Drama in the Classroom

Author(s): Eleanor Albert

Source: Middle School Journal, Vol. 25, No. 5 (May 1994), pp. 20-24
Published by: Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23023613 .
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Drama
educational theory stresses
the importance of exploration and
Currenthands-on activity in learning. Be
ginning with exploratory play in infancy,
and sociodramatic play in early childhood,
individuals continue to learn through play
ing with (or experimenting with) things,
ideas, and language in a social setting.
In an effortto apply this theoryto prac
tice, educators have tried new techniques
and curricula. Interactive work with com
puters and hands-on experimentation are
replacing workbooks and lectures in many
classes. In this movement away from soli
tary activities, learning becomes a social ac
tivitywith group work, cooperative learning,
and peer tutoringcontributingto progress in
heterogeneously-grouped classrooms.
For the teacher of language arts, where
does the hands-on experimentation occur in
the study of literature? How can students
play with, manipulate, and experiment with
text?Writingassignments ofteninvolve vari
ous ways of responding to textand "playing
with" language. But for the middle school
student, this still does not provide necessary
action-oriented learning. Drama in the class
room can provide action; experimentation;
exploration of character, motive, and text.
Because it provides expanded contexts for
language learning in a cooperative social
setting,drama in the classroom offerseduca
tional benefits in every area of current con
cern:
20 MiddleSchooljournal • May 1994
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MSJ
FEATURE
in the Classroom
Eleanor Albert
• builds skills in reading and oral and
writtenlanguage
• increases student motivation
• ityto view the world fromdifferentperspec
improves group interaction by using
formatsof groupwork and cooperative
learning and avoids pitfallsofthese for
mats by showcasing each individual's
contribution to the group effort
• individualizes instruction,allowing for
remediation or enrichment through
choice of materials
• utilizes classroom texts and materials
for scriptwriting
• uses performance-based assessment
rather than test-based grading
• involves students in decision-making
• story.And they develop social skills as they
encourages creativity
• elicit empathy, examine multiple perspec
develops critical thinking and analytic
skills in study of character and script
•
encourages understanding and toler
ance of differencesby having students
assume a variety of roles and listen to a
variety of voices
• involves parents as audience forperfor
mance
Drama and play
If these claims sound inflated,consider
the earliest evidence of dramatic play. A
group of four-year-olds is playing doctor,
house, or firefighters.Think of the serious
ness and interestwith which they approach
this "play." They negotiate and deal with
conflicts regarding roles or story line be
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
cause their common goal is to keep the play
going. In theirroles they capture the speech
and attitudes of others, developing the abil
tives. They share and learn fromeach other.
They create S context in which they must
expand theirskills in oral language, vocabu
lary,storytelling,and social interaction.And
they have fun doing all this.
Middle schoolers working on a dra
matic scene experience the same involve
ment and satisfaction in their "play." They
create a context and assume roles as they
constructa communal rendition oftext.They
learn fromeach otheras theyanalyze charac
ters, compare points of view, or create a
tives, and engage in negotiation and com
promise.
Drama meets middle schoolers' needs
While drama work is a useful teaching
strategyforlearners of any age, it is particu
larly well suited to classes foryoung adoles
cents.Drama offersopportunitiesforphysical
activity and social interaction. It fills the
dual, and often contradictory, needs of
middle schoolers to be valued members of a
group while developing individuality and
independence and receiving recognition for
personal achievements. Drama work groups
formcohesive, supportive units working for
group goals; yet, individuals render their
 character portrayals in a personal style. The
group and the individual receive recogni
tion.
Young adolescents want tobe respected
and treated like adults. They are highly mo
tivated to participate in drama because act
ing is seen as an admirable adult activity
through the example of TV and movie stars.
Teachers can build on common background
by discussing the authenticity of character
portrayals in performances that students
have seen. Students make theirown choices
and decisions in designing their presenta
tions. This sense of engagement in
"grownup" activity contributes to a more
serious and committed approach to class
room work.
