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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

Drama Lessons for Home-Bound Students or During the Corona Virus Quarantine

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Drama Lessons for Home-Bound Students or During the Corona Virus Quarantine 

 

In light of the Corona virus illness, and many people quarantined at home,  I thought I’d offer you some suggestions of  drama lessons a teacher could assign or a student could take home with them. I am part of several Facebook groups for teachers and typical of teachers, they are all ready preparing for the extended home stays which could happen.

Or……they have a student who will be absent for several days or even weeks.  It does occur.

You’d think it would be impossible for a teacher to assign drama lessons for students to study at home, because we are a performance oriented subject.

Not always, however.

I’d never thought of this learning obstacle until recently.  One of my students who teaches in South Korea has all ready been home for two weeks.  Unfortunately, I fear we are only days from staying home for several weeks here in the states.

A friend told me about a man who bought up all the Purel at a Walmart in Oklahoma.  What an opportunist!

He set up a booth across the street from the same Walmart and charged $100 for a bottle of it!  What?!

Crazy times we live in, huh?

Here are a list of drama lessons and units which your student(s) could complete at home (home bound lessons) either because they are quarantined by the coronavirus or plan to be absent for a week or two.

This gets a teacher started.  There are more lessons which will work and keep the learning going.  I promise.  

KIDS HANDS UP

Creative Dramatics (grades 2 to 5)

I simplified my middle grade lesson and enlarged the design templates.  I hope this encourages students to try their hand at costume design.  It’s such fun!

There are different ways to look at designing costumes for this story.  What if Red Riding Hood lives in the city in 2020?

This is my most popular lesson to date!  Students get the chance to design the set for a play!

A student could read the script with a parent or even the family.  There are post discussion questions which might be of use to you as well. There is a bundle with many funny reader’s theater scripts so look for that in my store.

Middle School Drama Lessons and Units (grades 6 to 8)

This choice board includes nine different theater companies, Marcel Marceau and what is means to be a Foley engineer.

Just put this up today (March 30).  It’s a great show and fun production to learn about.

This is one which I bet your students would enjoy.  It’s all about costume design and the history of super heroes.

This is a two-day lesson about playwriting.  It would be a lot of fun for them.

This would be a super unit if you could purchase a class set of the play ahead of the quarantine.  Or maybe get a few copies for your classroom if you have a student who will be absent for an extended period of time. )

You can purchase them at: https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/tom-sawyer- tr5000 

This is a ten day unit, however a student could complete the entire unit at home by himself if need be.

This is a short lesson giving students an opportunity to draw a set for a fairy tale.

Student can observe someone in their home and after doing a short quiz, write a description of the person.

This is a short newspaper formatted lesson about him.  It could be completed at  home with no problem.  The extension activity could be done independently.  This is a very popular lesson with students.

This is a short biography lesson which students could do easily complete from home with internet access. She’s an up-and-coming actress which they may be not be familiar with.

These boards are marvelous help in distance learning or when everyone needs a break.  They include theaters from around the world and short lessons on designers–costume, set, sound, etc.  Need some differentiation?  These will help.

High School Drama Lessons and Units (grades 9 to 12)

This lesson is intended for gifted seventh graders through tenth grade.  Using a break dancer as the focus, students learn to write dialogue step by step.

This is a lesson for middle grade students, however you could change the assignment and make it more lengthy.

This lesson is perfect for drama students. Students research a theater artist, answer questions about artist’s growth mindset, consider their own mindset and finish with a creative project. This unit was created for high school students, however it could be adapted for middle grade students.

I never thought of this for a situation like this, but you know it is perfect!  Students select a play, answer a group of very comprehensive questions.  Then they create a power point about the play thinking of it from a director and designer’s point of view. Lastly, they create a three-dimensional object which represents the play.

This is a bundle of lessons (discounted) which pertain to technical aspects of a  production.  Students could select one of the four units or maybe a teacher gives them one assignment (such as sound design) and everyone turns in the same assignment.

As I mentioned earlier,  I have plenty of other lessons which could work. 

