Pennsylvania School Drama & Theater Resources
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A resource dedicated to educational theater staff who are wondering:
What’s out there? And who has done this before?
Pennsylvania Networking and Support Organizations
American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE), http://www.aate.com, promotes standards of excellence in theater and theater education and supports the power of the creative experience. AATE connects educators, artists, researchers, scholars and administrators, and provides opportunities for members to learn from each other, and exchange and diversify their practices, their audiences, and their perspectives. For “25 Ways to Celebrate Theatre in Our Schools” and celebrate March’s Theater In The Schools Month see http://aate.com/TIOS25ways.asp. For more information about the AATE or becoming a member, contact AATE State Representative Barry Kornhauser at Bkornhauser@thefulton.org or (717) 394-7133 ext. 105.
Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), http://www.edta.org, is focused on educational development, teacher training, and advocacy, which serve to accomplish its mission of making theater part of lifelong learning by helping to improve the learning environment in the theater arts. The International Thespian Society (ITS) is the related student association.
Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania (CFA/PA), http://www.citizensfortheartsinpa.org, is committed to creating a strong and supportive environment for the arts in Pennsylvania. CFA/PA speaks out for the interests of artists and arts organizations across the state. As Pennsylvania’s only statewide multidisciplinary arts advocacy organization, CFA/PA works to publicize the contributions of the arts to society, increase public and private investment in the arts, expand the role of the arts in tourism, and promote the positive impact of arts education. Jenny Hershour at jlh@citizensfortheartsinpa.org is managing director.
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), http://www.pacouncilonthearts.org, is a state agency in the Office of the Governor. The PCA accomplishes its mission through grants and technical assistance to Pennsylvania arts organizations, community organizations, local governments, and other agencies that provide arts programs and services. Fellowships are also available to individual creative artists of outstanding achievement to encourage and enable them to set aside time for creative work, collaborations, or other artistic goals.
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts “Arts-In-Education Partnership” (AIE),
http://www.pacouncilonthearts.org/aie/ places practicing, professional artists in residence in schools and community settings. These artists are listed in the Directory of Pennsylvania Artists in Education, which is a juried list of artists with expertise in education. The division fosters educational improvement through participation in the creative process in schools and community settings, via residencies, projects, and partnerships between schools or other educational institutions, artists, and arts organizations.
School and Community TheaterHub (TheaterHub), www.theaterhub.org, links the theater programs of south central PA’s schools, colleges and community theaters and publishes a comprehensive production calendar for the region. Its mission is to promote education and improved community ties through the theater arts. Its theater and theater arts resources page, offers a county by county comprehensive listing of theater programs and related tie-ins and their web links, in addition to an expanded version of this resources page. Stephen Scanlon at theaterhub@gmail.com is the coordinator. He will assist staffs in other counties or regions who are interested in developing their own comprehensive production calendars and resource lists.
Student Focused Drama, Speech and Debate Organizations
International Thespian Society (ITS), http://www.pathespians.org/, is a statewide student organization that enhances school theater programs and offers an annual student conference. It is part of EdTA.
National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL), http://www.ncfl.org/, offers high school speech and debate activities.
National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA), http://www.ncfca.org/, is a home school focused speech and debate organization.
National Forensics League (NFL), www.nflonline.org, offers secondary school speech and debate activities.
Poetry Out Loud http://www.poetryoutloud.org is a national poetry recitation contest for high school students developed by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Poetry Foundation and state arts agencies such as the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. It begins on the classroom level, moves to regional competitions, state finals and finally to the national competition.
School Theater Guides for Those New to It or Thinking about Trying
(enter author or title into a search engine)
Ames, Raina S., The High School Theatre Teacher’s Survival Guide. Theatre Arts Book (2005).
Johnson, Margaret F., The Drama Teacher's Survival Guide: A Complete Tool Kit for Theatre Arts. Meriwether Publishing (2007).
Kenrick, John. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amateur Theatricals. Alpha (2006).
Rooyackers, Paul. Rooyackers has created a series of “101 Games” books on drama, dance, language and circus for beginners to intermediate.
Spolin, Viola, Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques. Northwestern University Press, 3rd ed. (1999).
Health and Safety
International Secondary Education Theater Health and Safety Society, http://www.isetsa.org Introduction to Hazards in the Secondary Educational Performing Arts: http://www.isetsa.org/ghs/about/isetsahazardsaddressed.cfm#IntroToHazards.
