Discusses the rules for two theater games that train students to focus on objectives: (1) Time Bomb, in which students must maintain eye contact with the instructor, or the instructor will "blow up"; (2) Red Light, Green Light, which may be used with younger students--the object is to tag the person who is "it." (PA)

Discusses the significance of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act for theater and other arts educators. Presents comments of several theater education teachers, leaders, and arts advocates regarding the enactment of Goals 2000. (RS)

Posits that theater can be a transforming experience. Describes a program, "Write on the Edge," run by the Manhattan Theatre Club which attempts to formalize and institutionalize theater's potential to alter the course of young people's lives. Notes that students are drawn from New York city jails and alternative high schools. Concludes…

Recalls a personal experience in which the author allowed a 13-year old with kidney disease to participate in a show. Considers the importance of his nine-year-old "assistant." Discusses the frustrations of dealing with the young actor through his cycle of dialysis treatments and the rewarding feeling when the child appeared on stage.…

Studies the status of theater in U.S. high schools. Finds that (1) 90 percent of high schools offer theater; (2) principals recognize its value to theater students, but not its value to other students and the community; (3) most theater teachers have advanced degrees yet feel inadequately trained; and (4) most theater students are white and…

Describes a high school theater arts program in California which involves elementary and middle school students in the high school's annual musical. Discusses how to deal with the extra work of including younger children in the musical production and the numerous advantages of doing so. (SR)

Discusses the arduous task of casting and directing untrained middle and secondary school actors in terms of auditioning, getting started, planning for the first meeting, focusing on the obvious, rehearsing, learning the lines, becoming the character, running work-through rehearsals, and doing run-throughs and performances. Notes not to forget to…

Describes how some high school students, encouraged by their theater-loving teacher, suspiciously approached Shakespeare, chose "Macbeth," made the language slowly their own, improvised scenery and costumes, delivered the performance with energy and pride and much extemporizing, and found themselves at last in love with Shakespeare and…

Discusses the 1997 NAEP "Arts Report Card," which, for the first time, includes theater arts. Relates that results confirm that large-scale assessment in theater is possible and that the assessment tasks and how they were scored should be useful for theater teachers seeking to refine their grading processes. Notes that the study was…

Describes how a theatre educator brought together her acting students and her playwriting students so that the playwrights could see their work performed and acting students see the relationships among performer, director, and playwright. Discusses matching plays to players, customizing scripts, "showtime," and adapting the project. (RS)

Describes a fund raising project, the "palette of prizes," to raise money for theatre for children in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Discusses creation of theater presentations involving nearly the entire student body. Suggests 11 lessons for other communities interested in using Blair County's arts education programming as a model. Discusses…

Discusses the creation of a group from Interplay 1997 (an international festival of young playwrights) that would write a play on the Internet and present the finished piece at Interplay 1999. Suggests that Internet collaboration could be useful to high school theater students and teachers. Presents a list of skills the playwrights taught each…

Describes a performance at Purdue University of the ACT-OUT Ensemble of Indianapolis, which came four days after a drug-addicted student had murdered his counselor. Finds that the performance was a success because it entertained, educated, explained, and healed, fulfilling the mission of the acting ensemble. Discusses other functions of this (and…

Presents an outline of six steps for touring with secondary school students. Describes the challenges of taking a show on the road, including creation of a theater space where none existed before, design and construction of a portable set, and doing and redoing the necessary "blocking." Includes a calendar for major steps in preparing…

Describes the author's experience as a student teacher teaching a drama class composed of students from grades 9, 10, and 11, all working at different levels of experience and expertise. Details challenges he faced as well as successes and failures. Offers comments from a veteran theater educator and suggests supplemental reading, activities, and…