If you need some help deciding which would be best, do contact me.  Or check out my store at:  Dramamommaspeaks

Have you ever had a student who was home-bound?  I did and boy, was it tricky at the time. I wish I’d had home bound lessons at the time.  I’d love to hear from you.  Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Here is a FREE lesson if you are in a pinch:  Speech Review Worksheet (middle school and up)

Here are some other suggestions of products which may help you, all FREE:  Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop

 

 

How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

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How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

This is a subject near and dear to my heart.

I became a youth theater director by accident.  My college friends would say they thought that’s what I would end up doing with my theater degree.

I had no idea, really. But it stuck with me.  I really did enjoy it!

How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

In thirty-eight years of teaching and directing, I directed over 250 plays and musicals with adults and children alike.

During that time, I started the careers of several child actors who have gone on to be Broadway performers or work in the industry.  That’s a really cool thing.

In addition, there are probably several hundred who are still involved in theater in their communities.  I love that even more!

If you think of all the people which I’ve auditioned– just crazy!

As a result of these experiences I’ve learned a thing or two about auditioning and directing children.

Of course, It depends upon the age of the child and the production, but here are some questions to ask yourself prior to auditions if you plan to direct them.

How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

(I’m assuming you are working in a community theater or semi-professional.)

  • How young can a student be to audition for the production?
  • Is there anything in the production that would be too adult for a young child to comprehend?
  • Could an older student portray the role?
  • What is more important to me–to cast someone who is the essence of the character or someone who is the true age of the character?
  • How essential is it to me that the child’s parents are cooperative?
  • Are the parents allowed to sit in auditions?
  • Can parents sit in on rehearsals?
  • How many late evening rehearsals are planned?
  • Will I send the child home early?  Why or Why not?
  • How many conflicts will I accept from the child (school functions, sports games, etc.)
  • Some children don’t do well at cold readings.  Will I allow children to see the script beforehand?
  • Should the child bring in their own monologue for their audition?
  • If the show is a musical, do I expect them to sing a song from the show for their audition?
  • Will I hold callbacks for the child role?
  • How will I handle their callbacks?  Will I run them through a series of improvisations?
  • Should I cast two students in the role with one an understudy?
  • Would it be better to double cast the child role?
  • Do I expect the child to say any swear words written in the play or will I substitute something for them?

Tony Award-Winning Child Actors

How many child actors go on to make a career of it?  When I was researching this topic, I found several biographies on Wikipedia.com.  I remember seeing these four perform.

They were absolutely stellar.

Daisy Eagan started her early theatre training at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre’s Junior School where she had classes in acting, singing, and dancing in the early 1990s. She then went on to star on Broadway in “The Secret Garden” with Mandy Patinkin and Rebecca Luker. She became the youngest recipient to receive the TONY award for featured actress in a musical.

 

How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

The Billy Elliott Boy Dancers

David Alvarez is one of the three boys originally cast to play Billy in the Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical, along with Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish. He needed to study tap, acrobatics, voice and acting for the role and spent July 2007 through March 2008 preparing. Billy Elliot the Musical began previews in New York on October 1 and officially opened on November 13, 2008. His first preview performance was on October 2, 2008. He played his final performance on January 3, 2010. Alvarez’s portrayal of Billy Elliot was highly praised by the critics.

Alvarez, jointly with Kiril Kulish and Trent Kowalik won Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical 

How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

Kiril Kulish was born in San Diego, California on February 16, 1994. His parents, Raisa Kulish and Phil Axelrod, are Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. His older brother, Victor, is a singer/songwriter and recording engineer, and his older sister Beata is a TV/film producer. He grew up speaking Russian, Ukrainian, and English. He started studying ballet at age five and ballroom dancing at age 8. He studied at the San Diego Academy of Ballet and was the youngest male to be admitted to their junior company.

Kiril was the winner of the Junior division Grand Prix at the Youth America Grand Prix in 2006, 2007, and 2008  and won the Hope Award in the Pre-Competitive division in 2006. Kiril Kulish won first place in Latin Ballroom at the USA National Dance Championships in 2006 and 2007. In 2012 and 2013 Kiril Kulish became the Youth USA Champion in Latin DanceSport and will represent the USA in Beijing and Paris.

