Discover the cognitive, social, emotional, and other psychological benefits of learning how to act and perform. This book looks behind the curtain of theatre education to see how thinking on stage happens in real secondary classrooms. Reporting on the first large scale systematic qualitative analyses of acting classes for adolescents, the author…

The transfer of disability history research to new generation audiences is crucial to allow lessons from the past to impact the future inclusion and equality agenda. As today's children are the policy makers and the legislators of tomorrow, it is important for them to have opportunities to engage with disability life story narratives to understand…

Lists the top ten acting ailments often encountered in student actors, and offers advice to cure these ailments: the split personality, the beauty queen and the leading man, the comedian, the director in training, the moody one, the character-clueless, the loner, the mimic, the stage-frightened, and the opening night artist. (SR)

Argues that teachers need to reinforce the idea that the successful actor's first step in the process of finding and developing a character is to understand the script. Includes the script for a 10-minute play, Christopher Graybill's "Go Look." Presents a close study of the script. (RS)

Uses notions from the field Psychology of Consciousness, including an explanation of how psychologists define and investigate Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs). Argues that actors routinely enter an ASC. Establishes acting as a way to enter an ASC and discusses why theater artists, educators, and advocates need to be aware of both the dangers…

The story of an "actor" who captivated an English class and a community and who was later revealed to be a con man. (RL)

High school students should be given the opportunity to do improvised duet acting, and criteria for evaluation of performances of improvised duet acting should be established. Although planning and prepared work should be discouraged as much as possible, because of the time limitations for the performance, it is good for the performers to know…

Presents a series of warm-up stretching exercises for student actors to do in a seated position. (SG)

Outlines steps in casting a play: the group should choose a piece with the group in mind; people should be shown off to their best advantage; and ageism, sexism, or racism should not enter the casting process. Performance reality should be kept in mind. (PA)

Note that the exercise, Roll Call, is designed to demonstrate that character is most effectively and reliably created through a careful selection and execution of actions, not by magically inhabiting a character. Concludes that by the end of this sequence of exercises, students should have a better understanding of how character can be created…

Reexamines classical tragedy and Brechtian acting exercises in an attempt to provide revitalized strategies offering greater pedagogical focus in practical drama classes. Presents a conceptual framework called "Moments of Dignity through Epics." (SR)

Presents 13 improvisation exercises offered by 5 teachers. (SR)

Laments the narcissism that the author sees in too many contemporary approaches to acting and directing. Argues that actors must focus on the world outside themselves, where the play and the audience most need them to be. (SR)

Describes an exercise for a beginning acting class at the outset of a semester that demonstrates, reiterates, and clarifies some of the fundamental points of acting craft. (SR)

Describes the "As If" technique, a mnemonic device that reminds actors what the action they are doing means and feels to them personally. Discusses introducing As If to students, the As If "game," and applying it to scripted scenes. (RS)