Tag: teaching

Teaching Theatre, Theatre

Why and How School Theatre Must Become More Democratic: In Four Steps

Posted on by Thtrthts

Most school drama departments are not democracies. They are dictatorships.

This used to be the way every school organization functioned: the students unwaveringly followed the command of the teacher, the all-knowing, all-powerful leader of the classroom. Yet, this is not the practice most modern education theory supports, and this is no longer the way most classrooms function. Now, many teachers take a somewhat backseat role in education, considering themselves more “guides” or “facilitators” rather than singular leaders. In their place, students step up to direct their own learning, and learn about leadership and self-actualization by fulfilling a more active role than “the one who receives the knowledge the teacher imparts.”

School theatre is lagging behind in this endeavor.

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Guides and Tips, Theatre

The Ultimate Guide to Warming Up

Posted on by Thtrthts

I’m a bit of a warmup enthusiast. I take warming up vocally very seriously. I always feel like I get back 10 times the vocal energy I put in, and it’s so worth it. I’ve talked at some length before on this blog about how important warming up is and why everyone should do it, but I’ve never provided much actual insight into how to do it.

Part of the problem there is that warming up is a very personal process. I can’t tell you what will work best for you. In this article, I’m sharing what works best for me personally. My goal is to present many ideas that you can use and modify as you see fit.

This guide is divided into five sections: Why Warm Up, Pre-Vocalization, Beginning Phonation, Singing, and FAQs.

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Teaching Theatre

15 Reasons why Theatre is the Extracurricular Activity of Parents’ Dreams

Posted on by Thtrthts

Extracurricular activities are the bread and butter of young people’s routines. The right extracurriculars can improve grades and overall classroom performance, boost college admissions rates, and teach students valuable and necessary life skills. Time in the day is limited, so choosing the right extracurricular activities is crucial for using yours effectively!

If you or your child are looking for activities to meaningfully fill free time (and have a lot of fun doing it), look no further than the performing arts! Theatre especially is a fantastically diverse program that encourages the growth of many skills and comes pre-packaged with a ton of benefits. Not convinced? Here’s fifteen research-backed reasons theatre is the extracurricular activity of your dreams.

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Teaching Theatre

What to say to Your Child When They Don’t get the Part They Want

Posted on by Thtrthts

Auditioning for musical theatre is difficult. Simply working up the courage to put yourself out there creates a huge hurdle to surmount even before the actual rehearsal process begins. Even more unfortunately, casting is a highly subjective process, meaning that most audition goers end up disappointed in the end. While adult actors are relatively conditioned to brush off such upsets and keep going, for young actors, the disappointment attached to casting can be crushing.

Many young actors quit shows and never return to performing in the wake of cast list catastrophes. They might feel like they’ve exerted enormous effort for no reason, or like they’ve embarrassed themselves by doing poorly, or that they simply weren’t and can’t be good enough to land the roles they want. These feelings can end passions for acting before they even have a chance to catch on!

If your child has been burned by a poor audition experience and unmet casting expectations, they might be inclined to turn away from acting altogether. However, theatre is a great opportunity for young people for a multitude of reasons, and this is a great opportunity to teach your child about the growth mindset and the value of “failing” with grace. Here’s how you can turn a seemingly negative cast list into a positive life lesson for your child!

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