Week Five Blog Three

As the day for the drama night comes closer, things begin to settle in and there is much to be done before we are ready. Firstly, we must advertise much more than we are now. This coming week is going to be all about getting the word out. Although we have started networking already using facebook and have invited hundreds of people to the event, we will begin reaching outside of the school now using fliers and notifying the general public. The second main task ahead of us is finding volunteers for the actual night. This involves contacting individuals who would be willing to help out back stage, and during the intermission for a possible bake sale. It will be hard to find volunteers for these tasks, so we will look towards friends that have helped in previous plays to get people that can help with the technical aspect, and the bake sale will be an entirely different but equally important task as it will be a major source of funds for this program. Once we gain the support necessary for this night to run smoothly, a lot of stress will be taken off of our shoulders, in knowing that we have individuals there to help us. Nevertheless, it is fair to say that we have a fair amount of work ahead of us not only in adding the finishing touches to the plays we have prepared but also in organizing the entire night by ourselves. 

Week Five Blog Two

At the end of the week, Ms. Edgerton came in to critique the pieces we have prepared thus far. We received fairly positive feedback, however, one thing that we realized we were lacking was complete comprehension of the pieces at hand. This is extremely important in the sense that many of our jokes come from the deeper meaning of the lines, and in order for the audience to grasp the deeper meaning, the actors must understand the lines and the lines must be said in the correct way. We found it useful to have a fresh pair of eyes to observe the play in its current stage, but also to see the progress it has made. Additionally, the actors found it useful to have an audience that could show them the type of actions they may receive, and thus we could add cues for laughter or other reactions that could disrupt the play. For comedies in particular, it is extremely important to know your audience in order to prepare for the loud laughter that can disorient an unprepared actor or they may speak over the laughter and the audience can lose lines. This is one of the biggest mistakes a comedic actor can make.. If the audience loses lines, they will not understand what is happening in future scenes, or worse, they may lose the meaning of the entire play. One of the final portions of directing we will work on in the coming week is to bring in more people to watch the play so the actors can gather reactions and prepare for laughter.

Week Five Blog One

This week was all about pushing the students. Fortunately for us, we have three very physical pieces that involve a lot of motion for the students. This means that if we fail to push the students out of their comfort zone, the pieces will lack concision and will not come across clearly to the audience. For the students, each motion must be intended and clear, even to the last row, and this means that we have to carefully plan out every action. After several hours of group bonding through improvisation exercises and warm ups, the cast has finally become comfortable with one another, which is extremely important for allowing the students to genuinely become their character. Pushing individuals out of their comfort zones requires a lot of effort and particularly requires individually dissecting each line and thinking about its meaning for the character, for the scene, and the message of each play as a whole. If the students appear uncomfortable with each other or with the material and if their actions do not appear deliberate, then we lose the message of these often complicated and diverse plays. This is something that high school plays often struggle with, and thus we have devoted significant attention to it over the week. Although the pieces are not perfect, they have made a significant improvement since before we pushed the students to become more physical and to think about their movements. This part in the directing process is one of the more challenging hurdles because the director can only do so much for the actors because they have to individually put themselves into the play.

Week Four Blog Three

I can’t say I’m not nervous for this night of theatre and songs we have been working on. Thankfully it seems as though the singers are all set and ready to go. Surprisingly a lot of students have expressed interest in preforming a song for the fundraiser. This is awesome except for the fact that I cannot say no, and we have a lot more people than we intended to have; but this is honestly a blessing because we were worried we wouldn’t have enough people to fill the time. I have also made a facebook event as our first step to advertising, and it is getting pretty good feedback. Although this may not be how every student, if any wants to spend their Friday night we seem to have a decent amount of support. We’re really not looking for a full house because we understand this probably isn’t a huge money maker, but if we could get 100 people to come in that would be more than enough to please us. At this point, this whole thing really isn’t about money it’s more about the passion that I’m so happy to see coming from our school. Although not many people were interested in being a part of our short skits, because it was not a musical, and everyone is so busy, the support we’re getting from everyone is really great. At this point the people singing in the fundraiser are excited, and the people preforming are beyond happy to be a part of our show and that’s all we can really ask for. My last hope is that we can see the same kind of support from the public and then I
 Will feel as though we did our job right. 

