From the Blog Theatrefolk Featured Play – A Recipe of Me by Kate Kilpatrick by Lindsay Price Featured Plays Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. A Recipe of Me by Kate Kilpatrick is an incredible ensemble play with authentic middle school characters for middle school students. We see people all the time but don’t always know their stories. A Recipe of Me is great for social-emotional learning and understanding others. Leah and her siblings are […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Approaching Your Script: What Directors Need to Think About Before Beginning the Production Process by Kerry Hishon Directing, Rehearsal, & Production Choosing a show for your school to produce can be challenging. But once you have selected the show, the hard part is done, right? Well, it’s one thing crossed off your list, but your list is about to get much longer–there is a whole host of other concepts to consider. Here’s a jumping off point […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Theatrefolk Featured Play - Magic Fairy in the Microwave Featured Plays A darkly funny physical theatre piece where a teenager battles an unreliable narrator trying to kill her. A fast-paced, absurd adventure. 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Middle School Miming: Big, Small, Heavy, Light Movement & Physicality Movement & Physicality A circle exercise where students practice portraying an object's size and weight by passing invisible big, small, heavy, and light items. 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Time Filler Activity: Mindful Minutes Time Fillers A list of mindfulness exercises to help drama students re-centre, including breathing techniques, an energy pass circle, and a "stop and sense" check. 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Creative Fundraising Ideas for Your Upcoming Production Budgeting Go beyond bake sales with 20 fundraising ideas for your production, like selling program shout-outs, auctioning props, or hosting a musical theatre karaoke night. 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Costume Challenge: Modernizing a Classic Character’s Ensemble by Kerry Hishon Costumes The following exercise challenges students to take on the role of costume designer and come up with a modern look for a character from a different era. Students will learn about the character and the time period in which they lived to create a modern ensemble inspired by the traditional looks of the era. This […] 4 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog March Reading List: Plays With Iconic Characters Themed Play Lists This reading list features stage adaptations with iconic characters from classic literature, including Dracula, Alice, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Jo March. 5 min read Read the Full Post
Podcast Episode Theatrefolk Podcast: Talking with an Adjudicator by Lindsay Price Podcast Episode 131: Talking with an Adjudicator What is an adjudicator looking for? How do you handle an adjudication? How does an adjudicator approach their task? Lindsay talks to Matthew MacDermid who has been a high school and middle school adjudicator for 10 years in Florida. He’s seen it all and talks about his process. Show […] 24 min read Read the Full Post
Podcast Episode Theatrefolk Podcast: Set Design: How to cut a big musical down to size by Lindsay Price Podcast Sets & Scenic Design Episode 94: Set Design: How to cut a big musical down to size Set Designer Sean Martin talks about how high schools can put on a big musical without breaking the bank with set design. Show Notes Contact Sean at: sean@joey-aristophanes.com Practical Technical Theatre DVD Series “Set design for Fiddler on the Roof” “Set […] 24 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Easy Distance Learning Activities For When You Just Can’t Think by Kerry Hishon Fun & Easy Games Teachers, you work so hard to make amazing virtual lesson plans for your students. And for that, we applaud you all — you are awesome! But we know, the burnout is real. If that time comes, when that time comes, and your brain just feels too full, use one of these three activities with your […] 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Pros and Cons: Food and Drink Onstage Staging Challenges Props Weigh the pros of realism against the cons of mess, cost, and safety when deciding to use real, fake, or mimed food in your student production. 5 min read Read the Full Post
Podcast Episode Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat by Lindsay Price Podcast Episode 8: Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat Pull up a chair and join Theatrefolk partners Lindsay Price and Craig Mason in a YouTube Fireside chat. This week we compare three interpretations of “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” from Guys and Dolls – the movie plus two Tony Award Show performances. Video One – […] 15 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Round-Up: Dealing With Production Challenges by Kerry Hishon Directing, Rehearsal, & Production Technical Theatre It’s never a question of “if” something will go wrong during a theatrical production…it’s completely a case of “when” something will go wrong! But when things do inevitably go wrong, will you and your students panic or persevere? Here are four common production challenges, rapid-fire style, with suggested solutions. 1. Your budget is not nearly […] 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog May Reading List: Animal-Inspired Play Titles Themed Play Lists Explore animal-titled plays for your students, from a large-cast comedy about insidious cat hair to a serious drama about a chicken crossing the road. 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Common Assumptions About Drama Class by Kerry Hishon Program Advocacy There are lots of reasons why students choose to take drama class. But unfortunately not all of them are positive reasons. On the other hand, students also come up with lots of reasons to avoid taking drama class. In this article, we look at four common assumptions students often have about taking drama class, with […] 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Mask Exploration: Found Object Masks and Online Movement (Distance Exercise) by Kerry Hishon Games, Exercises, & Activities The following distance learning exercise is active and flexible. It focuses on mask work, and challenges students to use their skills of observation, critical thinking, and creative thinking. It can be completed in one class period by just focusing on one area of observation, but also extended if students complete it quickly or teachers wish […] 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Middle School Miming: Preparatory Skills Movement & Physicality Prepare students for mime work with exercises that build three foundational skills: stillness, focus, and visualization. 5 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog Drama class ideas for after the final project Games, Exercises, & Activities Lesson Plans & Projects Keep students engaged with four activities for post-project class time, including a lip sync battle, improv olympics, and a poster design project. 6 min read Read the Full Post
From the Blog What motivational words would you offer a struggling drama teacher? by Lindsay Price Teacher Reflection Drama Teacher Community As theatre educators, we typically do what we do because of a passion for both theatre and teaching. When our students struggle, we’re often the first ones in their corner cheering them on. But what happens when we’re the ones struggling? When the daily stresses and frustrations add up until you feel like the show […] 6 min read Read the Full Post
