; they also help to set the tone for the upcoming time together. So if you’d like to foster an environment of thoughtfulness, compassion, and empathy in your drama classroom, try using these icebreaker questions that are all about kindness. Use the following questions for full-class introduction or discussion questions, for the traditional “pair up and interview your partner” exercise, as bellwork or welcome questions at the beginning of class, as written journal or exit slip prompts for the end of class, or as playwriting prompts. If you’re using these questions for an in-person, verbal discussion, you may want to allow some time for students to contemplate and plan their answers before sharing, or even give them these prompts ahead of time. These prompts require a bit more thought and consideration than the typical “What’s an interesting fact about yourself?” icebreaker. 1. You’re casting a show called Kindness: The Musical. What’s the opening number about? 2. What colour or shape do you think kindness would be, and why? 3. What is a small act of kindness someone did for you that you’ve never forgotten, in drama class, in a show, or otherwise? 4. What is a compliment you’ve received that meant a lot to you? 5. How can actors, technicians, and/or stage management show kindness to each other in rehearsal? 6. Think of a character in a book, movie, play, or other media who embodies kindness. What makes you feel that way about them? 7. Think of a character in a book, movie, play, or other media who really needs some kindness. What would you do for them? 8. If there were a superhero whose main power was kindness, what would they be called, and how would their power manifest? 9. What is an act of kindness you’ve done recently (big or small)? 10. Why do you think kindness is important in the drama classroom? Need even more icebreaker questions? Check out these 20 open-ended, inclusive prompts.

Drama teachers understand that we must plan our curriculum around the standards established by school boards, administrators, and other leadership. But whenever possible, it’s wonderful to incorporate the strengths and interests of your students into the assigned curriculum. That doesn’t mean letting students dictate every moment of drama class, doing an entire semester of only improv, or trying to find a show with 30 starring roles. It means that you’re showing care for and interest in your students, that you’re listening to their thoughts and opinions, and that you’re being flexible, adaptable, and thoughtful in your lesson planning. You aren’t just doing the same thing year after year; you’re continually growing and evolving your approach. It can also help you to reach out to and connect with students who are reluctant to participate or who aren’t taking drama class by choice. Making those connections and showing students how aspects of theatre can relate to them personally can make their drama class experience much more pleasant. These are all key ingredients in a recipe for success. Let’s think of some drama class scenarios. What are your students’ strengths? Perhaps you’ve got a class full of hilarious students who love cracking jokes and making each other laugh. Use that energy and consider teaching a unit on commedia dell’arte, having students try their hand at writing sketch comedy scenes, or creating costume designs that make others smile, such as a new outfit for a Weird Barbie-type character. If you’ve got a class full of athletes and sports aficionados, they might enjoy movement-based drama units such as stage combat, dance, or puppetry, and studying plays and musicals like The Wolves, Chariots of Fire, Rocky, or Bring It On. Student activists and future leaders might really appreciate activities focused on community service, opportunities to direct, stage manage, or problem-solve, or coming up with sustainable ideas for theatre, such as creating sets out of recycled materials or researching eco-friendly lighting boards, sound systems, and makeup suppliers. Computer wizards and social media moguls can discover (or build!) the best apps for theatre tech and ticket sales, create viral marketing plans for upcoming shows (actual school productions or exercise-based), or study shows featuring social media use, like The Prom or Dear Evan Hansen. Students can use their strengths and skills in many new and different ways in the drama classroom. Furthermore, incorporating your students’ personal interests into your lesson plans can really help to engage them and increase buy-in on certain topics, especially ones that they may be less interested in or nervous about. For example, perhaps some of your students are big professional wrestling fans. For a monologue unit, they could write and perform solo pieces where they are “cutting a promo” (wrestling-speak for performing a monologue to advance a storyline). Or maybe your students are big Swifties — in a playwriting class, you could have those students write quill pen, fountain pen, or glitter gel pen scenes, inspired by Taylor’s songwriting process. Marvel and DC fans could design and build new costumes and tools for or inspired by their favourite superheroes and villains. The possibilities go on and on. What if you don’t know what your students’ strengths and interests are yet? Use a questionnaire to find out what they’re interested in, what their skills and strengths are, and why they’re taking drama class. You might find that there are a few similar topics that most students want to explore, so if it’s possible, spend more time on or do a deeper dive into those topics. If there is a wide variety of interests expressed, perhaps an independent study assignment where students pitch their own topics could be a good final project. You can even use the questionnaire results to help with tasks such as creating bellwork questions or exit slip topics: Would you rather watch a monster truck show or go to the ballet? What is your greatest strength, and how can you use it in drama class? If you could become an expert on a topic, which topic would you choose and why? You’ll find a sample questionnaire in the giveaway below; feel free to use it as is or adapt it to suit your students’ needs.

