Hi Ryan,
Glad to see another Iowan on here, particularly one so nearby! I've worked the last several years on expanding middle school theatre activities at my school, so hopefully I can be of some help.
To answer your questions:
1. Where to start? I like the idea of starting with shorter pieces at concerts. You will have a guaranteed audience and this will be a great way of easing your students in to the theatre world. By starting small, you're setting you and your students up for success. Brooklyn Publishers out of Cedar Rapids has a good selection of 10 min duet and group scenes that could work well for junior high. I'd recommend trying reader's theatre, as well. Its easy to find material and I find RT works as a good intro piece, particularly for those kids who are worried about memorizing lines. Be careful with improv. Some students might show some promise, but overall, my experience with junior high improv has not been great. They really seem to struggle with creating a story and it amounts to a lot of yelling and running around.
2. Plans to make the club work: Don't be afraid to try things and don't worry if something fails. Be realistic in your goals, but be ambitious. In other words, maybe things go well enough this year that next year, you try a one act and not a full-blown musical.
3. Middle school competitions: Some schools in Iowa do get middle schoolers involved in speech. Our conference puts on a contest the week before districts and we let middle schoolers participate. Check with the high school coaches and see if there is a similar contest for your conference.
While its not really a contest, take your students to the Junior Thespian Festival next spring. Iowa just did their first in 2018. It was held on a Saturday and there were some workshop sessions and some performances. Other than that, I would be very interested to know if there are other opportunities for junior high students in Iowa. More details on that will come out later on
www.iowathespians.org4. As for what to expect, thats hard to say. My experience was this: before I started, all we had was an annual JH play and that had actually skipped a year because they couldn't find a director. It took a couple of years before kids really started talking drama serious as an activity. (For many, it was just a thing to do in between sports). But, with patience, kids started showing more dedication and I was able to start a JH speech team and a Junior Thespian troupe. (One of only three, I think, in the state!) In any case, give it time to grow. Things might not move as quickly as you might like, but if remain dedicated, it can become a thriving organization.
I'll PM my contact info if you'd ever like to chat more on the topic. Break a leg!
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Derek Friederich
Thespian Troupe 417/Speech Coach/Jr. High Drama/Fine Arts Center Technical Director
Postville IA
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-25-2018 22:15
From: Ryan Black
Subject: Starting Middle School Theater Club in an Urban School
Hello, I am a Middle School Science teacher with a background in theater and I'm looking to start an after school theater program for students that show an interest. I have already got administrative support and the goal of this club will be to showcase some theater talents during the choir/band concerts, but I need some help.
My current vision is to teach some students some baseline theater skills and practice. I would love to have these kids put on some 10 minute plays, improv skits, and the like. Eventually down the line (2-3 years at the least) I would love to put on full scale plays, but I understand we need to establish our program at our school.
Where do I start?
What plans should I have to make this club work?
Are there any middle school competitions similar to high school speech?
What are some things I should expect?
I would love any help that can given out.
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Ryan Black
Waterloo IA
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