On occasion, students and teacher may wish to present a play to an audience. There are many possible formats. A script can be selected in advance, or written or developed by the students. A play can be memorized by student actors, or it can be presented as a staged reading, script-in-hand. Groups of students might develop a drama in context into a collective creation for presentation to others. Whatever the format, public performances should be infrequent and planned mainly for presentation to other classes or to parents.
Choosing a Play
The best choices of plays to present are ones that have been written or developed by the students. This provides students with motivation and a knowledge of the background and subject matter. It enables them to portray believable characters, as the characters are of their own creation. When choosing a student-written or professionally-written play to present, consider the following questions: Does the play contain worthwhile and relevant material? Are the characters believable or interesting? Does the dialogue offer enrichment? Is the play interesting to the students? Are there enough parts to involve the whole group in some way?
If the play is a scripted play, the text should use language that creates character, provokes action, and offers credibility. The play should provide opportunity for students to interpret its literary content and its production requirements (e.g., set, costuming, lighting, props). It should provoke thought in both performers and audience. The script should be reasonably short, requiring as little time as possible for rehearsal. Long periods of time spent in rehearsing difficult scenes may not be productive.
Although students and the teacher may wish to prepare a full production, they should be aware that simple staged readings also offer possibilities for presentation. A staged reading (script-in-hand) does not preclude the use of costumes and lighting, and the reading can include movement and physical interpretation, just as a full production does. Playwrights often present staged readings of works-in-progress so they can see their play "on its feet" and assess audience response.
| The Middle Level arts education curriculum guides contain extensive information on developing collective creations. Teachers wishing to develop a play with students for public presentation might consider the collective creation as a possible format. As does drama in context, the collective creation presents an opportunity for collaboration with the drama teacher. |
Director
The teacher generally becomes the director during rehearsal periods, although some students might be capable of assuming that role with the teacher’s assistance. The director gives enough guidance to make the actors feel secure, but provides enough freedom for individual interpretation.
Stage or Playing Space
The director and students should decide what type of space best suits the purposes of their play: arena (audience on four sides), thrust (audience on three sides), or the traditional proscenium (audience viewing from one direction only). Students might study the history of these various playing spaces and the effect they have on an audience’s experience with the play. Whatever the choice, the playing space should be reasonably small with good acoustics. Often, an open space in a large classroom or the gym is all that is required.
Stage Manager and Cast
A responsible student should be chosen as stage manager. The stage manager attends all the rehearsals and keeps a record of all actions, cues, and decisions that are made regarding the presentation.
If the play is a scripted play, the actors could be chosen through auditions. It is essential that casting be done sensitively and fairly, and that all students have the opportunity to participate in some way. If the play is a collective creation, roles will probably be established naturally and collaboratively throughout the process.
Set, Props, and Costumes
Set and costumes need not be elaborate. Some plays require no particular set or costumes. However, set and costumes offer additional possibilities for visual presentation, creative interpretation, and participation by students interested in design.
Responsible students should be chosen as managers of the set, costumes, and properties, if these are required. Properties (props) are those items used by the actors during the presentation (e.g., a telephone, a gym bag). These can be made or borrowed by the students and need not be elaborate or highly realistic. Ideas can be suggested through the clever selection of items (e.g., a lace table cloth to suggest wealth).
Costumes and set can be planned collaboratively, or students with a particular interest in design might develop ideas through consultation with everyone involved in the presentation. Any necessary set pieces should be constructed by the students. Costumes need not be realistic. They need only to suggest necessary information (e.g., a shawl to suggest a particular time period).
Rehearsals
The cast must become thoroughly familiar with the play and characters through reading, discussion, or improvisation. Questions such as the following may be considered: Could you describe the character you are playing? What are the character's relationships to other people in the play? What are this character's aims, beliefs, dislikes? How does this character fit into the main events of the play?
A rehearsal schedule should be made. Frequent shorter rehearsals are most effective, so scenes, instead of the whole play, should be rehearsed; complete run-throughs can occur closer to performance time.
If lines are to be memorized, they should be memorized early, because this frees the actors to concentrate on the action of the play and on developing character. In the case of collective creations, students might continue exploring and changing lines and episodes throughout the rehearsal process, as they refine their presentation and clarify their intentions.
As rehearsals progress, the play should grow in unity and cohesiveness. The actors will develop a spirit of co-operation and a sense of understanding. Two or three dress rehearsals should take place, and should be planned from the beginning. By the time the play is presented, all the problems of cast and crew should be solved. Also, rehearse the curtain call, if there is to be one.
Performance
The director needs to maintain an attitude of calm encouragement. Refrain from excessive criticism or excessive praise. The actors' goal should be successful communication with their audience.
One performance is recommended. However, at times, students can learn a great deal by giving the performance a second time.
Members of the class can serve as ushers for the audience, and can also hand out programs, if there are any. Publicity should take the form of posters made by class members. Always remember, it is a school play where educational and social values come before any grand theatrical displays.
After the Presentation
Debrief with students through discussion or written responses. These responses can be general observations or specific to the role that the student played. Students, whether audience members or presenters, can engage in various reflection activities such as journal writing, drawing, interviews, or role plays.