Short Drama Activities for the Middle
School Classroom
There are many drama strategies which
are useful in the classroom. Some bear a
close resemblance to pre-school socio
dramatic play where a context and charac
ters are agreed upon, and participants im
provise the storyline. Other strategies use a
text for story line as well as characters and
context. The choice of techniques should be
based on curricular goals, the needs and
interests of the class, and the teacher's com
fortlevel with more structured versus less
structured activities.
Drama activities that are well-suited to
classroom use should include all students as
equal and active participants. Unlike the
school play format, there are no stars, no
chorus, no tech crew. The following formats
involve all students in small group activities
and performance,contributeto the
develop
ment of language arts skills, and encourage
positive social interaction.
Story reading
Story reading is preparation for drama
rather than a drama activityitself,but it is a
good firststep toward playing a role. It es
tablishes the distance between tale-teller
and audience, and makes the teller
respon
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sible forcommunicating character and story
line. It also helps build skills necessary for
performance. Reading the story will help
students become aware of the importance of
voice, inflection,and clarity.
Individuals or groups can read selec
tions fromcurrentclass reading, or students
can read a favoritefolktaleor children's story.
Storytelling
Telling a story in your own words re
quires understanding of sequence, relation
ship, and detail. Before scheduling student
presentations, let students listen to tapes of
storytellers or provide background on the
art of storytelling.Once students are
ready
to plan their own storytelling, have them
work in pairs so they can practice together.
Music, art, and movement can be incorpo
rated into the performance. Encourage ex
perimentation with sound effectsand music
to create mood and heighten audience inter
est. Students interested in art can use
story
boards or picture-drawingstorytellingwhich
is common in many cultures. A story board
is made by drawing a sequence of pictures
which illustrate points in the story. Picture
drawing during the storycan be done using
various media.
Keep the storytellingprogram lively by
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
using short selections, such as fables. Longer
stories can be assigned to groups of three
students. Folktales fromdifferentlands also
offergood material and can also be used to
maximize sharing in a culturally diverse
classroom. Another interestingapproach is
to present personal narratives around a
theme—for example, a story my father/
mother/grandfather/grandmothertold me
about his/her childhood. The presentation
can be performed as a choral telling with a
common introduction and a brief example
given by each speaker.
T ableaux/Pantomime
Tableaux and pantomime can be intro
duced in conjunction with story reading or
telling.In a tableau, several students arrange
themselves into a picture illustratinga scene.
By theplacement ofcharacters,facial expres
sions, body stance, and use of appropriate
props, the tableau renders an interpretation
of the incident portrayed. Use a storyfroma
class reading for demonstration.
Pantomime, like tableaux, draws on the
visual rather than the verbal arts, but adds
movement. Well-known stories, current
classroom readings, or original scenes can be
dramatized in pantomime. Students should
be encouraged to pay attentionto detail and
Middle School journal • May 1994 21

to use exaggeration in their movements to
make the story line clear to the audience.
Point out to students that in using
storytellingand pantomime, they are using
the two components of characterization, in
isolation. In storytelling the reader relies
only on voice to depict character, and in
pantomime the actor uses only movement.
These techniques require more of both actor
and audience. The reader must vary his tone
and inflection, using the "voice" of each
character while building suspense and cre
ating theappropriate background mood. The
pantomimistmust carefullyanalyze thesteps
involved in each movement. The audience
must also contribute more by using imagi
nation to fillin what is only suggested by the
performers.Discussing these points will help
students set clearer objectives when they
perform,and will also increase theirinvolve
ment when they are in the audience.
Use props in pantomime to help stu
dents learn how to move more naturally on
stage. Afterpracticing with real props, stu
dents can use imaginary props and have the
class guess what they are. Students can put
on a coat, wrap a package, pack a suitcase or
backpack, and use the telephone. Once stu
dents have developed a better sense of tim
ing, they will feel comfortable with a wider
range of action on stage.
