Before the school year is over, one thing I don’t think I have mentioned is contacting the local middle schools and/or grade schools in your area and letting those incoming freshman know about your drama program and the classes they can take. Counselors generally do not promote the drama program effectively. I am not in any way saying that counselors are not doing their jobs, but they are much more concerned with the basics than the Fine Arts so you need to “toot your own horn.”

Creating a handout or even presenting a show are two ways of doing this that I found effective. Clearing any handouts or presentations must be done with the principal — most are more than willing to let you notify their graduating 8^th graders. Below is one handout I used.  It was formatted differently when I handed them out — had two handouts per page and I jazzed it up with a little clip art as well as running it on colored paper.

It is also that time of year with final projects, final grades, and the school year 2009-10 finally done with.  Don’t forget to say a farewell to your students’ parents for all their support of your drama department.  See my blog Another Theatrical Year Almost Over for specifics.

I will be taking a break but will come back in the fall with more things to share.  Have a great summer.

Sentinel’s Drama Department

What students have said about the drama classes:

“Fun but challenging”
“Allows everyone to be creative”
“Helps overcome shyness”
“Chance to interact with students on a more personal level”
“You make most choices, the teacher just supervises”
“Gives you confidence”
“Super class for everyone to take”
“Stick with it, it gets better and better”
“It’s different, a great way to start the day”

Curriculum

Drama 1 is an activity course with many group exercises.  Most work is done in class that includes: pantomime, choral reading, technical theatre, improv, play writing, and acting.  An evening performance in the Little Theatre worth 1/3 of the Semester grade will be presented the last week of the semester. This elective can count as part of the Fine Arts requirement.

Drama 2 is a play production class offered to Juniors and Seniors.  Two major plays are presented to the public as well as shows written for the Junior High and Grade Schools.  As with Drama 1, most of the activity is done in class stressing group work. This elective requires passing Drama 1 and can count towards Junior and Senior English or fulfill the Fine Arts requirement.

Extracurricular

There are two all-school plays with open auditions for any student who wants to become involved. We also have openings on crew work such as costumes, set, lights, sound, and props. Rehearsals are every Monday-Thursday from 7-9.

The International Thespian Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt honorary organization for high school theatre students.  The society is committed to the advancement of educational theatre, publishing the DRAMATICS magazine and presenting the Montana State Thespian Convention, which provides college scholarships. The only requirements are 100 hours on/off stage at Sentinel and an overall grade point average of 2.0.  Our troupe sponsors the Sadie Hawkins dance, sells concessions at ball games, handles senior cap and gowns, presents an improv show at First Night, and travels to NY every two years.

Inspiration

I have been in rehearsals and performances for the last 3 ½ months and I am pooped.  After working on A Christmas Carol, I had just about a month to recoup before I took on Miss Lynch in a high school production of Grease featuring students from five of our high schools.  I was the only adult. As I taught and directed this age for thirty-seven years, I was excited to be working with them, but also a bit apprehensive.  After being called Mrs. J. or Mrs. Johnson — a must in my classroom — I was now called Margaret by this cast of forty-nine teenagers. I was not sure how I would be treated — I certainly was not “one of them.”  Well, I needn’t have worried. They treated me with great respect.

I was so impressed with not only their talent, but also their commitment to the production.  I did not see any squabbling or making fun of or “being cute.” They supported each other and helped whenever it was needed.  I want to tell you this generation is a wonderful generation.  We are always bombarded with the evils of our times, especially when it comes to teenagers, and I am here to say that I am tired of the news media giving air time to the 5% who are causing the problems and forgetting the 95% who are good, caring people who will be our leaders of tomorrow. Enough on that!

Another Tip

After performing our last show in Grease, I had one day off and then started rehearsals for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Having taught and directed a number of Shakespeare plays, I was very familiar with this script; however, I had never performed in a Shakespeare show. I immediately panicked because I needed to get the lines memorized and Peter Quince has quite a few (not like the lovers) but it seemed insurmountable. I did it and we had a very successful production, full of magic, fairies, and bawdy humor.

As I mention in my book The Drama Teacher's Survival Guide, Midsummer is all about magic, but in the two productions I directed I did not think to include any magic as in magic tricks.  This production did and I think it is something you could use if you ever do this Shakespeare play.

By using flash paper and a paper popper to represent “love-in-idleness” — the flower that Oberon talks of to Puck — gives just enough magic to make the audience begin to believe in fairies.  The flash paper is wound around the popper and when it is pulled, everything just disintegrates up in the air.

I found this many years ago and handed it out to my students.  It was particularly fun for my tech kids. Several of the expressions I had to look up, as I was unfamiliar with them.  You might be too. A “block and fall” is like a “block and tackle” used in rigging as is “tripping” and “purchase line.”  I do not know the author.

Theatre Logic

In is down, down is front,
Out is up, up is back,
off is out, on is in,
and of course -
right is left, and left is right.
A drop shouldn't and a
block and fall does neither.
And a prop doesn't, and
a cove has no water.
Tripping is O.K.
A running crew rarely gets anywhere.
A purchase line will buy you nothing.
A trap will not catch anything.
A gridiron has nothing to do with football.
Strike is work
(in fact a lot of work)
And a green room, thank God, usually isn't.
Now that you are fully versed in
theatrical terms - break a leg...
but not really!

The Succinct Version

Off is out, out is up, up is back, on is in, in is down, down is forward, left is right, right is left, and everyone works at a strike. Shuddup still means shuddup.