I’ve taught drama long enough to see the pattern—students come alive during movement, voice, and collaboration, but hesitate when it’s time to open a book or dig into background research. How to Teach Research in Drama Class the Easy Way grew out of that exact challenge, offering ways to turn research into a creative tool rather than a roadblock. The most meaningful research your students will ever do can happen while they are designing a set, building a character’s backstory, or discovering why a playwright made a certain artistic choice.
This post is for drama teachers who want their students to think like theater artists, not worksheet completers.
What “Arts Research” Really Means in Drama
When we talk about research in a drama class, we’re not talking about term papers. (Aren’t we all relieved?) We’re talking about students learning to:
- Investigate who created a piece and why
- Explore historical, artistic, and production context
- Analyze design and performance choices
- Make creative decisions based on evidence
In professional theater, every actor, designer, and director researches before they ever step into rehearsal. Onr of my favorite videos is one about the choreography in The Outsiders musical.
The Broadway musical’s choreography (by Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman) leans heavily into physical storytelling. Instead of flashy, traditional musical theater dance, the movement feels grounded, gritty, and character-driven — much like the novel itself. The ensemble often moves as a collective body, showing the tension between the Greasers and the Socs through posture, spacing, and physical levels rather than words alone.
One of the most talked-about elements is how the choreography blends stage combat, gesture, and balletic movement, especially in moments like the rumble. The fight sequences aren’t just about action — they’re carefully shaped to reveal power, fear, loyalty, and class division. Even stillness is used as choreography, with characters freezing (tableau) or isolating themselves in space to highlight emotional shifts.
High school students are often drawn to The Outsiders because its bold movement and confrontational moments invite discussion about how violence, loyalty, and social class are represented through performance rather than just dialogue.
1. Research Through Character, Not a Report
Instead of assigning “Write a paragraph about this character,” try reframing research as discovery work.
Classroom Strategy
Have students create a one-page “Character Research File” that includes:
- Time period and social setting
- Personal history (What happened before the story begins?)
- Relationships and power dynamics
- One real-world comparison or historical connection
Then, ask them to perform one choice that came from their research. For example, if they choose time period ( such as the 1920s) and social setting, they could demonstrate the time period through dance, pantomime and movement.
Now the research has a purpose. I think everyone thrives and is inspired when there is a purpose in a learning objective.
2. Design-Based Research (Set, Costume and Sound)
Design is one of the easiest ways to sneak research into drama class—because students already love it. Check out this blog post: The Five Reasons Your Students Will Love Set Design
Set Design
- Research real locations, architecture styles, or historical spaces
- Justify design choices with evidence
For example, in a 2000s New York City setting, the color palette often leans toward cool, industrial, and artificial tones—grays from concrete and steel, black asphalt, bright neon signage, LED blues, and the sharp whites of storefront lighting. These colors reflect a fast-paced, urban environment shaped by technology, advertising, and modern architecture.
By contrast, a Native American community in the 1800s would be represented through earth-based, natural colors—warm browns, clay reds, soft tans, sage greens, sky blues, and muted yellows drawn from the landscape, natural dyes, and materials like hide, wood, and woven fibers. These tones connect visually to the land, seasons, and cultural traditions rather than manufactured light and modern industry.
Students could create design boards displaying both and share their opinions with the class in a formal assessment.
Costume Design
- Explore clothing styles by era or culture
- Explain how color, fabric, and shape communicate character
Color, fabric, and shape act as visual storytelling tools.
Color can signal emotion or status—dark tones often suggest power or conflict, while lighter colors can suggest innocence or calm. Fabric reflects lifestyle—heavy materials like denim or wool hint at physical work or toughness, while light, flowing fabrics suggest comfort or wealth. Shape reveals personality—sharp, structured silhouettes can feel rigid or authoritative, while soft, rounded shapes feel open or vulnerable.
Together, these choices help students explain not just what a character wears, but what it tells the audience about who they are.
Sound & Foley
- Research how sound effects were created in classic radio theater
- Test and compare materials for realism
You’ll hear students say things like:
“I chose this because I found out that…”
That’s research happening naturally. Plus, it’s less stressful. We want every students to feel comfortable in our classroom.
