List of Contributions

Cathy Archer

EdTA Member or Troupe Director,
Rutland High School

Contact Details

EdTA Member or Troupe Director,
Rutland High School

My Content

1 to 20 of 50+ total

RE: small cast shows for girls

Posted By Cathy Archer 04-23-2024 08:04
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To burn a witch....four females. I really like this script!

RE: Graduation Cords

Posted By Cathy Archer 02-23-2024 05:37
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Hi The wearing of the cords has never been a question at my school. Rutland, VT. public high school.... and we are the only Vermont school with an active troupe!CathyCompare it to the National Honor Society and Tri-MI hope you can convince the powers that be that this is important to the students!!! ...

RE: Are most Forum members teachers at public schools?

Posted By Cathy Archer 02-20-2024 18:11
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Teacher in a public school here. cathy

RE: How bold to be with admin

Posted By Cathy Archer 02-14-2024 13:59
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HI At this point not only are you aware of what the issue is but the students are aware as well. I becomes an issue of standing up for what you believe in and what is important. Theatre needs to be treated like the valuable part of the school that it is. Have any of your students gone on in theatre? ...

RE: Do students have a right to dressing rooms?

Posted By Cathy Archer 02-10-2024 07:37
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I feel your pain. When I helped to design our high school 24 ish years ago I made sure there were two restrooms with lockers and showers in the hallway behind the stage. they were designed and used as theatre bathrooms for years... they were used for our costume storage and for changing rooms. one day ...

RE: Costume in a differently than original show?

Posted By Cathy Archer 02-05-2024 13:34
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HI The answer is yes as long as you are making conscious decisions that fit with the vision of your show. It does not really work if only one costume is different because that will make the difference stand out. If all the costumes fit the world of the play that you are creating than yes it works. Developing ...

Board or card Games for theatre

Posted By Cathy Archer 01-10-2024 12:21
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Hi I just spent the last twenty minutes of my last class of the quarter playing Uno with my students and I realized this was a really good thing - they had to engage with each other, it was totally non threatening and they were having fun. So it got me thinking are there board games out there that ...

RE: Radium Girls - appropriate audience

Posted By Cathy Archer 01-06-2024 15:08
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I had another thought .. Could you talk to history teachers and get them on board for an in school performance? This is a true story and has many different aspects that could be explored in history or civics class. You might not get the whole school but this might be a way in to performing for the school ...

RE: Radium Girls - appropriate audience

Posted By Cathy Archer 01-05-2024 13:48
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HI I have not presented this play. I have seen it twice. I do not think it is going to hold the general fifth and sixth grade audience - I do think the seventh and eighth graders will find it engaging especially if they are involved in some pre-show learning and after performance talk backs. Just ...

RE: National Core Arts Standards

Posted By Cathy Archer 12-16-2023 06:36
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Hi I believe imagined worlds refers to worlds that are fantasy worlds that the students think up that are "new" to them Improvised refers to stories or scenes that are developed through improvisation as opposed to a written story or scene The students develop them on their own with guidance from the ...

RE: Low Budget, Low Build

Posted By Cathy Archer 11-09-2023 14:09
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Here are some pictures of two different sets with a PVC backdrop - the first one stayed the same - at the end there were fairy lights in the sky which lit up tThe two side pieces were painted cardboard. This was a traveling show. I can not find pictures of the other show that used this backdrop and ...

RE: Low Budget, Low Build

Posted By Cathy Archer 11-09-2023 05:43
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Have you tried PVC pipe backdrops that have multiple painted backdrops on muslin that can be flipped to change the setting? we used this for several traveling shows and it works great and is easily taken apart and put together. You can use PVC pipe a multiple of ways to create sets. Also and I am sure ...

RE: Best 10 minute play collections for high school students

Posted By Cathy Archer 10-21-2023 12:50
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Check out the Ten commandments Ten plays in ten minutes. They are very interesting plays. Rumpus press has it Cathy ------------------------------ Cathy Archer EdTA Member or Troupe Director Rutland High School VT ------------------------------

RE: Digital Playbill

Posted By Cathy Archer 10-19-2023 18:51
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I do not like digital programs. I do have mobile phone but I do not want to look at it during a show! I have a friend who drives me crazy looking at her phone to check the program during the show!!!! And she is not the only one. I also agree with having to have a work around for people with no phones ...

Murder Mystery

Posted By Cathy Archer 09-04-2023 08:25
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I am planning to do a murder mystery this fall. I have read many and had thought Murder on the Orient Express by Ken Ludwig was the one but re-looking at it I am concerned that the set is beyond us this year. I am the director for a high school program that has shrunk since 2020 . We are rebuilding, ...

musical theatre classes

Posted By Cathy Archer 09-03-2023 11:56
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Hi I am trying to think of ways/classes that will entice the students at my high school to take theatre classes. In order to graduate from Rutland they have to take a theatre and a music class or a theatre and an art class or a music and a art class. At the moment art and music are getting more students. ...

RE: One Act Play with flashbacks/flashforwards

Posted By Cathy Archer 09-01-2023 13:56
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HI Another great script is Do Not Go Gentle by Susan Zeder - it does not go forward in time but it does go backward. It is a story of family and seeing things from different perspectives. I love this show. Cathy ------------------------------ Cathy Archer EdTA Member or Troupe Director Rutland ...

RE: Advice for starting a performing arts program at a small private school

Posted By Cathy Archer 05-10-2023 13:31
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HI I would find out what the talents are of the present teachers. Are there any with a background in theatre? There is a small private school In Vermont that did a school wide production at the beginning of each year. This brought the whole school together on a project. The show, usually a musical, ...

Antigone Now

Posted By Cathy Archer 04-24-2023 17:13
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My students and I are embarking on a production of Antigone Now. I am curious how others handled the time change? Did you reference Ancient Greece or keep it totally in the now? or did you set it totally ancient? What were some of the difficulties you encountered in working with this script? My students ...

Getting to Bloomington

Posted By Cathy Archer 04-11-2023 17:42
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Hi I am wondering if any troupes from Mass or Ny are headed to festival and are chartering a bus. I want to take two students and have found some money but I can't figure out how to get there from Rutland Vermont. I do not want to drive! Any ideas are welcome Cathy