Week Four Blog Two

So I apologize for only blogging once this week, but for one it’s been slightly crazy and for two I sort of forgot because the paper was due this week. With all that aside we had a pretty successful week. We started off by finding out that there is a two mile race in order to benefit the Boston bombing victims that starts and ends at the high school. This would be wonderful news to us if we did not have to find out it was on the same day, at the same time that we have scheduled our show, because someone did not check the calendar when booking this even. Although we were slightly put off by this event, we ended up compromising and only having to push our show forward one hour. This wasn’t terribly news considering we were planning on having the show slightly early in order to leave time, but the show must go on! Shortly after we finished the completion of our first set, for the skit Words, Words, Words. This set is fairly simply and really only involved painting three blocks multiple different colors, adding stripes to them, then finding and hanging a tire swing. We are attempting to make use of everything we have and pay little to nothing for all of our sets and costumes, and so far it has been a success. After cleaning out the closets we came to the conclusion that we have way more things then we even know what to do with. 

Rough Draft

D’Ambrosio 1

Nicole D’Ambrosio

5/10/13

Rough Draft

The Positive Impact of Theatre on Students 

“The future of our nation depends on our ability to create-and to be creative. During the coming decades our most important national resources will be human resources. If our nation is to continue to meet the challenges of the future, today's schools need to develop creative leaders” (Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network). Since the beginning of time, theatre has been preformed, witnessed, shared between humans world wide. It always has been and always will be an essential part of any thriving community, hence the reasoning behind its extreme importance in the lives of students. Through drama students are able to unite, and learn through techniques that have been passed down and perfected throughout history. Whether it be playing the lead role in a production, or placing a bike on the stage during the Christmas scene, each student has a place in the theatre community.  Although theater is often looked passed, it is important to keep in mind that it holds great value in students’ everyday lives; it allows for each to develop important every day skills, and learn to become comfortable with whom they are as a person. Although it may not seem it, theatre also provides students with a multitude of educational benefits that positively affect their high school achievements. Simply because something is different than classroom teaching does not mean the educational value does not exist. Providing students with a theatre program allows for them to develop in creative and educational ways. 

Theatre reaps major benefits that are often looked passed. Although these positive impacts are evident, students misunderstand what theatre is all about. A recent study conducted concluded that, 

When discussing what they do for fun, none of the 41 students across the four focus groups mentioned going to the theatre…Theatre is not on their radar screen or in their decision set. In fact, if they wanted to go, they typically can’t name more than one non-profit theatre in their town and they do not know the plays currently running (Theatre communications group).

The reason for this is simple, social norms dictate how students chose to spend their time. Although many students are often curious about theatre they are too nervous to take up their interest in fear of what their peers may think, and in a world where teenagers are so brutal to each other it is hard to blame them. Although it is sad to say, the fact of the matter is simple, theatre is not perceived as something up to date with the current popular activities. The less individuals participate, the less credit an activity receives, simply because less people understand what theatre is really about. Molly McCoy who first stepped foot on a stage twelve years ago was asked if she felt as though theatre was as respected as it should be in her school and quickly replied with, “In our school it is far less respected than it should be.”  Students of the program understand the difficulties that are involved with producing, and understand that in their community they do not receive the respect they deserve for their work. McCoy continues to explain, “It feels like no matter what we do, we will always be a preppy sports based school, but a lot of people just don’t understand what theatre is all about. We don’t just go on stage and say words, it’s really an art form and that’s what they fail to understand” (Molly McCoy).   It is simple for the community to pass by theatre as just a bunch of kids reading from a book on a stage, but the importance is something that is hard to understand until one experiences it. It is truly an art form that requires much thought and skill and teaches valuable lessons that can never be forgotten. 

In a community full of athletes it is easy for even the parents to look passed theatre when sports are so strongly stressed. Although it is no question that sports are a beneficial aspect of high school, and staying fit and healthy should play a major roll in any healthy student body, staying active in the arts should also be on a students main activities.  “Parents...can question the importance of Drama class...Dramatic Arts education is an important means of stimulating creativity in problem solving...Dramatic exploration can provide students with an outlet for emotions, thoughts, and dreams” (Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network).  Because it is often hard for parents to see things in the eyes of their student, it is difficult for them to stress what is really right for them. In the stressful world of parenting it is easy to overlook some of the major benefits a school offers when others are so readily available to them. It is far more difficult for a community to stress the importance of theatre when sports are so highly encouraged in high school environments and social norms and stereotypes dictate what even the parents understand. If parents and students were to have the proper means to understand the benefits of being a part of a theatre community the overall participation in the program would increase.
Simply observing theatre can benefit the lives of individuals in multiple different aspects. It is necessary for individuals to understand that simply observing a production can provide a number of different communicational benefits. Simply by watching theatre, models for us a kind of public discourse that lies at the heart of democratic life, and builds our skills for listening to different sides of a conversation or argument, and empathizing with the struggles of our fellow human beings whatever their views may be. “When we watch a play, we learn what happens when conflicts don't get resolved, and what happens when they do. We develop our faculty for imagining the outcomes of various choices we might make in our personal lives and our political lives”(Washington Theatre Guide). Although not all individuals are aware, it is healthy and important to witness human interactions, and problem solving play out. Without the ability to witness such events, one may not fully understand the weight of their actions in the future. Introducing theater at a young age for example allows for children to witness, problem solving and healthy reactions to common situations at a young age. Thus creating a net increase in the healthy reactions the children will learn to have in the future. The same is true when a production is able to play to one’s internal emotions. It is important for humans to allow themselves to experience emotions on a regular basis. If one does not allow for a multitude of emotions to be released on positive outlets, such as feeling angry when watching a show, the emotion may build up and be let out on an unhealthy outlet, such as another human. Simply watching theatre helps maintain a more positive student environment by allowing for students to not only witness human reactions, but also experience them on their own.                                                                                                                                            Theatre allows for every type of student to become positively involved with their community.            When producing a production every part of the team is essential, and often times 

