The Theater of Teaching and the Lessons of Theater


Book Description

This collection of essays explores the intersections between theater as text, theater as performance, and theater as pedagogy. The theory of performance and the practice of theater as it can be done, taught, and conceptualized in academia bring together these three different paths, in a volume that can be equally useful to theater practitioners, to teachers of dramatic texts, and to students, scholars, and teachers of theater seen both as literature and as practice.




Pipeline


Book Description

Nya, an inner-city public high school teacher, is committed to her students but desperate to give her only son Omari opportunities they’ll never have. When a controversial incident at his upstate private school threatens to get him expelled, Nya must confront his rage and her own choices as a parent. But will she be able to reach him before a world beyond her control pulls him away? With profound compassion and lyricism, Pipeline brings an urgent conversation powerfully to the fore. Morisseau pens a deeply moving story of a mother’s fight to give her son a future — without turning her back on the community that made him who he is.




Acting


Book Description

The classic text on the craft of Method acting by the founder of The American Laboratory Theatre. After studying at the Moscow Art Theatre under Konstantin Stanislavski, Richard Boleslavsky became one of the most important acting teachers of his or any generation. Bringing Stanislavski’s system to America in the 1920s and 30s, he influenced many of the titans of American drama, from his own students—including Lee Strasburg and Stella Adler—to Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, and many others. In Acting: The First Six Lessons, Boleslavsky presents his acting theory and technique in a series of accessible and engaging dialogues. Widely considered a must-have for any serious actor, Boleslavsky’s work has long helped actors better understand their craft.




Teaching Musical Theatre


Book Description

Need a little help taking your musical theatre classes to the next level? Introducing Teaching Musical Theatre: The Essential Handbook, a new resource packed with 16 ready-to-go lesson plans that will turn your young performers into musical theatre triple-threats. This book is the highly anticipated follow-up to Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook which has sold over 10,000 copies worldwide. With this book you'll receive: A semester's worth of cumulative lessons perfect for students age 7-14 Notes on how to introduce musical theatre concepts in a way kids will instantly absorb Tips and tools on easy ways to transition between activities and lessons A guide on how to plan a performance at the end of the semester Useful reflection and journaling exercises after every lesson. Below are just a few of the topics covered in the lessons: What is musical theatre? Students will explore the origin of musical theatre and the shows that have defined the genre. Storytelling in Musicals. Students will learn about the "emotional staircase" and how it's the basis of storytelling in musical theatre. Music in Musicals. Students will develop an understanding of how music is used to convey character and emotion, and how that understanding can help strengthen and inform their acting choices. Singing Musical Theatre. Students will develop an understanding of proper singing technique and how to use their voice to captivate an audience. Dance and Movement. Students will learn how dance and movement contribute to musical storytelling and become familiar with basic choreography. Acting the Song. Students will understand the importance of "acting a song" as opposed to just "performing a song", and learn how to give nuanced, compelling performances. And much more!




Teaching Drama: the Essential Handbook


Book Description

"16 ready-to-go lessons plans to build better actors."




Theatre in the Classroom, Grades 6-12


Book Description

This latest edition, Theatre in the Classroom, Grades 6–12, equips prospective theatre teachers with key instructional methods and proven strategies for student learning. Building on the previous edition’s strengths, Patterson extensively modified and updated the entire text, incorporating the most recent theatre standards by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards. This indispensable guide, whose theoretical and philosophical underpinnings and practical classroom applications endow it with a lifetime of use, includes ideas for resource portfolios, checklists, rubrics, and other assessment tools. Of additional value are discussions concerning managing the classroom, linking school play production with classroom learning, and recognizing and responding to classroom diversity. Patterson details important considerations and resources for planning productions, ranging from those available from professional organizations to those found within the community to those generated by students. He believes theatre learning must go beyond the study and performance of established play scripts and stresses the importance of productions written, directed, designed, and managed by students. End-of-chapter sections include: “Extension Activities”—ways to help prospective teachers further explore the subject in the college-level methods course; “Stay Connected”—websites for additional resource and research materials; and “Professional Development”—suggestions for expanding personal and career development.




The Drama Book


Book Description

Everything you need to get dramatic in the classroom This easy-to-use, comprehensive teacher-resource book has lesson plans and practical activities that integrate theater into language learning. Plus ten original scripts so you can put the activities into action immediately! Drama and play scripts can be used to teach pronunciation, pragmatics, and other communication skills, as well as provide grammar and vocabulary practice! Conveniently organized into two parts, Part 1 includes pragmatics mini-lessons, community builders, drama games, and pronunciation activities. There are also lesson plans for producing a play (either fully-staged or as Reader's Theater), as well as guidelines and activities for writing plays to use with (or without students,) and suggestions for integrating academic content. You’ll even find rubrics and evaluation schemes for giving notes and feedback. Part 2 includes 10 original monologues and scripts of varying lengths that can be photocopied and used in the classroom. Specifically designed to feature everyday language and high frequency social interactions, these scenes and sketches follow engaging plot arcs in which characters face obstacles and strive to achieve objectives. With a foreword by Ken Wilson, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in using the performing arts to help students become more confident and fluent speakers.




Bumbling Bea


Book Description

Beatrice thinks she has no acting talent but that doesn't stop her from auditioning for the annual middle school play. She has two missions-winning the role of Pocahontas (which guarantees her popularity with the cool kids, at least in her mind) and grabbing the attention of her estranged father. Easy! Except Michiko, a new girl from Japan, shows up and ruins everything! So begins Beatrice's diabolical and hilarious plan to scare away Michiko. But Michiko has goals of her own with no plans to leave soon. Beatrice is sometimes sarcastic, sometimes very funny and always honest. A great book for those who love theater and every part of it--the good, the bad and the crazy.




The High School Theatre Teacher's Survival Guide


Book Description

A reference for high school theatre teachers covering both curricular and extracurricular problems – everything from how to craft a syllabus for a theatre class to what to say to parents about a student's participation in a school play.




Theatre in the Secondary School Classroom


Book Description

If you’re a preservice teacher planning to teach the theatre arts, an in-service secondary teacher considering a foray into teaching theatre, or a theatre professional considering the classroom, there’s a lot to learn. But you don’t have to know everything to teach well from the start, you just need Theatre in the Secondary School Classroom. Theatre in the Secondary School Classroom is the trusty guide that every new theatre teacher will be grateful to have as a ready reference. It’s not an encyclopedia on secondary theatre, but a collection of musts that every beginning instructor needs to know. Theoretical, practical, and friendly, Theatre in the Secondary School Classroom introduces key instructional methods and successful strategies, and works through the problems of practice that face all instructors, regardless of their experience. With discussions of finding appropriate spaces (both personal and physical), assessing students’ learning, encouraging involvement, and more, you’ll find the crucial information you need to hit the ground running. Patterson, McKenna-Crook, and Ellington provide numerous illustrations, model letters to parents, work samples, rubrics, checklists, and example test questions to show you precisely how the nitty-gritty of theatre education plays out. In addition each chapter contains suggested extension activities for students, Internet links to valuable resources and research materials, and experience-won hints on topics of specific interest to the new theatre teacher.