22 MiddleSchooljournal • May 1994
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Monologues
Monologues are an excellent way to
encourage character study. Students can
write a monologue or create one from their
reading. Students learn to "be in character"
when they imagine a character's thoughts
and speak in his or her voice. By writing
monologues forseveral differentcharacters
who are reflectingon the same experience,
students explore situations from different
viewpoints.
Creative monologues can be used to see
characters in a differentway, abandoning
stereotyped viewpoints and accepted con
ventions. Ask students to choose a character
froma well-known fairytale, nurseryrhyme,
or other story, and to write a monologue
revealing a personality very differentfrom
the generally accepted one. These two
samples, writtenby students, can be read for
illustration.
LittleRed Riding Hood
I really don't want to go
Grandma's house. I don't want to wear
that awful red coat she made for me.
makes me wear
My mom always
and all the kids tease me, "LittleRed
RidingHood, LittleRed RidingHood!"
Why do I have to bringthe basket of
foodoveranyway?Whycan'tMom do
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it?Ittakesso longtowalk overthere.If
only I'd meet someone interestingto
talkto along theway.
Mary Had a LittleLamb
Thislambis so annoying—always
tagging along and getting me into
trouble.Once she came to school with
me and the teachersaid, "Mary, you
have a demerit!Now getthatlamb out
ofhere!" My friendslove thelamb and
thinkit'sfunnywhenI getintotrouble.
Whycan't she stayhome?I wish I had
a froginstead.
For group work, students can pick char
acters from the same story and write sepa
rate but related monologues. Red Riding
Hood's mother can give her viewpoint, or
add a wolf and a grandmother. The group
can be arranged in a tableau on stage and can
come forward forthe reading of theirmono
logue, returningto their original poses fora
final freeze.
Role Playing
Role playing, like monologues, focuses
on characterization rather than plot. Use it
for in-depth study of curricular material by
dramatizing confrontations between char
acters and exploring different options in
decision-making. Have students play the
scene with a differentending. How would
the change affectthe outcome of the book?
What personalitytraitsofthecharacterwould
have to change to make it work?
Role playing is also an effectiveway to
examine stereotyping. Write out roles on
cards (old person, teacher, foreign tourist,
teenage girl, school custodian, parent) and
have students write role play outlines that
turn stereotypes upside-down. Perhaps the
old person out-jogs his young friend, the
foreign tourist is an expert on American
to
history,the custodian is getting his MBA in
night school and makes a hot stock pick, a
parent tells a child about all the trouble she
it,
had at school. Like the original monologues,
this exercise encourages open-mindedness
and creative thinking.
Students can also use role playing to
 deal with problems that they face in their
work together. Issues such as cooperation,
fairness, and not hurting others' feelings,
can be explored from the safe distance that
playing a role provides.
Improvisation
In improvisation, actors create the dia
logue as the scene evolves. Many theater
games use improvisational skills. Students
can construct an improvised scene from a
given setting, a set of characters, or a situa
tion. The settingmight be a fast-foodrestau
rant with two customers and a 7.
counter-person as characters. Students can
work out a variety of situations involving
the characters and showing differentview
points. For a creative improvisation, have
students pick three separate slips of paper
for where, who, and why. They must use
imagination to fitthese unrelated elements
into a coherent story. A similar activity is
paper bag dramatics. Each group gets a pa
per bag with a few props in it such as a
pencil, a hat, a clock, a letter.Students must
use all the props in the scene they create.
Unstructured improvisations may give
evidence of the influence of TV. If several
improvisations are presented in class all end
ing with someone being shot, ask if another
group thinks they could do the same scene
with a differentending. Encourage students
to think of many differentways to develop
the same scenario. Have students try out
win-win, win-lose, and lose-lose endings.
These exercises help to develop skills of con
flictresolution.
Like role playing, improvisation can be
used to expand work with curricular mate
rial by exploring alternative endings or by
introducing new characters or problems into
a situation drawn froma reading.
