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  • 1.  PRAXIS

    Posted 08-01-2014 22:34
    Hi everyone. I'm preparing to take the Theatre Praxis test this fall and I've noticed there's no study guide. It's been a while since I've been in the classroom as a student so I'm looking for some advice, resources, etcetera. Thanks fellow educators! ------------------------------------------- Melissa Carroll-Jackson Director of Theatre Lake Havasu High School Lake Havasu City AZ ------------------------------------------- Sent via Higher Logic Mobile


  • 2.  RE:PRAXIS

    Posted 08-02-2014 08:40
    I took it during my undergrad and everyone told me it would be easy, no sweat. Well... IT WAS! Unless it has changed, I feel like you'll be fine and if something unfamiliar comes up, you'll be able to deduce the answer from the choices given. You should also know I took it medicated out of my mind on painkillers from a kidney stone I was passing and I had to excuse myself to deal with nausea. Still passed! If you're still uneasy about it, I'd recommend reviewing general eras and works of theatre history. Most of the questions are painfully obvious though. One I remember was something like, "Your having trouble hearing your cast when they rehearse. You should do A) a movement exercise, B) a character analysis assignment, or C) a vocal warm up focusing on projection." Good luck Good luck! ------------------------------------------- Benjamin Stuart Middle School Theatre Arts Teacher Seattle Public Schools Seattle WA ------------------------------------------- Sent via Higher Logic Mobile
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  • 3.  RE: PRAXIS

    Posted 08-03-2014 11:08
    It made me angry because so many of the questions dealt with technical theatre topics that are not relevant to the majority of Drama teachers in my region.  Yes, I know how to hang a light and run a fly system, but very few high school theaters have such facilities or we are required to hire licensed professionals due to safety codes.

    We were given 2 hours to do the test and I blew through it in 35 minutes. The only questions I missed were math problems dealing with "amp loads" and voltage requirements for fog machines.

    Here's what I recommend for you to review:
    1) Literature: Ask your English dept. what plays they cover and go over those.  In addition, review Streetcar, Doll's House, Menagerie, Crucible, R&J, Macbeth, and Midsummer
    2) Tech Theatre: know the difference between a Par and a Fresnel, a leg and a teaser, and a cyc and a scrim. Also, review math stuff for amps, volts, and grounding.
    3) Philosophies: Stanislavski, Hagen, and Meisner
    4) History and World Cultures: Greeks, Kabuki, Restoration, Elizabethan and even puppetry
    5) Careers & Business: Be able to define the roles of Stage Manager, Musical Director, Producer, Designer, etc., as well as understand how to license a play and make a budget.

    There were no questions about current theatre so don't worry about what/who has won the Tony award recently or what is playing on Broadway.

    Break a leg.

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    Josh Ruben
    Fine Arts Head
    Chattanooga TN
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  • 4.  RE: PRAXIS

    Posted 08-03-2014 23:13
    I am a Spanish teacher, and in order to be qualified to teach a Theatre Arts course in my school (50% performance, 50% tech) - I needed to pass the Communications Praxis exam. I had about 6 weeks prior to the test, with no formal education/training in theatre - just hands on involvement from my own experiences. (I have been involved in some capacity in every production at this for almost 20 years when I started teaching in 1994...with the exception of one show that I missed because I was about to give birth to my oldest son.) PA doesn't recognize Theatre as its own area of certification - so I had to do the one for Communications. I was able to order some flashcards online - and I sorted and read through them as my way to study. Topics for me included forensics/speech & debate, theatre, and video production. The hardest part of the exam for me was dealing with questions about specific characters from plays I didn't know. But I passed! And then, my district said that there were too many Spanish students & they weren't going to run the class. ;-( This past year, they finally agreed to have it in the course selection booklet, I had 28 kids sign up, and they still wouldn't let it run, unfortunately. But if you've got experience & some training, I wouldn't worry too much about the test - trust your instincts. Good luck! ------------------------------------------- Melissa Mintzer Willow Street PA -------------------------------------------
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  • 5.  RE: PRAXIS

    Posted 08-02-2014 12:39
    I took my Praxis for Speech Theatre in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. The tornado sirens went off multiple times, as did the alarms on campus. Since we were taking the test in the storm shelter they kept testing even though the alarms were going off inside the test room. I was sure I had failed - nope! Passed with flying colors. With that said, I found a practice test that helped me immensely. That was 10 years ago, but I would think there would be something out there to help you. In your shoes, I would want to at least review some targeted topics. Try looking for practice tests instead of study guides. Break a leg - you'll be fine! ------------------------------------------- Amy Learn Ballwin MO -------------------------------------------
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  • 6.  RE: PRAXIS

    Posted 08-03-2014 10:07
    Melissa,

    Although I have not yet had the opportunity to take the test, I was looking into it recently and found a link to practice questions:

    http://www.testprepreview.com/praxis-ii-theatre.htm

    Although the test does seem really easy (basic history and theory), I did notice the working could be tricky. I'm sure you will pass it brilliantly, but I might review the phrasing on some of the questions. The link above is great. It has 200 questions to review and all the answers too.

    I wish you all the best!!!! Break a leg!!!

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    Elise Shuford
    Cumming GA
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  • 7.  RE: PRAXIS

    Posted 08-04-2014 15:36
    The theatre Praxis was completely rewritten around two years ago and is a new test. The old test was over fifteen years old. It had been slightly updated (several dated questions thrown out) only once, to my knowledge. I am not sure about the difficulty level of the new test. The old one was, as most have commented, a fairly easy test; however, I know several people who did not pass on the first go-around and they were theatre teachers! It is wise to review, especially theatre history, technical theatre issues and theatre terminology. 

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    E. Frank Bluestein
    Germantown TN
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