As a theatre educator, there are plenty of productions, themes, and materials that have become staples of your curriculum. But how many of them offer a chance for students to identify with and build from? At the 2024 Theatre Education Conference (TEC), Elizabeth Dunn-Ruiz and Sobha Kavanakudiyil’s session, “Dramaturgy to Devising: Honoring Personal Stories,” explores how devised theatre can be used as a springboard to explore and tell student stories.
EdTA caught up with them to learn more about the process and steps to build the ideal creative space for every Thespian.
What is Devised Theatre?
Devised theatre, also known as derived theatre, is a unique process where scripts originate not from a playwright but a collective. “It’s a collaborative art form—creating stories based on the community that’s creating them and the artistry that’s in the space,” said Kavanakudiyil. “It’s a unique opportunity to really get to know the collaborators to create something and capture the human condition.”
In the classroom, that means encouraging students to explore and express their personal stories, experiences, and ideas to create performances deeply rooted in their voice and identity.
4 Steps to a Successful Devised Theatre Lesson
While Dunn-Ruiz and Kavanakudiyil both agree devised theatre is an opportunity to step back and allow students to take the lead in collaborating and forming the stories, preparation is key. They shared four steps for building a successful devised lesson.
1. Build Your Foundation
Devised theatre thrives on collaboration, and for that dynamic to happen, students need to feel safe, respected, and valued within the group. This sense of security enables them to take creative risks and share personal stories. One way to build this classroom culture is with the creation of community agreements—guidelines set collaboratively by students and teachers.
“It’s important to be clear: if they are rules, then they’re coming from the teacher. But if they’re community agreements, they’re coming from the community, and therefore everybody is a part of creating them,” said Dunn-Ruiz. “We do students a disservice when we call things community agreements but act upon them as if they are rules that the authority figure made.”
Instead, make the distinction clear and work with your students to create guidelines for the process. Not only will it help create a safe space, but also gives them a sense of ownership, empowering them to not only step into leadership roles but hold each other accountable.
And while you and your students may be super excited to dive right in, it’s important to be intentional with this step. “Sometimes you have to stay in that space to get that community really strong before you can move on,” said Kavanakudiyil. “The trust and ensemble-building are critical; they set the groundwork for everything that follows.”
2. Generate Material
Now that your foundation of trust and community area established, the fun begins. The generation stage is all about creativity and exploration, where students are encouraged to experiment with different ideas and themes and tap into their lived experiences to gather raw material you can later shape into a cohesive performance.
One of the best ways to get started is with prompts. “I’ll have them play with props—what could this be instead of just a scarf? It could be a baby, a rope, anything,” said Kavanakudiyil. “The goal is to get their imagination going so that the classroom space doesn’t limit their creativity.”
You can leverage other content like visual arts, poems, music, short videos, and news articles, or provide students with open-ended questions or themes to give them a starting point for exploring their lived experiences. The goal is to get Thespians thinking outside of the box without the pressure of immediately needing a polished product.
Not sure where to start? Here are two practical tips to help you get started.
- Start with simple prompts: An object in the classroom, a line of dialogue, or even an image provides a low barrier for students to start.
- Build off content they know: Whether it’s a short story or a play you’re already exploring, use it as a starting point your students can expand from.
3. Shape and Revise
While generating ideas is often the longest part of a devised theatre process, it’s important for educators to know when to dial things in. “Devising can go on forever, and before you know it, you have a five-hour piece,” said Kavanakudiyil. “It’s part of the teacher’s role to guide the group in making those decisions—knowing what to keep, what to refine, and what to let go.”
Once you feel as though your students are in a good place (even if they don’t agree), the next phase of the process is shaping and revising the stories. While the collaborative environment doesn’t end, instead of coming up with new ideas, educators work with students to sort through ideas and identify the strong elements, images, or themes that resonated most, which will form the basis of their piece.
“I often think of it as a funnel. You spend a lot of time generating material, exploring different modes, and then you funnel it down into something really focused for your production,” said Dunn-Ruiz. “That narrowing down process is where the magic happens.”
4. Reflect and Offer Feedback
Finally, and like most theatre work, reflection and feedback are the end of the devised theatre process. Not only is it an opportunity to evaluate the work, but also to deepen the understanding of the creative choices made during the process. It’s also a point where community agreements play an integral role.
“Part of the community agreements also need to be about how we give feedback,” said Kavanakudiyil. “It’s essential to establish that protocol early on so everyone knows how to offer and receive constructive criticism in a way that’s supportive and helps the work grow.”
Additionally, this step doesn’t need to be a one-and-done experience either. Ask students to think critically about the work being produced. What worked, and what didn’t? Are there specific areas they want feedback on? How can they use structured feedback to continue tweaking and improving their piece?
“Reflection is a huge part of devising. It’s about taking the time to understand what you’ve created, to consider feedback from your peers, and to go back to your group to refine your work,” said Dunn-Ruiz. “It’s a cyclical process that leads to deeper understanding and stronger performances.”
Creating Your Next Story with Students
And just like that, you have your very own production written and created by students. Derived theatre is a powerful tool to foster creativity, collaboration, and personal storytelling for students, but also works as a growth opportunity for theatre educators. “Artistry is evolutionary. As teachers, we are artists in that space as well, learning and growing alongside our students,” said Kavanakudiyil.
More importantly, it also aims to provide a wider range of students with a pathway to participate in theatre. “Devised theatre helps students see that they have stories to tell—that they have something to say about the world,” said Dunn-Ruiz. “It opens up possibilities for all kinds of students to shine and be heard.”