irreplaceable.This allows for students to feel a sense of community, where they do not need to have any outstanding skills, or athletic ability to feel important. No matter what it is one has to offer, there is always a place for them on the team. “Ultimately, every single job, from chorus girl to librettist, is equally important in community theater. Every single person contributes something that no other person could bring” (Quinnett-Cook, Shekinah).This allows for a positive free flowing environment that is not restricted to just one type of student. By doing so a community of great importance arises in the sense that every person, no matter what their talent is able to have a team to call their own. The theatre community is allowing for students to participate in a club when they would be unable to do so otherwise. Research has shown that, “more involved students reported greater development in moving through autonomy toward interdependence and establishing and clarifying purpose. Uninvolved students had consistently lower developmental scores” (Foubert, John D., and Lauren A. Urbanski). Students enjoy these major benefits available to them. Kay Armstrong a student involved with theatre claims that it, 

“provides an emotional outlet for those participating and observing, but it is a haven for those who don't find acceptance of their differences and talents anywhere else. “He goes on to talk about his own experience in drama and claims, “I wouldn't trade for the opportunities it has provided me to observe and communicate and love such a broad spectrum of individual and unique personalities and situations” (Kay Armstrong).

Theatre truly provides a safe environment for people of all different personalities to unite and flourish. When a student does not have a place to experiment with their skills they often times have a difficult time even discovering them. Theatre provides students with an opportunity to discover a few things about themselves and others all in one place. The accepting environment theatre provides is one that allows for students of all different interests to have a place to call their own.

Students gain essential communication and social skills necessary for an independent future. Theatre pushes students into situations one may experience in “the real world” and allows for them to explore the possible, outcomes, solutions, and responses. In fact a study conducted in a preschool classroom concluded after just eight weeks of incorporating theatre into class the children, “improved their attitudes about their classroom communication, socialization, and drama skills” (Somers 241)  By transforming into a play’s alternate world, students will ultimately shift from being uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations; to having a full understanding of what it is like to be in certain situations, and no longer experience a feeling of discomfort when they come in contact with them in everyday life. Things such as theatre games can allow for students to step into unknown situations and gain a valuable lesson from it, “Many of the skills learned in playing are social skills. Most games worth playing are highly social and have a problem that needs solving within them-an objective point in which attempting to reach a goal” (Spolin 3). By allowing students to freely express themselves essential speaking and communication skills are gained. Public speaking is something that is highly valued and in some cases necessary for any individual to lead a successful lifestyle. Practicing one’s skills in front of hundreds of people the opening night of a show is certainly one of the greatest means of gaining the skill. If students are unable to find an outlet to practice their speaking skills, they may fail to gain them at all. Theatre provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable speaking skills that they will carry with them throughout their lives. 

The same can be said for students not acting in the program, in the sense that they must experience social stimulation by simply being in the presence of people in an environment that is not the classroom. By joining the club the students must learn to work with a group of others to create a functioning community together. “Working together with others in your local community theater creates a better sense of community among neighbors and turns strangers into friends” (Quinnett-Cook, Shekinah). It is necessary for every human to experience interactions with others in order to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle and theatre provides students with the opportunity to bond with others over a shared interest. When speaking of her seven-year-experience in theatre both participating as an actress, and backstage tech high school senior Olivia Fronterio claims, “[drama club] has helped me make friends for sure, I wouldn’t have even known some of my best friends if I hadn’t joined the club” (Olivia Fronterio).  People are united that would otherwise not know each other, creating bonds that are necessary for every high school student to feel a sense of community in their school. “We pass some of these same people through out our towns and never think to introduce ourselves, but here you learn that you have things in common and your life becomes enriched with the friendships that will last you a lifetime” (Quinnett-Cook, Shekinah).  Theatre units people in ways that are otherwise impossible and allows for them to flourish in a social environment gaining the skills necessary to succeed in life. 

