It's official. After nine years of teaching, I went on my first, official, classroom field trip today! We took our Pre-AP ELA classes to see the original two-act play called Encore! by Chamber Theatre Productions.
It's a creative take on classic stories: "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", "The Monkey's Paw", "The Necklace", and "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." (They also threw in "The Raven.")
It was a small, simple stage with a rotation of 5 actors playing all the roles. Actually, it's the same play I SAW as a 7th grade student. I still remember it, so I was hoping to create a similar experience for my students, something they could remember from their 7th grade year. While it isn't my favorite play of all time, it's a great introduction to theatre, and I'm really excited that my students got to experience drama first-hand, in the middle of our study of drama, around Halloween, by watching some creepy plays. What more could a teacher ask for really?
I can't wait to see what they thought tomorrow. I plan on having them write a critique and analyze the use of lighting and sound techniques.
Anywho, just wanted to share because I was pretty excited! Whether it's introducing them to classic literature, theatre, famous music, art, or dance, I highly suggest introducing your students to some culture. It's sure to make them more well-rounded humans. The sooner they realize that the world is a big, wide-open place filled with opportunities the more their desires and knowledge will grow.
Megan Gordon
7th Grade ELAR
*All photos from http://www.chambertheatre.com/ourshows/encore
It's a creative take on classic stories: "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", "The Monkey's Paw", "The Necklace", and "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." (They also threw in "The Raven.")
It was a small, simple stage with a rotation of 5 actors playing all the roles. Actually, it's the same play I SAW as a 7th grade student. I still remember it, so I was hoping to create a similar experience for my students, something they could remember from their 7th grade year. While it isn't my favorite play of all time, it's a great introduction to theatre, and I'm really excited that my students got to experience drama first-hand, in the middle of our study of drama, around Halloween, by watching some creepy plays. What more could a teacher ask for really?
I can't wait to see what they thought tomorrow. I plan on having them write a critique and analyze the use of lighting and sound techniques.
Anywho, just wanted to share because I was pretty excited! Whether it's introducing them to classic literature, theatre, famous music, art, or dance, I highly suggest introducing your students to some culture. It's sure to make them more well-rounded humans. The sooner they realize that the world is a big, wide-open place filled with opportunities the more their desires and knowledge will grow.
Megan Gordon
7th Grade ELAR
*All photos from http://www.chambertheatre.com/ourshows/encore