Creative drama
Creative drama is a form of group im
provisation. The classroom becomes a con
text, and the teacher and all the students
become players in a drama which unfolds as
group decisions are made about what hap
pens next. The teacher usually participates
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Figure 1 projection and appropriate inflection. A
Reader's Theater performance can include
Steps to Creating
several scenes from one book, scenes from
Stories on Stage
differentbooks by the same author, or scenes
frombooks dealing with a particular theme.
1. Read a book witha partner
2. Choose a scene
3. Receive a copy of the scene Performance Theater for the Classroom
4. Highlightthe parts
5. Write
One of the most enjoyable experiences
Book Introduction
formiddle school students is performingin
Character Introductions
front of an audience. Since drama in the
Conclusion
Character Analysis classroom requires that all students be
6. Memorize involved, traditional full-length
your part equally
Work on staging with limited numbers ofparts are not
scripts
8. Rehearse
suitable. However, there are performance
9. Perform
based methods which work well in the class
10. Evaluate
Self-evaluation room.
Teacher evaluation
Stories on Stage
Stories on Stage bridges the gap be
in the drama. The action can be stopped at tween Reader's Theater and formal theater.
various points, as participants come out of There are four steps to the program: Read,
role to ask questions or negotiate decisions. Write, Practice, Perform. Students write
This is an effective way to have students scripts using dialogue from a text.Working
"experience," rather than read about and in groups of two or three, students select a
discuss, situations in which differentpoints few pages froma book to adapt into a scene
of view should be explored. As students script. The pages are copied, and students
change roles, and "meet" others involved in highlight their parts. Descriptive passages
the drama, they "live through" the events are eliminated and narrators are not used.
and understand the complexities involved. Students may modify the textwhere neces
This activityworks best in middle school sary for clarity. Once the script is adapted,
when students are pretending to be mem students write introductions and conclu
bers of a serious group, such as the jury at a sions, so that their audience has the neces
trial, a community group trying to reach a sary background to understand the scene.
decision on the use of common space, or a Then students work on acting and staging,
group of producersdiscussingviolence on TV. prepare costumes, and memorize theirparts.
Because studentscreate theirown scripts
Reader's Theater frombooks they have read, Stories on Stage
Reader's Theater, a formofgroup story works well as an in-class text-orienteddrama
reading, uses text as a script. Students are program. Groups work cooperatively and
assigned to read the parts of differentchar develop skills in reading, analyzing text,
acters and a narrator reads the descriptive
writing, listening, and speaking. Students
passages. Some phrases, such as "she said," get recognition for their work when they
may be cut from the narration to make the present their program of scenes to an audi
story flow more smoothly. No scenery or ence (Figure 1).
costumes are used, although students may
wear or carry something evocative of their Scene scripts
character. The speakers usually sit on stools When time is too limited to allow stu
in frontof the audience and read frombooks. dents to select and adapt their own scenes,
As in story reading, emphasis is on voice scripts can be provided for middle school
Middle School Journal • May 1994 23
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
student performance by using cuttings from
longer plays. Scenes can be taken from mu
sical comedies, Gilbert and Sullivan, or from
the many play adaptations of popular
children's stories and young adult novels.
As in Stories on Stage, only short selections
are presented, so students have starringroles
in their scenes. Although students do not
create the script, scene presentation still re
inforces skills in reading, writing,speaking,
and groupwork.
Drama and integrated curriculum
Drama activities can be used with great
success in science, social studies, geography,
math, and foreign language classes or in
interdisciplinaryor integratedclasses. These
activities provide a focus for integration of
language skills with other subjects while
broadening and enhancing the learning in
all the disciplines:
•
Monologues using historical docu
ments,letters,journals, or excerpts from
autobiographies reveal the human ele
ment in work in science, math, or his
tory.
• Creative drama scenarios encourage ex
ploration of the complex contexts of
scientific discoveries or political deci
sions.
• some ofthemthatthrilledme.