During the first few drama classes, we drama teachers often lean heavily on icebreaker questions to get to know our students better and to get them to talk to each other. However, some students struggle with responding to icebreaker questions. Sharing personal information requires a lot of vulnerability on the part of your students. They might have difficulty figuring out what to say when it’s their turn, or be worried that they’ll be made fun of for their answers. (If the latter is the case, you may want to work on trust-building exercises with your students before diving into questions.) So let’s add some variety and comedy to our icebreaker questions with “reverse” icebreakers. Inspired by the game show Jeopardy, students are given various icebreaker answers, and it’s up to them to invent a question to go with it. For example, let’s say that a given answer is "My grandmother's chocolate chip cookies." Some ideas for questions could include: • "What is your favourite food?" • "What is something you can cook or bake?" • “What is something you’d like to receive as a surprise?” • “What is an item that holds a nice memory for you?” • "What's something you'd want to have on a desert island?" • "What's something you don't want to find in your shoe?" The questions can be serious or silly or even outlandish, but they have to make sense with the answer and use appropriate language — no foul or bullying questions allowed. Reverse icebreakers are great because they continue to give students the opportunity to talk with others and help you get to know your students. They just have a different twist than students might be used to, and you’ll need to listen carefully to the types of questions they suggest for a given prompt. Do they stick to simple, straightforward questions? Do they suggest funny questions? Do they try too hard to be funny or shocking? As well, observe how your students respond to various questions their classmates ask. Do they respond appropriately? Does the vibe or energy of the class change when certain people respond? Do they laugh along with or call out any less-than-appropriate questions? These observations can help you tailor your lessons to the abilities and attitudes of your students. There are many ways to incorporate reverse icebreakers into your classes. You can give reverse icebreaker answers to your students as bellwork or a welcome question at the beginning of class. Write something like, “The answer is (xyz); what’s the question?” on the chalkboard or whiteboard and have students write their answers down and submit them. You can use them as an attendance question and have students respond as you call their name on the class roster. You can use them as a group warm-up — have students grab a partner, give a reverse icebreaker answer, and have the pairs write down as many related questions as they can in two minutes. You can play a Jeopardy-like improvisation game — have one student play the host and three students play the contestants. The host gives an answer and the contestants each give a different question response. If you like, you can have the rest of the class vote on what response they think is the funniest, the most creative, or the most convoluted. You can also give a reverse icebreaker prompt as an exit slip at the end of class, and have students write down and submit five possible matching questions. Finally, you can take the questions that your students came up with, and ask them to respond to the questions with what they’d actually answer. If you think of more ways to use reverse icebreakers, be sure to let us know! Here’s a list of 10 sample reverse icebreaker answers to get you started. See the giveaway link below for more reverse icebreaker prompts. Your students will likely enjoy coming up with suggestions as well: • My grandmother's chocolate chip cookies • Professional wrestling • A dead fish • Your mom’s laptop • Your cell phone, with a huge crack across the screen • A tall glass of water • Babysitting the neighbour's three kids • Purple nail polish • A llama wearing your uncle’s hockey jersey • A blurry photograph

When you’re starting out a new term, it’s always a priority to get to know your drama students, whether they’re new to you or returning for another class. We have lots of resources for fun ways to get to know your students, including active games and novelties, icebreaker questions, and bingo. These activities are great for discovering your students’ likes and dislikes, learning interesting facts about them, and gaining some insight into why they’re taking drama class. You can also use questionnaires to get to know your students better. The advantage of using questionnaires in class is that they can be kept confidential, which means students can be a bit more forthcoming with their answers than when they’re working in a large group or with classmates they may not know very well. We have a questionnaire to find out about your students’ past theatrical experiences with drama and theatre, as well as a questionnaire to gauge your students’ previous theatrical knowledge. It’s also helpful to know what kind of learners your students are. Some students are visual learners, who learn best by reading or watching examples. Some students are auditory learners, who learn best by listening to instructions. Some students are kinesthetic learners, who learn best by getting up and practicing the tasks right away. Some students may need additional support for their learning, such as more time to read the material, an aide or interpreter, or working with a peer. Some students thrive in a busy, active environment, while others work best when it’s quiet and calm. Some students hate group work, while others need at least one partner to keep them on task. Some of this information may previously have been given to you, if your students already have an IEP (individualized education program) or similar identified learning accommodation. However, regardless of whether your students are neurotypical or neurodiverse, or whether they have a diagnosis or not, it is beneficial to you to know how you can best support your students in their learning journey. Even knowing what other classes your students have this semester is helpful information to have. You won’t be able to provide every single accommodation, but you might be able to make some adjustments so that you’re employing a wider variety of lesson delivery techniques, offering choices on how your students can learn and present the lesson material, or avoiding assigning a huge project that’s due the same week as their big chemistry lab or history test. Some topics you might want to ask about in your learning style questionnaire include: • Learning styles (auditory, kinesthetic, visual), if known • Learning preferences (projects, worksheets, lectures, hands-on activities, etc.) • Students’ tolerance for noise in the classroom • Whether students work better individually, with a partner, in small groups, or in large groups • Whether students prefer to do homework at home or complete it during class time (if available) • Accommodations that students could benefit from • What students wished their classmates or teacher knew about them • Topic preferences (students might take drama but hate acting — are there options for them?) You can format your questionnaire with circle answers, checkboxes, or short answer sections — whatever works. It’s nice to have a variety of types of questions to answer. Leave space for students to include additional notes or explanations, and reiterate to them that you will keep responses confidential. Check out our questionnaire template at the bottom of this article for a formatting example. Be sure to thank your students for their time and honesty, as it will truly benefit everyone in the classroom (anonymously, of course). And as much as possible, apply their responses to your classroom and lessons! Your follow-through will demonstrate that you genuinely care and are listening. And when students have the resources in place to help them, they will be that much closer to success. Additional Resources:Giving Instructions for Different Learning Styles The Inclusive Classroom: Drama Class for Students with Special Needs Tips for Running a Relaxed Performance of Your Show (this article gives ideas about making accommodations for various student needs)

