Drama classes are naturally noisy, chaotic places. You're taking a whole bunch of outgoing, creative, enthusiastic kids filled to the brim with great ideas... and asking them to be quiet and focus on the work. While you're at it, try squeezing this toothpaste back into the tube. Amirite? Yes, drama class is fun. But you …
Continue reading 5 Ways to Quiet Down a Noisy Drama Class… Without Yelling
Trapdoor is a really easy and fun theatre game that's really useful for teaching stage directions to new or young actors. You may have played a similar version of this game called Crow's Nest in gym class! It's also a great warm-up game to get everyone moving and the energy flowing! Here are the basic …
I wish I could take credit for this great character-building exercise, but I can't: I found it on Pinterest via The Teacher Next Door! (Isn't that where all the great ideas come from nowadays?) I used it during rehearsals for The Big Bad Musical, and it was so fantastic in helping my actors develop and …
Continue reading Character-Building Exercise: F.A.S.T. Analysis
Sometimes, we experienced directors/teachers/educators get frustrated during rehearsals and wonder, "I've told my actors to _______ a thousand times; why won't they listen/remember/get a clue?!" Sometimes, we experienced directors/teachers/educators need to remember what it was like to be a new actor. We need to get back to basics. Sometimes, trying to remember terms like "cheating …
Continue reading Acting Basics: Do’s & Don’ts (A Free Printable)
I love doing tableau work with kids because it's a fun, easy way to get them up on their feet and creating quickly. Tableau vivante (or, frozen picture) is where kids use their bodies to create, as it says, a frozen picture. Tableau may not use movement or words -- just your body and your imagination. …
Kerry Hishon 