00 - The 30 Second Monologue Project eBook
This resource is designed to take students through the skills they need to perform a monologue - in steps. Instead of starting with the end goal – that two-minute piece – start at the beginning.
In this eBook you’ll find a four-lesson unit that will take students up the ladder toward that goal, and get students ready to tackle a longer monologue with confidence.
00 - The Drama Classroom Companion
The Drama Classroom Companion is filled with articles and exercises to build the skills needed for theatrical performance. It helps you nourish real world skills like creative thinking, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.
01- Drama Classroom Companion Volume 2
How do you approach common assumptions about drama class? How do you rehearse backwards? How do you deal with students who can’t handle feedback? How do you communicate with parents? How do you encourage ensemble thinking? This volume contains everything you need to further explore creative thinking, critical thinking, communication and collaboration in the drama classroom.
Acting in Shakespeare and Classical Plays
This one page handout is a great guide for students to keep in mind when performing the Bard and other classical works.
Acting: Playing it Straight
Use this movie moment to teach students about how important it is to play comedy straight and never “wink” to the audience.
Active Citizenship in the Drama Classroom
To be an active citizen requires skills that are practiced daily in the drama classroom: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and empathy, to name a few.
This toolkit offers articles and activities that you can use with your students to encourage them to start thinking about their place in their community, their country, the world and beyond.
Active Verb List
This 3 page list of active verbs will help to get action out of your actors in a scene. Encourage the actors to play both physically and vocally with the verb.
Adapt, Observe, Engage: Re-Imagining the Drama Classroom
You know how to run a traditional classroom. The virtual classroom is going to be a whole new learning experience. Theatres have been shut down many times over the centuries and have always returned. Theatre thrives with people who are flexible, excellent problem solvers, and creative thinkers. Theatre teachers, you will survive this! We hope this guide will help you adapt, observe, and engage with your students.
Backward Critical Thinking Exercise
Instead of having students answer questions, what happens when they have to devise the questions? Give students 20 answers. Divide students into groups and have them come up with the questions that would result in the provided answers.
Character Bio
Students create a bio on the character they know best – themselves.
Character Maps
Use these character maps to help students delve deeper into character analysis.
Character Mask Profile
Use this profile to explore the details of your masked character.
Class Routines - Warm-up Sequence
Use this warm-up sequence with your students as they prepare for class. The teacher or student leader leads the sequence by calling out the name of the exercise.
Competition Do's and Don'ts
Actors who are about the same age and level tend to have the same challenges. Allison Williams has created this guide to do’s and don’t when competing with a monologue or scene.
Designing Your Virtual Classroom
When teaching classes via video conferencing, it’s good to think about what’s going on behind you. This doesn’t mean pets walking through your virtual classroom or visible piles of laundry in view of your camera, although those should probably be kept out of view as much as possible!
Having an interesting and creative background can grab students’ attention, be a conversation starter, or make them laugh. It’s also fun to switch things up and create a fresh atmosphere for your virtual classroom.
Dialogue Prompts
Use these dialogue prompts for improvisation work. Includes characters, location, want, and a first line for each prompt.
Distance Ensemble Experiences for Students and Educators
The experiences detailed here can be used during online sessions for Warm-ups, Collaboration, Cool Downs. Students experience the 21st Century Skills-Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration (by distance).
Distance Learning: Thought of the Day
A distance learning adaptation for the 'Thought of the Day' exercise from the Empathy Project. Options for sending home printed packet, or using an online platform. Students relate personal experience to the thought of the date quotes provided.
Drama Teacher School Year Calendar 2019-2020
Inspired by our members with inspirational quotes right from drama teachers in the DTA.
There are 2 versions of the Drama Teacher School Year calendar. One is a monthly calendar with an inspirational quote and image per month; the second is a portrait-layout booklet version that can be customized to any school year.
End of Semester: Fill the Gap Ideas
A complication of ideas from DTA members - how to fill the gap at the end of the semester.
Engaging Students to Work Together
This handout will help you answer the question: How can you get your students to engage with each other, work with each other and include everyone?
Engaging the Non-Theatre Student
The non-theatre student is a fact of our world. Students find their way to us by accident, or by force. How do we engage them and help them find success?
Ensemble Experiences: Large Group
Each ensemble experience includes the title, a list of objectives you can choose from, the goal, guidelines, and instructions.
Ensemble Experiences: Small Group
Each experience includes the title, a list of objectives you can choose from, the goal, guidelines, and instructions.
Example of Student and Parent Contract
This is a template and example you can use with your student actors to ensure commitment and a clear understanding of expectations across all aspects of a high school production. There is also an example parent/guardian contract included, to ensure their understanding regarding production commitments, including attendance, participation fees, and parent volunteer opportunities. These are both designed to help you communicate with your student actors and parents in order to set your cast and families up for a successful production.
FlipGrid & EdPuzzle - Links
Links to FlipGrid & EdPuzzle, along with extensions on how to use these tools in the drama classroom.
