performing arts

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

February 23, 2022 By dhcbaldwin 2 Comments

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

When I began teaching, we didn’t have videos to show students anything pertaining to theater. Friends, never underestimate the never underestimate the influence of teaching with videos!

That was 1980 and the closest thing we had was an old projector which showed black and white films. Yuck. Part of the reason this was uninspiring to students is as we know, theater is a visual art. Plus, it gives students a concrete example of the quality of work professionals turn out. Consequently, not many students enrolled in drama classes.

I was looking around for more reasons why teaching with video works. I ran on to www.nextthoughtsstudios.com I found this quote helpful: “Studies have shown that the use of short video clips allows for more efficient processing and memory recall. The visual and auditory nature of videos appeals to a wide audience and allows each user to process information in a way that’s natural to them. In a nutshell, videos are good teachers.”

Things are different now, huh?

Practically with the snap of a finger, a teacher can search for what she wants and show it in her classroom within a few minutes.

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Creating products gives me oppportunities to see many videos worth viewing in the theater classroom. I thought they might be of benefit to you, too!

Primarily, these videos are located on youtube.com. If your school allows you to use Youtube. com, you will be good to go. I’ve also mentioned several videos that you could rent or purchase for your classroom.

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Hamilton!

Let’s Look at Hamilton, first!

There are many videos of Hamilton. However one that I especially like is: Adam Savage Examines the Props of Hamilton.

Let’s begin with set design. Set Design for Hamilton is terrific. It’s only 3 minutes in length. Fascinating stuff here.

The lighting design for Hamilton is awesome! Behind the Scenes with a Hamilton Stagehand Who Told Stories with LightsThis one shows what its like for a stagehand. So interesting. (5:58 mins.)

The costume design for Hamilton is a Hamilton Designers Explain How Costumes are Made I think you’ll learn something new here. (29:42 mins.)

Hamilton is available on line through DisneyPlus only. Honestly, I’d sign up for DisneyPlus just to have the opportunity to show it to my students.

If you’d like more information about Hamilton, check out: Hamilton the Musical: A Drama Lesson with a Unique Perspective

Wicked!

Behind the Emerald Curtain is a series of videos which were created for the express purpose of education.

Wicked Behind the Emerald Curtain is a fascinating interview with the costume designer, Susan Hilferty. There is more information here than just costume design, so take a look at this! (5:35 mins.)

In this video, the choreographer for Wicked explains the difference between choreography and staging a musical. See how the entire world of Wicked the musical was choreographed. (4:47 mins.)

Who is an expert in stage smoke, fog and torches? This man is. You’ll want to check out the special effects of Wicked for certain. Wicked: Special Effects (3:37 mins.)

Good news! A movie version of Wicked is slated to begin productions in the summer of 2022. Cynthia Erivo will pay Elfaba and Arianna Grande will be Glenda. How wonderful will that be?

Considering teaching a whole unit on Wicked? Check out my post: Will Wicked The Musical Ever Rule the World?

Dear Evan Hansen

Now that the Dear Evan Hansen movie has been released, this would be a fantastic time to study the musical.

David Korins, Set Design of Dear Evan Hansen shares an incredible story about his creative process. (3:43 mins.)

Here is a short piece on the Genius Design of Lighting of Dear Evan Hansen you simply must show your students! In this video clip, the announcer explains the complexity and number of light cues used in one part of a song. Amazing. (3:13 mins.)

Maybe you need something physical for your students to do? You could use this as a warm-up of even lesson for the day. Check out Dear Evan Hansen Dance Combo (27:01 mins.)

You can rent Dear Evan Hansen through a variety of ways–Apple TV and Prime are two.

Here’s a blog post concerning Dear Evan Hansen which you may find useful and interesting. Like “Dear Evan Hansen”? Then You’ll Love This News

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Spongebob Squarepants

Oh my gosh, friends. Spongebob Squarepants is such fun and your younger students will really enjoy learning about it.

You’ll want to look at the interview of a set designer. Set Designer David Zinn ( 7:00 mins.) I enjoy how he explains his concept of the musical, but also explains how color, the use of unusual objects and looking at the story as a child would.

Davis Zinn is exceptionally talented! He designed the costumes for the production as well. Explore the Costumes of Spongebob Squarepants. (2:56 mins.) Your students will love what he uses for each costumes and the detail is immense.

Switching gears here. I think showing a rehearsal of a production. It’s very important for our students. It demonstrates that rehearsals should be done with high energy, full commitment and dedication. Get a Sneak Peak at New Broadway Musical Spongebob Squarepants (2:25 mins.)

Need a scope and sequence for your middle school theater class? I can help here: Drama Units Scope and Sequence

Hadestown

Take a Tour Downtown of Hadestown with Rachel Hauk, set design and Rachel Chavkin, director. (4:09 mins.) For your students who can’t get enough of the creative process of designing a production, you’ll want to show this one.

Making the Music Anais Mitchell (3:50 mins.) talks about composing the music for Hadestown. In particular, she talks about the song, “Why Do We Build a Wall.: The lyrics to this song are not a political statement, but when Hadestown opened our former president was busy trying to keep immigrants out of the country. Talk about life imitating art and vice versa.