Students often come to drama class with big goals: Get the lead in the show! Become a performing star! And while some students might make great steps towards achieving those big goals, most don’t really know how to start, or want too much too fast and fizzle out. They might even think that the work is too hard. So how can we help our students achieve their goals and grow as performers? Encourage them to start small! Start with asking your students this question of the day: What is one small thing you can focus on this week to improve your performance in drama class? Have students brainstorm a list of tiny action steps related to their performance that they could improve on. The actions must be very small and specific. If it’s longer than a single sentence, they need to pare it back even more. Here are some suggestions for students to start with: • Enunciating “ings” or “ts” while speaking and/or singing • Increasing spoken volume by 2% • Lowering shoulders (Release the tension! Relax your body!) • Noticing, then adjusting eye contact (Where are you looking? Where are you supposed to be looking?) • Releasing tension from the jaw (Try removing your tongue from the roof of your mouth.) • Standing up straight • Uncrossing your arms during blocking instructions or note sessions • Taking your hands out of your pockets • Pointing your toes during dance combinations • Extending your fingers during dance combinations • Volunteering to answer one more question per class • Staying quiet between scene runs (It’s common for drama students to immediately chat with their neighbours when the teacher/director calls for the team to stop.) Small actions add up. During a week that you’re focusing on scene work or performances, have students go back to the brainstorm list and choose one micro-action that they’d like to personally focus on. Their goal is to apply that action to their acting work that week, whether in rehearsal or performing in front of the class. Have students take a fresh piece of paper out and write their micro-focus action at the top of the page, along with their name. Draw a table with four columns and six rows. In the left hand column, write each day of the week, leaving space between each heading. (You can also use the practice log found at the bottom of this article.) Each day for one week, at the end of class, have students complete the following exit slip: • Rate out of ten how successful you were at remembering and applying your micro-action to today’s class/rehearsal/performance (10 being you remembered and applied your action to every aspect of your performance, 1 being you never remembered or applied your action to any part of your performance). • Write down two pieces of feedback for yourself (one positive, one constructive) on your work on your action during today’s class/rehearsal/performance. At the end of the week, have students look back on their in-class work on their small actions. Have them respond to the following reflection questions: • Were you successful at applying and practicing your micro-action? Why or why not? • What changes have you noticed since beginning work on your micro-action? • How has working on your micro-action helped you to become a better performer? If you wish, have students do a second check-in after a month on their micro-actions: • Since the start of the month, what changes have you noticed since working on your micro-action? (Or did you forget about it?) • How has this small action affected your performance in drama class? • What will your next micro-action goal be going forward?

You have questions. We have answers! We’ve rounded up some of the most common questions we receive about Theatrefolk – our plays, our resources, and much more. Read on to find out more about how we are committed to being your one-stop Drama Teacher Resource Company. The PlaysI need a play but don’t know where to start.• You can use the filters on our play pages to sort by play length, cast size, genre, experience level and more to help narrow down some options. • Use the Search feature to search for a title, playwright or theme to help provide more options. • Need a recommendation? We have real, live people on our Live Chat ready to help! Or fill our our Play Recommendation Form and we’ll send you a specific list of recommendations for your group. I’m tired of the same old plays that have been done a million times before.• We’ve got you covered! Our plays are specifically written for high school & middle school student performers. They are age-appropriate without being “kiddy” and have relatable & relevant themes, with modest technical requirements. How do I know if I’ll like a particular play?• You can read approx. 90% of any play for free by clicking on the Free Sample Pages button on any play page. • You can also order a single physical script or a PDF perusal script so you can read the play in its entirety before deciding if it works for your group. I found a play we’re interested in – what do I need to order?• Great question! Order a full set of physical scripts (one for each cast member) or a script distribution license (digital PDF script you can download/distribute) plus one performance royalty for each performance given/shown to an audience of any kind. This is important! An audience is what triggers the need for a performance royalty; it doesn’t matter if the audience is paying or not. We’re not doing a performance but I need plays to study in class.• Great! We have a ton of resources and plays that are perfect for classwork. • We have plays tagged in several Cross-Curricular categories, plus many plays come with Free Classroom Study Guides for an in-depth and theatrical learning experience. Where can I find more information about a play?• All of our plays have a ton of information on the individual play page: approx. running time, casting breakdown, character description and line count, play tags (costumes, sets, subgenres, cautions, themes, features, etc.), prop lists, awards & accolades, production photos and more. Whew! Our drama program doesn’t have a big budget for productions. Can you help?• A large majority of our plays are designed to be performed with simple sets, costumes and minimal technical requirements – so you can focus your attention on the plays and the performers. I found a ton of great plays I’m interested in but not ready to order. How do I make sure I can find them later?• Just sign in to (or create) your Theatrefolk user account. Then, click the “Add to Wish List” button from the individual play page or Search Results page. It’s that easy! The Process:I may need to change some genders in a certain play because of my group. Can I do that?• Many of our plays already include flexible gender options to provide you with some great casting options • You can also check the individual play pages for plays that contain the following note on the Casting Breakdown section: Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly. I need to make changes or cuts to the script because of my Admin or Competition time restrictions. How do I request that?• Any changes to the text must be approved by the individual playwright. You can send a detailed list of changes or cuts to us via Live Chat or at help@theatrefolk.com and we will work with the playwright to get any feedback and/or approval. We’re not sure if we will be performing in person or online. What are our options?• Our performance royalties cover performances given live, online or streamed (livestream or pre-recorded) – one royalty for each performance, regardless of the platform. You can find out more about our Performance Options here. Can I get a quote?• Of course! Just add the items you’d like to your cart; then, select the “I need a quote” option when you get to the Billing Options page, and then complete the checkout process and submit your request. You should receive it within 24 hours – likely sooner! I placed an order for a license and royalties – how long do I have to wait to receive them?• We typically process orders within 24 hours of receiving them. I already purchased a play but need to change the performance date.• No problem! Just hop on our Live Chat or email us at help@theatrefolk.com with the details and we’ll update the info right away. I’m looking for a previous order/quote/script that I ordered but can’t find anymore.• Log in to (or create) your Theatrefolk user account (using the email address you placed the order with) and click on Order History, Bookshelf or Saved Quotes to find all of your previous order information there. • Plus, we’re always available through our Live Chat. Can I place an order over the phone?• For privacy reasons we don’t take telephone orders. However, you can place your order online using a Purchase Order or credit card. Here’s all the information you need to get started. Other Stuff:I’m looking for some activities, exercises and resources for my drama class. Can you help?• Of course! We have four great options for you to check out: • Teaching Resources: Quality resources available in print or digital formats for your classroom • Theatrefolk Blog Resources: Hundreds of free articles, exercises, activities and more on a variety of topics • Free Resources: Actual free stuff you can use in your drama class! • Drama Teacher Academy: Join our online membership-based site that provides full curriculum plans, educational resources, PLC opportunities, and professional development designed specifically for middle school and high school drama teachers. I like free stuff – what can you do about that?• Check out our Free Resources and Theatrefolk blog pages. • Be sure you’re signed up for our weekly newsletter – we send out a Free Perusal Play to our subscribers every month. • If you’re new to teaching drama, you can check out our New Drama Teacher Toolkit. When I ask a question, how do I know I’m not just receiving automated responses?• Trust us – we’re live, happy, well-caffeinated people monitoring ourLive Chat conversations and you’ll get a specific, personal response to your individual question. We have a dedicated Theatrefolk play/resource specialist and an incredible Drama Teacher Academy project manager ready to help! I have another question that isn’t answered here. Who do I contact?• You guessed it – the fastest and easiest way to get a response is to hop on our Live Chat. Real people who are happy to help!

