Open Forum

Hi there! 
I'm a newbie to teaching theatre arts. I'm excited, but the wealth of information is daunting. I could use some practical advice… 

(Grades 9-12)

1. How would you break up theatre history for a two week unit ?
2. What are some activities for a theatre history unit- (ones that gets kids out of their seats and moving)? 
3. What do you feel are 10-15 of the most important theatre arts' basic terms? Students will already know narrative terms : plot, setting, protagonist, etc
4. What are some thought-provoking essential questions for a beginning theatre arts high school class? (Right now I have a few- but they focus only on acting and communication…. What is the relationship between communication and expression? How can acting skills and techniques be applied for improving interpersonal communication? How do actors use empathy to further their craft? How does an actor reconcile large discrepancies between a character and self?) 

Thank you !! 
Have a great day 😊 

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PJ Zag
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This is only a partial answer to one of your questions--What are some activities for a theatre history unit- (ones that gets kids out of their seats and moving)? 

Here is an online article I wrote, "Active Theatre History" that provides one response.

Oh - and also be sure that you know about Crash Course Theater on YouTube.

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Rosalind Flynn
Head of the M.A. in Theatre Education
Director, The High School Drama Institute
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC
drama.cua.edu/graduate/MATE
drama.cua.edu/summer
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Hi PJ,

I used to use @Rosalind Flynn's Reader's Theatre lesson. So fun! I also found some of the information and activities in the attached document to be useful. 

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Cassy Maxton-Whitacre
Theatre, Film, and Communications Instructor
Shenandoah Valley Governor's School
Fishersville, VA
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