List of Contributions

Makala Witten

Christiansburg High School

Contact Details

Christiansburg High School
Bronze Member

My Content

1 to 20 of 29 total

RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

Posted By Makala Witten 04-20-2022 07:58
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Our officer elections had also become a popularity contest, leaving me with an often overly-busy and non-committed group of "leaders". For last spring's election, we converted to a Thespian Leadership Council (TLC) of seven people. Interested students wrote a statement on why they wanted to be on the ...

RE: Seeking Technical Theater projects

Posted By Makala Witten 02-23-2019 06:56
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Joel,Thank you for your generous offer! I would like to see your plans for the set design and model lesson, as well as the costume design. Thanks so much!mwitten@mcps.org Makala V. WittenChristiansburg High School Teacher, English 12 and TheatreSponsor, International Thespian Troupe 3070Go Blue De ...

RE: Certification for Teaching HS theatre?

Posted By Makala Witten 07-25-2018 07:59
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Savanna, if you plan to teach theatre in Virginia, the Praxis is not accepted. You must complete five specific classes to get a theatre endorsement alongside your English endorsement. Ronda Scarrow at Longwood University has put together a series of 100% online classes to help those of us who need this ...

A play in a week?

Posted By Makala Witten 03-18-2018 21:45
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
My students and I have run a successful summer camp for kids grades 3-8 for the past few years. We meet 9-2, Monday to Thursday, for two weeks. We present a full-length play on the final day with all 30-40 campers taking part. This year I have several veteran campers who can only commit to one week ...

RE: Participation/Costume Fee?

Posted By Makala Witten 12-12-2017 08:33
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I have begun collecting a $20 fee from each student to cover the cost of t-shirts and water bottles and snacks for late night rehearsals. I've had no kick-back, as parents know that other activities (football, cheerleading, band) can be very expensive.I tell them that if the cost is prohibitive, they ...

RE: Letter to Elementary School

Posted By Makala Witten 11-06-2017 09:32
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Below is the email I sent each fall to elementary and middle school principals and teachers in our county. (Of course, I edit the play title and dates.)  About a month before the show, I send those who have made reservations a Teacher Packet, created by my students.  My students examine samples of teacher ...

TOTS-Eat results

Posted By Makala Witten 11-02-2017 14:56
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
My troupe had another successful TOTS-Eat campaign, but I don't know how to submit the results. Can anyone help? Makala V. WittenChristiansburg High School Teacher, English 12 and TheatreSponsor, International Thespian Troupe 3070Go Blue Demons!

One Act cutting "These Shining Lives"/"Triangle"

Posted By Makala Witten 08-18-2017 08:38
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Does anyone have a one-act cutting of "These Shining Lives" and/or "Triangle" they would be willing to share? Many thanks! ------------------------------ Makala Witten Director, Troupe 3070 Christiansburg High School Christiansburg, VA ------------------------------

RE: Classroom lighting

Posted By Makala Witten 07-19-2017 09:13
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
What about using a few floor lamps in the room? I've done this in the past and it provides enough light for group work, reading, writing, etc., without being so glaring. Makala V. WittenChristiansburg High School Teacher, English 12 and TheatreSponsor, International Thespian Troupe 3070Go Blue Dem ...

Shakespeare Class

Posted By Makala Witten 05-15-2017 06:04
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Does anyone offer a Shakespeare class in their schools, either as a drama or a literature course?  I would like to offer a course and am looking for a syllabus as a guide in creating my own class.  Thanks! ------------------------------ Makala Witten Director, Troupe 3070 Christiansburg High School ...

RE: Charlotte's Web

Posted By Makala Witten 04-24-2017 10:16
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
We did the show with a double-cast a few years ago and had a great time! My two Charlottes were very different body shapes and sizes, and the loft we created for her wasn't easy to climb. Those two facts changed my original vision of Charlotte -- black leotard, four legs across the back (total of 8 appendages), ...

Resistance/Rights suggestions needed

Posted By Makala Witten 04-14-2017 08:32
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Our 2016-17 season was labeled "A Season for the Books", as all of our stories could be found in history or literature books: "937" (one-act about the Holocaust), Little Women, Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. For 2017-18, I'm considering the theme of people standing up ...

Play about Women's Suffrage?

Posted By Makala Witten 04-10-2017 23:54
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Somewhere, sometime, someone mentioned a show about women fighting for the right to vote, and these women were trained in martial arts to protect themselves during protests.  Anyone know what show I am talking about? Thanks! ------------------------------ Makala Witten Director, Troupe 3070 Christiansburg ...

RE: Announcing your show

Posted By Makala Witten 04-08-2017 09:53
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Post pictures (without comments) of things mentioned in the script of the show or the movie. Ideas below are from the film; I've only seen the show once, so I can't remember if they're included. A parfait An onion A rock a gingerbread man a long nose (Pinocchio) ------------------------------ ...

RE: Marketing Your Show

Posted By Makala Witten 04-08-2017 09:48
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
For our recent production of Midsummer Night's Dream, we've advertised a post-show wedding reception as there are three couples wed in the end.  The culinary arts students have created a wedding cake for each of the four shows, and a different show couple cuts the first piece each night, then cake for ...

RE: looking for dramatic small cast play

Posted By Makala Witten 03-31-2017 15:34
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I use and like Basic Drama Projects from Perfection Learning. Chapters are short and informative, and each has individual and group projects. Makala V. WittenChristiansburg High School Teacher, English 12 and TheatreSponsor, International Thespian Troupe 3070Go Blue Demons!

RE: Forensics?

Posted By Makala Witten 03-18-2017 06:04
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
I work with forensics in Virginia, and there is no improv category. However, the term impromptu is used in describing a couple of the categories of performance. Perhaps your coordinator is mistaking one word's meaning for another's. There are several forensics competitions in the state that are not ...

RE: Dentist Chair for Little Shop

Posted By Makala Witten 02-22-2017 11:01
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Have you considered a barber's chair or hair salon chair? Both have the same reclining mechanism needed for the dentistry scene. That was our solution a few years ago. ------------------------------ Makala Witten Christiansburg VA ------------------------------

RE: Little Women

Posted By Makala Witten 02-18-2017 10:11
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
My students staged Little Women in December and loved it! We have only two or three costume pieces that look authentic for the time, so we used those for Marmee and Aunt March; as older women, they would be more apt to wear more era-appropriate clothing. For the sisters, we used high-necked blouses and ...

Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon

Posted By Makala Witten 01-25-2017 05:40
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
In Act 1, my 6'2" Rumpelstiltskin is told by the narrator to break himself in half. Stage directions even say "Rumpelstiltskin breaks himself in half." I love my actors and try not to break them, but now I have to. Suggestions on how to stage this? For those unfamiliar with the show, it is a zany ...