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Creative Drama In Action
Here is what typically happens in a Youth Stages class...
Preschool to 2nd grade: A Youth Stages, LLC workshop for younger children usually begins with a hands-on craft activity.
Children entering the class space may see an array of items such as paper and markers, glue sticks,
feathers, toilet paper tubes, etc. This immediately intrigues the visual and tactile learners. As the
teacher greets the students, she introduces the day's theme, for example, a story set in Medieval times,
using support materials such as books, pictures, or period music. She suggests an art project, perhaps decorating
a cardboard crown with “jewels” or leading the children toward ideas for a family crest. Each child then creates his
own crown, using the available materials according to his own style and interest. Children share ideas with one another,
get help from the teacher if necessary, and within ten or fifteen minutes, have a unique, tangible item.
The children then clean up and assemble in a circle, presenting their props to the group.
The teacher encourages the children to explain why they chose to draw dragons or a rainbow,
glue pink feathers on the top, or make a shield instead of a crown. No project is deemed right or
wrong, good or bad, or judged in any way. The discussion gets the children and teacher familiar
with one another and ready to move on with the day's theme.
The children need to move by now and pantomime—using one's body, silently, to show action or
create a character, is the perfect vehicle. The Youth Stages educator introduces the idea of the
Magic Box, a personal acting space for each child, filled with imaginary objects. The children,
guided by the teacher, reach into their Magic Boxes and adorn themselves with imaginary crowns or
royal jewels, wave magic wands, or climb onto their trusty steeds and face down dragons. Since
the children remain in their individual spaces, classroom control is carefully maintained.
After some pantomime, which encourages imagination, individual expression and develops fine
and gross motor skills, voice is added. The children now vocalize those magic spells, roar like
dragons, etc. Full body motions, voice, and imagination combine to create the kinesthetic approach to learning.
The teacher then reads a specific book, perhaps Tomie dePaola’s The Knight and the Dragon.
By reading aloud and showing the illustrations, the teacher engages both auditory and visual
learners, and also demonstrates different dramatic ideas by changing her voice for each character,
adjusting the tempo of the text, etc.
The children are now ready to act out the story, with the teacher directing, narrating, and
possibly taking on a role herself. Unbeknownst to the children, they have already created a prop
to use, have practiced the motions during pantomime, and rehearsed some vocalizations.
The children choose which characters they want to play. If there are five knights, one horse, three
dragons, and six librarians, the teacher will adapt her narration of the story accordingly. The
teacher maintains control, making sure that the shy child feels ready to say a line or two and the
lively child doesn't actually breathe fire on anyone! The teacher helps the children progress through
the story, making sure that all children are involved, the action is controlled, and that they are
keeping with the plot…or agreeing to adjust it.
After all the excitement of performance, the “characters” put away their Magic Boxes and become
children again. Back in the circle, they discuss the story, share the parts they enjoyed most, and
make observations like what a great idea it was for Henry to become the fire in the dragon's mouth!
They are now ready to return their focus to their parents or the classroom teacher.
3rd through 8th grade: A session for older children follows a similar format. After a quick,
hands-on activity, the teacher leads the students through physical, vocal, and imagination warm-ups while
introducing acting concepts and terms such as “projection,” “diction,” “facing out,” and others.
Storytelling is an important artform, even for the older children, and the Youth Stages instructor
frequently will read or tell a story, sometimes based on material chosen to integrate with the classroom
teacher's lesson plans.
Older students break into small groups of five or fewer, and combine their warm-up experiences with the
story components. Each group casts, creates, and rehearses its own scene or portion of the story, then
presents it to the other groups. After everyone has performed, an honest and thoughtful critique of each
others' work takes place. This helps the students to understand what worked really well, what was confusing,
and what could be changed next time. The students then replay the scenes, implementing changes, and seeing
the results of their friends' comments and their own acting efforts.
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