Offers a case study of an African American college student's involvement in theater. Describes her experiences in high school and university theater programs and the meanings she made of those experiences to reveal her concept of ethnicity. (SR)

Investigates whether the same patterns of sexism and gender-typing found in popular and award-winning children's literature exist in 10 award-winning plays for young people. Finds relatively few instances of nine overtly sexist traits in the plays. (SR)

Presents a case study examining the personal characteristics and external support systems which may have led to longevity in the career of a specific high school theatre arts teacher. Discusses internal support systems (including organizational skills, being adaptable to change, and respecting students) and external support systems (including the…

Presents a vision of an ideal theatre education situation, states the current status of theatre education in the U.S., and proposes strategies to follow to achieve a balanced curriculum in creative drama and children's theatre for every elementary school in the country. (JC)

Notes that instruction in the dramatic arts can encourage lasting aesthetic awareness and improved communicative abilities, and presents descriptions of four articles about youth drama from the ERIC database. (JC)

Presents the statistical results for the theater for children component of the ASU Longitudinal Study, utilizing Dr. Patricia Goldberg's interview instrument, which categorizes the free responses of a child audience after viewing a theatrical production. (JC)

Attempts to bridge the gap between theater professionals and classroom teachers by annotating some books about theater, including "Scenes: The Unseen People Who Make Theatre Work," which may be used with children of various ages. (MM)

Reports results of a 7-year study of drama/theater for children, conducted by Arizona State University, with 30 participants progressing from kindergarten to sixth grade. Finds, as children aged, a shift from story to character in postperformance discussion of theater events; a subtle increase of evaluative responses; and that girls were more…

Examines contexts out of which federal youth arts funding emerged, and discusses federal youth arts programs during the Nixon and Carter presidential administrations when youth arts were formalized through the Department of Education arts-in-education programs, and subsequently through programs with other federal agencies. Discusses contemporary…

Discusses the role of computers in the drama classroom, considering advantages and disadvantages. Suggests possible computer applications to achieve goals in three areas: thinking skills, creativity, and drama. (SR)

Describes 45 third graders'"dramatic literacy" and the modal sources for inferences. Finds that (1) the more children used visual cues, the more they used verbal and psychological cues; and (2) inferences about the play's theme were related to aural recall of thematic dialogue and what children reported learning from the play. (SR)

Provides a first-hand account of a Soviet-American theater arts exchange, the world premiere of Soviet playwright Gennadi Mamlin's "On the Edge," performed in the Soviet Union by the Louisville Children's Theatre. (MM)

Considers how a researcher-practitioner, recognizing the human aspiration for wholeness, makes sense of the jumbled multiplicity of meanings available in the study of culture, education, and mediating art forms such as creative drama, theater in education, and childrens's theater. Describes field work during an ethnographic study at Pit Prop…

Describes a 7-year longitudinal study of drama at Arizona State University that involved 30 participants who started the study as kindergartners. Focuses on final exit interviews with selected participants. Concludes that theater is necessary for some children and that theater may become more valuable if children can be convinced of the personal…

Examines three contemporary plays for young audiences that feature adolescent female protagonists to examine the treatment of adolescent girls'"coming of age" issues regarding sexuality, body, and identity. Finds that all three protagonists grapple with self-consciousness and cultural norms regarding beauty and explore their struggles…