An organic approach to style in acting can lend credibility and power to performances and can enhance the clarity and extent of what is communicated to audiences about other social worlds. The organic approach is based on the following principles: mental experience and expressive behavior are inseparable and reciprocal; experience in either mode…

An American press history teacher develops student interest in his topic by masquerading as major personalities in the history of journalism. (RL)

Presents an outline of six basic preparation activities for student actors, including reading the play, doing historical research, elemental exercises, learning the part, creating the character, and exercises in movement and voice. (JMF)

The theatre curriculum at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland teaches acting techniques used in film and television in order to take students into the world of performance via the media they appreciate first. While a large number of students do not attend the theatre and have learned little about the cultural heritage of the theatre in their…

A set of lessons to introduce "Julius Caesar" to secondary school students unfamiliar with Shakespeare is provided in this teaching guide. Only a critical fraction of the play is covered in the lessons. First, a synopsis of a modern high school situation whose conflicts parallel those in "Julius Caesar" is presented; then,…

The teaching and understanding of Shakespeare are the subjects of these essays by (1) Louis B. Wright, who is concerned with the elements of Shakespearean plays which give them world-wide acceptance and timelessness, (2) Richard Hosley, who explores the use of stage curtains both today and when Shakespeare's plays were first produced, (3) G. L.…

The skills of playwriting are correctable, the craft of playwriting is teachable, and the art of playwriting is encourageable. In the area of craft, students can learn through models how accomplished playwrights deal with plot, characterization, dialogue, and theme. For the first element, plot development, students can look at written models to…

The articles in this publication trace the historical development of the theatre workshop, explain the relationship between the workshop and experimental theatre, and analyze the ways in which current drama workshops teach and develop the dramatic skills of the participants. The topics discussed include the special skills, production-oriented, and…

Noting that English and drama have a major common concern which is central to the educational process--namely, language--this book shows English teachers how to implement improvisational drama in their classrooms. Two chapters present theoretical background on the way in which individuals alter their language patterns in response to different…

Intended for middle school teachers interested in helping students (especially those with no experience attending theater) learn how to read and see a play by themselves, this paper provides a lesson plan based on W. W. Jacobs's dramatic play, "The Monkey's Paw." After furnishing a rationale for reading this particular play, the paper…

The full power of drama as both a teaching and learning medium can be realized only when the inner world of meaning is harnessed to the outer world of expressive action. The teacher has available a number of techniques that can involve the students in the vital interaction of both frames. To involve the students in the expressive frame, the…