Theatre Program

Every drama teacher knows that advocating for their students, programs, and productions is essential. Even the most successful programs can be misunderstood or undervalued. The first step is recognizing the importance of your program and being able to articulate its impact. Drama classrooms teach far more than performance skills: they cultivate leadership, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, confidence, empathy, and problem-solving. Being able to describe these outcomes in a way that administration, colleagues, and the community understand is critical for building long-term support. Once you recognize your program’s value, advocacy becomes a strategic process. Start by setting realistic goals for your program, such as increasing enrollment, expanding class offerings, or enhancing community outreach. Break these goals into small, achievable steps and involve your administration where possible. Collaboration across departments and the school community strengthens your visibility and support, whether that’s co-creating cross-curricular projects; integrating the arts into other classrooms; or showcasing student work through visual displays, festivals, or community events. Making your program and its outcomes visible ensures that others can see the skills and growth happening every day. Effective advocacy requires intentional communication, consistent celebration of achievements, and demonstrating the impact of your program beyond the theatre space. By prioritizing these practices, teachers can build lasting support for their drama programs and productions. Where do I start?Ask yourself these questions about your program. Click below for a printable handout! • What is the value of my drama program in terms of life skills, student growth, and community impact? • What are my main three goals for my program? What do I want to achieve? • What five steps can I take to achieve each of these goals? • Can my administration help with any of these goals? • Who can I talk to in other departments to increase visibility and explore cross-curricular connections? • When was the last time I let my admin know what was happening in my program? What was the response? • How can I provide administration with tangible evidence of student learning and program success? • What are some examples of positive, professional, and impact-focused language I can use when describing my program? • When was the last time I shared student successes (posters, newsletters, social media, school board meetings)? What was the response?

Being a drama teacher isn’t a full-time job… it’s TWO full-time jobs! Aside from the amount of homework and planning it takes to prepare a full teaching load, there are also the countless responsibilities associated with running a successful theatre program. It can seem difficult, if not impossible, to juggle both of these full-time jobs without burning yourself out. However, it IS possible to balance a full teaching load and thriving theatre program. Here are some tips and tools that veteran drama teachers can use to teach their classes while maintaining and running their programs. Have a planBalancing teaching and production does not happen by accident; it takes a lot of planning. That means you will need to think ahead, organize your responsibilities, and create a plan for how you will successfully execute all your activities. Envision the steps necessary to keep both your classroom and your theatre running smoothly, and start putting pieces in place to make sure those steps happen. Keep in mind that due to circumstances beyond your control, some of your plans might not always work out, but remember: the more you plan for the future, the less scary that future becomes. Having a plan gives you a path to follow and makes it more likely that you will complete the journey. Be preparedPreparation goes hand in hand with planning. There is no worse feeling than standing in front of a group of students and being unprepared. Whether you are preparing lesson plans, or are generating the necessary paperwork for the next after school audition, being prepared for events before students walk through the door is the difference between a panic attack and a walk in the park. The stress of being unprepared will burn you out faster than almost anything else in the world of teaching, so use your planning period as effectively as possible and take the time to prepare ahead of time whenever possible. DelegateThere are a LOT of responsibilities associated with having two full-time jobs. That is why you should delegate as many appropriate responsibilities as possible. From having students distribute and collect papers in your classroom, to giving parents the authority to build set pieces off site, any tasks that you can take off your plate will give you the breathing room to manage the responsibilities that you CANNOT delegate, such as grading papers or directing the show. Furthermore, delegating responsibilities throughout the production process has the additional benefits of providing students with valuable leadership opportunities and greater ownership of the production. Self-careThe key to a long and successful career is self-care. The most successful drama teachers know that they need to take a break every now and again to reset their brain and recharge their batteries, otherwise they run the risk of burning out. Balancing full-time teaching with a successful theatre program is exhausting under the best of circumstances, and if you don’t take the time to unplug, you won’t last more than a handful of years before you crash and burn. Take the time you need to step away from the stresses of teaching and producing and connect with your family and friends. Unplug for the weekend or plan a trip for spring break, knowing that your classes and your program will be there when you get back. An occasional investment in yourself will pay dividends in sustaining your long-term career plans. Additional Reading: How do I maintain work/life balance as a drama teacher? Drama Teacher Self-Care (And No, We Don’t Mean Candles and Bubble Baths) 20 Self-Care Actions For Drama Teachers