The Theatrefolk 2021–2022 Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Panel shares its thoughts on LGBTQ+ inclusive questions for your beginning of the year survey. What strategies do you use to get to know your students at the beginning of the year or semester? Certainly you’ll learn about them from what they share in your class, how they approach assignments, and how they work with others. But there are some specific details that won’t come to light in the day-to-day routines of your class. A student survey can help you learn those details. Potential questions can range from personal reflections to learning preferences. The answers will give you insight into your students’ goals for your class, what they want, and how they express their individuality. For example: • What three words describe you best? • What’s your favourite movie or book or song? • What are you most proud of? • What is your favorite way to learn? But there are other key questions to consider, particularly for your students in the LGBTQ+ (LGBTQIA, LGBTQ2S) community. The answers to these questions are key to student safety and inclusivity. Student safety is extremely important. Inadvertently outing students to their peers, families, and/or other teachers may lead to bullying, abuse, etc. Consider the following inclusive questions for your LGBTQ+ students: • What is your name on the official school roster? • What is the name you would like me to call you in class? • May I use this name with parents and other teachers? • What kind of experiences and stories do you enjoy seeing on stage? • What kind of experiences and stories do you wish you could see more of on stage? • What pronouns do you use? • Note: Give examples with this question (he/she/they/ze/etc.). Sometimes a student might be wondering what they are. Give them a choice! Be sure to add etc. at the end of the list — there are always more pronouns out there. • What pronouns should I use for you? • Is there anything you would like to discuss with me regarding pronouns/names? • Can I share this with substitute teachers? • Who are the adults in your home? • Is there anything I need to know about you to make your experience more comfortable or safe this year? • Are there any daily traditions, routines, or habits that I should be aware of? • Virtual students • Do you work with or without headphones? • Are you in a space by yourself or do you work with others around? Note: This is not a document that you pull out when you assume you have an LGBTQ+ student. Don’t assume. Give students the opportunity to share that information with you. These questions should be normalized as part of your classroom procedures for getting to know your students. Disclaimer: Check with your administration and district policy about anything discussed in this article with regard to LGBTQ+ (LGBTQIA, LGBTQ2S), as laws vary from region to region. *Terminology: * L = Lesbian. Women sexually/romantically attracted to women. G = Gay. Men sexually/romantically attracted to men. B = Bisexual. People sexually/romantically attracted to their own and other genders. T = Transgender. People whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Q = Queer/Questioning. An umbrella term with a variety of meanings. Used by some individuals who don’t identify as straight or cisgender and do not conform to traditional societal norms with regard to gender and sexuality, or who are questioning their sexuality or their identity. I = Intersex. An umbrella term. A person born with sex characteristics that do not fit binary definitions of male and female. A = Asexual. People who feel little to no sexual attraction to others. 2S = Two-Spirit. An umbrella term used by some Indigenous people who identify as having both a male and female spirit.

“What did you do on your summer/winter holidays?” is over. “What are your plans for the weekend?” is boring. You need some new and fresh icebreaker questions to get your students conversing. Not only will these questions help your students get to know each other, but they’ll give you deeper insight into their lives and personalities as well. The following questions are open-ended, so students can share more than just yes/no or one-word responses. They’re also meant to be inclusive, so students can participate without feeling “less than.” For example, asking students what they did over the holidays can be great if they went on a fancy vacation, but not so great if they had to stay home and babysit their siblings or work a part-time job. Some of the questions are funny, some are serious, some are more personal. Be aware of your students’ dynamics and what questions might be uncomfortable for them, and adjust or omit questions as necessary. You can use these questions for the traditional “pair up and interview your partner” exercise, as full-class group discussion questions, or as written journal prompts. 1. What television show, movie, novel, or comic book do you think would make a great theatrical stage production? Why? 2. If you got to set the drama curriculum for the semester, what lessons/topics would you teach? 3. What do you think drama teachers do when they’re not in class? 4. What is your dream job? How could the skills you learn in drama class help you to get that job? 5. What are three traits a great drama teacher should possess? 6. What is something you’re interested in? Why does it interest you? 7. Name a person you respect or admire. What is it about that person that you like? 8. What is a great piece of advice you have received? Or, what advice would you share with others? 9. If you could write a play or musical about any topic or featuring any music, what would you create? 10. Describe a favourite taste or smell with as many expressive words or phrases as you can. 11. If you could donate a million dollars to any charity or cause, what would you donate the money to? Why? 12. If the drama classroom could talk, what do you think it would say? 13. If you could have any talent, what talent would you want and why? 14. What place — real or fictional — would you like to visit and why? 15. If you had a time machine, would you rather visit the past or the future? Why? 16. What do you want to be remembered for? 17. If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be? Who would star in the movie adaptation? 18. Describe how you’d arrange and decorate your ideal drama classroom. 19. What three words would you use to describe yourself? What are three words you think others would use to describe you? 20. What is something that always makes you laugh?

