Drama Teacher Learning Centre

If you want your students to physicalize their characters, get them thinking about status. What is status?Answer this question for yourself. Write down a couple of different answers yourself, then...

The first day of a playwriting unit should not be the first day your students start writing. There are so many barriers and pre-conceived notions when it comes to writing that to dive in on day one...

Theatrefolk starts a new video series today: Spread The Love. There’s an unwritten rule when it comes to choosing plays for the catalogue: we must love it. We must be able to talk about it with...

Can you tell a great story in six minutes? How about in six seconds? You definitely can. Prior to TikTok, there was Vine — a short-form video hosting app where users created and shared...

We are all about character analysis — it’s a great tool for helping students develop a deeper understanding of characters in plays that they are studying, performing in, or creating. Read on to...

If you’re a drama teacher, Shakespeare should make it onto your stage at some point. But what if you’ve avoided The Bard at all costs and have no idea where to start? Shakespeare is a great...

The “show circle” is one of my go-to theatre techniques, no matter whether I’m teaching a drama class or directing a production. Whenever it’s time for class or rehearsal to start, the first words...

Your first reaction to using Close Reading in the Drama Classroom might be – Ugh! There’s no way my students will sit still for that. This is the only time they get up and get moving. Fair enough....

Consent can be a touchy subject in the classroom. Many students immediately think that consent refers to intimacy, such as embraces or stage kisses. While that is an important part of consent in...

Rehearsal time is precious–there’s usually never enough of it–so when rehearsing a school production, you and your students will want to use your time together as effectively as possible....

Make no mistake: Drama class is not for the faint of heart. Creating theatre is physically and mentally strenuous and drama students need to be strong. Performing onstage and working backstage are...

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. The Happiness Shop by Lindsay Price is an excellent class project that explores important issues for students. Three middle school students find themselves...

Jennine Profeta is an improv star and educator (you can find her in the Theatrefolk Resource Section with Impowerment Improv and Improv Games with Purpose as well as in the Drama Teacher Academy!)...

The ensemble of your play is more than just set dressing; it populates the world of the play. A strong ensemble is the same as a strong cast: It is made up of actors who play well-defined...

In education, inclusion refers to students with disabilities or special needs (whether their needs are medical, mental, physical, or psychological) spending most or all of their class time with...

There is no more class that is more divergent than the drama classroom. You have the vast number of different students who end up in your classroom, some who want to be there and some who don’t....

It’s the first day of semester. You have a Grade Nine / Drama One class or a group of students you haven’t worked with before. They stare at you, you stare at them. How can you determine what they...

What is close reading?Close reading is an analysis tool. Students read a text multiple times for in-depth comprehension: • First read: WHAT is being said in the text? What QUESTIONS do you have? •...