From the Blog Closure Practices for the Drama Classroom Reflection & Critical Thinking Explore simple closure practices to help students transition out of intense scene work, including grounding, box breathing, and guided meditation. 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Respect the Tech! A Technical Performance Challenge by Kerry Hishon Games, Exercises, & Activities Technical Theatre So much emphasis in theatre and drama classrooms is placed on acting, that we often forget the unsung heroes of the theatre – the crew (also known as the “techs” or “techies”). This includes technical designers for sound, lighting, costumes, props and set; operators for all the technical aspects (sound, lighting, follow spot, wireless microphones, video […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Cheers to the Classics: The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price Featured Plays Cheers to the classics! In the brilliant full-length adaptation, The Canterbury Tales by Lindsay Price, Chaucer’s classic collection of tales come to life. A group of travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage. To pass the time they entertain each other with a storytelling contest. Best story wins a prize. Each and every performer […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Expression Exercise: Who Am I? by Lindsay Price Playwriting Exercises Who am I? It’s a question not a lot of people ask. Who am I? What defines me? Effective artistic expression begins with you. If you’re going to write a well detailed character, you should know those details about yourself. If you’re going to write an opinion on an issue, you should know why you […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Superhero Series: Adding Support With a Super Sidekick by Kerry Hishon Games, Exercises, & Activities Curriculum & Lesson Planning Welcome to Part 2 of Theatrefolk’s Superhero Series! In our last post, we talked about creating an original superhero character. Now we’re going to give the superhero a sidekick. Batman has Robin, Harry Potter has Ron and Hermione, Mario has Luigi, Iron Man has War Machine. A great sidekick helps a superhero to shine brighter, […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Communication Game: Blind Robot Ensemble-Building A drama game where students give one command at a time to a blindfolded robot, teaching the necessity of precise and clear verbal instructions. 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Dramas by Lindsay Price Themed Play Lists Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays About… Dramas. Issue plays that don’t talk down to your students. Theatrical explorations of serious topics. Read one, read them all! Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Drama Activities for Community Service by Kerry Hishon Curriculum & Lesson Planning Dramatic events are absolutely fantastic for reaching out into the community, fundraising, raising awareness for various causes, and having a great time while you’re at it. If your school has a requirement of community service hours in order for your students to graduate, it’s a great way for students to obtain those hours – or […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatre in the Real World: Professional Profile by Kerry Hishon Games, Exercises, & Activities Curriculum & Lesson Planning “I don’t want to be an actor!” is one reason why students may not want to take drama class. However, there are a whole host of careers in the theatre that aren’t acting. The following individual exercise gives students the opportunity to discover and explore different jobs in the theatrical world, including experience needed, responsibilities, […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk Featured Play – Home of the Brave by Lee Cataluna by Lindsay Price Featured Plays Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Home of the Brave by Lee Cataluna is an excellent character-driven piece filled with incredible monologues and universal themes. The military has its own language, with many short ways of saying long things. PCS means Permanent Change of Station, or “to move.” The young teens in Home of the Brave PCS […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Plays for Classroom Production by Lindsay Price Themed Play Lists Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…. Classroom Production. Are you putting on a play with your class? Do you need flexible casting? Do you need ensemble driven works? Material that’s easy to stage? A show that can actually be rehearsed in a class period? We’ve got plays just for you! Click the link […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk’s Top 10: Small Cast Plays by Lindsay Price Featured Plays Small Cast Plays Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For… Small Casts. Sometimes you need something small. Not everyone needs the cast of thousands. Or maybe you have so many great students, you want to give a group something substantial to work on. All of these plays are one acts and call for a cast of 5 […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Drama Fun & Games: Technology Bingo by Kerry Hishon Fun & Easy Games Distance learning using video conferencing software is full of surprises and challenges. Some days, connecting and running your class goes off without a hitch. Other days, it seems like anything that can go wrong, does go wrong, and your lesson plan ends up not looking like much of anything. We teachers have to give ourselves […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Beyond Happy and Sad: Exploring Emotions with Middle Schoolers Games, Exercises, & Activities Use this spectrum activity to help students define and portray nuanced emotions, moving from simply happy to feelings like content, glad, or ecstatic. 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk Featured Play – Baalzebub by Rachel Atkins by Lindsay Price Featured Plays Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. A response to the classic novel, Lord of the Flies, Baalzebub by Rachel Atkins is a full-length or one-act ensemble piece that offers excellent inclusive, diverse and gender-expansive opportunities in casting. What would a group of girls do if they were abandoned alone, at a refugee camp, in an unnamed […] 3 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Shakespeare Set in Another Time by Kerry Hishon Acting Technique Directing, Rehearsal, & Production Since Shakespearean plays have been around for hundreds of years, we need to shake things up by trying new ideas in order to make these shows different and exciting. One of the most wonderful things about Shakespearean plays is the freedom to be able to set them in another time and place. Here’s a classroom […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog 5 Things to Consider When Selecting a Play for Production by Kerry Hishon Choosing a Show So, your school is mounting a production this year? Fantastic! Mounting a school production is a wonderful learning opportunity for students and staff alike. It’s also a big challenge. Teachers: Before auditions are scheduled and sets start to take shape, here are five things to consider when selecting the show that your school will produce. […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk Featured Play – The Art of Rejection: Two One-Act Plays by Christian Kiley by Lindsay Price Featured Plays Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. The Art of Rejection: Two One-Act Plays by Christian Kiley consists of two one-act plays that expertly combine realism with the abstract, and include characters that high school students can really relate to. R is the only letter in a sea of numbers. Potential sits in a chair. These two […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog What Is Your Body Language Saying? by Kerry Hishon Movement & Physicality When teaching virtually to students with their cameras on, teachers get to witness all sorts of interesting student antics — students tuning in from strange locations (their closet, their family’s car, under the table), students in various states of dress (pajamas, anyone?), and students in a variety of body positions. When learning from home, students […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk Featured Play – Stereotype High by Jeffrey Harr by Lindsay Price Featured Plays Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. High school is full of stereotypes – or is it? Told in a series of interlaced vignettes, Stereotype High by Jeffrey Harr examines these “stereotypical” teens and how they fight tooth and nail to reinvent themselves. The geek. The freak. The stoner. The dumb jock. The mean girl. The thespian. […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
