As you start to consider plays for your next theatre season or to teach in your class, pick plays that challenge kids….
Instead of Grease, do Bye, Bye Birdie. Almost the same opportunities as far a characters but a different twist and kids have to actually develop a character versus watching the movie and mimicking a character.
Find plays that teach concepts that kids might be learning about in other classes…Pajama Game is great for understanding and discussions about unions and organized labor and working in factories. Your enthusiasm for a specific play can translate to your student’s enthusiasm for that play…your students look up to you and mostly trust your judgement. I loved teaching A Doll’s House and Death of a Salesman and many students told me later that they really enjoyed learning about those plays. (Many had read one or both in an English class and enjoyed it much more in theatre.)
Create a mock facebook page (Fakebook on Class tools.net where your students can post in character and have conversations outside the play…..really helps them develop more dynamic characters. We did this when we did M*A*S*H. It is fun and keeps them thinking about their characters. Helpful to sometimes post a question and ask them all to respond to get other conversations going.
Mystery Dinner Theatre- great way to develop improv skills. Have students wandering in character when the audience is being seated and toward the end of dinner.
If you have never cast a “swing”. Try it. One male/one female. They are responsible for all parts and they earn one more thespian point than a lead role for taking this on. Rehearsals are awesome because they can jump in anywhere and then they are responsible to teach the missing actor that part when they return. This takes the stress of missing people off you and then they usually get to perform for one character/one show (Director’s choice).
Linda Phillips
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Linda Phillips
Arizona
AZ
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