Broadway’s Hadestown is a Google Talk (55:31 mins.) which older students would appreciate. I think I would use it for a discussion and pick out certain parts which I wanted to point out–blocking, staging, etc. Members of the cast have an opportunity to share about the production. I especially appreciate Andre Shields’ interview. Although long, it’s worth the time.

You can find bootleg copies of Hadestown. That means someone recorded it illegally. I don’t recommend using these because it just perpetuates the idea that this activity is acceptable.

Here’s a blog post of mine about Hadestown and all its wonderfulness. What Can We Learn from Greek Mythology?

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching with Videos

Beetlejuice

Heres a fun one to study: Beetlejuice! The Cast of Beetlejuice Performed at medley at the Tony Awards. (3:48 mins.) Something interesting about this musical is that it was nominated for many Tony awards and didn’t win one. Strange, huh?

The set design is so imaginative–I’d show this for your gifted students. They’ll get a kick out of it! David Korns strikes again as the designer of the Beetlejuice set. It might be interesting to show the three video clips of his work and see if there are any similarities. That’s what I would do. Set Tour with Designer David Korin/ Beetlejuice the Musical. (7:22 mins.)

In How William Ivey Long Created the Beetlejuice and Tootsie Costumes (9:35 mins.) Long speaks about his process for the musical. Talk about talented! You’ll see that he spent over two years designing Beetlejuice. Amazing.

We can’t leave out plays. They are fabulous to teach with too

Teach with Plays

We can’t leave out plays. They are fabulous to teach with too.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Oh yes! To study a little bit of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play would be fabulous for middle grade students.

If your students are unfamiliar with the play, show them this montage first: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Exclusive Montage. (4:43 mins.)

This clip shares many things–the director, special effects, blocking, staging, lighting design, costume design–you name it. Behind the Scenes of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2:49 mins.) is a definite show on my list!

I think students will find this video Magic to Do: Harry Potter with James Snyder (9:51 mins.) demonstrates that actors are pretty much like the rest of us. Pretty goofy.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Let’s say you want to read a play in your high school theater class? I’d suggest To Kill a Mockingbird. I’d include these video clips while we read it. Maybe as a warm-up.

I’d begin with this video clip. It concerns how the play was reworked by the director, Aaron Sorkin. How Aaron Sorkin Reworked To Kill a Mockingbird for Broadway (7:19 mins.) It’s fascinating.

To Kill a Mockingbird Lessons for Today focuses on (7:10 mins.) the show’s star Jeff Daniels and playwright Aaron Sorkin about translating Lee’s characters to the stage, and with students who talk about “Mockingbird”‘s relevance to today’s audience.

Lastly, this video clip discusses the characters of the play. Citizens of To Kill a Mockingbird LaTanya Richards Jackson as Calpurnia (2:40 mins.)

Never Underestimate the Influence of Teaching With Videos

I hope these video links give you a lot of choice and ideas for your classroom use. If I were you, I’d teach a different musical or play each day–that’s 8 days or more of lessons for you. And….a substitute could use these as well.

Have you used video clips in your classroom? I’d love to hear about it. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Want some help with your directing? Pick up my FREE checklists at: Director’s Helper Checklists

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

February 8, 2022 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

Have you heard of Plays for New Audiences? No? They are terrific. Here are the seven reasons I recommend plays for new audiences scripts.

Plays for New Audiences is a division of Children’s Theatre Company. (Pictured above) Minneapolis, Minnesota. PNA offers contemporary works that are topical, relevant, and even fantastical. In addition, PNA offers many reimagined classics that are stage-ready for your next production.

The Children’s Theatre Company (formerly known as The Moppet Players from 1961 to 1965) is a regional theater established in 1965, specializing in plays for families, young audiences and the very young.

You really must check out this website! Plays for New Audiences

I ran on to the Childrens Theatre Company many years ago and picked up a few scripts for the youth theater I was administrating. Friends, these scripts are fabulous.

Plays for High School of Middle School Students to Perform

At least once a week, I read of teachers desperate to find a script to produce with their students. Either they need one for their class to produce, or are looking for a play to use to travel and perform for their elementary or middle schools. (Next school year would be a fantastic time to do this with your students since the pandemic will have subsided and everyone should be back in school full swing.)

Here are a few I suggest, but friends there are many of which to choose. Do give this website an afternoon to peruse.

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

Reason #1: Some are adapted from celebrated authors.

A Mark Twain Storybook is about a troupe of actors who re-tell some of Mark Twain’s most popular stories in “The Quadricetennial edition of America’s most loved traveling show, The Celebrated Mark Twain Storybook and Musicale Review!” They cover Tom Sawyer, The Good Little Boy (and, conversely, The Bad Little Boy), The Jumping Frog, What Stumped the Bluejays, Experience of the McWilliamses with Membranous Croup, and The Prince and the Pauper. A Mark Twain Storybook is a vaudeville inspired, rollicking delight.

The script is forty-five pages with roles for five actors with a running time of seventy-five minutes and recommended for ages six and up.

Reason #2: They are willing to adapt movies into plays. Generally, a movie will come out of a play version, but I like that they are willing to reverse that if the script is worthwhile.