By creating an environment of social approval students are then able to gain the self confidence they may lack otherwise. The only way for one to foster self confidence is to become comfortable with whom they are as a person through the approval of others. When one feels safe with the people they are with, and still feel the sense of approval they need it becomes simple for them to embrace their true self. They no longer feel the everyday fear of rejection, in knowing they have others who accept them for what they are.

Everyone needs a place where they feel they belong and can relax and be themselves. Perhaps team sports, dance, or gymnastics is not a good fit for a child.  For the more introverted child who is uncertain in group activities such as organized sports programs, theater can be the perfect place to gain personal confidence in smaller steps (Lynanne Fowle).

 It is simple for the student to gradually work up to acting in front of large groups of people with the multiple options the club has to offer. The child may at first feel uncomfortable with the thought of putting themselves out there and in which case they may choose to start their career in the club behind the curtain, as tech, until they feel the sense of approval they need from the others around them. The same can be said for a student who feels as though what they have to offer is simply not enough, and in return feels a sense of discomfort, because theatre plays to ones strengths the student may then feel as though they have a place where their skills can shine and they are greatly appreciated for them. 

Theatre gives students a reason to attend class, in knowing that they have an enjoyable activity to participate in after class ends. Having a motivation to wake in the morning is one of the greatest benefits any student can obtain. If a child is eager to attend class, learning becomes a far more enjoyable event, and absorbing information is far more common. By participating in a club alone students are more likely to participate in school with the hopes to attend their after school program. In fact students participating in a theatre program in their school are, “four times more likely to win school wide attention for academic achievement” (Elder, Carolyn). This is true because sitting in a classroom six hours a day learning the same way is not always the most appealing image to a student. However, the thought of incorporating something they enjoy, such as theatre at the end of the day is enticing enough to attend class. By providing students with a motivation, theatre is an educational tool in the sense that it encourages them to go to class. 

Students who participate in theatre have major educational benefits over those who do not.  After a three year examination it was proven that, “students exposed to the theatre experience used as an introduction to the classroom curriculum understand more than the control group that did not receive the program” (PRNewswire). Theatre provides students with a type of learning that opens the mind to a greater depth of thinking. It allows for students to more easily understand information, by opening their minds to new situations, and means of conveying information. By pushing students to open their mind, the benefits are also seen on standardized tests such as the SAT’S.  A recent study conducted demonstrates the effects of students test-taking-ability due to the incorporation of arts in their lives; “the comparative SAT advantage for students with four years of arts grew greater each year” ⁽Winner 19). After a four year evaluation period research concluded that the more a child is involved with art the greater their logic and reasoning skills improve. The reasoning behind these advancements can be observed at a very young age. 

An early childhood curriculum enhanced through creative drama activities involving child participation in sensory awareness, movement, pantomime, story dramatization and role playing activities, significantly increased the ability of the 4-and 5-year-olds to predict and evaluate, and improved their ability to create, imagine (Somers 241).

By using theatre as a means of communication students are more easily able to comprehend the value of a lesson. This not only conveys the intended learning aspect but also the added involvement of necessary learning skills needed to succeed in life. After using theatre to explain a book to students a dramatic transition occurred  and, “For many of these students, it was their first experience with the theatre. What was even more important, though, was that this was the first time those students completed, comprehended, and enjoyed a work of literature assigned in school” (Brinda 488). This benefit can also be seen in students older than the age of five, only in a greater sense. Both learn to evaluate, and creatively think just on different levels, thus enhancing their academic achievements. “Several studies showed that the earlier a child was exposed to creative drama, the more significant the impact on student academic achievement” ( Deasy, Richard). The earlier a child is exposed to theatre the greater the educational benefit. Over an eleven year period of conducting extensive research it was concluded that students that participate in theatre are, “two times more likely to win an award for academic achievement, four times more likely to participate in a math or science fair...over four times more likely to win an award for an essay or poem” (Elder, Carolyn) The influence theatre has on students is something that is truly unlike any other academic influence. By pushing students to think creatively on their own, it allows for them to fully understand the meaning of independence and comprehension. It is far more simple to simply tell an individual a piece of information by writing on the board, but that is why it is less effective than teaching through theatre. There is nothing that challenges a student more than putting them into an unfamiliar situation and allowing for them to work it out through words, that is where the really learning begins, and that is what really allows for an individual to comprehend everything. Theatre provides students with a type of learning unlike any other, the lessons learned and skills gained are truly irreplaceable. 

