Theatre

 

A theatre education is vital for well rounded youth development as it helps to increase self confidence in students that learn to trust their ideas and abilities. Theatre also increases their imagination and provides an outlet for making creative choices, thinking new ideas and interpreting the material in expressive ways that are the essence of drama.

Playing, practicing and performing develop a sustained focus on mind, body and voice, which helps with other areas of life including school.

Drama also enhances verbal and non-verbal expression of ideas. It improves voice projection, articulation, fluency of language, and persuasive speech.

Source: Act Too Players Music & Theatre

 

Curriculum


Elementary

  • Students create roles, imagined worlds, and improvised stories in a drama/theatre work.
  • Collaborate to devise original ideas for a drama/theatre work by asking questions about characters and plots.
  • Students participate and contribute to physical and vocal exploration in an improvised or scripted drama/theatre work.

Middle

  • In the middle school theatre program, students explore a scripted or improvised character by imagining the given circumstances in a drama/theatre work.
  • Students share leadership and responsibilities to develop collaborative goals when preparing or devising drama/theatre work.
  • Develop effective physical and vocal traits of characters in an improvised or scripted drama/theatre work.

High School

  • Integrate cultural and historical contexts with personal experiences to create a character that is believable and authentic, in a drama/theatre work.
  • Students collaborate as a creative team to discover artistic solutions and make interpretive choices in a devised or scripted drama/theatre work.
  • Synthesize ideas from research, script analysis, and context to create a performance that is believable, authentic, and relevant in a drama/theatre work.

 

Resources

National Theatre Standards

ArtsEdge – The Kennedy Centre in Washington has a bank of lesson plans and full learning situations with accompanying resource materials which could be adapted to fit the QEP. Many are transdisciplinary. The bank is searchable by arts subject, other subjects and grade level.

BYU Theatre Education – A large number of units and lesson plans as well as outlines for the (US) National Standards for Theatre Education.

Breakdancing Shakespeare is part of the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s award-winning Neighborhood Studios program, a nationally recognized summer arts apprenticeship program for area teenagers between 14-18. Participants are paid a $100 weekly stipend, teaching them the important responsibility of a paying job. Throughout the program, apprentices participate in all-day workshops with master teaching artists and rehearse a Shakespeare play with a modern twist.

Learn Improv – This site is devoted to the art of improvisational comedy theatre. The site contains the most detailed and approachable collection of improv comedy structures on the web.

 

 

CONTACTS

Tracy Avicolli Director of  the Arts & Wellness 860-695-8818 Tracy.Avicolli@hartfordschools.org
Kara Arnold Curriculum Specialist 860-695-8792 GAGLK001@hartfordschools.org