Drama is a 30-week, 90-minute course that gives students the opportunity to explore acting and other aspects of theater production. Class members participate in theater games using improvisation and pantomime.  Students also read, direct, perform and evaluate monologues and skits in the classroom.

Drama is a great medium for children to learn the art of communication through not only their voices but also their bodies and facial expressions. Students are encouraged to delve into their assigned character’s emotions, physical characteristics, and motivations in order to bring them to life on the stage. They also develop teamwork habits by supporting each other as audience members, prompting during a scene, picking up dropped lines, or assisting with props and stage sets.

In drama class, you can learn how to

·     Improve your voice and control your body

·     Move around on stage and take direction from a director

·     Perform in front of a camera

·     Read and analyze a play or a script

·     Create characters, understand them, and perform them realistically

·     Communicate well with everyone on and off stage

·     Cope in front of an audience if something unexpected happens

·     Learn and remember lines

·     Be confident and ready to audition

·     Listen and be more observant

·     Work as part of a team

·     Understand everyone’s job in a theatre or in a film production

This class is open to grades Kindergarten through 5th grade. Non-readers are assisted as needed.

The play will be announced at the first class. Performance dates/times TBD, with the Fall production in November and the Spring production in April.

Our goal is to introduce students to a variety of theatrical styles. Therefore, many times the Spring production is presented as a musical. Occasionally the Elementary class will partner with the Upper-level class in a single show. This provides the younger students with a new experience of participating in a much larger production. It also allows them to watch the older, more experienced, actors and learn from them.

Past performances have included  Beauty and the Beast, The Wizard of OZ, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Reluctant Dragon, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Bye, Bye Birdie, Horton Hears a Who, Seussical, School House Rock Live, Charlotte’s Web, plus others.

Class Homework Assignments: memorization of assigned roles by the due date posted

Thursday  

TIME: 2:35-4:05
GRADES: K-5
CLASS FEE: $340
SUPPLY FEE: $110
TUTOR: Laura Pickett