Trent Kowalik was born in Wantagh, New York, the son of Lauretta (née Splescia), an organist and pianist at St. Raphael’s Roman Catholic Church in East Meadow, New York, and Michael Kowalik, a surveyor. He has three older sisters. He started dance lessons at the age of three at Dorothy’s School of Dance in Bellmore, New York. At age four, he began instruction in Irish dancing. At age six, he was competing at the highest level, Open Championship. He danced with the Inish free School of Irish Dance.

In April 2006, at age 11, Kowalik won the youngest male age group of the World Irish Dancing Championship (Irish: Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne) in Belfast. He is a five-time undefeated North American Champion and a World Champion. He holds multiple national titles in Scotland, England, and Ireland, and continues to study ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical dance.  He graduated from The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School–Pre-Professional Division American Ballet Theatre in 2013. He graduated from Princeton University in June 2018. He was a member of student dance groups Princeton University Ballet and BodyHype Dance Company.

Note:  Most child actors grow up to lead lives away from the stage.

However, if you have the chance to get them started take heed of my questions.  They will help you immensely.

If you’d like a lesson concerning Billy Elliott, check out Billy Elliott The Broadway Musical Lesson

How to Audition Children for a Play or Musical

For more information about working with children, check out these posts:

Double Casting a Show? Here’s Advice

How to Make Your Drama Class More Successful–Lessons Learned from 38 Years of Teaching Drama-Elementary

How to Make Your Drama Class More Successful –Lessons Learned from 38 Years of Teaching-Middle School

What child actors have you started?  I’d love to hear about them.  Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

 

Drama Lessons for High School from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

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Drama Lessons for High School from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

Hello!

I wanted to introduce you to drama lessons for high school from an award-winning drama teacher. You may not know me or be familiar with my work.  I’m Deborah Baldwin (but my friends call me Deb.) I am a recently retired award winning drama teacher for thirty-eight years.  In that time, I directed over 300 plays and musicals with students and adults as well.  I taught every grade level, but the bulk of my time was spent with secondary students. I’m also an award-winning director and middle grade author.

Here is my resume if you’d like to see it: DeborahBaldwin.net

deb directing

My Teaching Style:

Drama is a hands-on class. To this end I’m always on my feet modeling for my students while teaching them a host of concepts. It is not unusual to hear my classroom in chortles of laughter because humor is an outstanding way to gain a student’s attention. I empower students at an early age.

Although I am always mindful of my learning objectives, I think it’s vital for students to experiment within the confines of my instruction. I encourage students to be independent and creative thinkers.

Many less confident or reluctant students benefit from my teaching methods as together we hit the challenges they encounter. I am creative, intense, driven and brave–these are qualities I nurture in all my students and generally receive outstanding results in them.

If you are looking for drama units, lessons and plays for your students, I can help you.  Here are a few of my lessons for high school students:

Billy Elliot, the Broadway Musical
The Invisible Man Radio Play Unit
Growth Mindset Posters
Rent, the Broadway Musical
Famous Theater Artists
Stage Makeup
Broadway Musical Lessons
Hamilton, the Musical
The Cask of Amontillado and Radio Theater Unit

Radio Play Performance

(Here is a production of this script by an ESL class in Tiblisi Georgia!)  “The Invisible Man” Radio Play

Dramamommaspeaks Resources

Most lessons lasts at least two days.  The units’ length range from several days to three weeks.

I have lessons for younger students, too!  Check them out:

Creative Dramatics Lessons from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

Drama Lessons for Middle Grades from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

If you’d like a FREE lesson, be my guest and pick up one:   Free Stuff!

Here’s a recent review of one of my newest products, Acting Styles/Stanislawski, “Dramamommaspeaks hits it out of the park again!! Every unit I get is perfect. I teach three levels of theatre in the same class. The unit was great for the entry level students while still providing a challenge to my most advanced class.”  5 stars

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

 

Play Reading and Analysis–An Important Skill for Our Students

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Play Reading and Analysis–an Important Skill for Our Students

Deborah Baldwin teaching

I am a drama teacher.  Consequently, I eat, sleep and breath theater even now that I’m newly retired.

I listen to the Sirius Broadway station all day which keeps me abreast to upcoming productions and tours.

