Fast forward to later that summer, when I have made it into an audition only theatre track. My only experience before this was very insignificant. The other students were much older than I am. They all had something unique about them whereas I had six years of martial arts. When asked to “save the day” in a superhero sketch, I accidentally bashed two actors heads together. But then, the worlds of martial arts and Theatre are brought together when I learned about stage combat. In that class, I learned about what it means to be an actor that people want to work with. We have lessons about “Leaving our ego at the door” and that “If you think you know everything about theatre, you are very wrong.”

Fast forward to that fall. I’m now fifteen years old on the Hair and Make up crew for my school’s musical, Barnum. During the day, I have an hour of Theatre class where I learn the history of the art and play improv games. After school, I get to put what I learned in class into action. 

That next fall, I’m sixteen years old and an ensemble member in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. I’m always two steps behind where I need to be, and I’m always tripping over my feet since it’s my first time wearing high heels. Learning the waltz is becoming tedious as I constantly feel like I’m letting down the rest of the cast. Instead of being pushed to the back in all the dance numbers, a kinder solution is found, and everything is slowed down and simplified. 

Suddenly, it’s the end of my senior year. My time as a Drama Club leader is coming to an end. That year of school I had a principal role in my school’s musical, went to the Michigan Thespian Festival and earned an Excellent on a musical theatre solo, learned about directing during the winter play, began adapting scripts and using them in real performances. As a seventeen-year-old, I announced in front of a crowd of my peers “I Mac McDonald, know that I will do theatre for the rest of my life.”

Around the same time the following year, I am eighteen years old, and I am apart of the premiere in an original musical. I would have never thought that I would have an opportunity like that until I was at least 30. A few weeks later, I said for the first time out loud that I want to go to college to become a director.

The world of theatre became more than three dimensional as I began to see it from more than just an audience perspective. You taught me that it takes a small army to bring words on a page into something we can see. It takes so much hard work to see just a glimmer of success, but that glimmer of success is so worth it. Theatre is an art not only for entertainment, but it can bring people together in such a unique way. You taught me to take pride in my craft no matter what I’m doing or where I am.

To my theatre teachers, you have taught me more than what I can explain in an article. No matter how long you have taught me about Theatre, you have been so influential in why I am the Thespian I am today. It takes a phenomenal teacher for a student to realize their full potential. For that, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The post A Thank You To My Theatre Teachers appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

Here are 20 items all drama teachers should have in their classrooms:

1. Book of Improv Games

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If class finishes early, you are stuck for a lesson or are looking for a way to engage students at the start of class, you can’t go wrong with improv games. Amazon offers several choices in books on the subject, or you can purchase sets from educator resource site Teachers Pay Teachers.

2. Box of Costumes and Props

Be it an in-class activity or a school production, having costumes and props available is essential. It may take some time to accumulate a decent stash of items, but start by asking friends or family if they have anything they are looking to get rid of or cruise local garage sales. Dollar stores, craft stores and discount stores are great for finding more specialized pieces at low prices and often have coupons or teacher discounts. Or, enlist the help of creative students or staff to make costumes and props.

Never get rid of costumes and props used in a production, unless they’re borrowed, broken or rented. You never know when they could be useful again. Be sure to find plastic bins, crates or even a trunk for storage to keep your collection in good condition.

3. Sharpie Markers

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Whether you are labeling tape-marked spots onstage, teacher resources or writing on chart paper, Sharpie markers are multipurpose and always useful. Consider investing in a few mini Sharpie markers that come with keychain clips for easy access.

4. Quality Speakers

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Teaching a movement class? Showing a film clip? Just listening to music? Poor-quality speakers mean students can’t hear and will either miss a crucial point you’re trying to make or disengage with the lesson. It’s worth doing some research and purchasing a high-quality set of speakers that will last.

5. Organizational Storage

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Drama classes by nature are more interactive, but that doesn’t mean they have to be disorganized. Avoid chaos and allow your students to have independence by maintaining an organized and structured classroom. Whether it’s bins, shelves, cubbies or carts, the options are extensive. Check out Pinterest for tips and ideas for classroom storage and organization.

6. Art Supplies

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Allow your students to thrive in inspiring moments and engage in the creative process. Having art supplies on hand gives them the freedom to follow their creativity for an assignment or school production. Speak to your administration about budget for such items before purchasing any on your own.

7. Glue Gun and Duct Tape

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There’s nothing this pair can’t do.

8. Jar of Safety Pins

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Basic uses include fitting a costume, but safety pins are also great for fastening items to stage curtains or backdrops or even transforming costume pieces into something completely different with creative pinning.