Improvisation provides a means to
speculate about possible solutions to
currentconcerns, to practice foreignlan
guage vocabulary, and to encourage
creative problem-solving.
• Stories on Stage scriptsdramatize scenes
fromyoung adult literaturedealing with
issues related to study in many disci
plines (ecology, health, technology,
world cultures).
• Tableaux show shapes in math, events
in history,idioms or phrases in foreign
language.
• mouth NH: Heinemann.
Role-playing conveys the multiple per
spectives involved in political or social
decision-making. Interview "famous
people," or involve proponents of a
cause in a face-to-face meeting with
opponents.
24 MiddleSchooljournal • May 1994
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Beyond the content areas
In response to criticismof large, imper
sonal school environments, middle school
educators are working to strengthenstudent
and teacher relationships. Advisory and
guidance programs are moving out of the
counseling office and into the classroom
where small groups of students meet with
teacher-advisors to create support networks.
Drama activities can be used with these
groups to help students verbalize concerns
and problems while maintaining the dis
tance that drama allows. Students can ques
tion, react to, discuss, and reflecton issues
framed in the drama that they might be
hesitant to deal with on a personal level. Role
playing can help students develop skills in
conflictresolution. Differentsolutions to in
terpersonal problems can be triedby ending
the scenario in differentways. This "dress
rehearsal" through drama, helps prepare
students for real life performance.
Getting started in classroom performance
theater
Short drama activities are fairlyeasy to
incorporate into classroom work, but pre
paring a full scale performance foran audi
ence may seem more daunting. Stories on
Stage makes the job easier because it pro
vides an endless supply of scripts tied to
curricularmaterial, and itinvolves everyone
in short scenes. While you are experiment
ing with the program, you can have your
students perform for other classes in the
school. Evening performances for parents
can be arranged when you and your stu
dents feel ready to plan a formal theater
event.
The emphasis on the learning aspect of
classroom drama should not obscure my
original point—drama is a natural outgrowth
of play and it is fun. Not only does it revive
the flagging interest of students, it offersa
refreshing change of pace for teachers, as
well. It has given me the opportunity to
encounter the creative, the individual, and
the fun-loving side of every student. And it
is full of surprises. Students have asked for
help with a variety of skills from using a
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
walking stick to eating lettuce. Eating let
tuce? A student playing a role in VJatership
Down explained in his self-evaluation:
My group chose thisscene because it
was a four-person scene with a lot of
tensionin it. What I liked best about
thisscene was theway thatthe Chief
Rabbit talked to Fiver as if he were a
baby. We had to practicea lot.I found
thateatinglettucequicklyenough so I
could say mylines was extremelydif
ficult.
My own enthusiasm fordrama in the class
room is fueled by the excitement of my stu
dents, and by seeing how much the program
contributes to their development. Most stu
dent evaluations of the drama unit mention
the rewards of personal success and group
support. However, for some students the
experience becomes a turning point in the
struggle for self-expression and group ac
ceptance:
Play Nightgave me an opportunityto
show some of my talents that my peers
did not know about. They thoughtI
was quiet and shy. I thinktheywere
surprisedthatI was good at actingand
speakingin frontofan audience. After
Play NightI feltan innerrespectfrom
Suggested Materials for Drama
in the Classroom
Storytelling
Pellowski, A. (1990). The World of Storytelling. New
York: The H.W. Wilson Company.
Improvisation
Scher, A., & Verrall, C. (1975) 100+ Ideas for Drama.
Portsmouth NH: Heinemann.
Creative Drama
O'Neill, C, Lambert, A., Linrtell, R., & Warr-Wood, J.
(1976). Drama Guidelines. London: Heinemann.
Tarlington, C, & Verriour, P. (1991) Role Drama. Ports
Reader's Theater
Laughlin, M. K., & Latrobe, K. H. (1990) Readers Theatre
for Children. Englewood, CO: Teacher Ideas Press.
Eleanor Albert teaches at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.