List of Contributions

Blake Wilson

Theatre Arts Director,
Orange High School

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Theatre Arts Director,
Orange High School

My Content

1 to 17 of 17 total
Posted By Blake Wilson 07-08-2023 11:56
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It CAN work....I tried cosponsoring one with our Band program last year. We did it, but it was only modestly successful, but I gained a few takeaways that I'll share: 1) Plan it way in advance...we planned ours a little too late to build really good momentum and participation....put in on the calendar ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 06-06-2023 09:49
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This year, I've asked for student input and feedback on play selection (first time I've tried this after years of just choosing the shows myself). Would love some advice from those of you who have done this. My committee of students that is advising me has taken the process seriously (to their credit) ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 02-09-2023 12:23
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Hi Tammy- Thanks for your response and communication! We received our materials today. I realize that I ordered my materials with a faster turnaround without realizing there was no ability to expedite the order....so that's on me. It wasn't my intention to "call out" anyone by posting about it. I ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 02-07-2023 18:26
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Hi All- I have inducted some students via the online portal and have planned an induction ceremony....however, it's looking unlikely that the Induction materials will arrive in time. Are there printable certificates that I can download as a placeholder until the materials arrive? I would prefer not ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 01-18-2023 18:49
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If there are no other options for these students and participation is mandatory in some way, then I would put some focus on building relationships with them as much as possible. Get to know them as people, their likes/dislikes, their other interests...and then see if there is some overlap. Do you know ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 01-18-2023 08:07
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Hi All- Curious what you all do to support and train student directors in your program? I'm a big believer in providing this opportunity when possible, but I also see that many of my student directors really struggle. I know that there is always a learning curve for new/young directors, especially ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 12-21-2022 10:22
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You might look at plays by Brian Daniel Oglesby. While I haven't personally directed any of his plays, I know that several of his pieces may fit into the genre you're describing. He writes a lot for teens, but also some for adults too. https://briandanieloglesby.com/ ------------------------------ ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 11-22-2022 08:44
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Hi All- I'm looking to find ways to boost enrollment in my upper level courses. This year, we had nearly 40 students involved in our extra-curricular fall production (which is great for us) and enrollment in my beginner and intermediate classes is solid. The issue is that, even when the kids have fun ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 07-06-2022 11:04
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About 3 years ago, I moved to a new/different school. The issue I'm having is that I feel like I'm struggling to build a core group of reliable "ride or die" theatre kids. There are a number of students who like theatre and who audition for the productions, but they can be very inconsistent. They'll ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 06-09-2022 10:11
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Thank you James for sharing your book with us! Great to see that there is a lot of interest! One friendly request to everyone reading this thread: If you would like to reach out to James about his book, I suggest contacting him directly by email or by using a private message rather than replying to ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 05-20-2022 07:01
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Hi All- With the year ending soon, I'm looking ahead to the next year and am re-examining my approach to my high school intro-level theatre class. Perhaps many of you have wrestled with this. I've been teaching theatre for about 12 years, 10 of which as a classroom teacher....and I've never really been ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 04-30-2022 11:38
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A couple of my classes (advanced theatre and technical theatre) have a performance/production requirement as part of the course. The performances usually take place in the evening and students are expected to attend the dress/tech rehearsals and performances as part of the course grade. This is also ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 07-12-2021 21:35
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Hi Jean-  Thank you for your insights and feedback.   I'll provide a little bit more context in case you have additional thoughts:  A musical, as some have suggested to me, is not really an option for us right now for a variety of reasons, so the piece(s) need to be non-musical. My reasons for looking ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 07-10-2021 11:40
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I'm trying to decide how to schedule/slot my shows for the Fall/Winter and would love some insights.  It's a rather complicated question, so if you have the time/patience to read the details, I hope you'll respond. First, here is the context: -This is a rebuilding year for me, so my core group ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 05-16-2021 10:25
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Take a look at  Silent Sky- Lauren Gunderson (4w,1m) --Could double cast if you have more students. Ugly Lies the Bone - Lindsey Ferrentino (3w 2m) -  Main character is a young woman who is a returning Afghanistan veteran. It follows her struggle to overcome PTSD and to rejoin her community after ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 06-29-2019 16:42
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Hi Friends- I'm moving to a new school this fall.  What would be your summer "to-do list" items for taking over an existing program? For context: The school typically does 2 mainstage shows per year plus one student directed piece and has a booster program.  It has an auditorium and shop space. ...
Posted By Blake Wilson 06-05-2019 06:56
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As a teacher/director, I often use side-coaching when I am working on scenes with students. I have observed, however, that this seems to inadvertently create a challenge for teaching audience ettiquette (especially with younger students). The students hear me providing coaching and I think it gives some ...