Because of my love for theater, I spend a lot of time on Pinterest.com pinning anything that pertains to theater–plays, musicals, set design, costume design, stage properties do it yourself creations, stage makeup, videos, lighting plots, show posters, etc.

I have A LOT of boards…………….:)

I see theater teachers in Facebook groups looking for play titles to read with their students, especially middle school.  If you are looking for a good one to study,  try Tim Kelly’s dramatization of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  Here is a study guide and set design unit for it:  Study Guide and Set Design Units Tom Sawyer

BUNDLE TOM SAWYER STUDY GUIDE AND SET DESIGN

Sorry, I digressed.

Strengthening Literacy through Play Reading

Back to literacy.

I looked for research concerning the reasons our students should read a play script and of course, ran on to balanced literacy.

“When students have a voice in the reading process, they’re learning to contribute to their own knowledge.  Because they can select the books (in my case, plays) they wish to read, they have greater control over what they want to learn. Students are much more likely to view reading as a priority when they have some ownership in the reading process.

However, this doesn’t mean students can make their independent reading choices willy-nilly.  There does have to be some structure involved. First of all, the independent reading selection must be at their reading level.  No “easy” books during independent reading. “At their reading level” means students should be able to read their selections with 95%-100% accuracy.”

I agree with everything mentioned above.

Reading a play can be an amazing, satisfying experience.  Once my students become accustom to reading a script aloud (which takes about one class period), they are invested.

woman reading book

Here are some of the reasons for our students to read a play:

  1.  The dialogue is terrific.  You can’t help but be engaged.  The playwright hones his script to be the most compelling experience he can create.  He certainly doesn’t want an audience member leaving the production.  When an audience members leaves, it’s not the same as turning off the television–EVERYONE sees the bored person leave.  Yikes! Also, if you are teaching students how to write dialogue, reading a script will help them immensely.
  2. There is no narration or superfluous information.  There might be someone who narrates, but again, the narration is short, concise and entices the audience.
  3. For many moments in the plot, stage directions are included.  If the play reader becomes lost, it is easy to find one’s place in the script merely by reading the directions.  The stage directions help a reader to visualize the action. They were either added to the script by the playwright or placed there in honor of the first company who produced it.
  4. Characters are well developed.  A well crafted play can be read without looking at each character’s printed name within the play.  A reader should be able to read down the middle of the script and know who is speaking and why.
  5. Each scene and act follows the traditional plot structure–a beginning (the conflict is unveiled), rising action and some sort of resolution.  Generally, an act is ended like a cliff hanger in a movie or book.  Or, it makes a thought provoking statement which enhances the theme and encourages the audience member to return after intermission.
  6. Generally, the plot concerns a short amount of time in the main character’s life.  If the script becomes too epic, the audience is lost and again they’ll quit listening.
  7. Everything that is published in the script is vitally important to its success on the stage. That means anything mentioned or used has been carefully chosen.
  8. I can’t think of a script I haven’t enjoyed reading.  Sure, I’d rather see the script in a live production but reading the script works for me almost as well.

Strengthening Literacy through Play Reading

So how do you find the scripts your students will enjoy?  I surveyed a group of drama teachers from all over the world and they helped me come up with a list of plays they think students should read.

For High School

  • Harvey
  • Arsenic and Old Lace
  • Still Life With Iris
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Oslo
  • Inherit the Wind
  • Diary of Anne Frank
  • The Giver
  • The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds
  • Anne of Green Gables
  • Fences
  • Vanities
  • Yellow Boat
  • The Giver
  • Dark Road
  • Children’s Hour
  • Our Town
  • The Crucible
  • Raisin in the Sun
  • Antigone
  • The Doll’s House
  • Glass Menagerie
  • Dancing at Lughnasa
  • Death of a Salesman
  • Doubt
  • Proof
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  • The Heidi Chronicles
  • Last Night at Ballyhoo
  • The Miracle Worker

Strengthening Literacy through Play Reading

Most of these scripts can be purchased through one of the various script publishers.  If you don’t know where to start, try searching the nae of the script, such as “The Giver, the play version.”

If that gets you nowhere, you can try findaplay.com  This site used to be my favorite, but I’ve noticed not every script is listed there anymore.

