Historical evolution of performance, technical stagecraft, and core acting techniques. Develops playwriting skills and fosters imaginative expression through script development and production management.
This 9th-grade sequence moves beyond art appreciation to explore the economic and policy frameworks of the arts sector. Students analyze funding models, historical controversies, grant writing, and urban policy, culminating in a mock legislative session on arts advocacy.
A high school sequence exploring the shift from traditional ballet to modern dance through five key movements: Duncan's naturalism, Graham's psychological depth, Cunningham's chance operations, Judson Dance Theater's pedestrianism, and Bausch's Tanztheater. Students engage in both physical workshops and intellectual analysis to understand art as a reaction to its time.
A 5-lesson unit exploring how dance served as the primary form of communication and history-keeping before written language, investigating Hawaiian, Greek, and West African traditions.
A comprehensive exploration of the American musical theater evolution, from its Vaudeville roots to modern spectacles. Students analyze how music, dance, and design integrate to create cohesive narratives.
A comprehensive 5-lesson unit exploring the evolution of 20th and 21st-century theater. Students track the development of the 'integrated musical,' experiment with Brechtian alienation, investigate technical stagecraft revolutions, and design for the future of immersive and digital performance.
This sequence explores the transition from the exaggerated style of 19th-century Melodrama to the psychological depth of Realism and Naturalism. Students will investigate the 'Fourth Wall,' Stanislavski's acting system, subtext, and the cultural impact of 'Kitchen Sink' dramas in American theater.
This sequence explores the transition from ancient religious rituals to formalized Greek and Roman theater. Students investigate theater architecture, the role of the chorus, the use of masks, and the structural elements of tragedy to understand how performance reflects societal values.
A 5-lesson sequence for 8th Grade theater students that explores Elizabethan theater context, iambic pentameter, soliloquies, wordplay, and modern adaptation through the lens of performance. Students move from historical 'groundlings' to creative directors.
This unit explores the history of physical comedy, from the masked archetypes of Italian Commedia dell'Arte to modern slapstick and sitcoms. Students develop physical characterization skills, understand status dynamics, and learn to identify recurring comic archetypes across theater history.
This sequence explores the evolution of acting styles from the exaggerated, codified gestures of 19th-century Melodrama to the internal, psychologically-driven Realism of Stanislavski. Students will learn about the 'Fourth Wall,' 'The Magic If,' and 'Objectives' through practical workshops and performance-based comparisons.
This sequence traces the technological evolution of theater from candlelight to the digital age, examining how design changes the storytelling experience. Students explore the shift from the proscenium arch and painted perspective sets to modern lighting and sound design, concluding with a design challenge.
A 5-lesson unit exploring the physical comedy tradition of Commedia dell'Arte. Students learn about stock characters, status transactions, the 'lazzi' (comic bits), and the use of 'grammelot' (gibberish) to create improvised performances based on Renaissance archetypes.
A 5-lesson unit exploring the unique staging conditions of the Elizabethan era and how they shaped Shakespeare's playwriting through language, architecture, and audience interaction.
A deep dive into the avant-garde French 'Théâtre de l'Absurde', focusing on Ionesco and Beckett. Students explore themes of language breakdown, social conformity, and the power of silence through performance and textual analysis.
A comprehensive vocal performance sequence that teaches students to move beyond notes and rhythms to become vocal 'actors.' Students analyze subtext, master expressive diction, map musical phrasing, and explore tone color to deliver emotionally authentic performances.
This sequence explores the foundational principles of theatrical improvisation, focusing on the 'Yes, And' rule, CROW (Character, Relationship, Objective, Where), object work, and status dynamics. Students will build ensemble trust and spontaneity through a variety of workshop games and simulations, culminating in a short-form improv performance.
This sequence explores the actor's body as a storytelling tool through neutrality, physical centers, pantomime, and tableau. Students develop non-verbal communication skills culminating in a silent narrative performance.
This sequence focuses on improvisation and ensemble building, teaching students to think quickly and collaborate creatively. The arc moves from basic rule-setting (Yes, And) to active listening and reacting in the moment. Students learn to build scenes cooperatively without a script, focusing on maintaining character and narrative logic.
A middle school theater and creative thinking unit focused on building trust, active listening, and collaborative agility through improvisational techniques. Students progress from basic focus exercises to devising and performing original ensemble pieces.
Students learn to translate narrative fiction into dramatic scripts by analyzing storytelling modes, converting internal thoughts to external actions, and drafting their own theatrical adaptations of fables.
A project-based sequence for 11th-grade students focusing on the macro-level engineering of a one-act play. Students transition from deconstructing dramatic structures to drafting a complete narrative treatment, emphasizing conflict, stakes, and structural integrity.
A workshop-style series for 11th-grade playwrights focusing on the craft of dialogue. Students learn to differentiate dramatic dialogue from natural speech, develop unique character voices, master subtext, and apply professional script formatting.
A technical foundation for playwriting, moving from critical analysis of dramatic structure and subtext to the mastery of professional industry formatting standards and scene composition.
This project-based sequence guides students through the structural engineering of a narrative, moving from a raw premise to a developed one-act play. Students analyze the dramatic arc and apply these concepts to their own original scripts, focusing on pacing, high-stakes storytelling, and professional formatting.
This sequence explores the representation of apes in the film 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', focusing on the transition from scientific subjects to sentient leaders. Students analyze the use of motion-capture technology and narrative techniques used to humanize non-human characters.
This unit explores the intangible technical elements of theater—lighting, sound, and stage management—that create atmosphere and ensure a smooth performance. Students experiment with how light angles and sound effects change the mood of a scene, learn organizational systems used by stage managers, and culminate in a technical rehearsal simulation.
Students step into the shoes of a set designer to transform a written script into a physical world through script analysis, floor planning, mood boards, and 3D model construction. The sequence emphasizes how visual choices in color, texture, and space support the storytelling.
An 8-session sports broadcasting course for grades 4–12, covering play-by-play, color analysis, interviewing, and technical production. Students move from foundational commentary to producing a full capstone broadcast segment.
An 8-session sports broadcasting course for grades 4–12, covering play-by-play, color commentary, interviewing, camera work, audio mixing, and live production directing. Students progress from foundational vocal skills to a complete capstone broadcast project.
A comprehensive 11th-grade sequence focusing on the psychological and physical aspects of vocal performance. Students learn to manage stage fright, master non-verbal communication, and navigate professional audition environments.
A comprehensive sequence for 11th-grade instrumentalists to master the technical, logistical, and psychological demands of solo performance and auditions. Students move from repertoire selection and deliberate practice planning to stage etiquette and peer-reviewed mock auditions, culminating in a polished final performance.
This sequence explores how vocalists adapt phrasing, tone, and technique across Classical, Jazz, Musical Theater, and Pop/Rock genres to create authentic and compelling performances.
This sequence targets the vocal mechanics necessary for stage acting, emphasizing clarity, volume, and emotional resonance. Students move through a mastery-based progression of breathing techniques, articulation drills, and tonal variation exercises.
Students explore the mechanics and expressive potential of the human voice for stage performance, moving from technical foundations to interpretive skills, concluding with a radio drama performance.