3. Musical Theater as an Arts Research Goldmine
Musicals are packed with built-in research opportunities.
Students can explore:
- The composer and lyricist’s background
- The source material (novel, play, memoir, or folklore)
- The time and culture in which the show was created
- Why certain themes still resonate today
One reason certain themes remain powerful in musical theater is that they mirror challenges students still face today. Take the theme of belonging—from West Side Story to The Outsiders to Dear Evan Hansen, characters struggle to find their place in a group, a family, or a community.
Even as settings and music styles change, the core question stays the same: Where do I fit? That emotional throughline keeps these stories relevant, allowing each new generation of students to see their own experiences reflected on stage. If you’d like pick up study guides of these musicals through my store: Dramamommaspeaks
Try This
Have students answer one guiding question before performing or reading:
“What did the creators want the audience to feel, and how did their artistic choices help make that happen?”
Suddenly, students are researching like directors, not students.
4. Research Through Voice: Radio Theater & Tableaux
Some students freeze when they’re asked to “act.” We’d all agree we don’t want that for them. However, research gives them a different entry point.
Radio Theater
- Research how early radio performers used voice and sound
- Compare modern audio storytelling to classic broadcasts
Modern audio storytelling—like podcasts and streamed audio dramas—uses layered sound design, digital effects, and intimate microphone work to create a cinematic feel. While classic radio broadcasts relied on live Foley effects, simple music cues, and strong vocal performance to spark the listener’s imagination. Both approaches tell stories through sound, but the tools and technology shape how the audience experiences the world being created.
By the way, I’d advise you to add radio theater to your lesson plans. You simply can’t go wrong with it. Check out this post: Top Reasons Teachers Succeed With Teaching Radio Theater
Tableaux
Let’s say you have a group of students with diverse learning needs. Remember, everyone can find a home for themselves in theater. We just have to help them find their happy place. Students who need differentiation always shine in demonstrating tableaux.
- Research historical photos or artwork
- Recreate the moment using frozen images
These approaches let students show what they learned instead of writing it.
5. Turning Research in Drama Class Into Reflection, Not Recitation
Instead of multiple-choice questions, try reflection prompts like:
- What surprised you during your research?
- What choice would you change if you were directing this piece?
- What does this story say about the time it was created?
Reflection turns information into understanding. Additionally, reflection is non-threatening and something most students can learn to use in everything they do. If nothing else, teaching them to reflect after attending a play or musical encourages them to think long after the curtain has gone down.
A Simple Structure You Can Reuse All Year
I do my best to keep my lessons simple in nature for a teacher to teach. Here’s a “research in drama class” teacher-tested flow you can use with research in drama class with almost any drama lesson:
- Explore – Introduce the play, musical, or concept
- Investigate – Students research one focused question
- Create – Students apply what they learned
- Share – Perform, present, or display
- Reflect – Discuss what the research changed
This keeps research active, not passive.
Why This Matters for Reluctant Learners
You know you are reaching your objectives when students research for a creative purpose, they stop asking:
“How long does this have to be?”
And start asking:
“Can I change this idea?”
It often begins with a simple shift in thinking. When a student starts asking, “Can I change this idea?” that question alone signals that research is doing its job. It has sparked curiosity, reflection, and ownership of the work. Rather than looking for a single “right answer,” the student is weighing possibilities and making informed choices. You will find that your gifted/talented students will groove on coming up with a unique idea. It always occurs.
This is where differentiation becomes essential. Some students may explore through reading and note-taking, others through images, movement, or discussion. By offering multiple pathways into the same concept, you allow every learner—regardless of ability or confidence level—to engage meaningfully and move the idea forward in their own way.
That’s when learning sticks and it’s exciting!
Research in Drama Classroom Takeaway
Remember, research in drama doesn’t belong in a packet.
It belongs in:
- Design boards
- Actor notebooks
- Sound tables
- Director’s notes
- And student performances
When students see themselves as artists-in-training, research becomes part of the process—not a chore.
If you’re looking for ready-made lessons that combine arts research, close reading, and creative application, many of my Dramamommaspeaks musical study guides and radio theater units are designed with this exact approach in mind.
Have you assigned research type projects to your students? What did they select? How did it go for them? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com
Deb