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

Another script which looks sensational is Akeelah and the Bee. Akeelah and the Bee tells the story of a girl with a crazy passion for words: the more abstruse and labyrinthine, the better. But this gift is almost overwhelmed by the challenge of her daily life in a tough, Chicago neighborhood. Akeelah’s aptitude earns her a spot in the National Spelling Bee, which inspires the people in her neighborhood with her courage and tenacity. (You may be familiar with this title as there was a movie of it first.)

The script is 104 pages with roles for seven males and seven females. It runs two hours and is suitable for ages eight and up.

Reason #3: Some plays contain original plots.

If you are looking for something concerning the Jewish culture, I’d check out The Adventures of Motel. The Adventures of Motel is a story of adventure and misadventure set in Russia in the year 1905. A Jewish boy named Mottel meets the trials of living under rule of a cruel Czar with wit and good cheer. Mottel has many adventures, from causing the whole town to sneeze, dying the river (and in effect all the laundry) blue, and eventually travelling to America. We are able to experience what life was like for Jews in Russia at this tine while being entertained by the mishaps of a young boy.

The script is fifty-eight pages in length, runs two hours and has a cast of thirteen male and eleven female. It is suitable for ages eleven and up.

Reason #4: Many are multicultural. Quite a few are adaptations from folk or fairy tales.

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

The Monkey King is a fabulous folk tale from China. I’d take a look at it if you have a large class or auditioning pool.

The Monkey King play concerns a Heavenly Palace, the Jade Emperor and the Jade Empress are holding a feast. Suddenly a monkey hatches from a rock and declares himself King, shaking the very foundations of heaven and earth. He even travels to the underworld and erases his death in the Book of the Dead. The Emperor tries to capture the Monkey, but the wild animal escapes, ending up in a showdown with Buddha himself! Buddha wins and thus begins the Monkey’s earthly adventures. He accompanies a monk on a pilgrimage, along with two traveling companions, a pig, Ba-jie, and a carp, Sha-Sen, both of whom have been sent down to earth after causing trouble in the Heavenly Realm. As with every great quest story, the journey tests the character of the four travelers. To complete the mission, each must learn to recognize his weakness and understand their strengths.

The script is fifty-two pages in length runs one hour and forty-one minutes with roles for fifteen male and eight female +ensemble (Doubling possible)

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

Reason #5: They are diverse.

Based on the book of the same name, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is worth checking out as well.

In Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy Turner Buckminster III can’t win: he’s the new kid in town, he plays baseball differently, and he stumbles upon trouble at every step. Turner’s only friend is Lizzie Bright Griffin from Malaga Island, an impoverished community founded by former slaves. The town (and Turner’s father) disapproves of their friendship, but Turner and Lizzie remain friends regardless. When powerful forces threaten Lizzie and her kin, Turner faces the ultimate test of his character—and learns a hard-earned lesson about courage and loss.

The script is eighty-eight pages in length, runs two hours (with an intermission) and has roles for four male and seven female. It is appropriate for nine years and up.

Reason #6: They are entertaining and fun!

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

Looking for a musical? Here is one–Bunnicula!

Bunnical is about a dancing cat, a howling dog, and a vampire bunny. The perfect pet combination for any family. It’s a dark and stormy night and Chester (the family cat) and Harold (the family dog) sit waiting for their owners to return home from the movies. Chester and Harold are more than just pets, they’re good friends too. When the Monroes finally get home, they come bearing a surprise: they’ve found a bunny in the movie theater. But this is no ordinary rabbit… this is the extraordinary Bunnicula. When the family’s produce starts losing its juice, Chester thinks he knows what’s causing the fantastic phenomenon. Bunnicula is a vampire! Or maybe Chester’s imagination is getting the better of him. Singing and dancing their way through this hilarious mystery, the furry friends find room in their hearts, and in their home, for one very unique bunny.

This musical comes with musical tracks which would be very helpful if you don’t have an accompaniast. The show runs one hour and thirty-one minutes, has roles for two female and one male and is suitable for age six and up.

The Seven Reasons I Recommend Plays for New Audiences Scripts

Reason #7: They offer scripts with holiday themes.

Holiday Plays

Publishers with holiday themed scripts are always a plus in my book. Prancer concerns young Jessica Riggs’ family has fallen on hard times. Still, she keeps her belief in Santa Claus and the idea that there are miracles in the world. When an injured reindeer appears in Jessica’s backyard, she believes it is Prancer. While she is nursing the creature back to health, the whole community of Three Oaks eventually learns about Prancer, causing big problems for Jessica as she tries to return the reindeer home. Based on the cherished film, Prancer, this piece uses a heartwarming story and breathtaking puppetry to bring light into your holiday season.

Want some help with directing? Pick up my Director’s Helper Checklist here: Director’s Helper Checklist

Licensing and Royalties Information

I did want to touch on purchasing scripts and royalties for these plays and musicals. If you want to purchase copies for your class to read called you need a Classroom Reading license. This is a fifty dollar per semester cost. You can download and copy as many as you need. If you want to purchase, just one it is $12.00. I think it would be better to purchase a classroom reading license. At fifty dollars, that’s a pretty good deal since the average script cost of other publishers is usually around $10.00. I’d seriously consider doing this if I were you.

You would need to apply for a license to produce one of their plays in order to receive a royalty quote. I was unable to secure this information for you.

