Goal: Students will learn to make connections and have a deeper understanding of themes relating to your school's curriculum.
Curricular Connection is a year-long in-school arts integration program in which students write and perform their short plays in small groups based on topics and themes from the class curriculum. Your class will develop skills in collaboration, critical thinking, communication, public speaking, storytelling, writing and performance.
Olney Theatre Center will bring a trained teaching artist into the classroom once a week starting in the Fall. Classroom teachers will have an opportunity to meet with the teaching artist to discuss the themes and subjects you would like to engage your students in on a deeper level prior to the first class.
Phase 1- Introducing Theatre: Our teaching artist will start by introducing theatre concepts to the group. These will include but are not limited to improvisation, ensemble building, and how to use your voice and movement to tell stories. Then we will transition into the themes we focus on and writing exercises in small groups. We will explore what makes a play, structure, conflict, dialogue, and build-up to writing a script.
Phase 2- Script Development: We will explore what makes a play, structure, conflict, dialogue, and build-up to writing a script. Through this process of script development and rehearsal, students will learn generosity, flexible cognition, problem-solving, memorization, commitment, and teamwork. They will start to have a deeper understanding of the themes at the center of the work as well as the opportunity to explore the world from different points of view, which encourages empathy. Students will learn stage performance techniques and production elements.
Phase 3- Rehearsal and Performance: Students will learn stage performance techniques and production elements. They will also have an opportunity to think about and choose costumes, essential set pieces, props, and staging for their play, all in preparation for the final performance near the end of the school year for friends and family on one of Olney Theatre Center’s stages!
Grade Level: This program is best for grades 5-8 and great for students with little to no theatre exposure.
Program fees: Fees are on a sliding scale and start at $2,500-$10,000 per year depending on the number of classes involved and school demographics.
Interested in Curricular Connection or Class Collab?
Contact Director of Education & Training Rebecca Dzida (she/her/hers) at rdzida@olneytheatre.org.
