Theatre for Young Audiences
THEA 315 Syllabus
Lecturer: Rachel Hoey
Email: rachelnicole.hoey@gmail.com
Class Meeting Time: Tuesdays from 3:30-6:10PM
Office Hours: Tuesdays before or after class or by scheduled 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. This course is applicable to classroom teaching, educational leadership, public speaking,
and group teambuilding.
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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.
Course Readings
Required Texts
o The Performer’s Guide to the Collaborative Process, by Sheila Kerrigan (Blackboard)
o Theater Games for the Classroom, by Viola Spolin
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
o Drama for Learning: Dorothy Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert Approach to Education, by
G. Bolton and D.Heathcote
o 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
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 3 points, equivalent to 3% of your grade.
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 15 minutes long and must include physical, vocal and/or articulation
work through a warm-up 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.
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 1-3 minute composition presentation using the
poems as your text.
How to proceed:
o Participate fully in the process as guided by your instructor during the in-class
sessions
o Include all of the required elements in your “Composition Box”
o Work together to create your piece
o Rehearse and refine your work
o Use the Rehearsal Checklist elements as you rehearse
On your date: Each small group will have 4-5 minutes to present their compositions to the class
and participate in a positive feedback process. Hand a copy of your presentation as well as the
poem.
Children’s Literature Read Aloud/ STORY TELLING
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 lit that interests you. 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.
On your date: Each student will have 5-6 minutes to set up, present and hear feedback on his or
her work.
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 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.
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.
o 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.
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.
Journal and Reflection
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 journal entries, as well as your top 5-10
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.
Assessment
Your course grade is based on your performance in the following activities:
Tasks
Attendance
Participation
Attending Performances & Papers
Performer’s Guide to the Collaborative Process
Selected Readings & Blackboard Responses
Opening Circle: Lesson Plan & Activity
Points of Final
Course Grade
10%
10%
10%
5%
5%
10%
Beginning Creative Drama Lesson Plan
Poetry in Motion
Children’s Read Aloud
Page to Stage – Final presentation
Journal & Reflection
Grading
94-100 = A
90-93 = A87-89 = B+
83-86 = B
10%
10%
10%
15%
5%
80-82 = B77-79 = C+
73-76 = C
70-72 = C-
67-69 = D+
63-66 = D
60-62 = D-
Student Agreement
I, (print full name)____________________________________________________________
have read the syllabus in its entirety (pages 1-6). I acknowledge that the above assignments
will be weighed according to the grading scale/rubric provided and based on my completion
of each assignment as described in the syllabus (as well as furthered by additional material
on blackboard, and as outlined in the course calendar). I acknowledge that late work will
not be accepted and any absences or late arrivals/early departures can reduce my grade by
the deductions stated above in the section entitled “In-class Involvement”.
Student Signature:_________________________________________________________