Teacher needs advice...

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 5:17pm

I teach middle school. Last year, I did a whole unit on fairy tales that included watching and talking about Into the Woods. Well, I approached my supervisor today (I "officially" am tenured now as of yesterday - YEAH!) to ask about getting scripts for next year, and she agreed it was a good idea. Now, I an getting a reputation in the school as the theater guy -- I took kids to a festival last year, I do trips each year to shows, I have the kids write and put on plays each year. My question is -- any other suggestions for plays appropriate for 7/8 grade that I can ask my supervisor to buy?

I would really prefer it if you answer this that you either A) teach middle school, B) have experience with kids that age, or C) you ARE in middle school, and if you had me as a teacher, what would you like to read?

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 5:44pm

Though I don't fit your profile of preferred answerers (huh?), a few ideas

You could do Shakespeare musicals:

Two Gentlemen of Verona
Your Own Thing
WSS
Kiss Me Kate

just to name a few...

Teen novels

The Outsiders
Where The Red Fern Grows
Summer of the Swans


Historical musicals

1776
South Pacific
The Civil War

I'm not sure what your theme is or if you even have one, but hope that maybe helps!

[CastAlbumFan]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 5:47pm

Well, I went to a performing arts school when I was in 7/8th grade, so you could say I had "hands on" experience with theatre lovers that age. My suggestion: WEST SIDE STORY. Junior High is around the time students learn about Romeo and Juliet, and I remember this show going over very well with the junior high students at our school.

Updated On: 9/7/05 at 05:47 PM

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:01pm

We're actually not allowed to do Romeo and Juliet because our highschool does it.

I know all about musicals - I'm not looking for those - I'm actually looking for PLAYS to read with the kids in class (not theater kids per se, this is just an English class). My school works on a two year rotation, so I have kids for two years. I'd like a play to do with the kids on the years when I'm NOT doing Into the Woods...

For example, we can do Twelve Angry Men, but the girls always complain about it being sexist (I know, I know...)
and I've thought about Inherit the Wind but with Bush saying that we were obviously sprung from a figtree a couple of thousand years ago, there seems little point in teaching this play - or any chance of it without losing my job.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:02pm

I really enjoyed reading Doubt, but is the topic not appropriate?

[daredevil]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:10pm

Two plays that quickly come to mind: A Man For All Seasons, by Robert Bolt, about Sir Thomas Moore
Time Limit by Henry Denker (it played on Broadway in the fifties) about Korean Prisoners of War (American Soldiers) and what happens when one is forced to lie to defend the others.
What about "An Enemy of the People" a very political play by Ibsen.
In all these plays, the majority of important roles are for men, so what would be a play that emphasizes women?
Maybe "The Sea Gull". by Chekhov, if you think the class is mature enough for it.
If any others come to mind, I will let you know.

[makenzimarciano]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:13pm

Well, before I turned to singing and moved to Manhattan I was a middle school guidance counselor in the Albany, NY area - one of the English teachers turned portions of The Laramie Project into a lesson about bullying, honesty, etc. I don't know how liberal your school district is but that may be a possibility, maybe incorporating the counselor or psychologist into the lesson somehow to answer any questions, or maybe incoporate it into National Bullying Prevention Week which is sometime in the late winter/early spring.

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:14pm

I remember middle schoolers loving
Starmites
Bye Bye Birdie

[theatrefirekitty]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:38pm

When I was in 7th Grade, we learned about the Salem Witch Trials. The required reading was "The Witch of Blackbird Pond." Which led into us reading "The Crucible," by Arthur Miller. Using the major themes of "The Crucible": rumors, lies, following the crowds, bullying weak people for personal gain, and standing up for what one believes in; she was able to address the problems that we were going through as pre-teens/teens: trying to be popular by following the crowd, spreading rumors about other people, etc...

Our class never forgot how powerful "The Crucible" was and we went on to produce it our senior year of High School.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:40pm

i know it's a musical but the urinetown script is available, and it's actually quite intelligent. ...though the postmodernity of it may go over middle schoolers' heads.

[DramaDork925]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:46pm

In 9th grade we read A Raisin in the Sun and since your students are about that age did you consider that play? Most of my classmates really enjoyed it.

[MusicalDirector109]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:52pm

I currently am in a middle school right now and I'm teaching a drama course this year. The district I'm in had never presented a musical until two years ago. I did "The Wizard of Oz" and "The King and I Jr." with 2nd through 8 graders and my district ate it up. This year they're giving me a middle school drama class and I 'm thinking of reading "The Diary of Anne Frank", "The Miracle Worker", funny "The Crucible" and perhaps the Brighton Beach trilogy of Neil Simon. This will be with 6th through 8th graders. I will also work monologues and scenes. My musical will probably be "The Music Man Jr." If you want to exchange ideas pm me. Have a great year!!

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 6:55pm

what about brighton beach memoirs?

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 9/7/05 at 7:04pm

Students really respond to Fences by August Wilson and since we may be losing him soon it may be a good time to acknowledge his work. The middle schoolers relate to the baseball metaphor. They are very passionate about the father-son dynamic and equally outraged by the racism and sexism. There are racial epithats but if you are sensitive in your approach and put the useage into historical context as well as talk about how terms have been co-opted you usually get a lively debate going.
Kids were also very responsive to presenting how real or imagined fences play out in their lives. Some created poetry, artwork,music and journalling to express their feelings.

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