Texts of nonscripted theatrical performances, unauthoritative and highly contingent translations from theater language into verbal language, present problems of interpretation and translation. (DD)

Presents three brief essays that discuss approaching traditional literature (Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," Mark Twain "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," and Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales") in imaginative ways in high school English and vocational/technical classrooms. (RS)

Describes the sequences of drama involving two stories and analyzes two samples of responses from three students in a kindergarten classroom. Suggests how process drama, informed by an understanding of social semiotics, could help teachers begin to reimagine writing instruction using drama as central to their work with young writers. (SG)

Presents an exercise to guide student actors through the process of building a character by identifying the story and conflict, finding and playing actions that serve the story and define character, selecting and using props, choosing costume and make-up that will help reveal character, and choosing a physicality and voice consistent with the…

Examines Augusto Boal's relationship to and understanding of Marxism, and its influence on the development of his work. Explains that Boal's reformist politics as reflected in his practice would therefore appear a negation of socialism as Marx conceived it. Concludes Boal's approach appears to encourage people to look for that insight in terms of…

Reports on two studies, which addressed the value of the role of drama by listening to the opinions of students in regard to their own learning. Compares and contrasts the findings from two studies, and notes that some surprising similarities emerged, in terms of what students said about their learning. Demonstrates that students are capable of…

Proposes the secondary drama classroom is a powerful arena for exploring the politics of gender. Suggests that a policy for Equal Opportunity which takes a purely binary perspective of sexual identity, focusing on the boy/girl dichotomy, is fundamentally oppressive. Concludes that it is only by making cultural issues of oppression explicit and…

Offers tips for incorporating Shakespeare into a creative dramatics program for elementary students: ensure a speaking part for every child; assign parts best for the child; produce the play most comfortable for the class; allow for student input on characterization; rehearse a portion of the play each day; plan for several performances; and…

This paper describes the work done by a third-grade class to write and present adaptations of Dickens'"A Christmas Carol" and Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Students explored the authors' lives and collectively wrote their own renditions of the stories; the entire short text of their version of "The Tempest" is included. (PB)

Considers how Sally Mackey's deconstruction of landscape and memory in "Drama, Landscape and Memory: To Be Is To Be in Place" is a fascinating approach to potent tessellations of place, space, performance and identity and is certainly a welcome exploration of such ideas within an educational context. (SG)

Discusses the author's experience as a playwright and teacher of public readings of early drafts of new plays. Explains the Five Step Model for these readings as follows: prepare the playwright before the reading; prepare the audience with a precurtain speech; after the reading, establish discussion ground rules; remember these guidelines during…

Records discussion of panel of senior movement educators from a 1998 Association for Theatre in Higher Education conference. Explains the differing backgrounds of the panelists in mind/body techniques; historical styles of movement; stage combat training; and mime. Includes discussions of the meaning of movement for actors; techniques of teaching…

Provides an overview of the America Reads Challenge and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center's (CSPAC) education projects. Analyzes the joint CSPAC/America Reads puppet project, and considers its efficacy. Proposes that immediate, focused evaluation helps demonstrate quantitatively the local impact of an educational theatre project, while…

Explores character development through an exercise which reveals character through action, situation, and externals. Explains how student actors can develop the ability to reveal character through analysis of a scene situation and by choosing actions appropriate for the character and story being told. Notes that the exercises offered are focused…

Explains that "counter-text" describes the results of a period of independent dramaturgical research and development and the contribution this makes to a theatrical production. Contends that the counter-text presents an alternative site of authority in performance. Describes the uses of research on a production of Iizuka's…