Idea for the Last Weeks of School
Compiled from the DTA Facebook group members - a list of activities and ideas for the final weeks of school - to end your year off with your drama class.
Improvising Your Monologue Exercise
Use this exercise in the middle of a monologue project, to get students to the heart of the monologue, using improvisation techniques.
Inclusion in the Drama Classroom
Recorded at the DTA Virtual Conference in July 2019, Kerry Hishon discusses her experience with inclusion in the drama classroom.
Laban's Eight Efforts
Rudolf Laban was a choreographer and a dancer. He defined human movement into eight efforts. Each movement has four component parts (direction, speed, weight, flow). Those four component parts have two elements to them (direct/indirect, quick/sustained, heavy/light, bound/ free).
Use these “efforts” to give your students specific choices when it comes to character's physicalization. Choose an effort that defines how they move.
Last Minute Sub Solutions
What do you do when you have to be unexpectedly absent from class? DTA members to the rescue with their ideas.
Latinx Plays and Playwrights
This spreadsheet provides plays, playwrights, cast sizes, descriptions and more for Latinx plays and playwrights.
CAUTION: not all of these plays are going to be suitable for all classrooms. Anything to be aware of is marked and plays should be reviewed before
sharing with students.
Masterclass with Karen Loftus: Cultivating Student Leaders: Strategies, Synergy and Soft Skills
Recorded during the DTA Virtual Conference in July 2019, this is a Masterclass with Karen Loftus focused on student leadership.
Memorization Tips, Tricks and Techniques
It’s a question that comes up time and time again - How do I get my students to memorize their lines. What strategies do you use? Here are 7 strategies for students to use both on their own, and in rehearsal.
New Drama Teacher Toolkit
In this toolkit you’ll find exercises, activities, and information that will help you get you through your first days, build your classroom management skills, and articulate the importance of your program.
One Question and a Rubric: 21st Century Skills
Have students demonstrate their 21st century skills knowledge with these worksheets.
One Question and a Rubric: Close Reading
Have students demonstrate their close reading skills with these worksheets.
Permission Slip: Why I'm Saying No
This tongue in cheek 'permission slip' gives the teacher a checklist of reasons he or she might have to say 'no'.
Permission to Say No
A tongue in cheek 'permission slip' that entitles you to say 'no' without having to explain.
Positivity Tunnel
A game to encourage team building and positivity with your students.
Poster: 10 Things that Require Zero Talent
Print this poster out to hang in your classroom - it's a list of 10 things students can do that require ZERO talent.
Poster: Acting In Your Head or In the Room
A poster for actors in the drama classroom.
Poster: Acting Tips
Five things every actor should reflect on before stepping onstage.
Poster: Audition Etiquette
A printable poster for the drama classroom or backstage.
Poster: Be Your True Self
A poster for the drama classroom; quote from Lindsay Mendez.
Poster: Biggest Obstacle
A poster for your drama classoom; quote from Ari'el Stachel.
Poster: Did you Hang up your Costume?
A backstage/scene shop reminder for student actors - printable poster.
Poster: Did you Warm up?
A backstage reminder for student actors - printable poster.
Poster: Everyone Wants You to Succeed
Poster for the classroom: Everyone Wants You to Succeed
Poster: Feedback Makes Someone Better
A poster for the classroom - the purpose of feedback.
Poster: Have Fun and Tell the Story
A printable poster for backstage reminders.
Poster: It's Fun to Do the Impossible
An inspirational poster for your classroom.
Poster: No Drama Llamas
A poster for the drama classroom 'No Drama Llamas'. We are an ensemble. Diva behaviour will not be tolerated. We work as one.
Poster: Nowhere to Hide
Poster for your drama classroom; quote from Keeley Hawes.
Poster: Precheck
A printable poster to remind students to do a pre-check.
Poster: Props are Not Toys
A printable poster for backstage or scene shop.
Poster: Respect the Cast
A printable poster for the drama classroom or backstage.
Poster: Respect the Crew
A printable poster for the drama classroom, scene shop, or backstage.
Poster: Respect This Space
A printable poster for the drama classroom, scene shop, or backstage.
Poster: Structural Elements of a Script
Printable poster for the classroom "What are the Structural Elements of a Script?"
Poster: The Benefits of Drama
Poster for the classroom outlining the ways in which drama can benefit students outside the classroom.
Poster: The Role of the Audience
A printable poster for your classroom - with some key reminders of the role of the audience.
Poster: The Show will Open
A poster for the classroom or backstage, reminding everyone that the show WILL open.
Poster: Theatre Audience Etiquette
A printable poster for your classroom or theatre - a few simple rules for theatre audience etiquette!
Poster: Theatre Class is for Everyone
Poster: how theatre class is inclusive.
Poster: Theatre Is...
Poster for the classroom: "theatre is not just what happens onstage, but what happens offstage."
Poster: Theatre teaches empathy
A poster for your drama classroom; quote from John Leguizamo.
