Items tagged "Directing"
9 Courses, 10 Lesson Plans, 7 Resources, and 5 PLCs tagged "Directing" for Drama Teachers.
Courses
PD COURSE
From Audition to Curtain Call: Directing Youth Theatre
by Steven Stack
11 modules
1 hours, 42 minutes
3 Credit Hours
Directing youth theatre can be one of the most thrilling, rewarding, and exhausting jobs there is – because it’s not just about staging a play. It’s about creating an environment that fosters hard work, dedication, trust, and the willingness to take chances, to “play without fear.”
As a writer/teacher/director of youth theatre for over 15 years, I have developed tools and strategies that enable my students and me to focus on the process of creating theatre while fostering an environment that leads to creative freedom and a cohesive groups that doesn't act as individual “stars,” but as a community of one.
In this course, I will share with you these tips and strategies, along with the ways to implement them in your theatre environment.
PD COURSE
The Do-it-All Director's Introduction to Costuming
by Holly Beardsley
10 modules
2 hours, 12 minutes
4 Credit Hours
Do you know the difference between a bustle and a buckram frame? Or what works best as an emergency hem? Some directors are blessed with a big budget and a full support staff—a choreographer, a set designer, and a costumer. But the drama teacher often becomes director, choreographer, set designer, and costumer all in one.
And a budget? What’s a budget? The Do-It-All Director’s Introduction to Costuming will give you, the director, who must do it all, the confidence and skills to costume and direct, no matter your experience or budget. This course will teach you costuming basics, budget tricks, organization, and most importantly, the art of costuming as a director.
PD COURSE
Concept-Based Design for the Theatre Teacher
by Matt Webster
10 modules
1 hours, 38 minutes
3 Credit Hours
Concept-Based Design is a method of design that allows the director and production team to create a unified world based on the ideas, perceptions and images extracted from an in-depth analysis of the play. Matt Webster designed this course for theatre teachers in a typical school setting with limited budgets, space and materials to use towards the design of their shows. Many theatre teachers feel most unsure about their design and tech skills and Matt wanted to help those teachers look at design differently, and make designing a show a little less scary and a little more fun!
PD COURSE
Introduction to Stage Management Part One
by Karen Loftus
8 modules
1 hours, 16 minutes
3 Credit Hours
In this course, instructor Karen Loftus explores the responsibilities of a stage manager. You'll learn exercises that will help you demonstrate those responsibilities and the necessary skills of a stage manager to your students. You'll learn how to train your students to serve as stage managers for your school’s productions.
The course takes you through what a stage manager does prior to rehearsal and throughout the rehearsal and performance process to have a smooth-running backstage. It includes learning about the paperwork required, including prompt scripts, rehearsal preparations, notating blocking, and a stage manager’s kit and checklist to wrap it all together.
PD COURSE
The Do-it-All Director's Introduction to Set Design
by Holly Beardsley
10 modules
1 hours, 40 minutes
3 Credit Hours
Holly Beardsley is a do-it-all director. She started directing middle and high school students in her early college years and since then has written over ten shows and directed twice as many.
Do-it-all directors are responsible for everything it seems – the direction, the costuming, the choreography and of course, the set too. And though directors are ready to direct, to costume and even dance, there is something intimidating about designing and building a set.
The Do-it-All Director’s Introduction to Set Design will give you the director, who must do-it-all, the confidence and skills to not only direct but build your own set as well - no matter your experience or budget. This course will teach you set design basics, construction tips, budget tricks, and how to tackle your precious performance space armed with a hammer, and most importantly, without fear.
PD COURSE
Introduction to Stage Management Part Two
by Karen Loftus
8 modules
1 hours, 28 minutes
3 Credit Hours
Karen Loftus instructs this second course in stage management - a companion to Introduction to Stage Management Part One.
This course will review the major concepts covered in Introduction to Stage Management, and discuss the different types of technical rehearsals and how student stage managers prepare for and run them. You’ll learn how to teach your students to notate and call cues for a show. The course will also introduce strategies for student stage managers who work with student crews. It will discuss how you can provide the support your student stage managers need to be effective, and how that support helps to strengthen your overall program and theatre community.