The magic of theatre isn’t just in the performances; it’s woven into the traditions that bring us together! From heartwarming pre-show rituals to quirky backstage customs, these traditions create a sense of belonging and excitement for both students and educators. We asked: What traditions do you have with your theatre program? Feed your soulWe always have a potluck supper together on opening night. It’s Mississippi: food is a bonding experience! (Chelsea P.) Create meaningful momentsBefore each performance I hold “My Little Corner Of The World.” That is where the entire cast and crew meet with me and we share positive thoughts and feelings about the show and each other. There are lots of hugs and good feelings. (Bil G.) One student per show receives our journal and they get to write about their experiences in that show. Only a student that receives the journal gets to look inside. I also choose one student and make them into a monkey in the style of the character they portrayed in that show, which started because I bought a monkey border for my classroom. The monkeys are displayed in my class with a picture of that student from the play and a program. (Jen M.) I always gave my kids Angel Cards on opening night and suggested they use their inspirational word to discover something new in the play or character that night. They’d lead each other in warm-ups pre-show and I’d then have them circle up to give them each a card. If they wanted to, they could share their word and what it meant to them as a connection to the show. (Beverly B.) Embrace fun ritualsYou had to dance to enter the paint storage room. Backstory: the door to storage led to even more doors. And one does not simply walk into Mordor… (Ryne M.) This is such a great question and brings back so many memories! For the past 25 years, I’ve had a tradition for opening night: I pick a lead character and a prop, then sneak in a funny photo — whether it’s a baby picture or a celebrity crush. It’s always an inside joke, and I team up with their friends to pull it off. The kids eagerly await "prank opening night," and my students never break character! For example, during The Odd Couple, we put a senior’s baby photo in Felix’s baby book. Last year, in Alice in Wonderland, when the rabbit opened the court scroll, we swapped in his first recital photo. The students never know who I’ll choose, but they always get a little teary-eyed after the show! (Eric M.) Graduates get to sign the wall in our storage closet. Before every show, we hold hands and chant “Go Bananas,” beginning with a whisper and building energy each time we chant until we’re bouncing off the walls. In between performances, we eat pizza and then try to perform other actors’ scenes from memory. We are committed to being kind, brave, and curious, and we reference those traits often. (Annie E.) Develop energy-building warm-up routinesI am the theater assistant at my high school and also an alumnus. I am trying to re-establish traditions because there was no smooth transition between directors. Combine that with COVID and traditions fell by the wayside. I brought back "frequency" as a pre-show warm-up. Everyone gathers hands and we "pass" a squeeze around. It takes a few times to get it right. I have also started a new tradition of a senior key chain that has a charm for each show they've done along with some charms to represent the school. (Cory R.) Pass the pulse before EVERY SHOW and pass the clap at the end of EVERY REHEARSAL and quiet coyote kisses before every green room to stage exit. (Southfork PA) Honour the teamOpening night we recognize new performers with a Premier button. We have Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum company members that are differentiated by the number of shows they’ve done. We inducted the cast and crew at half hour. Post Strike, the crew signs the walls of the catwalk. (Chris C.) Incorporate secret traditionsWe use special props from past plays in current plays even if they are hidden. It’s a small thing that brings me joy and hopefully to them too! (Susan B.) Sorry I couldn’t tell you about our high school traditions; I’ve been told never to tell anyone! It’s a senior secret! But yes, dressing room traditions and chants only our drama department knew! Also a warm up that was different for each show. (Jack R.) I bought this weird 3-D picture of the Santa Maria (Columbus’ boat) at a thrift store (it’s about 8 by 10) and we’ve had it somewhere on the set in every show since we opened the new auditorium in 2000! It’s become a Waldo kind of thing that only the kids know about. Alumni will come to shows and look for it on the set. (JM E.)

