Theatre 310 - Creative Drama Syllabus
Tuesday/Thursday 2-3:15PM
Lecturer: Rachel Hoey
Email: rachelnicole.hoey@gmail.com
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday by appointment
Course Description
Current philosophies, principles, and techniques of creative drama. Development of the individual through
use of dramatic play, imagining, improvisation, and theatre games. Applicable to classroom teaching,
counseling, recreation, and group teambuilding.
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
o The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis
Suggested Text
o Theatre for Community Conflict and Dialogue, by Michael Rohd
o Games for Actors and Non-Actors, by Augusto Boal
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
o Teaching Drama, by Helen Nicholson
o Making Sense of Drama: a guide to classroom practice, by Jonothan Neelands
In-class Involvement
This course is a practical introduction to Creative Drama. Strive to be fair, considerate and aware of your
fellow classmates. The bulk of our work will be in-class, participatory and experiential. None of the in-class
activities can be replicated outside the class session; therefore, no make-up assignments are possible if you
are absent. Please be prepared to present on due dates assigned to you and/your group. One absence may
not directly impact your grade, but two absences and/or excessive lateness will result in the lowering of your
grade. Note: two absences are equivalent to one absence. Attendance is crucial.
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 TTF Season of Shows as well as one additional children’s theatre show.
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. See blackboard for details and SDSU
Theatre site to purchase. 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.
Performer’s Guide to the Collaborative Process
Goal: To deepen understanding of the content and activities found in The Performer’s Guide to the
Collaborative Process by Sheila Kerrigan.
Assignment: The class will be divided into six working groups. Each group will be assigned to one of the
three chapters in “Part Two” of the Kerrigan text provided on blackboard. The group will be responsible for
selecting three critical points to highlight for the class through a short presentation.
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.
Selected Reading Responses
Goal: To further inform and educate the group on the variety of theatre teaching techniques and
perspectives.
Assignment: Read the selected readings on blackboard by the dates seen via the “course calendar”.
Respond to reading by answering the prompts provided on the “discussion board.”
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 and a game. 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 Theatre Activity Worksheets for all of
your activities (a cover letter is encouraged). Email your “Theatre Activity Worksheet” to the entire class
(including instructor) via Blackboard within 24 hours.
At the start of class, the Instructor will open the class and hand it over to your team. 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.
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 35-40 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 to be covered in this project are:
1. Sensitivity/trust 2. Imagination
3. Movement/pantomime
4. Sound/speech 5. Characterization 6. Improvised scenes.
Your group will be assigned to only one of the six basic skills above.
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.
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.
Meeting History – Part One: Reading and Research
Goal: This task is designed to encourage students to think creatively about teaching history. It will expose
you to techniques that can be used at a variety of grade levels.
Assignment: In Part One you will read The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – 1963. You will then meet with a
small group, collaborate and collect research together in regards to a particular aspect of the era in which
the book takes place. Elements of the book and your research will serve as text for a final performance
piece that you will create with your group small group in Part Two.
How to proceed: Read the text by the deadline in the “course calendar.” Be prepared for an in class quiz
and discussion on The Watson’s Go to Birmingham - 1963. Bring in research materials on related topics on
the assigned dates, make a plan for your project and divide tasks from accordingly. You will have some in
class time to work on it, but plan to work outside of class, as well.
Meeting History - Part Two: Creation and Performance
Goal: This task asks you to participate in “Common Core” Standards connected advanced Creative Drama
Lesson Plan. It will also develop your competency in using Composition Boxes to create original material
based on core curriculum content.
Assignment: In this project the class will be divided into groups and each group will be asked to research
an aspect of a topic assigned by the instructor to create a 5-7 minute performance piece, and to creatively
introduce your aspect of the topic using photos or images, music, movement, etc. This will serve as your
final project for the class.
How to proceed: Groups will be given a limited amount of class time to work together. Some outside
preparation time will be required. On your date: Your group will be given 20 minutes maximum to introduce
your research area and present your piece. (Entire group presentation should not run for less than 15
minutes – Please be overly prepared/rehearsed).
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 THEA310. 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
Beginning Creative Drama Lesson Plan
Meeting History –
Part One (Research & Group Outline)
Meeting History – Final presentation
Journal & Reflection
Grading
94-100 = A
90-93 = A87-89 = B+
83-86 = B
80-82 = B77-79 = C+
Points of Final
Course Grade
10%
10%
10%
5%
5%
10%
20%
10%
15%
5%
73-76 = C
70-72 = C67-69 = D+
63-66 = D
60-62 = D-
Please Note: You cannot receive an A in this class without all written work turned in on time, and all
performance work satisfactorily completed.