Teaching Drama

[sally1112]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:28pm

I need help. I will be a first year English teacher next fall and I interviewed with a high school yesterday. They asked me if I could teach a drama/theater class, and I said sure, kinda bluffing. Broadway is my love, but I am not sure about actually teaching drama.
Anyway, I want to study up this summer in case I get the job.
What text books are out there that you all have used and found helpful? I suppose I'll need resources on costumes, lighting, etc and everything.
I am going to check with some ohter sources but I thought I would get advice from some of you out there first.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:45pm

Do you know what aspect of drama you will be teaching?

You should start with theater history. A textbook that takes you from Greek theater to present day. Maybe "A History of the Theatre" by Oscar Brockett. (Although it's quite expensive, so see if you can find a used copy. There are also several other less expensive texts)

Theater Games for the Classroom by Viola Spolin (and she has other good books as well)

Respect for Acting and Challenge for the Actor by Uta Hagen

Introduction to Theatre Arts by Suzi Zimmerman
Technical Theater for Nontechnical People by Drew Campbell
Everything About Theatre by Robert Lee

[BroadwayBaby3]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:51pm

http://campbroadway.com/publications.html <

[pab]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 5:56pm

Gothampc's question is most important. Drama covers quite a bit so you would have to have some sense of what kind of curriculum they have at this school. If this is more of a drama club type class, which I suspect it is since they are not hiring a teacher with a drama degree to teach the class, then the first book that would recommend would be "Improvisation for the Theatre" by Viola Spolin

[Pinguin]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 6:43pm

If the job involves you directing shows, a nice and simple book for help I would recommend is http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0571199941/qid=1117233786/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-2816809-1968730?v=glance&s=books

[Act4ever]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 6:53pm

The Stage and the School
from Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

its pretty good and I believe then recently came out with a newer Edition. The most important thing is: Don't bore your students with theatre history that is unnecessary. It is SO much more fun to work onstage in a Drama class. But also, don't teach directly out of a book because ANYONE can do that. I think drama class is more fun hands on.

My drama teacher did playwriting work w/out us knowing. She showed us pictures, made us listen to orchestrations from movies, old 40's stuff, etc, and we had to come up with one line. Then a monologue about what we think it means. Then we heard a sequence of songs and after each song we had to write a piece of plot. It all came together to be a play and none of us knew it. She told us afterward and it was soo cool!

Good luck!