"I have a lot more girls than boys."
"I only have a couple boys, and an abundance of girls."
"I have no boys, only girls."
That has to make it nearly impossible to find material for a demographic that already has a deficit in relevant, appropriate material. While my numbers vary year to year, I have always been able to maintain a workable ratio of boys to girls in my program. This was something that I have often taken for granted, because it didn't seem like I was doing anything special at all. I don't necessarily have specific action plan, but I am aware that if I'm not proactive about recruiting boys into my program, I run the risk of being in the same situation as many other theater directors in schools across the country.
Educational Theatre shares a similar burden with student athletics. You have a limited time to work with a cohort of students. You work tirelessly to develop their skills over the course of three or four years. When you finally get them to a certain level of mastery and bring out the best in them, they graduate, and you have to find a new cohort to fill the void left by the outgoing group. Over the years I have employed certain strategies to ensure that I never have a shortage of boys in my department.
Diversity is key.
There is no place for typical "Drama Kid" behavior in my department. Students are not permitted to act in anyway that is egotistical, exclusive, cliquish, or self-indulgent. No one should ever be reluctant to join our department because they don't feel they would be accepted. For this reason, I try to avoid establishing a certain "type". I encourage students to pursue a variety of interests and activities, in addition to the Drama Club. Many of my performers were also members of the basketball team, flag football team, art club, foreign language club, yoga club, science club, and dance clubs. The greatest asset to a theater director in a middle school is a well rounded student. Students who have a wealth of enriching academic and extracurricular will have a greater knowledge bank from which to draw as an artist. I also support the students in these activities by attending their games, performances, and exhibits. I show my students and others that I value the things that are important to them.
Some of my students have no desire to act or perform after they graduate from my program, but they tell me that they plan to apply their performance skills to whatever their career aspirations may be. A professional athlete with a theatrical background will be more charismatic, confident, and marketable. An attorney with a theater background will be more compelling and convincing in the courtroom. It goes without saying, a teacher with a theater background is far more engaging in the classroom.
Drama is not a girl thing.
When I started the Drama Club in 2008, I had almost twice as many boys as girls involved in the program. The girls in my school were far more inhibited than the boys during that time. The boys were eager and uninhibited, sometimes to a fault. In choosing material for them, I had to find stories that engaged them, and included the kinds of characters they wanted to play. Our inaugural production was The Wiz. That has been my model ever since. If I want to keep boys involved in my program, I have to keep them engaged.
In the second year of Drama Club, I had acquired a large group of 5th grade girls. They were little, vibrant, and as eager as my boys had been the previous year. I thought it was a good idea to do Annie, using these new girls as Orphans. That proved to be one of my biggest mistakes, as all of my boys, who had been so reliable, started to defect one by one. While I had a vision that would make it relevant, fresh, and fun, the boys weren't interested. As they disappeared, the girls became inconsistent as well. I had to switch shows immediately, or I would have destroyed the program. I ended up adapting an opera into a jukebox musical, and had one of the most rewarding theatrical experiences of my teaching career. Middle school boys want to be bad, cool, funny, tough, wealthy, crazy, etc. I have to provide them with a wealth of characters that appeal to middle school boys.
I also try to get other men involved in the process, including set designers and sound engineers. There aren't a lot of male teachers in a lot of middle schools, though there are quite a few in mine. Having these specialists come in to work directly with students helps to satisfy their social-emotional development needs.
Let them play.
Theatre is very serious, but it's also very fun. Activities like improvisation, slapstick, and pantomime are always a hit with even the uninitiated boys. Yes there are extensive, intensive rehearsals, and learning lines can be difficult, and even painful, for some students, but there is value in structured play. A lot of skills can be developed while students are simply having fun. Theatre games and role play activities can be a welcome respite from the pressures and challenges of daily grind for all of us. Students who are "class clowns", or engage in self-centered, attention seeking behavior can benefit greatly from having a safe place to utilize those skills that seem inappropriate elsewhere. I often see a decrease in undesirable behavior from students once they've become involved in the Theatre Department. By providing a structured outlet for boys to be boys, you're less likely to have disruptive behaviors displayed in a Math or English class.
The don't have to get onstage.
Not every student wants to be an actor, and not every student should; while other students just aren't quite ready yet. There are other ways that they can be involved. Many of the boys who ended up as leads in my shows started out in set design, on stage crew, or providing entertainment during intermission. They weren't sure they wanted act, or if they could, but they saw how much fun we had as a department, and how close the students became. I provide these additional points of entry so that students can see our creative process firsthand, and still feel like they are making a valuable contribution to the process. Many decide that they prefer to remain backstage, but often students from stage crew tell me they want to be in the next show. Either way, a set design program is a great way for students to develop technical skills that have a variety of real-world applications, and an introduction to Theatre production.
It has to be worth the risk.
If I expect my students to put themselves in a position where they are completely vulnerable, I have to ensure that there is a reward at the end. Whether it's the applause and admiration from an audience of their peers and teachers, the pride of their parents and family members, or simply my approval, they have to feel that they are better off for having gone through this process. My potential Drama Club members, who may be in the audience, or may hear by word of mouth, have to feel the same thing. The greatest contributing factor to my program's continued growth has been the high level of production value. One thing is certain, I will not put any student in a position to be humiliated. Students are motivated by their successes, and the successes of their peers. Whether you're operating on a small scale or a large scale, the quality of your work will determine the appeal of your program. So I make ever moment count. I try not to waste a second. We leave each rehearsal exhausted. Every minute is scheduled and structured. Students will tell you that I'm very strict and no-nonsense in addition to being a lot of fun. My job is to bring out the best in every student and help them exceed their own expectations. I take that job seriously, and personally.
Go on a treasure hunt.
Sometimes the best performers in my school are the most reluctant. Whether they're self-conscious, self-critical, or just shy, they may have never considered, or already dismissed, the idea of joining a Drama Club. When I recognize that students have aptitude or potential, I invite them to give Drama Club a try. Many students that other teachers had written off have found success in the Theatre Department. When teaching an English or Drama class, or simply doing a classroom visit or workshop, I look for certain attributes of good performers: confidence, humor, comic timing, depth of understanding, creativity, malleability, gifted insight or intuition. Sometimes these attributes manifest in disruptive behaviors, but that's often because they haven't been properly channeled yet. A student may love to sing, or dance, or has great natural physicality. I seize the opportunity to bring these students on board and show them how they can utilize and develop their talents in a new context. Some stick around, others decide it's not for them. Either way, it's fine. I want to give every child the chance to maximize their potential, and provide the richest educational experience through the Theatre that I can.