It’s not always easy to get students to answer questions in drama class. Some students who are great performers avoid sharing their thoughts in an open discussion. Even when a participation mark is at stake, many students shy away from answering questions or speaking up in group discussions for a variety of reasons. Some students are shy or introverted and find it easier to perform a character rather than answer a question “as themselves.” Some students enjoy studying drama but don’t like speaking in front of large groups. Some students think they’ll look foolish or stupid in front of their peers if they don’t know the answer to the question being asked. Some students are intimidated by the more outspoken or opinionated students and don’t feel like they can get a word in edgewise. And some students, for whatever reason, simply don’t want to participate. However, it’s important for students to be given the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions, as well as for them to actually speak up and join the conversation. Students need to feel that their contributions are valued, and hearing from different students is a great way for the class to consider new, creative ideas and points of view that they may not have thought of. This can lead to all sorts of interesting new scenes, improvisations, and playwriting adventures! Here are five suggestions for encouraging your students to participate more fully in discussions and answer questions in class: 1. Rotate responses.The simplest way to get responses from all your students is to just pick students to answer, rather than asking for volunteers or waiting for hands up. Let your students know that you will take volunteer responses, but you will also select students to answer if the same students keep raising their hands. This basically forces students to answer questions, but can stress some students out if they feel like they’re being put on the spot. 2. Treat it like a game.This is a more fun version of the first suggestion. Have students sit or stand in a circle during the discussion. When you are looking for an answer, toss a ball or beanbag to a student. The student who catches the ball answers the question, then tosses it to another student who answers the next question, and so on. The rule is that each student has to pass the ball to a new student each time before it can go back to a student who has already answered. 3. Post a schedule.Post a calendar on the wall and either assign students dates or let students sign up for dates. These dates are when students will be responsible for answering the questions in class. That way everyone will know when it’s their turn to answer questions, and they can prepare for it. 4. Try small group discussions.Divide students into partners or small groups and have them discuss the topic. It may be less intimidating for some students than answering questions in front of the entire class. Visit each group to check in with them and see how the discussion is going. Have groups take notes on what was discussed, indicating each group member’s contribution. You may wish for students to report back on what they discussed, either by submitting the written notes or orally. If you choose for students to present orally, they will still be speaking in front of the class, but they’ll have some time to prepare their thoughts in advance. This will hopefully alleviate some stress. 5. Offer different methods of answering questions.Some students are more successful responding in different ways than simply answering questions in class. If possible, try different methods of having students respond. Consider having students make brief voice or video recordings of themselves responding to your questions and submit them after class. This can be done using various smartphone apps, and gives students the opportunity to respond verbally – just in a different way. Written exit slips and reflections are always another option for students to answer your questions as well.

Starting your drama class with a Question of the Day is a great way to get your students into the “drama class” mindset. It’s a way to help create a routine for your students – they know that as soon as they enter the classroom it’s time to open their minds and challenge themselves to think creatively. How you present the Question of the Day can be as simple as writing it on a whiteboard or posting it on a bulletin board. If you want to get really creative, you can present the question in a funny and interesting way – you could try writing the question out in code or hiding it somewhere in the room for students to find, scavenger-hunt style. You could also use a combination of the two presentation methods – perhaps your regular method is to post the question, but then once a week or once a month you can mix it up and have students search it out! It may seem silly or trivial to present the Question of the Day in a more playful manner, but I think it’s important to shake things up and show students that there isn’t just one way to present classroom work. As well, drama class and theatre are all about creativity and coming up with different and interesting solutions to problems and ways of communicating stories. What should the content of the question of the day be?Really, your Question of the Day can be anything that has to do with theatre. It’s best if it ties in with whatever topic you are currently covering in class, as a method of introducing the topic or as an extension of what was covered in the previous class. Sometimes the Question of the Day can be something totally random, just to get those creative juices flowing. The Question of the Day should be open-ended, so students don’t just give one-word answers. (This might happen anyway, but as students get used to the Question of the Day concept, encourage them to expand on their answers.) Some topics may start discussions with students of different opinions – and that’s great! Here are some questions to get you started: • If you could write a play about any topic, what would you write about and why? • What recent movie or television show do you think would make a great stage production? • What technical role do you think is the most challenging? • What would you do if the lead performer of your show got pneumonia on opening night? • How can actors help each other to succeed in their roles? • If you were to go back to a certain era or to a different country to learn more about a certain type of theatre, when/where would you go and why? (For example: ancient Greek theatre, Japanese Noh theatre, the Renaissance, commedia dell’arte in Italy, etc.) • Whose job is easier: onstage performers or backstage crew? Why? • What do you think will be the “next big thing” in the theatrical world? • How could you present an extreme sport or extreme activity safely and creatively onstage? (Such as downhill skiing, skydiving, rock climbing, surfing, bobsledding, etc.) • What historical or literary character deserves to have a show written about them? Once you get into the habit of presenting a Question of the Day, get your students involved in creating the questions! You can use the “idea machine” brainstorming method (read more about that here : Brainstorming in the Drama Class: Coming up With More Ideas Than You Need) to help students come up with different questions. And then once a week you can have different students prepare the question and determine the method of presenting it to the class. Finally, how should students answer the Question of the Day? The easiest way is for students to write out their answers individually and submit them, similar to an Exit Slip. However, should you wish to do so, students could also present their