Describes an acting exercise which can be used to introduce students to Shakespeare's plays. (RB)

A report from the Educational Resources Information Center at the National Council of Teachers of English; ERIC abstracts of pertinent documents are included. (RD)

This course guide is intended to help teachers introduce students to the basic concepts of readers' or interpreters' theatre. Performance objectives for the students are listed which include: (1) discerning the elements that make up a good choice of material, developing some understanding of how to adapt and arrange the material for readers'…

Stimulating and enjoyable dramatic activities in the classroom can nurture children's natural sympathies with drama. Re-acting a portion of a second-rate television show can help children become more perceptive critics and prepare them to view better drama that the teacher could bring to the classroom. Free, creative rhythmic movement allows…

Drama in the classroom is the theme of the 14 articles in this issue, which can be used as resource material for teachers concerned with incorporating drama into the English curriculum. Titles and authors are as follows: "All the World is a Stage--Except the American Classroom" (Charles R. Duke); "A Drama Program for All Seasons" (Paul Cervoni and…

This review of current uses of drama in the teaching of literature deals with drama that is "concerned with experience by the participants, irrespective of any function of communication to an audience." Chapters are devoted to (1) the British-influenced Dartmouth Seminar proposals emphasizing drama and oral language, (2) American…

Over a period of months, illiterate and disruptive Black and Puerto Rican junior high school students in New York City developed and staged an updated version of "West Side Story." Although by professional standards the results were poor, students were able to participate in a highly rewarding activity which demanded discipline,…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 19 dissertations deal with a variety of topics, including the following: the impact of Konstantin Stanislavski's ideas on motion picture acting in the United States and their significance for oral interpretation; the empathic…

In an experiment designed to involve reluctant learners in a creative learning experience, a class of youngsters assumed the role of a Sahara Desert tribe and talked about their perplexity in finding a chair washed up on the beach. Using this incident as the focal point for a project, the teacher divided the children into small groups to compose…

Modern drama criticism is rebuked for taking the "closet drama approach" which reduces the theater to yet another type of philosophical and content-oriented literary genre. Group participation and discussion are suggested as means by which the student is encouraged to stage an imaginary performance leading to intelligibility and appreciation of…