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…

Discusses the casting of small roles in television's dramatic series in terms of social stereotyping. Information is based on interviews with writers, producers, directors, casting directors, and talent agents. (JMF)

Clara Tree Major, the first producer to provide professional touring plays exclusively for children's audiences (from 1925 until 1954), not only produced these plays but also wrote the scripts by adapting children's stories for the theatre. This paper investigates Major's playwriting principles and techniques, examines Major's philosophy in play…

Horton Foote was among the television writers who helped make NBC's "Television Playhouse" the most popular live dramatic program on the air during the "Golden Age" of television drama, the period between 1952 and 1957. Foote felt a strong affinity for the land and people of his youth, and modeled the imaginary towns of…

This collection of monologues describes women's roles in theater in 1994 as being "ripe with possibility." The collection includes work from playwrights Gloria Naylor, Harold Prince, Tony Kushner, Terrence McNally, and Harold Pinter, among others. The collection contains 57 brief audition pieces for women to perform from the 1994…

Examines how old age is portrayed in 35 popular plays for children. Suggests ways children's theatre can help children form positive attitudes on aging. (PD)

As part of the theatre studies program offered by Montgomery County (Maryland) senior high schools, this instructional guide for advanced acting is designed to train students in the rigorous skills of preparing and presenting a character in performance. After listing 11 educational objectives, including being able to identify character elements…

Radio plays can provide opportunities for high school or college students to act without having to memorize scripts. Elements necessary for a well-produced radio play consist of: (1) a suitable play, which may be a simple play or an adaptation of a short story or novel; (2) a radio script which is plausible and feasible within the limitations of…

Developed with the recognition that many playwrights have theater in their blood (e.g., Eugene O'Neill was the son of a famous actor), the three lessons in this package present, through experience, the fundamentals of dramatic structure. These lessons for the beginning playwright focus on elements of dramatic plot, conflicts, and crisis and…

Most performer-writers accept the writing process simply as a means to an end: the shared performance event with a live audience. While writer-performers regard a script as more important than the performance, a solo performance is, however, a showcase of the artist's talent, and creating one's own text offers the performer artistic control. Some…

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…

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…