9. Butcher Paper

Drawing, brainstorming and creating backdrops for classroom performances are just a few ways you can use butcher paper. The long rolls of paper are easy to store, economical and more versatile than regular plain paper.

10. LCD Projector or TV

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Being able to show video clips and multimedia during your lessons is helpful to keep your students engaged and spark ideas.

11. Clipboards

Many drama classrooms opt not to have desks to allow for more space to move around. Clipboards are a great alternative when students need to make notes, write creatively or complete an activity. They also come in handy for productions when you need to organize copies of the script and design notes for members of your backstage and technical crew.

12. Piano or Keyboard

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A piano opens more opportunities for your students to be creative and inventive. A budding Sondheim could be among your students, and creating a space that lets them explore the different areas of theatre could be the spark they need. It’s also useful for musical auditions and rehearsals.

13. Performance Space

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If you are given a regular classroom space, it can be helpful to designate where the “stage” will be. Some teachers create a small platform within their room, while others mark the space with an area rug or colorful duct tape. Remember to review safety regulations within your school before deciding how you will design your space.

14. Notice Board

Find wall space to hang a cork board where you can advertise arts opportunities such as audition notices, community theatre groups, theatre performance posts or post-secondary programs. Check with your administration before posting anything from a source outside of the school, as some schools have policies around what can be advertised to the student body.

15. Foam Ball

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Tossing a ball back and forth around the classroom is a fun way to call on students and engage them in the lesson or discussion by asking the student holding the foam ball to be the one to speak. It’s also an active way to review terminology by having the students toss the ball while quizzing each other.

16. Small Sewing Kit

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You never know if there is a budding designer in your midst. Give your students the freedom to explore their imagination and create costume pieces for their performances.

17. Overhead Projector

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With many schools transitioning to using document cameras and smart boards, overhead projectors are collecting dust somewhere in the school. Rescue them and give them a new lease on life as budget spotlights for performances in class.

18. Inspirational Décor

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Make your room a haven for creativity. Hang up old playbills, posters of shows and examples of those who have found success in creative careers. Also, artwork with motivational phrases can be the encouragement some students need to engage and move outside of their comfort zones.

You can also engage students with fun, decorative items. One of my high school music teachers kept a plastic lawn gnome on his desk that had been given to him by a student as a joke. Students always asked about it when first entering his class, and it eventually became the class mascot.

19. Stage Direction Sign

It is surprisingly easy to forget the difference between stage right and stage left when you are also trying to stay in character, read lines, act, sing or dance. Having a reference poster or two for stage directions allows students to reference it independently and saves you from having to repeat the directions numerous times.

20. Buzzer

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Presentations and improve games can get chaotic and noisy. Avoid shouting to get their attention and use a buzzer, bell or noisemaker instead. Your voice will thank you.

While all of these items are an excellent support for programming, ultimately, the passion for the subject matter is the most important thing to have in every classroom. And luckily, that’s priceless.

What items do you think are helpful for drama teachers? Let us know in the comments below…

The post 20 Items All Drama Teachers Need In Their Classrooms appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

My name is Jamie. I’m 29, I live in Ohio, and I have spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy on my left side. I am a daughter, sister, friend… but perhaps most importantly, I’m a singer and actress with a fierce passion for musical theatre, mostly because I was given the opportunity to feel equal onstage instead of constantly feeling “other”-ed and stigmatized. My whole life – my family life, my personal life, my interactions with people in the healthcare world – up to that point had been defined by what the CP prohibited me from doing or made complicated. But I walked into that first rehearsal at 10 years old and instead of being “the girl with the arm,” I was just Jamie.

Suddenly I mattered. Suddenly I wasn’t able to use the CP as an excuse. Suddenly there was an adult in my life who saw right past it. How refreshing that was! My limits – what I thought I could do – were pushed progressively further with each passing year, but they were taken to a whole new level my final year in the theatre program, which was eighth grade. It was the year of “Oliver,” and it brought about another big change. That show had a set that was anchored by two large platforms, each of which were about eight feet high. Our set designer for the show was also our music director for three previous shows, including that first production of “Fiddler,” so I knew him. But I was afraid of heights.

Unfortunately for me, however, spending the whole show on the ground was not an option. I approached the set designer and said something to the effect of, “I can’t go up there, there’s nothing for me to hold onto. I’m going to fall.” There was no bar on the back of the platforms. He looked me directly in the face and said something I will never forget. “Jamie, don’t tell me you can’t. You were told four years ago that you do not get to make excuses. I will not let you fall. Now go. Put your microphone in your hair like we showed you and go. And I better hear you sing!”

The set designer and previous music director was a guy named Richard. He was about 25 when I met him. He came back into my life in June 2016 when we were both cast in another local production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” He played my father.