I hope you’ll check out Plays for New Audiences and their scripts. If I was still directing and teaching, I’d be on this site like butter on bread. They are unique, imaginative and guaranteed to be engaging to your students and audience.

If you’d appreciate additional advice from a seasoned theater teacher and director, check out:

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

Eighteen Ways To Make Your Directing Experience Less Stressful, Part One

Eighteen Ways to Make Your Directing Experience Less Stressful, Part Two

What play publishing company are you fond of? There are many, huh? Leave a comment and share your opinion. If you’d like to contact me do so at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Teacher Burned Out: How to Fix and Avoid An Expert Guide

January 12, 2022 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

Teacher Burned Out: How to Fix and Avoid An Expert Guide

They say you should write about what you know. Hmmmm. What do I know? I know this subject well–Teacher Burned Out: How to Fix and Avoid

I bet you do, too.

Here’s a quote that sums it up perfectly, “Burnout is nature’s way of telling you, you’ve been going through the motions your soul has departed; you’re a zombie, a member of the walking dead, a sleepwalker. False optimism is like administrating stimulants to an exhausted nervous system.” Anais Nin

I’ve lived this quote.

Teacher Burned Out: How to Fix and Avoid (An Expert Guide)

Before we begin, let me tell you a little story.

About eight years ago, I taught in a wonderful home school enrichment program (with around 800 students,grades k to 12) which was part of the St. Vrain School system in Longmont, CO. In my first year, I directed three musicals (I used the MTI juniors) and taught six classes (at three different locations.)

As is typical of me, I am sort of a create-a-monster kind of person; I have a tendency to keep improving something until I’m satisfied with it.

In my sixth year of teaching for Apex, I was directing FOUR different musicals (all MTI juniors) as well as FOUR children’s musicals (MTI kids) as well as teaching twenty-four classes. Yes, you read that correctly. Each location offered a bit of a different curriculum so of course that meant different preps. for me. (One school wanted a film class. Another an intro. to Shakespeare, etc.)

My health began to deteriorate. I was frustrated, sarcastic, short fused, tired all the time and very stressed.

Teacher Burned Out: How to Fix and Avoid (An Expert Guide)

Consequently, in my seventh year I dropped two schools and just taught Thursday and Friday. But my inspiration was waning. At this point, I’d directed around 350 plays and musicals over the thirty-eight years I’d taught (both schools and an excellent community theater).

Finally, I taught one more year and retired at age sixty. I was totally ready.

You see, I care more about what the students gain from my teaching than my own sanity and obvious health. I was willing to exhaust myself if more students came away with feeling being a part of a group, increased self-esteem and confidence. That’s really all I cared about.

No one told me to take care of myself. If they did, I was too stubborn and proud to do so very much.

I nearly ruined my health learning the lesson to do so, however.

Three Major Teacher Burnout Symptoms

According to the website prodigygame.com, there are three major teacher burnout symptoms:

Cynicism — a sense of detachment from work or life, loss of enjoyments, pessimism and isolation.
Feelings of ineffectiveness — Apathy, hopelessness, increased irritability, lack of productivity and poor performance.
Physical and emotional exhaustion — Always tired, unable to sleep, forgetfulness or trouble concentrating, anxiety, depression and anger.

Here’s another thing no one thinks about–there are after school activities like plays or musical rehearsals, marching band, ball practices, , study help, cheerleading, the chess club. All of these extracurriculars are fun to do, but they do take a toll on a teacher’s energy.

Don’t get me started talking about the hours a theatre teacher puts into directing a play or worse yet, a musical! It’s staggering. As the teacher/director, you not only direct the show but you also design the costumes, set, lights, sound, create stage props, handle the tickets, advertising and let’s not forget your teaching load! If you’d like some advice concerning directing youth theater check out this post Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

What’s the Answer to Burnout?

I wish I could say there is one way to handle the burn out. But there just isn’t. Here are a few things I learned over time:

I didn’t grade every paper which sat on m desk. Some can be given a participation grade (I used a check, check plut and check minus) especially when the students are just learning a concept.
Planning my calendar to give myself breaks within the week was essential. For instance, if my Creative Dramatics class had a performance for their parents, I made sure my Intro. to Theater class worked by themselves and I was merely over seeing.
If one class was doing something physical, I planned so the next class was doing something more sedentary.
I found my students learned the best Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Because of this, I kept Monday and Friday’s lessons lighter. I wouldn’t introduce a new unit until Tuesday (hoping to catch everyone and those who took a long weekend and missed Friday and Monday).
Fridays were fun days for all of us. I made sure that my Fridays were my best lessons to teach or those most engaging. Sometimes the students would view part of a video on a Friday. That kept my teacher-to-student contact low and my maintained my energy.
If I could work it out, I’d go out for lunch at least once a week. Or, I’d bring in something special from the grocery store–like a deli sandwich or fancy salad. It lifted the monotony.

So You Are Directing a Musical…Now What?

December 28, 2021 By dhcbaldwin 2 Comments

So You Are Directing a Musical…Now What?

Recently, I was interviewed by Jessica Peresta of the Elementry Musician podcast. Primarily, we spoke about drama integration. However we did speak about the process of directing a play or musical. Today, I’m going to discuss So You Are Directing a Musical…Now What?

Again, I forget not everyone knows the process.

What are the steps to producing a musical with youth?