answers in a creative way. You might choose a small group of students to present their answers orally. You might challenge students to sketch their answers or to write them in rhyming couplets. Or you may permit students to work together in small groups and then present their thoughts in a variety of ways – as a group scene, to the tune of a song, as a mime scene, and so on. No matter how students answer the questions, ensure that the questions are answered within the first five minutes of class. Your students might feel that they don’t have enough time to answer the question when you first introduce this exercise, but stick to the five-minute time length. Eventually their “creativity muscles” will strengthen and answering the Question of the Day will become easier and quicker. Distance Learning Adaptation: Virtual Learning Questions You can continue to do the Question of the Day activity while doing distance education. You might choose to send your students the question the day via email and have them prepare a response to share during virtual class time; have them submit a written response; or share the question during class time and either allow them to have five minutes to write their own response or have a class discussion. Feel free to use the existing questions. As well, here are some new sample questions you could use for this activity that are related to distance learning. • What are some advantages of studying drama virtually? What are some disadvantages? • If you could change one thing about distance learning, what would it be and why? • What is something new you’ve learned since starting distance learning? (This doesn’t have to be related to school or drama class.) • What is one big change you’ve noticed in yourself since starting distance learning? • What play, movie, television show, or book would be fun to adapt to perform online? • What do you miss most about being in school? What do you miss the least? • Given the choice, would you prefer to continue online learning, or would you prefer to go back to school? (Perhaps you’d prefer a hybrid of the two – how would you make that work?) • How could theatres make physical distancing work for audiences? For performers? For technicians? • What should our school’s first in-person production be when we are allowed to do so? • If our class were to do a virtual talent/variety show, what would your act be? • How do you think people would have coped with a global pandemic if we didn’t have the internet? • What theatrical skills are easiest to study/practice virtually? What are the most difficult? Why?

Uta Hagen held a lot of influence in 20th century American Theatre. She made her Broadway debut in 1938 in Anton Chekov’s The Seagull. She also acted against Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. She also originated the role of Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Uta taught for years at the Herbert Berghof studio in New York. She instructed many well-known actors including Jack Lemmon, Matthew Broderick, and Al Pacino. She wrote two books on acting: Respect for Acting (1973) and A Challenge for the Actor (1991). When it came to the craft and technique of theatre, her career encompassed the four roles of actor, director, teacher, and writer. In Respect for Acting, Uta identified 9 questions an actor should ask themselves as they prepare. It’s all about being as specific as possible. (Note: She reframed these questions into six steps in A Challenge for the Actor.) 1. Who am I? Who is your character? Identify all the details: name/age, physical traits, education, personal opinions, likes, dislikes, fears, ethics, and beliefs. 2. What time is it? The year, the season, the day, the minute. What is the significance of time? 3. Where am I? Identify the country, the city/town, the neighborhood, the building, the room or the specific area of the room. 4. What surrounds me? What is happening in the environment around you? Weather, landscape, people, animate/inanimate objects? 5. What are the given circumstances? Identify events in the past, present, and future. What has happened, what is happening, what is going to happen? 6. What are my relationships? This is more than your relationship to other people. Think about your relationship to objects, characters, and events. 7. What do I want? What do you want immediately? What does the character want overall? 8. What is in my way? What are the obstacles to getting what you want? 9. What do I do to get what I want? What actions do you take (both physically and verbally)? What tactics? These questions will give students a comprehensive list to follow with their character development. Start students off by having them answer these questions about their own life and then identify the answers for any character work they do.

Figuring out what your character wants will help you add depth and interest for your character, making them more realistic and believable. A character that doesn’t want anything is a boring character. Having a want, wish, goal, or desire will push your character throughout the show – what do they want and how will they go about achieving it? The following series of questions will help you figure out exactly why your character is in the scene and what they want. Go through your script and make notes while you’re thinking about these questions. The script will give you clues and information about what your character wants. For each question, note what it was in the script that gave you that information. List the page number and/or the line number in the script, for you to refer back to. It could be a line spoken by your character, a line spoken by another character, a stage direction, or something else. If you can’t find proof in the script, you may wish to brainstorm some ideas about your character and what they want. Talk to your teacher or start a class discussion to get more ideas and insights! The following written exercise consists of three sections. You may wish to use just one or two of the sections for your character analysis. You might decide to use just one or some of the questions. The questions will help you start thinking about your character and raise more questions to explore in class. Overall Analysis1. What does your character want? What is their wish, goal, or ultimate desire? • This should be big – it’s the reason your character exists in the show. • Why is your character essential to the story? 2. How do they attempt to achieve their wants? What actions do they take to achieve their goals? 3. Why does your character want what they want? What pushes or drives them? 4. Does your character end up getting what they want? Why or why not? 5. How does your character grow and change from the beginning of the show to the end? Changing What You Want1. Does your character’s want stay the same throughout the show, or does it change? 2. If your character wants change, what causes the change? • Does something happen directly to the character to cause the change? • Does another character influence your character? • Does your character make a choice to change? Influencing Others1. Does your character’s want influence other characters’ wants? 2. Does your character help or hinder other characters’ attempts to achieve their wants? • Does your character know or realize that fact? • How does that make your character feel? • Does that help your character get what they want? That’s a lot of questions, isn’t it? But asking these questions will get you thinking about your character. Will they get what they want? You’ll have to wait and see! Kerry Hishon is a director, actor, writer, and stage combatant residing in London, Ontario, Canada. Check out her blog at www.kerryhishon.com.