Since that show, he has taken me under his wing and developed me as an artist in ways that no one ever has. As of this writing, I have assistant directed two of his productions, and I am getting ready to stage manage a production for him in the spring of 2018. He is also my best friend. He pushes me to my limit and then a little further, just because he taught me that I do not get to make excuses. I am not defined by my disability in his eyes. He sees me as a full, complete, talented, beautiful person and just by being in my life, he reminds me that I am loved.

The post No Excuses: My Life As An Actress With Cerebral Palsy appeared first on Theatre Nerds.

While the films don’t see Ms. Darbus doing a lot of traditional teaching, she delivers her lessons in the form of helpful tips and encouraging her students to explore the arts and find their passion. She assures them they can stretch beyond where they feel their capabilities lie. Ms. Darbus shows creating the environment for learning is often just as important as the teaching material itself.

With that in mind, here are 11 tips for teaching student drama:

1. Start With the Basics

Take a tip from Julie Andrews and “start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” Even if you are teaching an upper-year class, it’s always a good idea to spend some time at the outset reviewing the basics. Think about the building blocks of being an actor, like voice, character, reading a script and moving about the stage, then go from there.

I always start with warming up and the importance of preparing the body and voice, as I find most students don’t realize it’s crucial to warm up before performing, even just for class.

2. Prioritize Quality Over Quantity When It Comes to Feedback

Positive reinforcement goes a long way. Always begin with the positives and ensure you find something to praise your students for each time. Keeping students encouraged will help them be open to feedback. When giving constructive criticism, stick to only one or two corrections at a time — otherwise, you risk overwhelming your recipients.

3. Find the Passion

Where do your students excel? Find their strength and help them develop it. Find ways for them to share their talents in the group setting, outside of acting. If they are also a talented artist, have them design sets or create posters for performances. If they are very organized, let them arrange the setup of the backstage area. The more they feel like they have a special and important place in the class, the more they will want to be there. No one is good at everything, and there is always room to stretch and grow beyond their comfort zone. However, confidence to do that will come from first finding where they shine.

4. Keep Your Focus Areas Narrow

Each class or week should have its own focus. Throwing too many concepts at students at once will lead to confusion. Mastering a skill requires it to be taught, reviewed and then practiced. Students can then move forward and continue building on those skills. Taking things slowly and having a theme for each class will ensure maximum absorption and avoid frustration for both you and your students.

5. Challenge Them

It is important to have your students challenge themselves, but remember, each student is different. For some, just getting up to speak in front of a small group of peers in their class is going to be a huge challenge. Others might be looking to challenge themselves by moving into a professional audition process. Have students create individualized goals you can help them work toward. Encouraging self-evaluation with progress is a positive life skill that is worth reinforcing.

6. De-stigmatize Failure

A common fear you will encounter among students is the fear of failing, especially in front of others. Not every student who comes to drama class will be outgoing and eager. Stage fright will pop up from time to time. Encourage bravery and consistently applaud each effort, whether it was successful or not. For some, just standing in front of others is a huge step. Let them know you are not expecting perfection, just their personal best. Keep the room a positive and safe space for creativity and failure to coincide together as tools for learning.

7. Slow and Steady

When teaching beginners, go slow when giving each instruction. Don’t assume they will know basics, particularly with terminology, such as stage right and stage left. Be sure to stop intermittently to see if anyone has questions.

8. Model Behavior

Getting up yourself and giving an example of the skill you are trying to teach will not only make you more relatable to your students, but it will also provide them with some confidence seeing you go in front of everyone and demonstrate the skill first.

9. Encourage Participation

Again, the fear of failure may see some students hanging back and avoiding participation. For the first few classes, avoid large group presentations while they are still getting to know one another and you. Allowing the students to work in and present to smaller groups at the start will give them an opportunity to get comfortable with the class and boost their confidence. You can then build toward the large group setting with less resistance.

10. Take the Classroom Outside

Try to give opportunities to learn from more than just yourself. Bring in a speaker or group, take them to a performance, participate in a workshop, show a performance DVD or organize a backstage tour. Seeing the arts in action will make it more applicable to your students.

11. Go Beyond Acting

There is more to drama than just being onstage. You may have a budding stage manager in your class, but they don’t know what that job is or what it entails. Give your students the opportunity to learn about as many of the different facets of working in the theatre as you can.

In the words of East High’s enigmatic educator Ms. Darbus, “The stage can be a wonderful partner in the process of self-discovery.” So, whether you teach in a school, a community theatre or an extracurricular program, be encouraged knowing the work you do to create opportunities in the arts for students of all ages is an important and life-changing endeavor. To all those teaching arts out there, we salute you.

What are your tips and advice for drama teachers? Let us know in the comments below…

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