Curriculum is the cornerstone of your entire teaching foundation. Your curriculum is the roadmap that tells you what, when, why, and how you will teach your students. However, there is no “official” curriculum for theatre, and if you have never set up a curriculum before, it can be daunting. If you’re a new theatre teacher worried about planning your curriculum, here are the steps you will need to take to get your curriculum up and running. Choose SubjectsAs stated above, there is no standard curriculum for theatre. However, there are fundamental ingredients of theatre and drama that should be included in any formal curriculum, including acting, history, and design. In addition, there are other subjects that you could include based on your training and interest as a theatre teacher, like playwriting, directing, and technical theatre. No matter what subjects you choose to include in your curriculum, it’s essential that you are confident in your knowledge of the materials to be covered. The most important rule of building a curriculum is: teach what you know! Do not include a subject you are not prepared to teach. If in the future you decide you want to expand your curriculum, take the classes or do the research necessary to make you “teacher fluent” in a subject before you include it in your curriculum. Choose Your FormatCurriculums are typically built in one of two formats: subject-based or chronological. Subject-based combines units within a subject that are taught under a specific heading. For example, an acting unit can contain lessons on pantomime, improvisation, monologues, and scenes, with the lessons introducing new skills as the days and weeks progress. After the acting unit you can move on to history and cover material from ancient theatre to modern times, and so on. A chronological curriculum would start with the ancient Greeks and cover all aspects of theatre during that time including acting, design, and playwrights of that era. Then you would shift to a different era, such as Roman theatre, and cover the same fundamental building blocks of acting, design, and playwrights. You would continue to move through different eras until you arrived at modern theatre. Both of these curriculums cover the same general information, but they are presented in different ways. Build UnitsOnce you have decided upon the format of your curriculum, you can begin to build the specific units you wish to present. Units form the building blocks of information for each major subject you teach. For example, the acting unit might include subcategories like pantomime, storytelling, improvisation, monologues, and scene work as the building blocks of acting. All of these subcategories fall under the general heading of “acting” so they will be part of your acting unit. Break down the other units in similar ways, choosing the specific topics and subcategories you wish to cover, and then determine the order in which you will present them to your class. Once you have assembled the units you plan to cover, you can begin to write your lesson plans. Write Lesson PlansLesson plans are the essence of teaching in written form. A good lesson plan provides maps, mission statements, launching pads, and a contract between you and your students. Writing lesson plans allows you to map out the content of your classes down to the minute, and track the progress of a classroom full of students towards mastering a subject. When you write a lesson plan, think about the What, Why, and How of the materials you are presenting: • What information do you want students to learn? • Why do they need to learn it? • How will you teach it? Then write your lesson plans in enough detail to execute them exactly as you envisioned. They will not always turn out that way (see below), but the more thought and detail you put into your lesson plans, the better chance they will have for success. If you want more information on how to write lesson plans, check out the Lesson Planning Toolkit. Reflect On Your CurriculumThere is an old military saying that I repurpose for teaching: “No lesson plan survives first contact with the students.” That means that no matter how exciting and well thought out a lesson plan is, it will change once students are involved. Sections will go faster or slower than expected. Student groups will act up unexpectedly. A sure-fire warm-up game will flop. You will learn a lot about a lesson plan the first time you present it to a class, but you won’t have time to think about it, because as soon as one class is over, the next class is already coming through the door! It’s important to set aside a chunk of time each week to reflect on your curriculum and make notes about what went well and what you need to change. If you don’t give yourself the chance to reflect on your curriculum while it’s fresh in your mind, you’ll find yourself making the same mistakes year after year. So give your curriculum the best chance to succeed by taking time to reflect.

Time for a Tfolk Top Plays List For….Building a Theatre Program. You’ve had a large group of seniors graduate. You’re starting at a new school that doesn’t have a theatre program You’re taking over a program that needs some serious love. What plays should you choose to build your program? Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search – and with building your program! Choose a play with a familiar link that people know. Use the familiar as your hook.