How often do you self-evaluate?Teachers ask students to evaluate themselves all the time. Self-evaluation is an important part of the learning process; it cultivates critical thinking skills, it promotes self-reflection, and hopefully a sense of responsibility for one’s work. Self-evaluation is not just for students. Teachers too need to develop critical thinking, self-reflection and a sense of responsibility for their work. A successful teacher is a connected teacher – able to identify what’s going right and what needs improvement. A connected teacher never stops learning from what they do in the classroom. Self-Evaluation can help you: • Determine areas you love. • Recognize areas you don’t. • Highlight your strengths. • Pinpoint skills to improve. • Avoid burnout. • Become a better teacher. What assessment questions do you ask yourself on a regular basis? Teachers don’t have the time to self-evaluate after every class. But every teacher should have an action plan in place to touch base with how they’re doing throughout the year. This is especially true for new teachers – the more you assess what’s happening in the classroom, the quicker you’ll improve, and the more confidence you’ll have. Students can spot a floundering teacher a mile away. The bottom line is that you love to teach. Self-evaluation can help you hold on to that love for years to come. Where do I start? Ask and answer questions that establish an outlook for the year, gauge how you’re doing in the middle, then reflect back at the end. If you work in a semester system, change this to the beginning, middle, and end of the semester. Here are 10 Self-Evaluation Questions for each step. Beginning of the YearThe beginning of the year is all about promise. What do you aspire to achieve? How do you feel when you look at the year ahead? 1. What are my teaching goals for this year? 2. How have my teaching goals changed from last year? 3. What do I love about teaching? 4. How will I bring my love of teaching to the classroom? 5. What do I hate about teaching? 6. What action will I take to deal with these negative feelings? 7. What is my top strength as a teacher? 8. What is one area I feel needs improvement? 9. What action will I take to improve this area? 10. What am I looking forward to the most for this year? Bonus! Finish these sentence starters. • Teaching is important to me because… • I am the kind of teacher who… • I aspire to be the kind of teacher who… • I expect all teachers to… • The one word to describe my teaching goal this year is… Middle of the YearThe middle of the year is about the specifics and the students. What is happening in the classroom? 1. How do I feel about my teaching halfway through the year? 2. What is working with my students? Are they learning? 3. What is not working with my students? Why aren’t they learning? 4. What action will I take to improve student learning? 5. Is my classroom well managed? Why or why not? 6. What action will I take to improve classroom management? 7. Are my students engaged or disengaged? 8. What action will I take to improve engagement? 9. Am I engaged in the classroom? 10. What action will I take to improve personal engagement? Bonus! Finish these sentence starters. • Halfway through the year and I want to keep on… • Halfway through the year and I want to change… • Halfway through the year and my teaching goals are… • Halfway through the year and I feel the students are… • The one word to describe my teaching thus far… End of the YearThe end of the year is about reflection. How far have you come? Where do you need to go? 1. Did I achieve my yearly teaching goal? Why or why not? 2. What was my best moment as a teacher this past year? 3. What was my lowest moment as a teacher this past year? 4. What action did I take to deal with this moment? 5. What action will I take so that this moment won’t happen again? 6. Did I feel supported by my colleagues and administration? 7. What action can I take to cultivate or improve this situation? 8. What professional development do I have planned? 9. How am I growing as a teacher? 10. What do I love about teaching? Bonus! Finish these sentence starters. • The one word to describe my year is… • As a teacher I am most proud of… • As a teacher I want to get better at… • My goal for next year is… • In five years I see myself…

It’s an easy thing to say. People say it all the time: I want to act, I’d love to be an actor, I’d die if I wasn’t acting. But what do these sentences really mean? • Do you want to be in movies? TV? • What kind of movies? What kind of TV? Sitcom? Drama? Disney? Would you shun one over another? • Would you do commercials? Voiceovers? • Do you want to be in theatre? Straight plays? Musicals? And there’s more to consider – what level of performing would make you happy? • Broadway? Regional? Touring? Community? • Do you want to be a star? • Do you want to be famous? • Do you want to act in your spare time? • Are you happy making a modest living? • Would you be happy as an extra? • Would you be happy doing commercials? Once you’ve defined what you want, and what would make you happy, what are you willing to do to get it? What’s your discomfort level? • Eat ramen noodles for a year? Five years? Ten? • Do seventeen odd jobs to pay the rent? • Sleep on a couch? • Do a horrible project just because you were cast? • Work with an abusive director in a wonderful project? • Do nudity? There are lots of possibilities to consider, many of which require discomfort. The sentence is no longer simple. When you’re thinking “I want to act” there’s no discomfort at all. It’s warm, fuzzy and pleasant. It’s a dream. When you say “I want to act” in your dream it happens instantly. You get the perfect role in the perfect project. Everything is warm, fuzzy and pleasant. But it doesn’t work that way for thousands and thousands of wannabe actors. Let’s say you’re the most talented person in your school and better still, you’re also the most beautiful. Let’s go even further and say you’ve done some local theatre, and maybe even a local commercial or two. You’re not unwise to how the business works. You’ve even made a specific choice to go to LA instead of New York because you want to be in movies and TV. You pack your life into your thirdhand used car and head to Hollywood. In your very first audition you walk into a room of actors who are not only talented, not only beautiful, but they all look exactly like you. You no longer stand out. What will you do?What will you do if you don’t book a gig that first week? That first month? That second month? Six months? What will you do if your dream doesn’t turn into reality? There is a vast difference between a dream and a vision. A dream is a wish for something to happen. A vision is a step-by-step action plan. Consider the notion of running a marathon. Many people say, “I wish I could run a marathon.” Imagine waking up one morning and running 26.2 miles without any training or preparation. Sounds crazy but every big marathon has hundreds of people like this. And most of them fail miserably. Running a marathon does not have to work like this. There are hundreds of step-by-step programs freely available to teach anyone how to run a marathon. None of these programs involve wishes – they all involve specific steps. They start out simply: you run X number of times a week designating one of those runs as the “long run.” Over a set