Open Forum

Inevitably there are times in a rehearsal in class that some class members are engaged in working a scene and others are not.  "Work on your lines/tablework" is not always sufficient as activities for those students.  What are some alternative/simultaneous activities that you use?  Thank you in advance for all of the ideas!

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Nancy Curtis
Director of Theatre Arts
Virginia Beach VA
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I'm interested to hear what others do - this is a great question and an ongoing challenge.

This is a good time to work on character backstories, and have them get into pairs or small groups and share details about their characters, and allow the others in the group to ask questions about character choices and background. They can introduce themselves in character to their groups. 

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Dianne Rowe
Birmingham AL
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This is an area in which I hope to improve in this year. Especially when one is pushing through the class production, it is very true that not everyone is needed by the teacher at that one point, which could mean between 10-20 folks left sitting around, or being trusted to do something when your back is turned.

This year I am going to try introducing accountability tables, journal reflections, as well as giving my students more of the tools conventionally used in creating character (given circumstances, as if, certain games they can play unsupervised). The trick will be in enforcing this, maybe the first few times through circulating (to make sure it is being done), followed up by Stage Managers, followed up by an assignment grade. Hoping that it doesn't just turn into busy work, but what is being suggested should really help them round out performances and characters.

We'll have to see. Would love to know what others do. After-school rehearsals are an entirely different matter, of course, and what I'd love to continue to hear in this discussion is what one does in a classroom setting to keep those you're not directly working with on track. Somehow this seems slightly more tricky in a theatre classroom than an English classroom!

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Phillip Goodchild
Theatre Arts Instructor/Assistant Department Head of English
Hillsborough County Schools
Ruskin FL
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Hi Nancy

I tend to do (or create) lessons in the classroom that have everyone involved during the course of the class period. In rehearsal for plays, I'll have actors work with the SM, ASM or other members of the cast on lines, bits, or scenes while I am busy working other scenes. I also layer my rehearsals so that everyone is not always there for the entire call. When I direct the musical, it's easier to get actors in with the music director to drill songs while I am blocking other scenes.  

Hope this helps.

A-men

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A-men Rasheed
Director of Theater
Westminster School
Simsbury CT
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I only did an in class play for the first time last year. It was different from after school rehearsals because for those I only called Whi I knew id need. I found that taking one day every week or 10 days to introduce a lesson with a long term assignment was great. My leads had modified work since they were onstage more. Some lessons: ppublicity/ PR theb designing a publicity plan and poster for a play. Recast the play they're working on with celebrities, then make a poster with bios (done in groups), teach them basic sewing skills and had then bring in something from home they wanted to repair (simple stitches) or practice on fabric swatches, read a play and design a costume plot. You can also have them do practical things like make props for the play, write out a costume plot, choose music for scene changes, type put a program. 

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Nicole Pedroche
Drama Teacher
Covina CA
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