Poster: This Class Will Help (11x17)
Inspire your students with this poster showing how drama class develops their skills. 11 x 17 size.
Poster: This Class Will Help (8.5x11)
Inspire your students with this poster showing how drama class develops their skills. 8.5 x 11 size.
Poster: Tools Beyond the Drama Classroom
Use this poster for your classroom - inspire students with the skills they are learning in the drama classroom.
Poster: We are a Community of One
Printable poster for the classroom: We are a Community of One
Poster: What is Theatre Good For
A poster for your classroom for students to reflect on the skills they are learning in the drama classroom.
Poster: What's Your Call Time
A printable poster for the drama classroom or backstage.
Poster: Where do I start with a play?
A poster for your classroom that shows the visual progression from character to play.
Poster: You Are in Control
Poster for the classroom: You Are In Control.
Posters: Giving and Receiving Feedback
Two posters: what does giving and receiving feedback look like?
Posters: Quote a Day - Part 1 (Days 1-20)
20 theatre-related quotes on posters and slide presentation, for the drama classroom.
Part 1 of an 8-part series to complete 'one quote a day' for the school year. You have the option to use a printable version, or access the slide deck presentation link.
Be sure to access the 'Guiding Questions and Reflections' that accompany these quotes.
Posters: The Basics of Theatrical Performance (set of 11)
This poster series highlights the 10 Basics of Theatrical Performance and then has a set of individual posters for each basic element.
Pre-Devising Brainstorming Exercise
Try this exercise for generating ideas.
Production Situation Analysis
This production situation analysis allows a class to determine their needs, before they start a production class.
Reflection Sheets
A set of six reflection worksheets to use in rehearsals, group activities, and performance.
Research Project: Acting Teachers
In groups, students will research a well known acting teacher, give a presentation and teach an exercise.
Scene Spurs - Writing Prompts for Dramatic Depth
Scene Spurs is a collection of photo-based writing prompts developed by playwright Lindsay Price. The set includes 35 different Spurs along with an instruction guide to integrate them into your drama classroom.
School Year Calendar 2020-2021
There are 2 versions of the Drama Teacher School Year calendar. One is a monthly calendar with an inspirational quote and image per month; the second is a portrait-layout booklet version that can be customized to any school year.
Script Analysis For Actors: Action Words
This exercise looks at exploring your script through action words. The idea is to find the “action” in your dialogue. I’m not talking about blocking. I’m talking about visualizing action, injecting movement and life into your performance.
Script Analysis for Student Actors
Five Steps to Building your Foundation through script analysis.
Self Care Bingo
Use this fun bingo card to give yourself some love over the holidays, or whenever you need a break!
Separating School Life and Home Life
A checklist to help you separate your school and home life, while teaching remotely.
Ten Traditional Activities Adapted for the Virtual Classroom
10 traditional drama activities, adapted for the virtual/online classroom.
The Distance Learning Resource eBook
Teachers, we know you’ve got so much to think about right now. Your brain is full! Take a break and use The Distance Learning Resource for warm-ups, exercises, and articles specific to teaching in a virtual environment.
Distance learning is a new experience for so many teachers and students. But any experience can be used to challenge students to think creatively and problem solve theatrically. Just remember to not compare what you’re doing in a virtual environment to what you did in a traditional classroom. Treat the virtual classroom as its own thing with its own challenges and learning opportunities. You can do it!
The Open/Close Circle
This handout describes the open/close circle, with a list of circle questions to use with your class to start and end each class.
The Secret Scene Partner
Teach students how to create a secret scene partner when they perform a monologue.
The Student Director's Handbook
Help students take their show from first audition to opening night with The Student Director’s Handbook. This easy-to-use ebook is full of guidelines, tips and templates designed to help students create a vision, circumvent problems and organize rehearsals on their way to a successful production.
Theatre Terms Handout
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.
There are no small parts, only small choices
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.
This Class is too Big!
Try these strategies and games when dealing with a large class size.
This Class is too Small!
Strategies and tips for dealing with a small class size.
Thought of the Day
Use this list of 45 quotes for a 'thought of the day' activity with any drama class.
Tongue Twisters in the Theatre Classroom
45 pages of tongue twisters and activities.
Traditional Dramatic Structure
This handout explains traditional dramatic structure and includes a visual guide.
Using Multiple Tactics
This resource provides a video example of multiple tactics to spark a discussion with your students.
Using Social Media to Promote Your Drama Program
Tips from social media expert Stephanie Anderson on how to start promoting your drama program using social media.
Uta Hagen's 9 Questions
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. Introduce the 9 questions to your students, and use the included worksheet and reflection.
Virtual Body Language
The goal of this distance learning exercise is to help students become more aware of their body language in the virtual classroom (both conscious and unconscious) and how it makes others perceive them. Students have to turn their cameras on to participate, but it is fairly low-risk as they will complete the movement portion as a group, and they don’t need to have their microphones on.
What are the Structural Elements of a Script
This handout names and describes the structural elements of a script: character, objective, obstacle, tactics, and resolution.