number of weeks you slowly increase the length of the “long run.” Each week you add more and more miles until you reach the point where a marathon distance is within grasp. Anything is possible if you break it up into small steps, always moving forward. So when you’re thinking about pursuing a career as an actor, don’t be the guy who wants to be a marathon runner overnight. Don’t be the actor who says, “I’m going to Hollywood and land a film tomorrow!” You’ll hurt yourself. Instead, put together a strategy of small steps. The finish line will appear further away, but every step you take will be one step closer. And you won’t be sitting around without a plan, waiting to be discovered. Acting is a fickle business. Some actors do nothing and end up on top. Others craft a specific vision for themselves and get nowhere. Luck is involved. You can’t avoid that. But you can make yourself luckier by making choices. You can decide to go to school. You can decide what your main focus will be. You can decide to take classes. You can be fully prepared when that lucky break comes your way, and you can know what your next step will be if something falls apart. But wait, you say, I’m just in high school. What can I do? Start by defining your parameters. Here are ten questions to get you started if you’re thinking about becoming an actor. 1. Who are your favourite actors? Start defining who you like, why you like them, and what about their acting appeals to you. Find interviews where your favourite actor talks about being an actor. 2. What type of acting do you like best? Movies, TV, theatre? What about this type of acting appeals to you? 3. Depending on your preference list five movies/TV shows/plays that you love. Why do you love them? What interests you about this specific genre? 4. In your chosen five, identify your favourite scene or monologue. What do you connect with in this moment? What makes this moment come alive for you? 5. Identify five roles that would you be perfect for. Why? Start thinking about what kind of roles you’d excel in. 6. What audition piece would you choose to demonstrate why you’d be perfect for the part? Start thinking about how to use audition pieces to land parts. Do you have a variety of audition pieces at the ready? 7. What is your current level of expertise? Be honest. What do you know, what skills do you have? 8. How can you further your expertise? Make a list of activities you could do to further your skills as an actor. Do you have access to classes? What can you learn on the internet? Don’t self-censor. Put down everything and anything regardless of time or money. 9. What is standing in your way of becoming an actor? (e.g. You live in a place without access to movie auditions.) List every obstacle. 10. What can you do to overcome these obstacles? Brainstorm on tactics to deal with what’s in your way. Don’t worry about whether or not you can complete these actions, just write them down. And a bonus question: Where do you want to be in a year’s time?Some additional thoughts: If your first thought when you’re listing activities that will further your expertise is “I can’t!” (e.g. I can’t, that’s too expensive. I can’t, there are no classes in my area. I can’t, my parents won’t let me) then acting is probably not for you. You don’t need to have the solution to these problems right now or even this year. But your gut reaction will tell you if you’re truly driven to work toward an acting career. So what can you do if location is an obstacle? Research summer camps or classes that you could travel to. What if money is an obstacle? Get a part-time job or a summer job and work out how much money you’d have to save to pay for a class. Put your plan on paper so you can show your parents what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. How do I turn this list into an action plan?Take each item and list out the steps it would take to complete that item. Some will require more steps than others. Let’s say one of your items is: I need headshots The steps to acquire headshots would look like this: • Research what professional headshots look like. Get examples. • Research what it costs to get headshots done. • Figure out how I’m going to pay for them. • Research photographers. • Choose one. • Make an appointment. • Go to the photo shoot. • Receive contact sheet. • Choose headshot. • Get prints made. Don’t worry about doing all these steps at once. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Divide the list of steps into the following lists: • Items to do this week. • Items to do this month. • Items to do this year. Choose a specific day each week to check in with your list. Are you on track? There are so many people who have the dream of becoming an actor. So many people say those words: “I want to be an actor.” How will you be different? What steps will you take to turn those words into a reality?

If you’ve ever watched Inside the Actors Studio, or flipped to the back page of Vanity Fair you’re familiar in some form with The Proust Questionnaire. Marcel Proust did not create the questionnaire, but he did fill two different ones out – once when he was 13 and once when he was 20. The answers clearly reflected him at each age. The Questionnaire can be used in two ways as a playwright. First, you can answer the questions yourself. Knowing who you are, what you believe, who you identify with, admire, what you treasure, these are all important self-reflection elements. If you know the specifics about yourself, you can give them to a character. You can give a character an opposing trait. By answering these questions about yourself, you’ll know where your interests lie. A great starting point for a play. *Secondly you can answer the questions for a character. * How well would you know the main character in your play is you answered all these questions? It would be impossible not to create a three dimensional human being. If you are stuck in a rut with your play, turn to this exercise. The Proust Questionnaire1. What is your greatest fear? 2. What is your current state of mind? 3. What is your favorite occupation? 4. What historical figure do you most identify with? 5. Which living person do you most admire? 6. Who is your favorite fictional hero? 7. Who are you real-life heroes? 8. What is your most treasured possession? 9. When and where were you happiest? 10. What is your most obvious characteristic? 11. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 12. What is the trait you most deplore in others? 13. What is your greatest extravagance? 14. What is your favorite journey? 15. What do you most dislike about your appearance? 16. What do you consider the most over-rated virtue? 17. On what occasion do you lie? 18. Which words or phrases do you most over-use? 19. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 20. What do you consider your greatest achievement? 21. Where would you like to live? 22. What is the quality you most admire in a man? 23. What is the quality you most admire in a woman? 24. What is it you most dislike? 25. What do you value most in you friends? 26. How would you like to die? 27. If you were to die and come back as a person or an animal, what do you think it would be? 28. If you could choose an object to come back as, what would you choose? 29. What is your motto, the words you live by or that mean a lot to you? 30. Who has been the greatest influence on you?