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)

This collection of short plays for young actors features a young person's point of view and is intended to be used as a sourcebook by students and teachers. The collection is designed to appeal to a wide variety of theatrical tastes and embraces a variety of styles and themes. Although the unifying factor of the collection is the aforementioned…

Describes "neutral scenes," a dialog exchange for which actors must supply the meaning. Contends the exercise provides young actors the opportunity to use all the basic tools they will need when they progress to more conventional scene work, such as finding conflict, using given circumstances, playing relationships. Advises analyzing the…

Presents a sequence of exercises that address the importance of using words effectively, and considers the insensitivity so many young actors today have regarding the words they have been given by playwrights to say. Intends to help students better connect and deepen the meaning of the words they use as actors with the objectives they choose to…

Discusses the artistry of those who write plays and films to introduce a series of sequential exercises to help student actors become more sensitive to the playwright's contribution. Outlines and explains the phases of "monologue makers": (1) tell stories; (2) make a play; and (3) get on your feet. (PA)

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…

The materials and resources offered in this performance guidebook are designed to develop the more formal acting skills of secondary school students, to provide extensive experience in script analysis and scene work, and to develop the student by modifying unfortunate inhibitions, encouraging creativity, and developing strong communication skills.…

Presents guidelines and activities for radio theatre production. Covers playwriting, production techniques, skits, and improvisations. Includes an opening segment of a script adapted for radio of Chekhov's "A Marriage Proposal." (PD)

Describes some of the Shakespeare software available to educators. Explains some of its applications in the secondary school language arts classroom. Shows how Shakespeare texts on disc allow students to cut sections of the play to enhance their own performances (for example, a 20-minute version of "Much Ado About Nothing") and how…

Describes how a theatre educator brought together her acting students and her playwriting students so that the playwrights could see their work performed and acting students see the relationships among performer, director, and playwright. Discusses matching plays to players, customizing scripts, "showtime," and adapting the project. (RS)

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…

This guide, intended as a manual for the beginning director, educational filmmaker, or film school student, provides instruction for attending to the progressive elements of cinematographic craft, from the initial idea to the screen. The guide examines the structure of the script, aspects of acting and working with actors, music and sound, camera…

This 30 to 40 minute drama for secondary school students takes place in the Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia, on September 17, 1787, the day the Constitutional Convention ended. James Madison serves as the drama's spokesman. The drama focuses on five major points: (1) the Colonial Confederation's situation at that time, which necessitated…

Reported are the results of a 3-year project to prepare and evaluate pilot units and courses in drama and theater arts for grades 7-12 and to prepare suggested courses for the training and certification of drama and theater arts teachers. Most of the guide is comprised of descriptions of each course which give (1) the purpose and organization of…

This publication resulted from a project of the British Film Institute (bfi). The aim was to emphasize that cinema takes a number of different forms, fulfills a variety of roles within different societies, and has different models of its social function. Toward this end, film-makers from all over the world were invited to write a diary about the…