Theatre has been there from the start, to allow for mankind to develop artistically since before paint brushes and canvases were in existence. Needless to say, it is here to stay and it is important for all to embrace it. Students in particular are seen benefiting from the major positive aspects theatre brings into a community. Although students and parents often tend to misunderstand the value it holds, theatre is essential in any thriving high school community, and allows for students to gain valuable skills that are carried throughout their lives. It provides students with a place of comfort where their ideas can flow, actions are not restricted, and the team is united. Because theatre plays to one’s strengths every person has a place on this team and is able to strive. Not only this but theatre provides an outlet and motivation to attend school, allowing for students to benefit academically both in school and out. Practicing speaking and communication skills through transforming into another person in new and unfamiliar situations. By doing so the student is able to experience the outcome of situations and practice the valuable skill of problem solving. Not only does the actor benefit but also the audience, it is natural for humans to experience an array of emotions and theatre provides a healthy outlet for all to experience such feelings. It is also beneficial for all to watch situations play out, and understand the impact of words, and just what situation s could arise and specific situations. The academic skills one obtains are endless and participating in theatre on a regular basis allows for students to benefit academically, articulacy, and socially.  

Week Four Blog One

I seriously cannot believe it is already week four, it feels like we just started our projects. This week has been what I would call a success. After realizing the schedule we had simply wasn't enough practice time for our actors we added more rehearsals and began practicing on Friday. Although this is not the funnest schedule in the world, it seems to be working. As of last week one of our skits just wasn't going as planned, due to the lack of enthusiasm from our cast. Although the skit they have is hilarious  they just didn't seem to have the energy for it. We realized that in order for us to have a successful show we were going to have to make some changes. After yesterday it became evident that the changes were making an impact. We have had that specific skit rehearsing everyday this week, although this is a lot of work on their behalf the enthusiasm seems to be improving. After having them do two speed throughs their energy was finally up and the show was beginning to look the way it was intended to look. This may have been tough to start but now that they feel comfortable around us and each other they’re really starting to push themselves beyond their comfort zone and are making huge steps towards a good show. In order to make this cast feel at home in the theatre because some of them had never acted before we did a multitude of games and group bonding activities. This may seem like a waste of time but from my experience theatre it is almost impossible to act crazy and weird around people you do not know, so it made all the difference in the show. 

Week Three Blog Three

Interview with Molly McCoy a drama club member of 12 years

How do you feel theatre has effected your life as a whole?

“For me it’s really important that I have solid stage presence because I want to have a career with singing, and theatre has given me the stage presence I need. It has also helped my self confidence being in the program.” 

How has theatre effected you academically?

“I actually do better when I have a busy schedule, if I don’t I actually don’t feel the motivation to do homework, I’ll just go home and sit around all day. When I have drama I go to practice all day then by the time I get home I want to get my work over with.” 

Do you feel like theatre is accepted in your school? 

“In this school especially no. I moved here from another state and when I went to a different school theatre was much more common, I have even seen it be more popular in schools in this area. In our school though it is far less respected, we don’t even get any funding like a lot of other schools do.”

Do you think that if the school knew more about theatre they might respect it more or maybe even participate? 

“It feels like no matter what we do, we will always be a preppy sports based school. A lot of people just don’t understand what theatre is all about, we don’t just go on stage and say words, it’s really an art and they don’t get what that is all about.” 

Week Three Blog Two

Interview with Olivia Fronterio a drama club member of 7 years 

How do you feel theatre has effected your life as a whole?

“I would say it has helped me make friends for sure some people I wouldn’t have even known without being in the club with them, it has also helped my self esteem by boosting my confidence.”

How has theatre effected you academically?

“If I’m being honest it doesn’t feel like it has helped me much, mostly because being in the club is very time consuming and it makes it slightly harder to do homework when I’m always at practice.”

Do you feel like theatre is accepted in your school? 

“Not at all, this school only focuses on sports. It just seems like we put in so much work and the school just doesn’t appreciate what we do. We spend more time practicing than some of the sports teams do and I don’t think they really realize this. I also think it is unfair that we get no funding, it makes it a lot harder for us to make sets, and to put on good shows when even the school council doesn’t support us financially.”

Do you think that if the school knew more about theatre they might respect it more or maybe even participate? 