Student stage managers start in the classroom, train during school productions, and can take these newly discovered and acquired skills on with them to colleges and careers and theatre (and beyond)!
PD COURSE
The Production Classroom
by Karen Loftus
8 modules
1 hours, 46 minutes
4 Credit Hours
In The Production Classroom, instructor Karen Loftus will show you how to explore ways that you can produce shows during your regular class time. The course gives you a series of exercises and reflections that help you determine everything, from the type of show you may want to do, to the way you can divide up your class and responsibilities, to specific assignments that will keep your students engaged and focused.
The Production Classroom is the ultimate in project-based learning. Students learn to work collaboratively while setting goals and working towards a successful finished project. The course includes exercises and strategies to use with students to help assure their success in the production. Multiple examples and anecdotes help you to envision what the production classroom could look like in your room, performance space or theatre.
PD COURSE
Director's Toolbox 1: Teaching Students to Direct
by James Van Leishout
8 modules
2 hours, 12 minutes
3 Credit Hours
In this course, James Van Leishout explores why students should direct, and covers the first two tools in the director’s toolbox: self and the script. What background should every director have? Why should they learn to love research? What should happen in the first four reads of a script?
With every step along the way, there will be exercises and activities your student directors can take on before they step into the rehearsal process.
PD COURSE
Director's Toolbox 2: Teaching Students to Direct
by James Van Leishout
8 modules
2 hours, 47 minutes
4 Credit Hours
Director’s Toolbox 2: Teaching Students to Direct, explores the tools of the actor, rehearsal, space, and design.
The tool of the actor will focus on creating a safe place to play, auditions, and how to communicate with actors.
Rehearsals will look at the whole process from the first meeting to opening night.
The tool of space will explore how to direct in different spaces and how to create focus through stage composition.
Discover how an understanding of the elements of design help student-directors communicate with designers. The final step is a return to self and the mastery of self evaluation.
Lesson Plans
LESSON PLAN
Images on Stage: War Posters
by Lindsay Price
Students will discuss and analyze War Posters. What are the images? What is being said with those images? Describe the colours and shapes. Students will discuss how a director can use images as a jumping off point for staging.
Includes five posters, assessment rubric, and analysis sheet.
LESSON PLAN
Pirate Ship Stage Directions
by Ruth Richards
Students will learn the basics of stage positioning through this fun, interactive game. Comes with guide to positioning and all "Pirate Ship" terms!
LESSON PLAN
Stage Direction Tic-Tac-Toe
by Marisa Peck
To identify and physically locate the nine areas of the stage.
Students play a life-sized game of tic-tac-toe on the stage using stage directions to navigate the different squares. Lesson Plan comes with a stage positioning template for assessment.
LESSON PLAN
Staging the Location Exercise
by Lindsay Price
Students will stage locations using only a finite number of props and pieces. The goal is to show the location using action and imagination (as we often must do in the theatre) without a reliance on exact realism.
LESSON PLAN
What Is the Right Way to Direct?
by Lindsay Price
This lesson plan takes students through a variety of directing styles, asks them to assess each method, and then asks them to reflect on what’s most important when choosing a directing method. This is a great lesson to use for a directing class, or an advanced class that will be putting together their own scenes.
LESSON PLAN
Directing: What Is the Purpose of Production?
by Lindsay Price
The director Max Reinhardt said that, “Our standards must not be to act a play as it was acted in the days of its author.” Use this quote as a reflection point for students. Students will take a play from another era and create a 1-minute presentation that demonstrates how a production can take a play beyond how it was acted in the days of its playwright.
LESSON PLAN
Emergency Lesson Plan: Directing Masterclass
by Lindsay Price
In this ELP, students participate in an online masterclass on directing and complete a viewing quiz.
LESSON PLAN
Transitions
by Kerry Hishon
To practice planning and performing transitions between scenes in a smooth and well-prepared manner, with increasingly shorter time frames and other challenges.
LESSON PLAN
Problem Solving for Student Directors
by Kerry Hishon
Students will work on a problem-solving scenario that may arise while working with peers/friends during the rehearsal process. They will first work together as a group, and then individually submit an Exit Slip.