Your students may find on-line versions to read, especially of the classics (our Town, The Crucible, Raisin in the Sun, The Doll’s House, etc.)  or check out your school or public library.

Sometimes you’ll find them in anthologies, especially if they were Tony Award Winners.  I believe this list includes only Tony Award winners.

I have a unit (two actually) which can help you teach about play analysis.  It is:  Play Reading and Analysis (PDF) 

and Play Reading and Analysis Google Classroom

Packed with questions and a rubric it contains:

  • Letter to Teacher
  • Project Assignment–What is Expected in the Assignment
  • Play Analysis Questions–as a Producer, Director and Designer
  • Play Titles–Vetted and Compiled from Drama Teachers Around the World
  • Rubric (FULLY EDITABLE)
  • Exit Slip prompts for 5 days–Questions are Provided for Each Day
  • Source Page

I hope you’ll check it out and use it.  It’s very different.

 

Or, if you’d like to get a heck of a deal, look into this bundle:  Drama Units and Lessons for High School Students

Until next time.

Deborah Baldwin, author

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

Creative Dramatics Lessons from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

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Creative Dramatics Lessons from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

Deborah Baldwin, Dramamommaspeaks

Hello!

You may not know me or be familiar with my work.  I’m Deborah Baldwin (but my friends call me Deb.)  I am a recently retired award-winning drama teacher of thirty-eight years.  At that time, I directed over 250 plays and musicals with students and adults as well.  I taught every grade level, but the bulk of my time was spent with secondary students.

Here is my resume if you’d like to see it: DeborahBaldwin.net

My Teaching Style:

Drama is a hands-on class. To this end, I’m always on my feet, modeling for my students while teaching them a host of concepts. It is not unusual to hear my classroom in chortles of laughter because humor is an outstanding way to gain a student’s attention. I empower students at an early age. Although I am always mindful of my learning objectives, I think it’s vital for students to experiment within the confines of my instruction. I encourage students to be independent and creative thinkers. Many less confident or reluctant students benefit from my teaching methods as together we hit the challenges they encounter. I am creative, intense, driven and brave–these are qualities I nurture in all my students and generally receive outstanding results.

first rehearsal

If you are looking for creative dramatics lessons and plays for your students, I can help you.  These lessons are for grades third to fifth. So many of these lessons can be used in a reading or language arts classroom, too.  They jibe together easily.

Here are a few:

Given Circumstance Monologue Creative Writing Lesson

Got some creative writers?  This lesson fits in nicely with a creative writing unit and/or to study playwriting just a little.

OjiSan C. Dramatics Cover

This is fun to perform for younger children.  There are two versions of this product–one for younger students and one for older.

Ojisan and the Grateful Statues

COSTUME DESIGN WITH HALLOWEEN GRADE 3-5 SQUARE COVER 3

Oh my gosh!  Costume design is a wonderful way to celebrate Halloween.  Students love this because they can be very creative and learn at the same time.

Costume Design with Halloween Theme

COSTUME DESIGN WITH NUTCRACKER CHARACTERS SQUARE COVER.jpg

Do you ever show clips from The Nutcracker Ballet?  This lesson includes video clips, a lesson on costume design and gives the students an opportunity to design as well.

Costume Design with Nutcracker Ballet Characters

COSTUME DESIGN WITH HOLIDAY PARADE CHARACTERS .jpg

Costume Design with Parade Characters

TABLEAU HOLIDAY THEME COVER

Tableau Exercises–Holiday Theme

ST. PATRICKS THEME COVER

Stage Properties–St. Patrick’s Day Theme

Drama Lesson:  St. Patrick’s Day Play Writing Monologue 

BUDDY AND THE EVERGREEN TREES READERS THEATER COVER.jpg

Buddy and the Evergreen Trees Reader’s Theater

Here’s my newest:  Chanting Lesson for Grades 3 to 5

Creative Dramatics Lessons from an Award Winning Drama Teacher

I hope you’ll check out my drama education products.  There are nearly 160 of them ready and waiting for you.  

Or maybe you were hoping for something free?  Check out this:  Free Teaching Resources Blog Hop

If you don’t find what you need, contact me.  Chances are I’d be interested in creating what you are needing.  That’s always fun!

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