That’s a difficult question for me to answer because it depends upon the grade level of the students and length/complexity of the show.

Let’s pretend you are a fifth grade teacher who wants to direct a musical with your students. First, what musical have you chosen? How long is it? Thirty minutes or an hour? How many songs are there? The size of the cast matters, too.

Imagine your wonderful principal paid for your class (haha) to produce an MTI Kids musical. You selected Jungle Book, Kids. Terrific! Now I know what we’ve got to work with. I can’t say enough good about Musical Theater International musicals, especially all of the junior and kids versions.

Jungle Book, Kids (credit Owen Lucas Photography)

So You Are Directing a Musical…Now What?

First, lets discuss the story: Banished by the ferocious tiger, Shere Khan, a human boy named Mowgli and his panther friend, Bagheera, are on the run in the deepest parts of the jungle. On their journey, the two meet a sinister snake named Kaa, a herd of elephants and a giant bear named Baloo, who teaches them the swingin’ musical rhythms of the jungle. After surviving a dangerous encounter with a band of monkeys led by King Louie, Mowgli and Bagheera are forced to run for their lives. When Shere Khan returns, our heroes must rally their fellow animals into battle and restore peace throughout the jungle.

Jungle Book has room for large cast so that’s wonderful for your students. The show contains twelve songs–all very memorable and gleaned from the animated movie. This helps you because the students will learn them quicker since they’ve probably heard them a bit.

The length of the musical matters, too. The show runs an hour with an intermission of fifteen minutes. In other words, you have under sixty pages of material to direct. (Remember there are twelve songs–that cuts into the scenes and lines quite a bit.)

Want to teach your students the beginning of creating a musical? Check out: Creating Your Own Musical

Musical Theater Rehearsal Schedule Example

Let’s pretend it’s November 1. You auditioned your class in October (prior to Halloween of course) and your first rehearsal is November 1, a Monday. I would organize my rehearsals like this:

November 1–Read thru script, discuss the story, re-tell the story, etc.

November 2 to 4–Sing songs

November 5 Choreograph Song either the first musical number or the most difficult first (I discovered that if I got the toughest musical number out of the way near the beginning of the rehearsal schedule, we didn’t worry ourselves about it. Also, the students would have more time to review it than if we waited until its time in the script, such as near the end.)

“Seussical, Jr.” Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies Summer Theater Camp with my direction

Want to study a Broadway musical with your students? Check out Broadway Musical Unit Study Guide for Matilda!

Musical Theater Rehearsal Schedule Example

This is an example. I can’t remember how many scenes or musical numbers Jungle Book, Kids contains. Usually, I use a building block method with young students, grades 3 to 5th.

Nov. 8–Choreograph Song

Nov. 9–Run Song #1 and Song #2

Nov. 10–Choreograph Song #3

Nov. 11–At this point, the students need a change. I would block scene 1 and run it with Song #1

Nov. 12–Run Song #2 and #3 and review scene 1 blocking once more

Nov. 13–Choreograph Song #4 and #5 (because they are beginning to know what to expect and they are picking it more quickly than at the beginning)

Nov. 16–Block scene two and three, choreograph song #5

Nov. 17–Block scene four and five, run songs 3 and 4

Nov. 18–Block scenes six and seven, choreograph song #6

Nov. 19–Polish scenes one and two with songs (OFF BOOK)

Nov. 20–Polish scenes three and four with songs (OFF BOOK)

Nov. 23–Polish scenes five and six with songs (OFF BOOK)

“The Secret Garden” Apex Home Enrichment Program with my direction

Musical Theater Rehearsal Schedule Example

Nov. 24–To be Announced (This gives you some wiggle room incase you get behind, there’s a fire drill that causes an up roar or whatever.)

Nov. 25–Run Songs with Choreography

Nov. 26–Run scenes only

Nov. 27–Run thru

Nov. 30–Run thru

Dec. 1–Run thru with props

Dec. 2–Run thru with props and costumes (Notice how I continue to add to the process?)

Dec.3–Dress rehearsal with props, costumes and set

Dec. 4–Dress rehearsal

Dec. 5–Perform!

In 1981 when I began directing youth theater, I over rehearsed and over blocked. I’m sure it was being too conscientious and also too controlling. Now, I almost under rehearsed them so they’ll have an edge for the show. THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN A SHOW THAT’S WORN OUT BEFORE IT OPENS. (I can always tell.)

“On Golden Pond” at Fine Arts Guild of the Rockies with my direction

So You Are Directing a Musical…Now What?

If you are directing older students, the rehearsal schedule is similar to directing adults if you are directing in a community theater. Check out my post about community theater here: Are You Missing These Kind of People in Your Life?

Usually, my rehearsal calendar follows:

Two weeks of music–chorus numbers first (2 days) , small group (3 days) , solos (3 days) then the second week try practicing the Music in the order in which is appears in the musical (The magic here is to begin with the most difficult or complicated numbers first so they are completed early in the process)

Two weeks of choreography–large group numbers (3 days), small group numbers (3 days), solos (2 days) continuing in this fashion until everything is choreographed.

One week of blocking and/or staging (If you can, ask that everyone be off book at this time. Or at the very least calling for lines.)

Want to be the Cool Teacher? Check out: Six, the Broadway Musical Unit or Les Miserables or Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Musical Theater Rehearsal Schedule Example

Two week of polishing each scene and act. Usually, I rehearse an act at a time (The magic during this process is rehearsing act one–Monday, act two–Tuesday THEN beginning the next time with act two–Wednesday and then act one-Thursday. Friday is your first full run thru)

One week of run thrus (add props and set pieces if possible)

One day of cue to cues, two dress rehearsals and then open!

As the director, you may feel like you aren’t needed very much in this second rehearsal calendar. You are incorrect. Your mere presence helps a cast to feel secure and acknowledged for all of their enthusiasm and hard work. Just being present and cheering on your cast means the world to them.

Want more directing advice? Check out Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

Looking for a FREE lesson or two? Check out Drama Integration for Grades 6 to 8

or Creative Dramatics Lessons for Grades 2 to 5

How do you organize your rehearsals? I’d love to know. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Deb

Doing Broadway Musicals the Right Way

September 29, 2021 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

Doing Musicals the Right Way

Doing Broadway Musicals the Right Way — The musical Hamilton

Let’s talk about doing musicals the right way. I watched the Tony awards last night. Although it was shortened version on CBS, it was a lovely tribute to Broadway and theater. So exciting to know Broadway is back in business again.

But I have to say…as always they did musicals the right way.

What do I mean by that remark? Often, I’ve thought about what makes a musical a classic. Who makes the decisions whether a theatrical piece is or is not a classic?

According to one website, any musical written between 1920 and 1959 is considered a classic. When I think about classic musicals, certain ones come to mind–South Pacific, Sound of Music, Oliver!, Peter Pan, The Music Man, Hello Dolly! My Fair Lady and Oklahoma! to name a few.

However, there are recent musicals which should be added to this category of Tony award winners.

I believe they become classics when they are endowed with strong plots, well defined characters, spectacle, universal themes and tremendous scores. Consequently, one could argue that most musicals which make it to Broadway should become classics, right? Maybe and maybe not.

However to me, the brilliance of the musical transcends all other productions and that is what sets is apart from others.

Doing Musicals the Right Way: The Phantom of the Opera

Let’s consider The Phantom of the Opera for example.

Phantom of the Opera

First, the plot: Based on the 1910 horror novel by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera is a thrilling and romantic account of the legendary Phantom, a musical genius who dwells deep beneath a majestic opera house in Paris.

Shunned by society for his horrible facial deformity, he takes a promising young soprano, Christine, under his wing and grooms her for operatic fame, all the while falling deeply in love with her.

As Christine grows ever more successful, and a handsome young man from her past begins to successfully court her, the Phantom descends into a jealous rage and terrorizes the opera company with increasingly dangerous threats.

The plot takes twists and turns. That’s a clear cut identifier of a classic.

Secondly, let’s consider the spectacle of the production. A person could watch this one scene from Phantom of the Opera (in photo above) and have a good idea of the plot. Have you wondered about how to direct a musical? Check out: So You Are Directing a Musical…Now What?

In addition, the characters are well rounded with moments of which we can relate. Another quality of a good musical. One moment we hate the Phantom and another we pity him. That tug at our heart strings makes him all the more compelling. Although Phantom of the Opera has less dialogue that most musicals, what dialogue it does have is well crafted.

The mere fact that Phantom of the Opera recently closed after a run of 35 years should tell us something, yes? Staying power.

Doing Broadway Musicals the Right Way

Andrew Lloyd Weber’s music score is magnificent. Perusing the internet researching this blog topic, I ran on to The Guardian’s review of Phantom of the Opera:

“Andrew Lloyd Webber has a true pop sensibility, ladling on the hooks. There are reprises and motifs everywhere, and even similar melodies in two of the big songs. Essentially, never take the unexpected route when the note you want to hear is right there.

That famous descending organ riff and its synth-rock bass may scream 1980s camp, but this is a show committed to bombast, the grisly gothic tale of the murderous phantom menacing a 19th-century Paris theatre unashamedly embraces high drama, backed by a wall of sound when Lloyd Webber’s more dense writing contrasts with the hit melodies.”

Doing Musical the Right Way: Les Miserables

Les Miserables should be included the list of modern classic musicals.

First, let’s talk about the plot: After 19 years as a prisoner, Jean Valjean is freed by Javert, the officer in charge of the prison workforce. Valjean promptly breaks parole but later uses money from stolen silver to reinvent himself as a mayor and factory owner. Javert vows to bring Valjean back to prison. Eight years later, Valjean becomes the guardian of a child named Cosette after her mother’s death, but Javert’s relentless pursuit means that peace will be a long time coming.

Staging of Les Miserables

Secondly, the staging is magnificent! When I taught students about set design, I described the spectacle of the production. The revolving stage, the use of lighting and simple set pieces gives the production a feeling of fluidity and pace. In particular, the scene when when Javert ends his life is powerful and raw.

Additionally, the use of fog and a simple bridge hoisted right at the moment Javert jumps to his death is breath taking. This moment of spectacle is tremendously engaging. Consequently, we are transported to the moment of impact as if we were jumping with him. The revolving stage turns as Javert sinks to the floor of the river, rolls in the current and slowly dies as the stage stops its revolve. That’s powerful theater!

Like Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables has a long life on Broadway and London where it originated. Forty-two countries have enjoyed the touring company shows. If that isn’t enough, it has been translated into 21 languages: English, Japanese, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, German, Polish, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, French, Czech, Castillian, Mauritian Creole, Flemish, Finnish, Argentinian, Portuguese, Estonian and Mexican Spanish. Pick up a copy of my Broadway musical unit of Les Miserables here.

What’s a Sung Thru Opera?

Les Miserables is considered a “sung-thru” opera. Because particular moments are sung rather than spoken and vice versa it demands our attention at all times. I can’t say that about every production.

The Music Man

A third “should-be” classic, is The Music Man.

Again, let’s look at the plot: The Music Man is concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys’ band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naïve Iowa townsfolk, promising to train the members of the new band. Harold is no musician, however, and plans to skip town without giving any music lessons. Prim librarian and piano teacher Marian sees through him, but when Harold helps her younger brother overcome his lisp and social awkwardness, Marian begins to fall in love. Harold risks being caught to win her.

Every classic musical contains universal themes. In this case, The Music Man demonstrates that music heals, redemption, risk romance and authenticity.

A Crowd Pleaser

When teachers ask for my recommendation of a crowd pleaser musical which has opportunities for a large cast, first on my list is The Music Man. The characters are charming, fun to portray and there’s room for many ages and grade levels. The dialogue is humorous when it needs to be and poignant in other moments. My favorite line is, “He’s been the raspberry seed in my wisdom tooth long enough.”

With a blend of music indicative of the setting of the story, many of a plot takes twists and turns which is an identifier of a classic, too. For instance, The Music Man has such captivating music it’s used in other genres such as by marching bands (Seventy-six Trombones) and barbershop quartets (Lida Rose.)

Having directed it four times, I can say without a doubt it is one I can depend upon to be successful every time I direct it. Want some advice about directing? Check out: So You Are Directing a Musical…Now What?

Broadway Musical Units

As you may be aware, I create drama education resources for teachers through my store, DramaMommaSpeaks also on MadebyTeachers and my personal store on Payhip.

I have a new bundle of “Classic Musicals”.

It includes: Les Miserable, The Music Man, Peter Pan, Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story, South Pacific (new)

Each musical can be purchased separately, but if you buy them in a bundle you save up to 20%. And guess what? This is a growing bundle so as I create more Classic Musicals I’ll include include more productions. (Get it at the beginning of the growing bundle and you get all of the rest of the musicals for FREE)

These products include:

Letter to Teacher
Two Warm Ups–My Own Version of this Popular Exercise–
Teacher’s Script–What I Say and How I Say it!
Photos of the production
Synopsis of the Musical
Plot of the Musical–comprehensive and detailed
Short Biography about the creative team–composer, lyricist, playwright, producer or director
Biography focused on the author of the novel if it inspired the production
Why is this musical considered an opera and not a musical?
Separate File of Photos for Teacher’s Use in Lecture
History about the Origination of the Production
AND a Mini-Lesson on What are the Tony Awards?
List of Tony Awards
New York City Map with Competing Theaters Labeled
Student Note Page
Teacher Note Page Key
Fascinating Trivia about Broadway
Equally fascinating trivia about the particular musical
Songs List
Extension Activities–Ten Terrific Assignment Suggestions to Secure the Learning and Enrich the Experience either Individual or Group
Sources & Links to Film Clips from the Show
And More!

There are many musicals, too numerous to mention, which your students will appreciate exploring. Have you considered Come From Away? Still so timely. It’s an excellent production!

Here’s another Broadway musical, West Side Story

Today, I added Oklahoma!

And Here’s South Pacific

And now The Sound of Music

What other musicals do you think should be labeled as classics? I’d love to know. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

The Essential Drama Integration Guide for Come From Away the Broadway Musical

September 15, 2021 By dhcbaldwin 3 Comments

The Essential Drama Integration Guide to Come From Away the Broadway Musical

Have you used drama integration to reach your students? This would be a good place to begin. Use my drama integration Come From Away the Broadway Musical.

What is Drama Integration?

Through participation in theatre, students develop speaking and listening skills. Students collaborate with others in accomplishing common goals. Though many classroom teachers do not have a drama teacher to collaborate with, drama is a natural place to begin arts integration.

The story behind Come From Away is one which can easily be used in any classroom studying September 11th. Rather than just studying the story, how about teaching the historical moment through a theatrical production?

Why is The Musical Titled “Come From Away”?

“Come from away” is a term used in Canada’s Atlantic provinces for someone who has moved to the area from somewhere else. I’m a come from away myself, from Ontario, though my mother was born here.

The first reason to teach with this musical, and foremost in my opinion, if the story. It is just plain fascinating and begins with an explanation of Operation Yellow Ribbon.

Operation Yellow Ribbon was commenced by Canada to handle the diversion of civilian airline flights in response to the September 11 attacks in 2001 on the United States. Canada’s goal was to ensure that potentially destructive air traffic be removed from United States airspace as quickly as possible, and away from potential U.S. targets.

Instead of U.S. soil, those aircraft headed into the U.S. were place on the ground in Canada, at military and civilian airports in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and British Columbia (and also several in New Brunswick, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec) where any destructive potential could be better contained and neutralized. None of the aircraft proved to be a threat, and Canada and Canadians hosted thousands of passengers stranded in Canada until U.S. airspace was reopened.

The Essential Drama Integration Guide to Come From Away the Broadway Musical

Canada began the operation after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), implementing Security Control of Air Traffic and Air Navigation Aids (SCATANA), grounded all aircraft across the United States, an unprecedented action. The FAA then worked with Transport Canada to reroute incoming international flights to airports in Canada.

During the operation, departing flights—with the exception of police, military, and humanitarian flights—were cancelled, marking the first time that Canadian airspace had been shut down. In total, as a result of Operation Yellow Ribbon, 255 aircraft were diverted to 17 different airports across the country. 45,000 people were displaced.

I told you it was fascinating! Come From Away is placed in Gander, Newfoundland.

Gander is a town located in the northeastern part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Located on the northeastern shore of Gander Lake, it is the site of Gander International Airport, once an important refueling stop for transatlantic aircraft, and still a preferred emergency landing point for aircraft facing on-board medical or security issues. At the time of the 911 attack, its population was 6,000.

Most of the streets in Gander are named after famous aviators, including Alcock and Brown, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, Marc Garneau and Chuck Yeager.

Come From Away the Broadway Musical

Some musicals are developed with each creative team member responsible for particular parts of the show from playwriting to directing to choreography. Others are more collaborative in nature. The path of the musical, Come from Away to becoming a Broadway musical was fairly traditional once it was conceived.

However, its conception was the unique aspect and perhaps that why audiences love it so much. In this particular case, the composer and lyricists are also the playwrights. This doesn’t occur very often.

The Essential Drama Integration Guide to Come From Away the Broadway Musical

What is equally fascinating is the creative team’s personal connection to the story. The setting is in their home province of Newfoundland, Canada. The team didn’t realize there was a story to be told until ten years later when they were approached to write the show.

The musical has been received by audiences and critics as a cathartic reminder of the capacity for human kindness in even the darkest of times and the triumph of humanity over hate.

DID YOU KNOW ONLY 14 STATES TEACH ABOUT 911?

Fourteen.

That’s a crying shame, but I’m out to change all that!

DramaMommaSpeaks Come From Away Drama Integration Guide

My Drama Resources

As you may be aware, I create drama education resources for teachers in my store, DramaMommaSpeaks. Currently, my Come From Away unit is very popular with vocal music, language arts and theater teachers.

This 46 page, two-day product includes:

Letter to Teacher
Warm Up–MY Version of a Popular Physical Warm Up
Teacher’s Script–What I Say and How I Say it!
Photos of Gander, Newfoundland where the story takes place and the airstrip which became the connector between strangers
Plot of the Musical
Synopsis of the Musical
A Brief Description of the Operation Yellow Ribbon and 9/12, what occurred the day after the 9/11 attacks
Separate File of Photos for Teacher’s Use in Lecture
History about the Origination of the Production
Information on the Director, Christopher Ashley
Information on the Writing Team co-composers & playwrights David Hein and Irene Sankuff
A Shortened Lesson on: What are the Tony Awards?
List of Tony Awards
New York City Map with Competing Theaters Labeled
Student Note Page
Teacher Note Page Key
Trivia about Come From Away and Broadway Musicals with Some Surprising Facts!
Lyrics from “Welcome to the Rock”–Good for Class Discussions or as a Jumping Off Point
Extension Activities–Terrific Suggestions of Ways to Secure the Learning and Enrich the Experience, Individual and Group
Sources & Links to Video Clips from the Show
And More!

Looking for a Theater Curriculum Scope and Sequence for Middle School? Check out mine: Drama Units Scope and Sequence.

Comprehensive? You bet. If this interests you, perhaps my Hamilton lesson will too. Check out this blog post here.

The Essential Drama Integration Guide for Come From Away the Broadway Musical

Come From Away Movie

The Come From Away movie was released recently. You can find it on Apple TV. Of course, it would be wonderful if your students could view the movie. If not, you’ve got my complete lesson to answer any and all questions pertaining to this terrific musical.

It isn’t often that a historical moment is still pertinent twenty years later, but here we are.

If you direct productions, you’ll enjoy this musical for its ensemble feel. The story is told by every character with most playing more than one role. That’s always a nice challenge for performers and such fun, too. The set is simple, containing chairs, a table or two and few stage properties. The music is clever and sounds a bit like Irish folk music to me.

DramaMommaSpeaks Come From Away Drama Integration Guide

I think once its released to amateurs, every community theater, in the country will produce it. Wow!

A note to social studies and language arts teachers–don’t shy away from this musical because it is just that. Integrate drama into your classroom and your students will love you for it, I promise. Some of the best teaching is done when you break out of your routine and teach through a different medium.

I hope you’ll consider teaching your students about the musical, Come From Away. As I said, it’s one of most popular products (in the top four!) so there is some reason everyone desires this lesson. See for yourself.

Where were you when 911 occurred? I was the first person in my school building to hear the news. What an unforgettable experience to be sure.

Interested in another Broadway musical? Check out: Phantom of the Opera

I’d love to hear about your memories of 911. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Want a FREE guide and drama integration lesson for grades 6 to 8? Go here: FREE guide and drama integration

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