What to Do in Drama Class When Half the Students Are Absent

What do you do when you enter the drama classroom, ready to teach, and half your students aren’t in class? Maybe it’s due to illness, a field trip, it being the last week before winter break, the full moon? Whatever the cause, it’s hard to proceed with your carefully planned lesson when you’re missing students. It might feel like you haven’t had a fully attended class all term.

But try not to stress! Here are some adaptable and productive ways to make the most of a partially full drama class.

1. Do activities with flexible participant needs.

Lots of theatre games and exercises can be done individually or in pairs, or by dividing the class into two teams (regardless of the number of team members). Try exercises like Commercials, Two Prompts, Speed Props, Row of Hats, Scenario Generator, or the old favourite Scenes from a Bag. None of these exercises have a required number of participants outside of partners or dividing the class into two teams. This also gives students the opportunity to work with peers they may not have had a chance to work with before.

Additionally, this is a great time to do playwriting exercises, watch pro shoots of plays and musicals, or have students work on research projects. These activities can all be done individually or with a partner.

2. Focus on individual practice and skill building.

With fewer students, you can give each student more personal attention. You can use this time to work one-on-one with students while they practice theatrical skills, such as cold reading, taking direction in an audition, neutral position, or vocal exercises. You’ll be able to devote more time to each student and give more detailed notes and confidence boosts as needed. With a smaller group, your students will likely have the opportunity to take your notes and try again. This one-on-one time can also help you get to know your students better and explore how they like to learn and how they receive feedback.

3. Use class time as a rehearsal lab for upcoming performances.

Many students will feel relieved when they can work and rehearse in a classroom with fewer people present. There are fewer distractions and it tends to be quieter. Rehearse solo and pair scenes — whatever can be done with whoever is present. If your students are working on group scenes and some of their group members are absent, try having another student step in and act as an understudy. Have the group members teach the understudy the blocking and acting approach as a way to demonstrate their understanding of the full scope of the work. If you’re feeling generous, make recordings of the rehearsals so the absent students can get caught up later.

4. Use this as a “real world” lesson.

Absences happen all the time in the real world. It doesn’t make them any less annoying or inconvenient, but it means you can use them as a learning opportunity. Try the Casting Challenge — Not Enough Actors exercise using only the students in the room, or have students problem solve a hypothetical issue such as having an actor drop out of a production. Study small cast plays and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. Talk about double casting and how it can be advantageous when actors are absent. You can also try the exercise Last Minute Fill-In, where one group member from each group gets moved to a different group five minutes before performance time.

When half your class is absent, it’s like a real-life improv moment: reacting to what’s happening with the people around you, pivoting, and going with the flow. You may have to let your plans go for the moment, but you keep going. These days can be challenging, but they may also turn into a meaningful, memorable experience for your students who are in class, because of all the extra attention they received.

Additional Reading:
How Do You Manage Overcommitted Students Who Miss Rehearsals?