a character pulls the rope of one of three large bells on the stage

Theatre Education

Architects of the stage

By Mike Lawler In many ways, the theatrical scene designer is much like a conventional architect. Like the architect, the designer must be adept at visualizing that which does not

February 18, 2016

Thespians singing on stage at the International Thespian Festival

Advocacy

Historically banned and challenged plays

The hot-button titles in the school repertory Here’s a list of plays and musicals that have been the subjects of community challenges or official prior restraint actions in American high

January 24, 2016

two people look excitedly at flyers on a billboard

Theatre Education

Choices

Sorting out the differences among undergraduate theatre programs If you’re a high school senior who expects to be studying theatre in college at this time a year from now, you

January 12, 2016

a young person describing her portfolio to a college representative

Theatre Education

The portfolio

by Steve Nelson Design and Production students who have their sights set on A-list theatre schools or scholarship dollars have to audition, too. But their audition is more like show-and-tell.

December 11, 2015

Theatre Education

Telling a story in three songs

A musical theatre exercise By Maureen Johnson Last year, by the end of the first quarter, my theatre classes had completed their first major project—an evening of short plays. They

November 19, 2015

A group of high school students perform The Addams Family

Theatre Education

‘The Addams Family’ Top Musical in High Schools

This article originally appeared in the October 2015 issue of Dramatics magazine. Sound the foghorn: The Addams Family has arrived. A new musical about America’s gloomiest family—dead relatives in the

October 15, 2015

a student focuses a theatrical lighting fixture

Theatre Education

Lighting the gym

By Jennifer Womack and Steve Nelson If you and your students work in a modern, well-equipped theatre, lighting is probably as much a part of a production as any other

September 10, 2015

A group of actors sitting in a circle with two standing in front, having a conversation.

Theatre Education

Listening and reacting

Telling a story through actions By Bruce Miller No matter how often I tell my students that acting is about telling the story of the play, too many of them

May 29, 2015

Theatre Education

Coaching vocal athletes

Taking care of young voices By Wendy DeLeo LeBorgne and Rocco Dal Vera Imagine this scenario for a minute: tech week for the spring musical is in full swing and

March 12, 2015

Theatre Education

The illuminators

By Mike Lawler The actors might wear their own clothes and put on a show in an existing space with no modification. They might shout at the top of their

November 16, 2014

Papers depicting the skeletal view of a human spine on a clipboard.

Theatre Education

Alignment

Stand better, sound better By Antonio Ocampo-Guzman “I can’t hear you!” the director is saying. “You’re mumbling!” And later, “Send your voice to the back of the house!” If you’ve

October 15, 2014

a crowd stands and applauds a performance

Theatre Education

Taking care of business

By Mike Lawler Take a moment to think about the last time you visited a theatre to see a show. How did the adventure unfold? First, you probably phoned the

August 17, 2014

Theatre Education

Breath

By Judylee Vivier We inhale our first breath the moment we are born and embrace life; we exhale our last breath in the moment of death. Breathing is the source

July 18, 2014

Five students sitting in desks in a classroom.

Theatre Education

Respect, create, learn

Setting the stage in a new theatre classroom By Gai Jones In my forty years of teaching theatre, I’ve discovered that the first few weeks of any class really set

December 10, 2013

classroom of students watching instructor work with another student

Theatre Education

How to tell the truth

An acting game that teaches lying for the stage By Bruce Miller Harold Clurman, the great director and theatre critic, once referred to good acting as “lies like truth.” He

November 16, 2013

a white wooden stool on carpet in front of a blue wall

Theatre Education

The prop shop

By Mike Lawler In one sense props is a shortened version of the slang noun propers—which means, basically, respect. For a classic example of its use, just have a listen

July 16, 2013

Three students collaborate as they work from both sides of a white board

Theatre Education

Would you eat them for a scene?

Sam-I-am in acting class By Bruce Miller The students in my B.F.A. acting program spend hours every day for four years developing their craft. Yet I still find that many

May 16, 2013

Two actors sitting on chairs in front of a house set on stage.

Theatre Education

Character is action: Part 3

The third is a series on how to use the tools of acting By Bruce Miller During the course of your education you’ve probably heard your teachers say countless times,

May 11, 2013

Four women participating in a dance class

Theatre Education

Gotta dance

Working with a cast that has two left feet By Lisa Mulcahy Picture this: you’ve finally chosen the perfect musical for your drama department’s spring show. You have it all

May 1, 2013

Theatre Education

Lights, and…go

In an article in our January 2009 issue, Scott C. Parker described the fundamental objectives of the lighting designer’s work and guided readers through the designer’s process of script analysis

January 24, 2013

a student displays her portfolio. examples of wigs are set up on the table.

Theatre Education

Hair

By Mike Lawler When you walk into the wig shop of American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Ralph Holcomb seems out of place. If it weren’t for the intent

November 17, 2012

Theatre Education

It was a dark and stormy night

An introduction to lighting design, part one: Script analysis, research, and sharing ideas By Scott C. Parker Lighting design for the performing arts is an art form unto itself. At

May 24, 2012

Theatre Education

Demystified

It’s a long running joke in the live sound business that at nearly any show, some audience member will come up to the console and ask, “Wow, do you really

April 24, 2012

A group of actors downstage holding up a single actor in a cheerleading pose, in front of actors dressed as cheerleaders dancing upstage.

Theatre Education

Tactics

How to get what you want By Jon Jory Let us begin the new year with a fifteen second review of the acting basics that we’ve covered in the last

March 23, 2012

Close up of someone flipping through marked up pages of a script.

Theatre Education

Educator Resources

Thespian Troupe Resources

Events for Members & Non-Members

Amplifying the Value of Theatre Education

Educator Resources

Thespian Troupe Resources

Events for Members & Non-Members

Amplifying the Value of Theatre Education

Category: Theatre Education

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