Why do a play? Learning is enriched beyond measure when students are directly and actively involved in the story. When movement is involved, learning goes to a deeper and more permanent level. Plays allow students of every description to engage enthusiastically, build communication skills, practice cooperation and critical thinking skills-- all in the context of learning language arts. Use the accompanying activity guide to really harness the teaching power of theater for children and expand lessons into art, writing and scientific discovery.
Do I have to have experience in drama to use these plays? Our plays give you everything you need to put on a successful production --- absolutely no theatrical experience is required! In addition to classroom usage, these plays are perfect for camps , after-school groups and home school associations.
Why choose a classic before high school? Some people associate the classics, when taught in high school or college, as ordeals to be survived. However, this brilliant literature has survived centuries because its themes and insights are timeless; often the missing element is method of presentation. It is our hope that we can engender in children a love for these masterworks by presenting them early through the action-packed context of drama. You will be surprised by how accessible and fun we have made these child-friendly versions of classic western literature!
Those who perform Beowulf, Don Quixote or any other classic in a kid-sized version incorporate ideas about loyalty, honor, courage and other human themes into their developing lives. Early introduction sparks an interest in all kinds of classic literature and allows young people to draw from this experience as, later in their academic careers, they encounter original versions upon which these plays are based.
Why is this play in rhyme? Before books became commonplace, people listened to chanted or recited stories. Because it was necessary to use a system of memorization in order to recall a lengthy and complex sequence of events more effectively, storytellers used rhyme and meter. The smallest child can easily recall a Mother Goose rhyme, and, when elders recite poetry from their childhoods, it’s invariably metrical. Because the brain has a natural affinity for cadence, beginning with a mother’s heartbeat, it welcomes this pattern. Therefore, our dramatic versions of classic literature are all written in rhyming quatrains. Actors are able to learn their parts “by heart” in a few days as opposed to weeks.
What if I don't have time to prepare and present a play? Many middle school, and even high school, English teachers use Stagestruck Plays for readers theater — no acting, but an opportunity to speak and feel different worlds while sitting in a classroom. Others ease their students into the original, classic texts by starting with this exercise before moving on to the real thing.
How can I successfully put on a play if there is just one of me?Take advantage of the experiences of others who have been in the same position. Stagestruck Plays’ complete packet comes with a step-by-step teachers guide written directly to the teacher who has never put on a play before, yet also offers background information and ideas to enrich any teacher’s experience. For example, a play synopsis, character descriptions, games to play to help actors understand their characters, how to include parents as partners, ideas for encouraging actors, a booklist of the best versions of the classic story…
What is in the activity guide? These teaching tools were developed from real-life classroom experience and contain step-by step instructions on activities to enrich the learning experience with relevant history, art, writing, and science. See an activity guide sample page here.
Isn’t the vocabulary too sophisticated for younger kids? Teachers have found the deliberate use of unusual words to be quite effective for even young students (and struggling readers) for some of the following reasons:
Repeated exposure to words in context makes them accessible. After all, it’s how every child learns language; sprinkling a bit of challenging vocabulary through our scripts heightens their sophistication while allowing kids to expand their working vocabulary.
Young readers are hungry for anything new, including words, and love acquiring and using them, particularly those that are strong and vivid. A broad vocabulary is empowering, both in speaking and writing.
Students subconsciously absorb associations among words containing common components. Cognates allow vocabularies to grow by leaps and bounds.
People, no matter their age, take joy in playing with language.
Isn’t learning through the dramatic arts especially challenging to some students? Kinesthetic learners begin putting action to word almost from the beginning as a way to learn their roles. Those with linguistic skills love the challenge of language spoken in a different way and setting. Students who learn through the arts thrive in the hands-on environment surrounding drama. Those with people skills also love this opportunity to work as a creative team. High-energy youngsters value an opportunity to get out of their chairs and into their bodies. And, interestingly, even those whose learning pathways are inconsistent with the dramatic arts still find themselves pulled in to the excitement and end up broadening their own horizons as they learn to think “outside the box”.