List of Contributions

James DeVivo

Theatre Teacher / Director,
Holmdel High School

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Theatre Teacher / Director,
Holmdel High School

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1 to 20 of 21 total

RE: Playwriting "how to" books

Posted By James DeVivo 01-04-2024 08:18
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A note on Young Playwrights, Inc. Unfortunately, the program closed its doors in 2018 following the death of long-time artistic director, Sherri Goldhirsch. There were a few attempts to secure funding and leadership to keep the program moving, but the decision was eventually made to close up. A handful ...

RE: Creative Arts Curriculum

Posted By James DeVivo 08-23-2022 09:05
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Hi Faith, My go-to for all things creative drama is Creative Drama in the Classroom and Beyond by Nellie McCaslin. The 8th edition was the last before she passed away and while it may soon be dated, it is packed with ideas for creative arts projects and lessons. Break a leg! ------------------------------ ...

RE: Playwriting "how to" books

Posted By James DeVivo 08-31-2018 08:04
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Jonathan, thank you for the endorsement of the map. I don't often get feedback on it, so I'm glad to hear it is useful!  And thank you for clarifying the title of your book. I've read through both the website and the book and it was indeed Young Playwrights 101 (first edition) that was referenced ...

RE: Playwriting "how to" books

Posted By James DeVivo 08-30-2018 07:40
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My doctoral dissertation explored the field of playwriting for youth (more commonly referred to as "young playwrights"). Some of the instructional books I considered included: Playmaking by Daniel Judah Sklar Playwriting 101 by Jonathan Dorf Playwriting in Process: Thinking and Working Creatively ...

RE: Building Enrollment Numbers

Posted By James DeVivo 07-19-2018 13:38
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Very glad you began this discussion as I found myself in a similar situation when I began at the school last year. Our school is not Title I, but very close to being designated as such. Decreasing student numbers in classes caught up with the previous teacher and the position was down-graded from full-time ...

RE: CLUE--play based on movie script

Posted By James DeVivo 06-13-2018 05:56
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Received the rights from Playscripts within the week. $1400 as others had indicated. Waiting on administration feedback and Troupe officer input before we decide what to do. ------------------------------ Jim DeVivo, Ph.D. Theatre Teacher/Director Lacey Township High School Lanoka Harbor NJ ...

Online ticket platforms

Posted By James DeVivo 06-07-2018 09:42
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I'm looking to move ticket sales online for next year. There are a variety of programs out there each with their own benefits and drawbacks. I'm wondering if there is a consensus among Troupes out there. Would you please give me some insight as to what program you use (if any) and how these have been ...

RE: CLUE--play based on movie script

Posted By James DeVivo 06-07-2018 09:40
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For those of you who received permission (whether you're ultimately performing the show or not), how long did it take to get a response from the licensing company? ------------------------------ Jim DeVivo, Ph.D. Theatre Teacher/Director Lacey Township High School Lanoka Harbor NJ ---------- ...

RE: CLUE--play based on movie script

Posted By James DeVivo 06-03-2018 06:00
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I submitted a licensing request for Clue on Friday. Still has to be approved by admin. Will let you know how it goes. ------------------------------ Jim DeVivo, Ph.D. Theatre Teacher/Director Lacey Township High School Lanoka Harbor NJ ------------------------------

RE: Ph.D. Theatre Education

Posted By James DeVivo 04-14-2018 12:03
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Depending upon your interest and rationale, you might also explore the Ed.D., which NYU just launched 2 years ago. Project-based rather than research-based. I also believe it takes less of the time. NYU''s is the only one I know of in the field, but there may be others. MFA is also a terminal degree, ...

RE: Ph.D. Theatre Education

Posted By James DeVivo 04-14-2018 10:38
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I completed my Ph.D. in Educational Theatre at NYU this past fall. I do not know if the program has a set "distance learning" option, but members of my cohort lived out West; one was from Korea. Dr. David Montomgery is the program director (dm635@nyu.edu). You might also look into Arizona State and ...

RE: Play writing inspired by or in response to a play

Posted By James DeVivo 03-23-2018 05:42
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I do a playbuilding project using Shakespeare's sonnets. The class gets a preselected batch of sonnets from which to choose. They identify a main character and a secondary character (generally the person to whom the main character is speaking); they also come up with a basic plot to be developed in a ...

RE: Chairs

Posted By James DeVivo 02-13-2018 21:14
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I searched for Thonet chairs about a month ago and only found pairs listed above $100 (and often well above). Will need to look elsewhere. What other kinds of chairs do you use in your departments? Thanks! ------------------------------ Jim DeVivo, Ph.D. Theatre Teacher/Director Lacey Township ...

RE: One Act Plays

Posted By James DeVivo 02-12-2018 12:36
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We just did a production of The Rules of Comedy by Peter Bloedel from Playscripts to great response. 40-45 minute show depending upon how you stage it and the audience. We had a great time with it! I don't have a preference of one publishing house over another. I may choose to look beyond Playscripts ...

RE: Stage Lighting

Posted By James DeVivo 02-12-2018 12:24
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Thanks everyone! Great information and advice here that we're putting into action right away. This will also be helpful  to bring to the principal when the performing arts department meets with him on Wednesday morning. Administration is keen to upgrade the auditorium, so this will help us create a purposeful ...

Chairs

Posted By James DeVivo 02-12-2018 12:22
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Chairs

Posted By James DeVivo 02-12-2018 12:22
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In short, I am a new to the school this year and have inherited a dirth of basic stage items. I was thrilled to find a stack of rehearsal cubes; unfortunately, we only have one of these chairs. And it is broken. This particular one (attached) is the IKEA Olga chair, which they don't seem to stock ...

Stage Lighting

Posted By James DeVivo 02-09-2018 13:18
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Our auditorium is in need of some technical upgrades. We're gathering information to make decisions about what to purchase now or defer to next year. One thing we would like to add for the spring musical in April is a muslin cyc curtain and some LED instruments to light it. Does anyone have any suggestions, ...

Getting ready for fall

Posted By James DeVivo 02-07-2018 16:32
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With the spring musical underway, it is time to start thinking about fall. I'm curious to get some thoughts and ideas from the group about their experiences with specific versions/adaptations of the following, please: Cyrano de Bergerac fairy tale adaptations (that are tame enough for younger students, ...

RE: Need comedy ideas

Posted By James DeVivo 12-30-2017 07:37
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We just produced The Rules of Comedy by Peter Bloedel, published by Playscripts with a 5 week rehearsal period (that included 1.5 weeks of breaks because of NJEA convention and Thanksgiving). It ran about 45 minutes and really tested the students with its quick pace and physical comedy bits. There's ...