Theatre for Young Audiences
THEA 315 Syllabus
Lecturer: Rachel Hoey
Email: rachelnicole.hoey@gmail.com
Class Meeting Time: Tuesday/Thursdays 9:30-10:45AM
Office Hours: Mondays 3:30-4:00PM and Tuesdays 9:00-9:30AM and/or by appointment
Course Description
Students will examine current philosophies, principles, and techniques of children’s theatre. Development of
the individual through use of dramatic play, imagining, improvisation, and theatre games geared to K-8
curriculum. This course is applicable to classroom teaching, educational leadership, public speaking, and
performers. Students will engage in age appropriate literary text adaptations as well as curriculum building
for youth in a performative, theatrical fashion.
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Course Objectives
Understand: the concept of creative as a teaching tool, goals and purpose behind activities, and
the role of the teacher in this setting.
Understanding basic skills through practice of acting, movement, pantomime, improvisation, story
dramatization, scaffolding, positive feedback sessions, etc.
Develop language and communication abilities, problem solving skills, storytelling skills, creativity,
arts integration, social awareness, and interpersonal skills.
Promote an understanding of the art of theatre and empathy in relating to other collaborators.
Acquire skills for planning, leading, and evaluating creative drama sessions.
Learn to create adapted stories through re-working existing texts into a play format.
Course Outcomes and Assessment Measures
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Utilize a variety of drama strategies throughout the curriculum through the analysis and discussion of
assigned reading, in-class activities, and collaborative theatre practices.
2. Structure and teach a creative drama activity and complete lesson plan. Practice collaboration in
creating a dramatic unit based on a novel or topic of study.
3. Demonstrate and effectively communicate the theories and importance behind Creative Drama in
Education (K-12).
4. Respond in a scholarly way to college level performances, through theatrical lenses.
5. Adapt a children’s book into a short one-act play script while going through the entire theatrical
process from creation to product.
Course Readings
Required Texts
o Theater Games for the Classroom, by Viola Spolin
o The Performer’s Guide to the Collaborative Process, by Sheila Kerrigan (Blackboard)
o Salting the Ocean, by Naomi Shihab Nye (Blackboard)
Suggested Text
o Theatre for Community Conflict and Dialogue, by Michael Rohd
o Games for Actors and Non-Actors, by Augusto Boal
o Structuring Drama Work, by Jonathan Neelands
o Drama Improvised, by Kenneth Pickering
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Drama for Learning: Dorothy Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert Approach to Education, by G.
Bolton and D.Heathcote
Drama Structures: a practical handbook for teachers, by Cecily O’Neill and Alan Lambert
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of
your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided
until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your
cooperation is appreciated.
In-class Involvement
Attendance & Participation
This course is a practical introduction to Theatre for Young Audiences. Strive to be fair, considerate and
aware of your fellow classmates. The bulk of our work will be in-class, participatory, and experiential.
Participation is graded apart from attendance, and is based on in-class involvement, this includes making an
effort to engage and work harmoniously with classmates.
Attendance is crucial! None of the in-class activities can be replicated outside the class session; therefore,
no make-up assignments are possible if you are absent. Each absence results in a deduction of four points,
equivalent to 4% of your grade. Every late arrival deducts two points. Please be prepared to present on due
dates assigned to you and/or your group. One absence may not directly impact your grade, but two
absences and/or excessive late arrivals will result in the lowering of your grade.
Assignments
Attending Performances
Goal: This task will develop competency in judging the quality of theatrical process and production based on
elements, principles and concepts of the theatre.
Assignment: You will attend the SDSU TTF Season of Shows as well as one additional children’s theatre
show produced by a local theatre company. See blackboard for further details.
Note: The School of Theatre, Television, and Film require that all students attend all performances taking
place during the semester students are enrolled in a course within the school. This semester you will be
required to purchase tickets and attend the SDSU season shows.
There is a direct link to purchase tickets on the website: http://theatre.sdsu.edu
How to proceed: Attend the shows and respond to the work. You will be asked to respond to two
productions by writing a brief response paper. Ticket stubs and responses should be submitted on the due
dates provided on the “course calendar” on blackboard. The response paper guidelines are available on
blackboard under “assignments”
Performer’s Guide to the Collaborative Process & other selected readings
Goal: To deepen understanding of the content and activities found in The Performer’s Guide to the
Collaborative Process by Sheila Kerrigan.
Assignment: Respond to the reading via completion on blackboard.
How to proceed: As you read you should be looking for three key points (things that seem important,
areas that interest you) to highlight for the class. See blackboard “assignments” for further detail. *The same
format will be used for “selected readings” outside of the Sheila Kerrigan text.
Lead Opening or Closing Circle
Due Date: Various
Goal: In this task you will gain competency in the skill of guiding a group through a warm-up process that
includes physical, vocal, and articulation work.
Assignment: Students will lead an Opening or Closing Circle once during the semester. The Circle should
be no more than 12 minutes long and must include physical, vocal and/or articulation work through a warmup and activity. You can include a short group game if you have time or you can consider games/activities
that cover all three areas required by the circle activity. See blackboard for details and “Theatre Worksheet”
to be filled out prior to leading.
How to proceed: Observe the first couple of classes while Instructor is leading Opening Circle. Work to
select your activities. You may use any activities and exercises that you have learned in other places or
read about. It is often useful to create your activities around a particular theme or idea that interests you.
You must fill out the “Theatre Activity Worksheet” found on Blackboard. The Theatre Activity Worksheet is
used to describe any longer and more detailed activities that you present.
On your date: Arrive a few minutes early to set up and turn in your lesson plan using the “Theatre Activity
Worksheet” template (a cover letter is encouraged). Email your lesson plan to the entire class (including
instructor) via Blackboard within 24 hours. Be ready to begin and be clear with your instructions. Lead the
group with enthusiasm and passion for what you are teaching.
Beginning Creative Drama Lesson Plan
Due Date: Various assigned
Goal: This introductory project provides an opportunity to become familiar with drama activities and
expanding ones repertoire. In addition, this project provides students with practice leading the class in
creative drama activities and works with in the “project-based learning” concept being adopted by California
State “common core” method. This project allows you the chance to team-teach and support one another in
shared teaching practices.
Assignment: Working in small groups you will be responsible for creating a drama lesson on one of the
basic skills areas of creative drama. The group will be given 20-25 minutes of class to present their lesson.
During the lesson each member of the group will lead the class in a drama activity selected from the text or
other book on drama. This project is intended to introduce the class to lesson plans and to the basic skills
areas of drama geared toward age appropriate curriculum, grades K-8.
The basic drama skills areas:
1. Sensitivity/trust 2. Imagination
3. Movement/pantomime
4. Sound/speech 5. Characterization 6. Improvised scenes.
How to Proceed:
o You will be given limited class time to collaborate with your group on designing a lesson plan for
your assigned drama skill area. Some outside meeting time will be required.
o Research your drama skill area in books or on the web, through your Spolin text, etc. Extracted
from your research, each individual should select four activities that fit with your assigned “basic
skill” category to then bring to your group upon meeting.
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Collaborate to finalize how you will present as a group, and what activities from everyone’s
research that are best suited to create your lesson plan. Consider the sequence of activities.
Inclusion music, visuals, and other tool, can be used if needed. Recommended: 2 activities.
Group Responsibility: Each group must prepare a lesson plan using the “theatre activity worksheet”
model. In your lesson plans, describe each activity in detail and cite its source (book, author, page number).
This lesson plan should turned in, hard copy, on the day of your presentation. Please email it to the entire
class, thereafter, for their records.
Poetry in Motion
Goal: This assignment will develop performance and imaginative skills by asking you to find and memorize
a short children’s poem and work with others to develop a short, staged presentation using the Composition
Box technique. The composition box technique will be learned in class prior to your individual project.
Assignment: Select and become familiar with a short children’s poem from Salting the Ocean. You will
then work in small groups to create a 2-3 minute composition presentation using the poems as your text.
How to proceed:
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Participate fully in the process as guided by your instructor during the in-class sessions
Include all of the required elements in your “Composition Box”
Work together to create your piece
Rehearse and refine your work
Use the “Rehearsal Checklist” elements as you rehearse
On your date: Each small group will present their compositions to the class and participate in a feedback
sharing process after the presentations are complete. Hand a copy of your presentation as well as the
poem.
Children’s Literature Read Aloud/ STORYTELLING
Goal: To develop presentation and imaginative skills through Reader’s Theatre techniques.
Assignment: Students will select an excerpt from a children’s book to read aloud. The selection should be
2-3 minutes in length. You will prepare this selection for individual presentation in class.
How to proceed: Find a piece of children’s literature that interests you, holds substantial content within the
text, and fitting into the basic guidelines for adapting story to stage. Be sure to pick an excerpt that is filled
with lively characters and plenty of interesting action. Your task is to bring the story to life using the space,
your body, voice and expression. You must add two of the following elements to your reading: music,
props, sound effects, costumes and movement. Use the Rehearsal Checklist as a guide as you prepare and
rehearse. Don’t just read the book; find an interesting way to tell the story. The goal thereafter, is for the
entire class to select the most interesting and useful selections to then use for group projects - dually think
of this assignment as your a future play pitch.
On your date: Each student will have no more than 5 minutes to set up and present.
Page to Stage – Story Theatre Presentations
Goal: To develop fluency in script writing and expand performance skills.
Assignment: Students will take their children’s literature selection and adapt it into a script that could be
staged as a classroom play. In small groups, you will then select one of these scripts to fully stage for the
class.
How to proceed: As a group create and adapt the piece of literature chosen from storybook into a script.
The script should consist of 3-5 pages of dialogue. A copy of this script will be turned in, prior to performing.
In these groups you will select one of the adapted story scripts to stage and fully present in the class. These
presentations will require some outside rehearsal time and should include elements of costume, set, sound
and movement.
On your date: Each group will have 15 minutes to set up, present and hear feedback. Plan to have your
performance time last between 6-10 minutes.
PORTFOLIO:
(Journal, Theatre Activities, and Reflection Paper)
Goal: To compile most important class notes and preferred activities gained from the course, to later use in
teaching. At the end of the journal, reflect upon process of our class.
Assignment: To complete this assignment: include 6 journal entries, as well as your top 6 favorite activities
gained from THEA315. To conclude your journal, attach a two-page reflection paper assessing what you
have learned in class about drama (processes, experiences, insights, etc.), and describe how you think you
will use it in your future. Be creative! Remember this is not a course evaluation. See Blackboard for detailed
assignment prompts.
Assessment
Your course grade is based on your performance in the following activities:
Tasks
Points of Final
Course Grade
Attendance
10%
Participation
10%
Attending Performances & Papers
10%
Performer’s Guide to the Collaborative Process
10%
Opening Circle: Lesson Plan & Activity
10%
Beginning Creative Drama Lesson Plan
10%
Poetry in Motion
5%
Children’s Read Aloud
10%
Page to Stage – Final presentation
15%
Journal & Reflection
10%
Grading
94-100 = A
90-93 = A87-89 = B+
83-86 = B
80-82 = B77-79 = C+
73-76 = C
70-72 = C-
67-69 = D+
63-66 = D
60-62 = D-