LESSON PLAN
Emergency Lesson Plan: Theatrical Problem Solving - The Director
by Lindsay Price
In this ELP students will take on the role of director. As the point person in a production for both the onstage and offstage departments, the director is the one who must problem-solve in a variety of situations. Students are asked to brainstorm solutions for a variety of problems and write out their answers. They will submit their work at the end of the class.
Resources
RESOURCE
Directing First Time Actors
Video
What are the tricks and tips for directing first time actors? Guest: Forrest Musselman.
RESOURCE
Creating a Director's Vision
PDF
Where does a director start with a play? Start with questions. Use this series of analytical and conceptual questions on your chosen text.
RESOURCE
Sample Rehearsal Schedule with Exercises
PDF
This is a sample six rehearsal schedule for a full length play. Use this as a model and modify according to your and your students' needs.
RESOURCE
Masterclass with Todd Espeland: Directing
Video
2 resources
Masterclass is a series of one-on-one interviews with experts, creators and innovators in the world of Theatre that you can study in-depth, or share with your classes. Think of this series as 'Inside the Actor's Studio' for Drama Teachers.
This Masterclass with Todd Espeland, Artistic Director of the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, is all about Directing, and is hosted by Matt Webster.
RESOURCE
How do you look for a show?
Video
2 resources
This video by Todd Espeland is a mini lesson to help you in your search for a show. Todd shares 5 specific tips and tricks choosing a show that is the right fit for your school and program. This lesson comes with a handout sheet and brainstorming sheets to help you narrow down your search.
RESOURCE
One Moment From a Play
Video
1 resource
This video by Todd Espeland is a mini lesson in creating that 'One Moment from a Play'. Todd shares his experience in devising that moment by making the right creative choices. This lesson comes with a worksheet for reflection.
RESOURCE
Directing Style Chart
PDF
This resource helps students and directors consider the style of a play: naturalism, epic theatre, classical/neoclassical, expressionism, surrealism, impressionism, romanticism, hyperrealism, and others.
PLCs
PLC
Technical Theatre
Hosted by Matt Webster and Karen Loftus
49:36
2 resources
If you struggle with tech or want to share your ideas for teaching tech, this is the event for you.
Hosted by DTA Instructors Matt Webster and Karen Loftus.
Recorded July 23, 2015
PLC
Tech Hacks: Tips and tricks to make your production a technical success!
Hosted by Matt Webster and Holly Beardsley
01:06:32
1 resource
Technical Theatre Tips
Tips for set design, costuming, lighting, and more! Dealing with small budgets, overcoming obstacles, and making the most of what you have. BONUS material at the end of the PLC!
Hosted by DTA instructors Holly Beardsley, Matt Webster, and Lindsay Price.
Recorded on September 15, 2015 at 8pm.
PLC
Rock your next Rehearsal
Hosted by Matt Webster & Jeremy Bishop
43:00
1 resource
Your rehearsal questions and challenges addressed!
Hosted by DTA instructors Matt Webster and Lindsay Price, and special guest - DTA member and teacher Jeremy Bishop.
Recorded on October 20, 2015 at 8pm.
PLC
Production Pitfalls
Hosted by Matt Webster, Jeremy Bishop, and Heather Brandon
41:21
1 resource
Production Pitfalls. We all know about how much fun the ups are, but how do we deal with the downs when we’re producing a play? What production pitfalls do YOU need help with? What was your biggest production-related frustration this year?
The discussion is led by Matt Webster, one of our awesome DTA instructors. Joining us are two DTA members: Jeremy Bishop and Heather Brandon.
Recorded June 25, 2015
PLC
Commitment
Hosted by Matt Webster, Jeremy Bishop, and Heather Brandon
38:21
1 resource
A recording of our live online PLC just for DTA members
How do you get get commitment (from students, parents, and administration) in order to make your program the best it can be?
The discussion is led by Matt Webster, one of our awesome DTA instructors. Joining us are two DTA members: Jeremy Bishop and Heather Brandon.
Recorded July 9, 2015
