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A comprehensive list of theatre terms, listed by general, personnel, types of theatre, styles of theatre, acting, ancient greek theatre, Shakespeare, improv, costume, stage management, lighting, sound, and makeup.

A series of Technical Theatre activities designed for distance learning.

Four key steps to preparing for an audition are outlined in this guide that will help students prepare for auditions.

This resource for Medea includes Characters, Synopsis, Themes, Questions and Activities

By applying the elements of MELT, students will re-envision a classic story, myth, or fairy tale. Students will then share the newly envisioned story with their peers.

By identifying required elements (as dictated by the content of their assigned stories), students will compile a list of materials that are the essential components of their designs. From there, they can alter and expand their designs based on the conceptual interpretation of their stories.

Students will generate a simple conceptual statement for their stories. Working from their list of “must haves,” students will brainstorm various ways of achieving the requirements of their stories based on this concept statement, using newly imagined objects, items, or materials aligned to their stated concept. By asking “What if,” students will begin to reimagine the design of the world of their stories in unexpected ways. This will provide them with a much more complex approach to their designs.

Students will reconstruct the world of their stories based on the information they visualized in the “What If” game. Using that information, students will complete the Group MELT Exercise worksheet, research images/materials that best represent the new story world they have designed, and create a design presentation for their new story concept.

If you want to incorporate props into your story theatre performance, consider using them in an atypical, not necessarily realistic manner. Props can engage the audience’s imagination and allow us to build scenes, sets, and entire worlds out of objects we have readily at our disposal. When you combine imagination and props, amazing things happen.

If you’re about to study a play, start the process with a text scavenger hunt. Have students look at the text in a unique way.

In this project, students will be introduced to the steps of a concept-based design process and apply it to simple stories. This process gives students a new framework to approach creative challenges in the design process. Students will present design portfolios utilizing the elements of MELT. (Mood, Era, Location, Theme) with the use of the “What If” game. These elements are the building blocks of both the exploration and execution of their designs. By employing MELT and What If, students will generate the details and circumstances of the concept-based designs they will present.

Breathing exercises for student actors.

Use this template to track a monologue, including play details, character details, objectives, obstacles, tactics, and more.

Tips on monologue blocking for students.

A printable poster for the drama classroom, scene shop, or backstage.

Use this movie moment to teach students about how important it is to play comedy straight and never “wink” to the audience.

Use these two monologues from the movie Little Voice to discuss status and changing status with your students.

Sometimes when beginning actors approach difficult text, they play exactly what’s on the page. If it’s a sad monologue - they play the whole thing sad from start to finish. If they think the character is mad, they’ll yell all their dialogue. There is a time and place to play a moment as written. But more often than not the most powerful option is to play the opposite. A great example of this is Robert Shaw’s USS Indianapolis speech from Jaws.

A printable poster for your classroom or theatre - a few simple rules for theatre audience etiquette!

How can we keep every actor engaged? Give them something to explore, even if they only have one line. Do this exercise with your class or with your cast. Every actor can benefit from learning how to approach a single line.