Show programs (also known as playbills) are the easiest way to share important production information with the audience. Programs are a method of acknowledging all the hard work done by the cast and crew to bring the production to life. They also make a nice souvenir for audience members after the show. Programs should be visually appealing, easy to read, and succinct, while including all the necessary personnel information and proper credits. Programs can be as simple as a one-page flyer or as elaborate as a fully illustrated booklet. Programs can also be themed towards the production – for example, a production of Newsies might want to make their program look like a newspaper, while a production of Treasure Island might make their program look like a pirate’s treasure map – or in a completely different medium entirely, such as a display board, or even a digital program that patrons can access on their cell phones. There are online resources for creating and printing programs, such as Playbillder, but teachers and students can also create a simple program themselves by using a computer program such as Word or Publisher. Exercise:In this exercise, students will create a traditional printed program for their actual upcoming production or class performance, or they can create a program for a fictitious production. The program will be printed and submitted on a minimum of one standard sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper, folded in half (front cover, inside left cover, inside right cover, back cover). Additional pages are optional. The cover and any images or photographs should be in colour. Spelling and grammar definitely count! What to include: • Show title and graphic (for the cover) • Show dates and times • Location of performance • Production credits (playwright/book writer, lyricist, composer, and any other important credits that were indicated when you purchased the rights to the show – these credits cannot be omitted!) • Director’s note and/or brief summary of the show • Cast list with actors’ names and role(s) • There are many different ways of crediting the performers! • Alphabetical by actor’s last name • In order of appearance • In order of speaking • In groups (for example: “Kansas,” “Munchkinland,” “Forest,” “Oz” in The Wizard of Oz) • Size of role (I try not to use this ordering method if I can help it, as it encourages a “leads are more important than the ensemble” mindset.) • Whatever order you choose for crediting the performers, be sure to indicate this order underneath the “Cast” title, for ease of understanding. • Crew list, including all artistic staff members (producer, director, musical director, choreographer), stage management team members, assistants, designers, operators, band/orchestra members, and additional crew members • Special thanks to anyone who assisted with the production (such as rental sources, dramaturgical assistance, people or companies who donated items or services, financial sponsors, etc.) Optional (include at least two): • Cast and crew headshots and biographies • Scene and/or song breakdown • Principal’s message • Advertising spaces or “good luck/break a leg” messages from friends and family (can be sold as a fundraiser) • Additional photographs (cast, crew, performance photos) • Blank page for autographs • Advertising for an upcoming production or special event

Why create a Mission Statement for your theatre program? Aren’t things like ‘mission’ and ‘vision’ better suited for corporations? Amy Pugh Patel, Theatre Teacher, Director, and DTA Instructor, shares her experience in this post. To learn more about creating a mission and vision for your drama program, check out Amy’s course Mission Possible found on the Drama Teacher Academy website. Reason #1: A Mission Creates a CultureDeveloping a mission creates a unified culture for you and your students. Before creating a mission statement, I knew why I did theatre but did not know why the students did it. After creating a mission statement for our program, we understood each other better. Reason #2: A Mission Inspires and MotivatesThe mission statement helps to motivate and inspire students to dig deeper than their initial reasons for taking drama. We had our program’s mission statement printed on the back of t-shirts, as a visual reminder and inspiration for students and teachers. Reason #3: A Mission Determines the Aim of Your Theatre ProgramThe mission statement creates the path that your program is going to be on. It also creates checks and balances. You can evaluate every group decision, procedure, and activity by asking: “Does this directly support our mission or should we do something different?” Reason #4: A Mission is ValidatingSome people view drama as a frivolous, unnecessary school department. A mission statement communicates the significance and strength of your theatre program to sponsors, parents, prospective students, and your school administration. It shows the rest of the world what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. A theater program with a clear mission statement will draw more people to support and advance its cause. Reason #5: A Mission Defines PurposeCrafting a mission statement forces you to determine the underlying reasons for doing what you do. With my theatre program, I realized that I needed to incorporate students’ voices into the program’s mission. I couldn’t dictate what was important to them. Writing a mission statement is a joint effort between teachers and students that will unify your program. If you’re ready to dive in and develop a mission with your students, check out the DTA course [Mission Possible](/dtacourses/mission-possible-creating-a-mission-and-unified-vision-for-your-theatre-program)_. The course takes you through each step of the process: how to ask the right questions, examine your school’s culture and traditions, write and revise your program’s statement, and shout your statement from the rooftops. Find out more about the course by clicking on the video below: