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How Theatre Shaped My Life

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How Theatre Shaped My Life

People have asked me how theatre shaped my life.  I hadn’t given it much thought until I considered my students growth through it.

Theatre gets a bum rep.  Don’t you think?

People who haven’t studied it have a difficult time understanding its power. I remember seeing a football player interview where the newscaster asks him what he planned to do now that he retired.  He said, “I’m going to be an actor.  My girl friend is an actress.  She’s going to teach me.”

Oh. My. Heavens.

No.

We theatre lovers know it’s not a weekend workshop type of experience.  Actors work their whole lives.  A favorite quote of mine from Bill English of the San Francisco Playhouse, “‘Theatre is like a gym for empathy. It’s where we go to build up the muscles of compassion, to practice listening and understanding and engaging with people that are not just like ourselves. We practice sitting down, paying attention and learning from other people’s actions. We practice caring.”

I asked some students of mine to share how theatre shaped their life.  Here are their thoughts.

How Theatre Shaped My Life

Matt Kimbel

I’m Mat Kimbel. I’m in college working towards becoming a theatre teacher. After working under the direction of Mrs. Baldwin for six years, there’s no denying that she influenced my decision to become a theatre teacher. ⁣
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I found theatre when life dealt me a hand I was struggling to handle. 📌 I had just begun developing seizures as a result of being born with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Growing up with CP presented its own set of struggles, which at this point in time was my mental and physical health.

I wasn’t eating or hydrating or sleeping. I wasn’t doing well at school. I didn’t have many friends. I was battling depression at an extremely young age. ⁣
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👉 During this time, my doctors prescribed several meds. most of which caused me to lash out, be angry and crude to people. Doctors suggested I play sports to try and release all of these volatile feelings. This seemed like the perfect solution. However, after participating in several sports, I struggled to keep up. I wasn’t finding what I was looking for. ⁣
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After a few months of searching, my grandma suggested that I try theatre. 🎭🎭 My initial reaction was “Theatre? Frolic around on a stage, wear makeup, sing songs and pretend to be someone they aren’t?” Grandma kept insisting and got me to audition. Now, I can honestly say there is nothing I would rather do. ⁣
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Once I got involved in theatre, my life completely changed. It’s like a light went off in my head. 💡I stopped being angry and lashing out. I started doing better in school. I started actually eating, to enjoy life. It led to me to taking voice lessons, choir and expanding my interests.

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⁣When I was bullied everyday and my life at home wasn’t the best, 😊 it was theatre which kept me motivated during some of the roughest times. ⁣⁣

👉👉I wouldn’t be the person I am today without theatre. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t find it. You never know what doors you can open until you try. ⁣

May be an image of 1 person, standing, outdoors and tree

How Theatre Shaped My Life

Mahogany Thomas

As a pastor, drama is present within my ministry in many ways. The lessons I learned while acting on empathy, connection and authenticity resonate deeply and are timeless. Projection, stage presence, eye-contact, and improvisation are all traits that essential to my profession.

Since I am often found in many places speaking in front of people, the practical lessons of drama are also fundamental. Likewise, I have a LOVE of preaching, and in many ways, preaching is a monologue.

This means the way you engage the audience and present the material matters. Your voice, storytelling, creativity, narration, and ability to captivate the audience to take them on a journey are critical in both the structure of my sermons and my delivery. ⁣
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Drama education empowers its students to see not only themselves but one another with empathy. This is how you cultivate authentic relationships and move through such a contentious world. Building genuine relationships with one another are foundational in a world that needs healing. Therefore I make it my duty to live with empathy, love with empathy, and teach empathy to everyone I encounter, just as my drama experience has taught me.

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How Theatre Shaped My Life

Ivy Favier

I’m Ivy Favier, a performer, composer, and artist who dreams of becoming a teacher. I was a student of Mrs. B. for 5 years, and I know it was she who inspired my dream.⁣
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I met Mrs. B. in 5th Grade Musical Theatre class. I was shy and introverted as a child, and I remember being a little intimidated at first. She was so full of enthusiasm and vigor, and gave so much to her students, who gave so much back in return. She expected something of me, and I was going to have to dig deep to find it. ⁣
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She pushed me just hard enough, challenged me to step out of the shadows and find my light. She made me feel safe and supported, showing me that it was ok to look silly and make mistakes. She encouraged me to speak up, reach out, make friends, and take risks.⁣
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After that, I “caught the bug.” I auditioned and performed with many theatre companies across CO, took workshops, and attended summer camps.⁣
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How Theatre Shaped My Life

As a TA for Mrs. B’s classes, I admired the way she interacted with her students. She taught them the value of theatre not in an academic way, but in a playful way. She made it real and relatable for them. This inspired me.⁣
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🎭 My latest theatre endeavor is in Playback Theatre, a form of improv. —audience members tell stories from their lives and the actors interpret them on stage. This challenged the way I think about theatre. I now realize how our stories are all connected. Playback strengthened my listening skills, creativity, and empathy in my theatre and non-theatre life.⁣
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I would be an entirely different person without theatre. I might still be that shy little girl, too afraid to step out of the shadows. Theatre gave me my own voice and power. It gave me courage. I learned I must leap in order to fly. If I fall, I can pick myself up and try again. It’s always worth it. Theatre taught me that. ⁣❤️

Thank you Matt, Mahogany and Ivy!

If you’d like to know about my moment when theatre not only shaped but saved my life, go to: How Theatre Saved My Life

Do you have an experience about how theatre shaped your life?  I’d love to hear about and maybe down the road, I’ll feature you too!

Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

 

 

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

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My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

My theater vocabulary list for the classroom

Let’s talk about my theatre vocabulary list for the classroom.  I apologize. It never occurred to me that teachers needed a list of vocabulary for their theatre classes.

Theatre is such a major part of my life, I’d forgotten not everyone comes into teaching theatre classes as knowledgeable as I was. However, as I think about it, I remember what it’s like getting started teaching a theatre class.

It’s tough to get started.  Although there are colleagues who will advise you, sometimes you need someone sort of “at your finger tips” to help you.  That’s me!

Why teach vocabulary words?

This seems this would have an obvious answer.  But just as in every other subject students teach, theater students need to know the words and phrases you will use in your classroom.  We can’t expect out students to be good communicators if we don’t help them, yes?

There are many processes students can  use to learn these words.  If you pick up my Word Wall product, I’ve included several different ways to learn the vocabulary words.

Teach by osmosis!  What’s that, you say?  Learning by proxy, or being exposed to someone, can naturally achieve an unconscious assimilation of ideas, vocabulary, knowledge and even technical skills. It’s called osmosis.

A teacher could share a vocabulary word each day. Start the day with the word and even demonstrate it.  Honestly, you will be surprised how quickly the students will learn them using osmosis. Just by seeing, demonstrating themselves and writing them, they’ll learn many of these words as if by magic.

++++++++ I am sorry there aren’t more words and their definitions listed here. I think students were coming here and filling out their vocabulary and definition sheet list and not finding the words and their definitions on their own.

Tsk, tsk. So, I edited the list to give you a basic idea..

My theater vocabulary list for the classroom

Actor to Choreography:

Actor    A male  person who performs a role in a play, work of theatre, or movie

Actress     A female person who performers in a role in a play, work of theatre, or movie.

Apron    The section of the stage floor which projects towards or into the auditorium. In proscenium theatres, it’s the part of the stage in front of the house tabs, or in front of the proscenium arch, above the orchestra pit

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom (Example)

Cast       A set of actors in a play

Catharsis    A moment of high tragedy at the emotional climax of a play is followed by an emotional cleansing for the characters and the audience

Chanting     A word or phrase repeated for an effect

Character   A person in a novel, play, or movie

Are you considering becoming a teacher?  Check out this blog post Why is it Important to Create a Lesson Plan?

My theater vocabulary list for the classroom

If you are a student, sorry.  You are going to have to look up these words yourself to attain the rest of the defintions.

Looking for a lesson for tomorrow?  Pick up this one about Lin Manuel Miranda.

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

My theatre vocabulary list for the classroom

I was looking around the internet and found this great blog post about the reasons it is important to know how to spell.

Everything is provided for you.  Check it out at: Word Wall

 

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

The Reasons It’s Important to Learn to Spell

  • It develops reading skills: Knowing how to spell correctly helps children become better readers. If they don’t know how to spell a word, they’re more likely to guess at its meaning, rather than understand its true meaning. Additionally, being able to accurately spell words helps to build fluency and allow kids to read faster.
  • It enhances writing skills: Knowing how to spell words correctly helps children become better writers as well. When they’re able to accurately spell words, they can express their thoughts and feelings more clearly, resulting in stronger writing overall.
  • It builds confidence: Being able to accurately spell words is a great confidence booster for primary school kids. Knowing that they can spell words correctly helps them become more confident readers and writers.
  • It improves vocabulary: Learning how to spell words correctly helps children learn the meanings of unfamiliar words and increase their vocabulary. This can be very beneficial for them in the future as they continue their education.
  • It helps with concentration: Spelling correctly requires focus and concentration, both of which are important skills for primary school children to learn. By mastering spelling, kids will be able to transfer these skills to other areas of their studies as well.
  • Ultimately, spelling is an essential skill for primary school children to learn. Not only does it help them become better readers and writers, but it also boosts their confidence, expands their vocabulary, and helps them develop concentration skills. Therefore, it’s important that primary school kids take the time to practice their spelling regularly.

Instead of copying all of these words and making printables for your students, there are 64 in this product! Check out this WORD WALL:

My Theatre Vocabulary List for the Classroom

First African American to Win National Spelling Bee

Have you heard of Zaila Avant-garde?  The multitalented teenage phenomenon Zaila Avant-garde, became an overnight sensation with her Scripps National Spelling Bee win at the age of fourteen, when she became the first African American contestant to win. Zaila Avant-garde, now sixteen, will add “author” to her already-impressive list of accolades that includes: 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, 2021 Sports Kid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids; and two-time Guinness World Record holder for feats related to her basketball prowess.

Her books, IT’S NOT BRAGGING IF IT’S TRUE: HOW TO BE AWESOME AT LIFE, a non-fiction middle-grade and a picture book, WORDS OF WONDER FROM Z TO A, a children’s picture book, will be published on June 27, 2023, by Doubleday Books for Young Readers and edited by VP, Editor-in-Chief Frances Gilbert.

Pick up my Drama Word Wall.  Everything is provided for you.  Check it out at: Word Wall or you can pick up posters (some are FREE) for your classroom, too!  Growth Mindset Posters and Vocabulary

I hope this helps you.  Please feel free to contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Want some more help in the classroom? Check out my FREE Guide and ten page lesson Here 

woman behind DramaMommaSpeaks

Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaSpeaks List

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Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List

Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to chat with a first year teacher as he planned the rest of his school year.  He began the year with the students all learning from home, then his school went to hybrid (which means half were at home and half were in the classroom) and soon he’d have them all in the classroom together.

His questions were standard ones I receive which made me think of some other questions which are frequently asked.  Here are some:

1. Do you always warm-up your students? Why?  

Warming-up your students will help in two ways–it gives the student a minute to shake off whatever occurred in the hallway or last class and also helps him to focus on your lesson to come.

2.  What is a good musical for high school students to perform?

The first thing I need to know is how your administration looks at the theater program?  If they are very supportive and want the best for their students (and they TRUST you), then you can take some chances with more adult musicals–with musicals such as West Side Story and Les Mis’ (know that there are very few roles for females in LM, however.)

By and large, I suggest the classics–The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, Music Man and so forth.  Why?  They are guaranteed crowd pleasers and families will attend because they are familiar with them. Good for everyone’s ego and the box office sales.

3.  Can you recommend a good play for middle school students to perform? 

I like to produce adaptations of classic books such as Anne of Green Gables, Tom Sawyer, The Miracle Worker, Diary of Anne Frank, Bridge to Terabithia or Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Find out the reasons I suggest Anne of Green Gables here Ten Reasons Why Everyone Produces Anne of Green Gables

4.  What do you think of improvisation exercises?

I was trained as a professional actress and at that time we did not merely improv. for the sake for fun.  Improvisation was used to develop characters or create new art pieces.  I don’t dispense improvistion like candy.  I like it to mean something (a theme) or practice some particular skill like voice and articulation, for instance.

Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List

5.  My students are learning from home. Can your lessons be used in distance learning?

Yes, many of my lessons can be used in distance learning.  We have this new cool program on Teacherspayteachers.com called Eastl and it will make any lesson into a digital format.

6.  If you could only teach one musical theater unit, which one would you choose?

For obvious reasons, I would teach Hamilton.  I mean, how can you go wrong with it?  My Hamilton musical lesson is fifty pages and includes everything a teacher might need:  procedure, history of the musical, list of song titles, biographies over creative staff, questions and teacher’s key, trivia and ends with enrichment activities which can be done individually or in groups.

7.  If you could only teach one radio theater unit, which one would you choose?

It depends upon my mood, but I’m pleased with how all of them came out.  The most difficult one is The Frozen Pirate which is best for high school students.  It it set in two different ships and has a narrator who is sometimes a character in the story and sometimes merely narrates.

Another one which I’m proud of is my own–Bow Wow Blues.  BWB is about a group of bumbling bank robbers in the 1930’s who are outsmarted by some quick witted detectives and a couple of dogs who help them.  The characters are broad and easy for middle school students to convey.

8.  Do you charge royalties for your scripts?

No, I don’t.  I only ask that the person producing the script send me a recording and/or photos of their production for my personal uses in marketing. Bookeeping who is producing which script would be a nightmare for me to track at this point in my business.

9.  Do you update your resources?

Yes, constantly!  For instance, let’s say it’s announced Lin Manuel Miranda will be performing in a new movie.  I go in to all the products where he is included and update the information to include a mentioned of the new movie.  Or, a link breaks or vanishes–I go in and find a new one.  Or I add a page to a resource which upon second thought makes the produce more useful to the teacher.

10.  On average, how many new lessons do you create a month?

I create about two new lessons a month and several new bundles.

Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List

11.  I want to follow you. Do you have an email list I could join?

You bet!  I’m getting ready to glam up my newsletter in the near future and I think you’ll want to be a part of it.  You can join here on this page up above on the right.

d

12.  Are you on Instagram?

Yes, I am very active on Instagram.  I speak about different topics there than on the blog.  You can find me at DramaMommaSpeaks on Instagram.

13.  How about Facebook?

Yes, I am.  I share various arts subjects there.  Check me out https://www.facebook.com/Dramamommaspeaks

14.  Are you ever interviewed on podcasts?

You can learn about them here The Top Reasons to Listen to Podcasts

15. I know Clubhouse is a big thing now.  Would I find you there?

Yup!  Just search Deb Baldwin.

16. Where could I see some reviews of your products?

You can find review of my products here Dramamommaspeaks

Frequently Asked Questions the DramaMommaspeaks List

17.  On average, how pages are your lessons?

Most lessons are around 15 pages in length.

18.  On average, how days’ long are your units?

Some units are three days in length and several are three weeks long.

19.  Do you have drama lessons for elementary students?

Yes, although not as many as I’d like.  I create lessons where the interest is–meaning if a lot of products which are purchased for the month seem to be for middle school, I will make another middle school lesson that month.

20.  Do you have drama integration units?

Yes, I have readers theater and play scripts which are perfect for drama integration. Here’s a blog post about drama integration, too.  How Do I Use Arts Integration in the Classroom?

21.  Who writes the music for your short plays?

My husband of thirty-eight years composes the music.  He is an award-winning instrumental music teacher, taught for forty years and composes as well.

22.  What is the price range of your materials?

Some products are $3.50.  The most expensive product I have are bundles which lasts a semester or even a year.  They are around $100.00

23.  Do accept suggestions?

For things to add to a product or if something needs more clarification?  Yes, but I’d rather the person emailed me than put it in a review.  It confuses the next buyer.

24.  If a teacher wants a particular lesson which you have not created, will you develop it for them?

Yes, I create lessons for teachers on occasion.  The lesson becomes my sole property, but I give the person acknowledgement in the lesson for their idea.

25.  How long does it take to create a radio theater script?

It takes about sixty-five hours to write a script. There is no playwriting template for a radio theater script, so I must set up every page by hand.

26.  Do you have any lessons about people of color?

My Famous Theater Artist Biographies and One Pager Assignment include many people of color–Denzel Washington, Audra McDonald, August Wilson, Camille A. Brown, etc. Here is a blog post concerning my thoughts

27.  Do you have lessons about technical theater?

Of course!  Everything from costume to set design. Here is one: Set Design Fairy Tales

28.  What’s next for you?

Oh…..I can’t tell you yet!  Just make sure you join my email list, look for my free products coming out soon and some other great plans.

I hope these answers help you.  Please feel free to contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or my website at DeborahBaldwin.net

Deborah Baldwin of DramaMommaSpeaks

 

 

Has Covid Ended the Broadway Theater?

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Has Covid Ended the Broadway Theater?

Recently, my husband and I caught a wonderful performance on BroadwayHD of “Slava’s Snow Show.”  It is quinessential circus theater and we nearly wept with joy while watching it..  Even though it was a filmed performance, it was the closest thing we’d gotten to live theater in nearly a year.

These are unprecendented times, yes?  Everyone in the world is in the same boat.

Will Broadway Theater Re-open?

Broadway, Font, Letters, Sign, Lights, Red, Yellow

It is hard to believe, but Broadway is coming back sooner than we think!

A time line has been drafted for the potential reopening of Broadway theaters and live entertainment venues.

As reported in Broadway News, New York state can reopen venues through a combination of quick Covid tests and socially distanced seating. Although audience numbers would be significantly lower than pre-lockdown levels, it’s the first step to Broadway being back open again.

Speaking about the framework, Governor Cuomo said: “The overall effort is headed towards reopening with testing. And we’re going to be smart, but also aggressive about it.” He also said that Broadway theatres could realistically open if everyone was proven to be Covid negative. As long as all safety protocols were signed off, “You can open a Broadway stage with a set percentage of occupants, where people have tested prior to walking into that Broadway theater.”

During the seven-month Pop Up Festival announced recently, small crowd sizes will be introduced for live performances. This will be the next step since the outdoor Bills Stadium reopened its doors, with up to 7,000 fans attending games.

Here’s the deal, though.  On February 23, venues with a seating capacity of over 10,000 will be allowed to reopen. Of course, this doesn’t include Broadway theater which are much smaller, but hey that’s a start!

Outdoor, Street, Road, City, View, Night, Evening, Time

Not everyone is excited about this plan. From the newyorktheatreguide.com, ” … Broadway leaders previously stated theatres can’t open until Coronavirus levels are low enough to sustain full houses in auditorium.”

Theater is expensive! My personal experiences with administrating theater companies taught me it is not cost effective without a full house. According to nytix.com, “Some may say that any attendance is better than no attendance, but operating costs for Broadway plays are often so steep that they need to sell at least 80% of tickets (or more!) just to break even.

Spending the producers’ money to put on Broadway shows for just 10-25% capacity, could very well create even more losses than having no shows at all. It seems like a real world skit of the famous Nathan Lane show The Producers, but with real consequences for art and people. Broadway Theatres could increase ticket prices but they would have to be 2-3 times the normal cost and they would soon run out of patrons with pockets that deep to buy them.”

At present, Broadway theaters are closed until May 30.

Broadway and West 34th St.

Which Shows Will Re-open?

If you think about it–we are talking about over 97,000 people returning to their jobs and/or be cast.  Unfortunately, they can’t just iron the costumes, turn on the lights and open the grand curtain.  It will take several months for a production to open again.

I looked around to see if I could discern which shows would re-open first. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. According to Broadwayworld.com  productions are slated to open sometime in the fall.

Productions included are:

  • The Music Man by December 20, 21l.
  • Caroline or Change
  • David Byrne’s America Utopia
  • MJ the Musical

Many productions (Dear Evan Hansen, Aladdin, Book of Mormon, Aint Too Proud, etc.) haven’t made an announcement yet.  I’ll update this list as news becomes available.

Who will open first?

Who will open first?  According to the newyorktheatreguide.com website, there are rumors that Hamilton will be the first Broadway show to re-open, with potential performances from Jul. 4, 2021. Yippee!

Speaking to Variety, Lin-Manuel Miranda said: “I think when theater comes back it’s going to be in conversation with technology in an entirely different way. I don’t think we go back to a world where a show premieres on Broadway, and then no one can see it unless they have two hundred bucks. I think producers are going to have to start thinking about how they’re going to capture [their work] because in capturing it they can actually capture a much larger audience for their live show.”

I’m intrigued by this comment.  Does Lin-Manuel mean covid precautions? Or recorded music?

Is Theater Dead? 

As a theater lover, director, producer, actress and teacher I worry about theater even without the pandemic.

It’s easily misunderstood and not everyone understands the power of the performing arts.  I didn’t know it at the time, but this post has come to pass: How Fulfilling is Life Without Theatre? 

I’m always reminded of this quote by John Steinbeck, “The theater is the only institution in the world which has been dying for four thousand years and has never succumbed.  It requires tough and devoted people to keep it alive.”

It does require grit from us in theater arts.  All around you right now there are people working to bring back theater for all of us. Feel comforted by that thought–theater people are a harty bunch!

In the meantime, while we wait to see live theater I can help a little. Here are some lessons which might be of interest to you.

They are quite popular with other teachers. I’ll tell you a secret. (Most of my lessons come with a teacher’s script so a teacher doesn’t have to think what to say to begin the lesson.  I’ve provided it for them.) I have lessons for grades two to twelve. If you don’t know about me, I am a retired drama teacher now selling drama resources. You can find them at Dramamommaspeaks Store

 

Hamilton
Boom Cards
Costume Design
Wicked
Come From Away
Costume Design
Storytelling
High School
Radio Theater
Readers Theater
Drama Vocabulary
Theater will live through this time.  I’m certain it will take several months before we see packed theaters. How exciting will it be to see happy people roaming around Times Square before a performance. I plan to be there, don’t you?

If you could pick which musical and play you’d like to open first, which would you select?  I’d love to hear from you.  Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail. com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Deborah Baldwin of DramaMommaSpeaks

The Only NBC Television Special to See on December 10

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The Only NBC Television Special to See on December 10

Everyone has shed light on many industries who are suffering during this pandemic and rightfully so.

There is one group of people, however, no one has mentioned too much–those in the entertainment industry.  In particular, I am speaking about those who work on Broadway. Thursday, December 10 on the NBC network, a wonderful fundraising event will occur for those people who entertain us whether its on the Broadway stage, backstage in a regional theater, dancing on a cruise ship or a host of other performance venues. Among many others, this includes the technical, front of house and box office, too.

Will there be actual performances?  Yes!

I heard about this event on Sirius and began looking for information about it.  According to Broadwaydirect.com,

“Several of Broadway’s best shows will take over the streets of New York City with special performances from the casts of Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Chicago, Jagged Little Pill, Diana: The Musical, Jersey Boys, Mean Girls, Rent and an appearance by the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The night will also showcase special sneak peeks at Broadway shows coming in 2021.

The Only NBC Television Special to See on December 10

“One Night Only: The Best of Broadway” will feature performances by Kelly Clarkson, Brett Eldredge, Patti LaBelle and appearances from Annaleigh Ashford, Lance Bass, Kristen Bell, Ron Cephas Jones, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Peter Gallagher, Josh Groban, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sean Hayes, Nathan Lane, Camryn Manheim, Alanis Morissette, Jerry O’Connell, Leslie Odom Jr., Billy Porter, John Stamos, Aaron Tveit, Blair Underwood, Vanessa Williams, Susan Kelechi Watson and more.

Donations during this special will help provide groceries and medication, health care, and emergency financial assistance to those in the Broadway community who are struggling through a pandemic that threatens their health and will shutter their industry for more than a year.

For more than 25 years, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has been helping to support and strengthen The Actors Fund’s safety net of social services, enabling thousands in the entertainment industry receive lifesaving medications, health care, nutritious meals, counseling, and emergency financial assistance.”

If you need assistance and you are in the entertainment industry, I’d suggest check them out:  Actor’s Fund

Radio City Music Hall

With Broadway being crippled by current events, it’s never been more vital to showcase these incredible performers and remind audiences of their extraordinary talents for when they return to the stage,” said Doug Vaughan, Executive Vice President, Special Programs, NBC Entertainment. “We’re proud to partner with Broadway Cares and do our part to help those in that tight-knit community during these difficult times.”

I know these organizations are a God send to those in the entertainment industry.  A student of mine was very ill several years ago with colon cancer.  Luckily, she lived through it and is healthy today. She wanted to keep her performing job and never divulged to the company she was ill.  Can you imagine?  Afraid to tell the company you are sick, for fear of being let go?  The Actors Fund came to her rescue during this time and supported her through all of her doctor visits, surgery and rehabilitation.  It took a year to get her back on her feet.  Soon she will be starring on Broadway again.

Arts Risk Losing their Soul

Several years ago, I blogged about this quote,  Arts Quote We Love #7–Society Risks Losing its Soul

Arts And Society

Have you ever considered what the world would be like without the arts?

I think we found out during this quarantine, haven’t we?  Back in the summer, there were no live concerts, ballets, art shows, new movies, television shows, etc.  Luckily, the entertainment industry is figuring how to keep their employees safe. I understand they are creating bubbles for their staff just as the sports teams have done.

We know the pandemic has affected our restaurants, but no one is speaking about movie theaters closed up for. months. I would imagine this will change the movie industry far more than we realize. It’s affected everyone in some way–I can’t think of a time that has occurred before in my lifetime.

Unsung Heroes Our Teachers

Let’s just consider our arts teachers for a moment.  Can you imagine how difficult this time has been for them? Although an arts teacher can teach using Zoom for instance, some of our instruction must be done in “in the flesh.”  Teaching and directing actors can be done virtually, but it doesn’t have the same power as working in real time.  Many at-risk students depend upon their arts classes to help them feel connected to school. I wonder how those students are coping with the lack of time in their schools. We must continue having arts classes, period.

Broadway and West 34th St.

This pandemic affects me in this fashion.  I really need the arts.  They are like a vitamin for me.  I have to see movies, concerts, stream plays and musicals and dance concerts. But live theater?  There is simply nothing like it.

What can you do to help?

Open up your laptop and search on-line for theater companies, art galleries, concert halls and the like.  Everyone of them will have a place for you to donate.  When they say “not for profit”–that’s exactly what they are.  A not for profit company uses their profits to sustain the organization.

There is such value in donating, too! People who donate to charities, in this case arts organizations, experience more pleasure, bring more meaning to their life, promote generosity in children (if they are parents).  Of course, there is a plus because donating to a not for profit gives the donor a tax deduction.

The Actors Fund, Broadway Cares and a host of other arts organizations need our help.  I promise you will be glad you did.

I am looking forward to the “One Night Only: The Best of Broadway” television special on NBC December 10.

What is your favorite Broadway play or musical?  I have many, but I lean toward musicals because more people are familiar with them.  Check out this blog post about them: The Reasons These Shows are My Favorite Broadway Musicals

Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net.  I’d love to know more about you!

Deborah Baldwin of DramaMommaSpeaks

 

The Major Benefits For Students Attending Live Theatre

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The Major Benefits for Students Attending Live Theatre

Image result for To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway

Recently on CBS Sunday Morning, (one of my all time favorite television shows) they aired a piece about To Kill a Mockingbird now running on Broadway.

Although I don’t agree with having adults portraying the children’s roles (metaphoric?), I’m thrilled about one particular thing:  school kids are being bussed in to see the show for $10.00.

Check it out television story here:

To Kill a Mockingbird CBS Sunday Morning

Several years ago, I co-administrated a youth theatre company in Coumbia, Missouri.  P.A.C.E. wanted to do more than little kids shows.  While I was involved with it, we produced The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker, for example.

We wanted to do meat and boy, did we!

One of the productions was To Kill a Mockingbird. Although we weren’t Broadway, the students did a tremendous job.  These kids were as young as sixth grade through twelfth.  That’s what made it so special.

What I really want to talk about is the students who had the opportunity to see LIVE THEATRE!  That’s what matters to me.

Think of it: what if every student had an opportunity to see a professional theatrical production?

The Major Benefits For Students Attending Live Theatre

Image result for kids attending broadway show

New York Times.com photo

Upon researching for this post, I ran on this post from http://www.sciencedaily.com.

The research published in Education Next examined the impact on students of attending high-quality theater productions of either Hamlet or A Christmas Carol.

The researchers found that viewing the productions leads to enhanced knowledge of the plot, increased vocabulary, greater tolerance and improved ability to read the emotions of others.

“What we determined from this research is that seeing live theater produced positive effects that reading a play or watching a movie of the play does not produce,” said Jay Greene, professor of education reform. “Plays are meant to be seen performed live. You can’t always take your kids to a play but if you can, you should. The story can be conveyed in a movie, but it doesn’t engage the viewer in the same way.”

For the live theater study, Greene led a team that constructed a randomized field trial, the gold standard of research, by offering school groups in grades 7 through 12 free theater tickets to one of the performances. A total of 49 school groups with 670 students completed the application process. Applicant groups were organized into 24 matched groups based on similarity in terms of grade level, demographics and whether they comprised a drama, English or other type of class. Lotteries were held to determine which groups would receive the free tickets and which would serve as the control group. Some members of both the control group and the treatment group also read the play or watched movie versions of these works.

The Major Benefits For Students Attending Live Theatre

Researchers then administered surveys to all students, on average about six weeks after the performances. For each play, researchers asked students six questions about the plot and five questions about the vocabulary used, combining them into a single scale of content knowledge. As compared to the control group, students who saw the live productions improved their knowledge of the plays by a very large margin. For example, 83 percent of the students who attended the play could identify Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as Hamlet’s friends, while only 45 percent of the control group correctly identified the two characters. More than 94 percent of the treatment group knew that Ophelia drowns in Hamlet, compared to 62 percent of the control group.

The research team found that reading and watching movies of Hamlet and A Christmas Carol could not account for the increase in knowledge experienced by students who attended live performances of the plays.

 

Image result for kids attending broadway show

Students who attended live performances of the play also scored higher on the study’s tolerance measure than the control group by a moderately large margin and were better able to recognize and appreciate what other people think and feel. To determine whether live theater increases students’ ability to recognize the emotions of others, researchers administered the youth version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, which was initially developed for research on autism. Students took a quiz that asked them to identify the characters’ emotions.

Isn’t this wonderful?  I say get those kids to a show!

What live theatre performances did you attend when you were a child?  I lived in a small town in Kansas and there were very few opportunities to attending a production.  We did see, a children’s theatre play Little Brown Jug (I think it was called that.)  is still vivid in my memory.  I’m sixty-two years old.  See?

I’d love to here from you.  Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

If you’d like more information about me and my directing and teaching career, check out these posts:

Why You Should Use These Effective Teaching Methods, Part One

Why You Should Use These Effective Teaching Methods, Part Two

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

Or may you’d like to check out my lessons and units.  Dramamommaspeaks Store

Here’s one you might really want to own:

Bundle  15 Minute Plays and Units