Arts activities in prisons, such as the work of Britain's Geese Theatre Company, have a therapeutic effect but are often hampered by lack of funds, materials, and space and difficulties with the attitudes of prison administrators and staff. (SK)

Provides the responses of seven practicing English teachers to the questions, "How do you use dramatics in your classroom? How do you introduce your students to live theater?" (HB)

Discusses the experiences a new chair of the University of Virginia's drama department. Discusses general principles to follow and specific actions to reinvigorate a theater department. (RS)

Discusses expressive movement, a rudimentary, exploratory, and process-oriented way of movement that is appropriate for and beneficial to the training of actors, and that can be employed as a mode of kinesthetic/dramatic expression by theatre educators. Notes reasons for using expressive movement in theatre education; discusses teacher's role;…

Describes the use of "open scenes" to meet state-mandated educational goals, such as those in Kentucky's Education Reform Act. Discusses how open scenes can be an effective pedagogical technique to develop acting skills and help students meet the goals of current educational reform. Discusses the use of a GOTE sheet (goals, other,…

Presents an interview with theater director Jeff Church. Discusses difficulties encountered and accomplishments realized as a director of youth theater. Describes the goals of learning more about one's field, being open to new insights, and selecting materials. Offers suggestions about knowing the community. (CR)

Describes the experiences of a dramaturge (who researchers a play's history and themes and presents that information in educational contexts) who worked at a professional theatre. Notes that the job offered her the opportunity to do research, teach, and even publish. Suggests that her experiences as a dramaturge enhanced her skills as a teacher,…

Divides choral teaching into four steps: analysis, lesson-plan derivation, rehearsal, and evaluation. Reveals that moving from the evaluation step back to the lesson-plan step is a continual process which leads to the culminating experience of performance. States that effective instruction derives from thoughtful preparation, execution, and…

Looks at the differing production choices and dramatic methods endorsed by two settlement workers, Alice Minnie Hets and Lillian Wald, as witnessed in the opening productions of their settlement houses, where the dramatic arts were among the tools used by social workers to help fledging citizens adopt American ways. (SR)

Discusses complex struggles that occurred when attempting to negotiate a development agenda for a drama workshop involving people with mental health problems. Notes that the context of the intervention was "highly problematic." Suggests that for substantial change to take place the project worker and participants need an agenda of…

Describes how a group of foreign language teachers created and used a theatre set (called the "living lab") with changeable painted backdrops. Describes a number of ways to use the living lab in the language class; describes how one class wrote and produced an original 10-page drama in French; and describes the process of creating the living lab.…

Examines the idea of developing a play through a group effort. Draws on personal experiences of seeing this kind of work since the 1970s. Details techniques that have been used with various groups in a series of drama workshops over the years. (PA)

Notes that the 1994 Educate America Act included the arts as one of the eight core subjects, suggesting that they were no longer a curricular extra but an area of study as important as math, science, or any other subject. Asks 17 educators what they think will be the most important issue facing K-12 education during the next five years. (SG)

States that whenever people interact, they use labels to interpret the actions of others within a social context. Reviews data gathered in a previous study as to perceptions of labeling by a black student in a white school. Discusses the use of "raceless" labels. Concludes that discussion is necessary to fully implement the ideas of…

Four types of theatre uses in adult education are theatre for education, for development, for conscientization, and popular theatre. The latter involves a group's interpretive study of its own social, economic, cultural, and political conditions, leading to collective action. (SK)