I tackled a new class this year: Shakespeare (Fine Arts credit edition). In it, we use the time to prep for the Utah Shakespeare high school competition held in October down in Cedar City. It has been somewhat frustrating and really eye-opening as I've tried to help the drama teacher put the class together and get ourselves working as hard as we can on the competition pieces.
This is far away from my experiences.
In the past, I've taken up an assistant director/dramaturge/critic for the school's festival participation. Gayle and I would watch individual pieces, give feedback, help add additional polish, and provide the support the kids needed to do their best in the performances. Usually, we were pretty helpful.
Now I'm in the driver's seat. Well, kind of. My coteacher is technically in charge, but since the competition is split between the ensemble and the MDTs (as we call them--the monologues and duo/trio scenes), I've found myself taking on additional tasks. I've been directing the ensemble scene the last two days all alone, trying to get the story we're telling to make sense to the students.
It has felt like a heartbeat away from disaster the entire time.
Here's the thing: I have no theater experience. I've never taken a drama class, spent time in the theatrical world (save where it intersects with Shakespeare), and--much like with the fact that I coach quidditch--operate on my best guess and impulse for what I want out of the students.
The thing is, directing is much more dictatorial than the normal choices I make for my classroom. I try to give a little more autonomy, a little more personal thought and space into the experience than I can for the Shakespeare kids. So it's both enjoyable--I get to make the decisions--and a little terrifying--I don't even know the acronyms for stage positions, for example.
The biggest worry is that I'm making decisions that the director doesn't actually want or wouldn't make. It's entirely possible that what I think is a good gag, he won't. It's also hard on the students when they don't have a consistent vision to rely upon. We have about seventeen days left of class time (meaning we'll have to have after school rehearsals soon) to get this all figured out, and I feel like we're spinning our wheels. I worry about props, costumes, lines--the whole shebang, yet I have no tools for taking care of any of it.
Who knew teaching drama would involve so much...drama?
This is far away from my experiences.
In the past, I've taken up an assistant director/dramaturge/critic for the school's festival participation. Gayle and I would watch individual pieces, give feedback, help add additional polish, and provide the support the kids needed to do their best in the performances. Usually, we were pretty helpful.
Now I'm in the driver's seat. Well, kind of. My coteacher is technically in charge, but since the competition is split between the ensemble and the MDTs (as we call them--the monologues and duo/trio scenes), I've found myself taking on additional tasks. I've been directing the ensemble scene the last two days all alone, trying to get the story we're telling to make sense to the students.
It has felt like a heartbeat away from disaster the entire time.
Here's the thing: I have no theater experience. I've never taken a drama class, spent time in the theatrical world (save where it intersects with Shakespeare), and--much like with the fact that I coach quidditch--operate on my best guess and impulse for what I want out of the students.
The thing is, directing is much more dictatorial than the normal choices I make for my classroom. I try to give a little more autonomy, a little more personal thought and space into the experience than I can for the Shakespeare kids. So it's both enjoyable--I get to make the decisions--and a little terrifying--I don't even know the acronyms for stage positions, for example.
The biggest worry is that I'm making decisions that the director doesn't actually want or wouldn't make. It's entirely possible that what I think is a good gag, he won't. It's also hard on the students when they don't have a consistent vision to rely upon. We have about seventeen days left of class time (meaning we'll have to have after school rehearsals soon) to get this all figured out, and I feel like we're spinning our wheels. I worry about props, costumes, lines--the whole shebang, yet I have no tools for taking care of any of it.
Who knew teaching drama would involve so much...drama?
Comments