“Maybe, but it just seems like our school isn’t open to new things. But if they did try it I think they would definitely respect it more and appreciate what we do as a whole more than they do now.”

Week Three Post One

Yesterday was the first official day of practice and I feel as though it went very well. We have ou8r work cut out for us but in general the parts just seem to be working for the students and we have almost ever costume picked out. I also have new found respect for directors; I always knew it was hard but there are so many decisions that I feel like I could always rely on a director to make but now I must make them myself. We have also put together what we believe to be a good line up for the actual night itself. The next task we have to put together a set for the three pieces. The main theme we have to keep in mind is simplicity, it is hard to do when we think of all the things we COULD have but we simply do not have time or money for all of our crazy and awesome ideas. We have also just finished the final draft of our letter asking for a small donation which we feel will set our dressing room over the top. I would say this is going to be a busy stressful week but I’m so ready to get this show going and to have it be near completion. If there is anything I’ve learned from this it’s that I would certainly like to continue acting with programs in the future but keep my part as an actor and not try to direct.

Week Two Blog Three

Today is our final day of complete planning of things such as the schedule for students in the skits and the plans for the costume room. From here on out we will just be doing what we intended to all along, and things will probably be a lot less stressful. To talk a little bit about the skits we are performing I will start with the first one we picked out. It is entitled Words, Words, Words this skit immediately jumped out at us because the whole thing was just hysterical. It features three monkeys with typewriters. They are stuck in a cage and their owner is making them write as an experiment. This captures the intelligent minds of science monkeys that we as humans cannot see. There are crazy moments and clever jokes, not to mention the British accents that we added as our own touch. The next is called An Actor’s Nightmare. We thought that this was a fun little piece and it has the perfect amount of people in it. It follows a man named George who accidentally walks onto a stage and is forced to play multiple different characters. It is an upbeat funny piece with lots of twists and turns. The last piece is one that we thought would offset the others nicely. It is a more serious piece but also has moments of comedy. It follows two characters, Dawn and Don, one a teacher and the other a student. Together they discover the complexity of language as a whole and in the end connect through it.

Week Two Blog Two

Yesterday was one of our more successful days so far. Not only did we successfully finish the clean out of the costume room, we also held auditions and made a cast list. Things are finally starting to look like they’re going to run smoothly. We also finished the letter to Summerstage asking for a donation to furnish the costume room and help to complete our transformation. For me personally I feel as though this has been an awesome project. Through my four years of theater in this high school I’ve always had to get ready in the girls room. This has never been dreadful but it’s certainly not ideal, the cramped space and small mirrors make it hard for all of us to comfortably get ready.  Sometimes I’ve even had to venture into the boys room to use a mirror because we’re always very limited on time and there simply wasn’t enough room for all of us. In an ideal world we would be able to make the other room a dressing room also but I’d say even having one is a huge improvement. This also provides actors a place to keep their belongings, usually the bathrooms are just cluttered with bags and makeup because we have nowhere else to put anything during a show. At the end of the day I felt great knowing I have actors a place to call their own, a dressing room although it seems small can make a world of a difference for an actor.

Week Two Blog One

This is going to be the busiest week as far as planning goes for the three of us. We have come up with what we believe to be a solid plan for our production. In the start the plan was to continue the play that Ms.Edgerton had already started, Audience, a one act comedic play. This combined with a night of singing would be the two major accomplishments for us. As time has gone on however, we have come to the realization that there are a lot less people interested in being a part of the production than we had anticipated. After several days of stress over the vacation we have come up with a back up plan. Auditions will be held tomorrow for the two short skits we will be putting on from the plays, Words, Words, Words and An Actor's Worst Nightmare. Both are comedic one act plays and incorporate the amount of people that we have. With these plays decided upon, we have then decided to combine our night of singing with the presentation of these short skits for a night of theatre and songs. We then picked seven people that are passionate about singing and asked them to preform to help benefit the drama club. We have received only positive answers so far from all of those that have been asked. Our hope is that this will bring in some sort of money to benefit the theatre program that may be used to put on productions in the future. 

Week one Blog Three

Today was my last day of score before the break. We started off the day with cleaning the costume room, which began to actually get to my head so we decided to take a break and print out time sheets and talk to Ms.Edgerton. After spending that time we went back to the costume room which we now refer to as our office after hearing that Nicole Brosch had her own office, and began to work on the cabaret. This soon developed into something that we’re really excited about. It began when we couldn’t come up with a name, so we decided we would ask Ms.Edgerton. While talking to her she came up with the new idea that we should have judges and do something like American Idol. With that we decided we would ask three teachers to judge, Mr.Wallimann a.k.a Simon, Ms.Colemen a.k.a Paula and Mr.Jewett a.k.a Randy. After asking them we can’t set a date because all three are unsure of their schedule. We are now going to clean the costume room for three more hours until it is time for us to go home and go on vacation, far, far away from that tiny little room with no windows. We will make posters and hang them with contact information for anyone interested in the mock American Idol. The date will be some time  in the middle of May, and will be open to all students including the middle school. We’re hoping that this will bring in some money for the drama program.

Week One Blog Two

As of today the first dressing room is nearing completion, regardless we still have a lot more work to do but things are starting to look hopeful in that endless pit of clothes. Today was spent doing a few things, the first is of course cleaning, and organizing clothes in the dressing room. The next was beginning the process of moving some of the things form the the other dressing room over to the one we are currently working on. Although these things sound pretty simple, they actually take a lot of thought, time, and effort. Once we had made a dent in the other dressing room and discovered there was a large stage coffin that was taking up a lot of space we decided it was time to go check in with Ms.Edgerton to see what should be done with it.

   After speaking with her and Ms.Tanner we came to the conclusion that we must lift the large prop and set it in the closet next to the sound booth in the auditorium, which will take a lot of time to work up the strength to do. Ms.Tanner also informed us that she would be willing to help sort through old costumes and decided what we should wither throw away, donate, or possibly sell for the drama fund. 

   We then decided it was time to go to the library and type up a sheet for our meeting and also begin a letter to Ms.Gambino the head of Summer Stage to discuss possible funding for the dressing room to buy some extra racks and mirrors. Once 2:15 rolled around it was time for the meeting, and unfortunately the outcome was not great. Not many people are excited about there not being a musical so  our outcome was very small. We are roughly three people short of a full cast and we're working hard to recruit people.

Day One 4/8/13

Yesterday was my first day of score and overall it was quite enjoyable. Chloe Schwartz, Kelsey Trumble, and I started off the day by making a flyer to promote students to come to our information meeting this Wednesday for our production of Audience. After hanging sixty posters we then decided to begin cleaning one of the costume rooms. These were originally designed as dressing rooms for the actors during the productions. However, because of a lack of space for props and costumes these unfortunately turned into storage closets. One of our main tasks is to turn one of these rooms into an actual dressing room. We feel as though athletes have their locker rooms and their field, so drama students deserve to have their "locker room" as well as their "field" the theater. After cleaning for roughly three hours my partners and I decided to meet with Ms.Edgerton to discuss the plans for the auditions that we will be holding after April break. With this we were given good ideas for scripts to use for cold readings and what else we should have the students do. After deciding on two pieces to use we went to the library and photocopied the scripts for the cold readings. We then decided we would have the students do the auditions in British and Southern accents because the play is done in those accents. After coming up with the audition idea we then cleaned the dressing room for another three hours until it was time for us to go home.

Nicole D'Ambrosio Score Outline

Nicole D’Ambrosio

3/15/13

Score Outline

Thesis: Theater is important in a school community, it allows for students to develop important every day skills and learn to become comfortable with who they are as a person. Although theater is often looked passed in a community, it is important to keep in mind that it holds great value in students every day life. By embracing the essence of theater the community will un-doubtably become more unified, educated, developed, free flowing, and be filled with more confident students.  By giving students the opportunity to participate in a theater program the community is allowing for them to discover a new understanding of themselves, and feel a sense of pride in being a part of their school. 

1. Theater reaps major personal and communal benefits that are often looked passed

1. Students often times misunderstand what theater is about

-Often overseen by sports in the community 

-Students do not promote theater the way they do sports, because of social norms 

-Theater is not just about acting, it is about creating an environment of learning, and acceptance.

-”When discussing what they do for fun, none of the 41 students across the four focus groups mentioned going to the theatre (or any type of performing arts event for that matter). Theatre is not on their radar screen or in their decision set. In fact, if they wanted to go, they typically can’t name more than one non-profit theatre in their town and they do not know the plays currently running.”

 

1. The community often overlooks the theater 

-Parents influence students to join sports as apposed to theater due to the common miscommunication 

-The arts in general have always been under estimated for what they can achieve 

II. Theater gives all types of students a chance to be a part of the community 

A. There are multiple aspects to theater, not just acting

-Everyone is equally important 

-Students feel a sense of community, where they do not need to have financial stability to pay a fee much like athletes or the need to score a goal to feel important, theater is a place where individuals always have something to contribute

-”There are a number of other positions in the community theater. There are the skilled jobs, such as writer, carpenter, lighting, designer, sound designer, director, choreographer, stage manager, and so on and so forth, and then there are the jobs that are made just for people who want to be a part of the show, including stagehand, spotlight operator, sound operator, and even director's assistant. Amazingly, ultimately, every single job, from chorus girl to librettist, is equally important in community theater. Every single person contributes something that no other person could bring.”

- “It not only strengthens the cultural environment of even the smallest community and provides an emotional outlet for those participating and observing, but it is a haven for those who don't find acceptance of their differences and talents anywhere else. I wouldn't trade for the opportunities it has provided me to observe and communicate and love such a broad spectrum of individual and unique personalities and situations.”

1. Students learn what a healthy, living, breathing, working community feels like, by creating one on their own

-Students build their own community with the different positions

-They must work with the other people in the production, to create a healthy working environment together

-Develop a bond with individuals that they may not have known otherwise 

- “Working together with others in your local community theater creates a better sense of community among neighbors and turns strangers into friends. We pass some of these same people through out our towns and never think to introduce ourselves, but here you learn that you have things in common and your life becomes enriched with the friendships that will last you a lifetime.”

III. Theater allows for the student to grow and develop, increasing academic achievements, and overall self confidence. 

1. Self confidence in students increases 

-By having a community they are comfortable in students can be comfortable with who they are

-Students play to their strengths and theater accepts what they have to offer, no matter how large or small

-”Everyone needs a place where they feel they belong and can relax and be themselves. Perhaps team sports, dance, or gymnastics is not a good fit for a child. For the more introverted child who is uncertain in group activities such as organized sports programs, theater can be the perfect place to gain personal confidence in smaller steps.”

B. Large educational benefits to participating in the theater program

-Students that participate in the after school group activities are more motivated to attend school 

-They have something to look forward to 

-They develop a sense of community in their school 

- “Several studies showed that the earlier a child was exposed to

creative drama, the more significant the impact on student academic

achievement. (Critical Links 2002.)

Shirley Brice Heath’s report spanning an eleven-year period was published in Critical Links. The low Social Economic Status (SES) students involved in arts that Heath studied were:

  1. two times more likely to win an award for academic achievement

2. four times more likely to win school wide attention for academic

achievement3. four times more likely to participate in a math or science fair

4. three times more likely to win an award for school attendance

5. over four times more likely to win an award for an essay or poem

6. nearly twice as likely to read for pleasure

7. over three times more likely to be elected to class office in school

8. over four times more likely to engage in community service

9. eight times more likely to win a community service award”

Conclusion: Theater is something that is often looked passed in a community. However, theater has proven to be a beneficial way for students to learn, develop, and grow in the community they live in. The benefits are seen in many aspects of the community and thus they should not be over looked. 

Work Cited 

"5 Ways Drama Class Can Improve Your Grades." About.com Plays / Drama. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://plays.about.com/od/experiencesandanecdotes/a/improvegrades.htm>. 

"Changing Minds, Attitudes, and Lives." Pepol. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.pepol.info/docs/casestudies/RO%20-%20Forum%20Theatre.pdf>. 

"The Effects of Theatre Education - American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE)." The Effects of Theatre Education - American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE). N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.aate.com/?page=effects>. 

Elder, Carolyn. Cetoweb. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.cetoweb.org/pdf/CETA_Position_Paper.pdf>. 

"Get More Done Every Day." Acrobat.com Online Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <https://www.acrobat.com/welcome/en/home.html>. 

Guetzkow, Joshua. How the Arts Impact a Community. Princeton.edu. Princeton University, 7 June 2002. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.princeton.edu/culturalpolicy/workpap/WP20%20-%20Guetzkow.pdf>. 

Hartnoll, Phyllis. The Oxford Companion to the Theater. London: Oxford UP, 1975. Print. 

Quinnett-Cook, Shekinah. "How Joining Your Local Community Theater Can Improve Your Life." Helium. Helium, 05 Jan. 2011. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.helium.com/items/2056894-should-i-be-and-actor>. 

Sooper, Kara. "How Joining Your Local Community Theater Can Improve Your Life." Helium. Helium, 10 Aug. 2010. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.helium.com/items/1917519-how-community-theater-can-improve-your-life>. 

Spolin, Viola. Theater Games for the Classroom: A Teacher's Handbook. Evanston, IL: Northwestern UP, 1986. Print. 

"University of Florida." University of Florida. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.ufl.edu/2012/01/06/charlie-mitchell/>. 

"Words to the Wise." Aact.org. American Association of Community Theatre, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. <http://www.aact.org/aact/words.html>.