Practical Health and Safety Guidelines for School Theater Operations: Assessing the Risks in Middle, Junior and Senior High School Theater Buildings and Programs. This handbook is written for anyone involved in operating or participating in a performing arts program: http://www.theaterhealthandsafetybook.com/TSB/About/Welcome.cfm
Other How To Resources
Choreography, how to: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-choreography/
Costumes, how to: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-costuming/
Playbill, how to www.ehow.com/how_2305733_write_playbill.html
Props, how to: www.ehow.com/how_2305733_write_playbill.html
and www.wonderhowto.com/video/how-to-build-prop/
Proteacher Directory offers teaching ideas and advice from experienced teachers
Drama: http://www.proteacher.com/080010.shtml
Readers Theater: http://www.proteacher.com/070173.shtml
Storytelling; http://www.proteacher.com/070163.shtml
Stage Design and Technology www.hstech.org offers a list of online resources at
http://www.hstech.org/index.php?option=com_weblinks&catid=81&Itemid=23.
Stage Technology http://www.d.umn.edu/~mharvey/websitesindex.html links to topical sites.
Topical Forums
Costumer's Info List http://groups.yahoo.com/group/costumeinfo/
High School Technical Theater, http://groups.google.com/group/hstech, is an offshoot of Stage
Design and Technology.
Stagecraft Listserv http://www.theprices.net/lists/stagecraft/lists.html links to numerous forums.
Theatre-Sound http://groups.google.com/group/theatre-sound-list
Further Development
Suggested changes and comments on this list are most welcome. We would like to learn from similar lists that exist beyond Pennsylvania in order to build a stronger core Pennsylvania-focused list. Please send comments to Stephen Scanlon at theaterhub@gmail.com.
In addition, if you would like to be included with others across the state to build something beyond this small beginning send your name, email and at least a little bit about your relationship to educational theater.
2/16/09 ed.
A resource dedicated to educational theater staff who are wondering:
What’s out there? And who has done this before?
Pennsylvania Networking and Support Organizations
American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE), http://www.aate.com, promotes standards of excellence in theater and theater education and supports the power of the creative experience. AATE connects educators, artists, researchers, scholars and administrators, and provides opportunities for members to learn from each other, and exchange and diversify their practices, their audiences, and their perspectives. For “25 Ways to Celebrate Theatre in Our Schools” and celebrate March’s Theater In The Schools Month see http://aate.com/TIOS25ways.asp. For more information about the AATE or becoming a member, contact AATE State Representative Barry Kornhauser at Bkornhauser@thefulton.org or (717) 394-7133 ext. 105.
Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), http://www.edta.org, is focused on educational development, teacher training, and advocacy, which serve to accomplish its mission of making theater part of lifelong learning by helping to improve the learning environment in the theater arts. The International Thespian Society (ITS) is the related student association.
Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania (CFA/PA), http://www.citizensfortheartsinpa.org, is committed to creating a strong and supportive environment for the arts in Pennsylvania. CFA/PA speaks out for the interests of artists and arts organizations across the state. As Pennsylvania’s only statewide multidisciplinary arts advocacy organization, CFA/PA works to publicize the contributions of the arts to society, increase public and private investment in the arts, expand the role of the arts in tourism, and promote the positive impact of arts education. Jenny Hershour at jlh@citizensfortheartsinpa.org is managing director.
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), http://www.pacouncilonthearts.org, is a state agency in the Office of the Governor. The PCA accomplishes its mission through grants and technical assistance to Pennsylvania arts organizations, community organizations, local governments, and other agencies that provide arts programs and services. Fellowships are also available to individual creative artists of outstanding achievement to encourage and enable them to set aside time for creative work, collaborations, or other artistic goals.
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts “Arts-In-Education Partnership” (AIE),
http://www.pacouncilonthearts.org/aie/ places practicing, professional artists in residence in schools and community settings. These artists are listed in the Directory of Pennsylvania Artists in Education, which is a juried list of artists with expertise in education. The division fosters educational improvement through participation in the creative process in schools and community settings, via residencies, projects, and partnerships between schools or other educational institutions, artists, and arts organizations.
School and Community TheaterHub (TheaterHub), www.theaterhub.org, links the theater programs of south central PA’s schools, colleges and community theaters and publishes a comprehensive production calendar for the region. Its mission is to promote education and improved community ties through the theater arts. Its theater and theater arts resources page, offers a county by county comprehensive listing of theater programs and related tie-ins and their web links, in addition to an expanded version of this resources page. Stephen Scanlon at theaterhub@gmail.com is the coordinator. He will assist staffs in other counties or regions who are interested in developing their own comprehensive production calendars and resource lists.
Student Focused Drama, Speech and Debate Organizations
International Thespian Society (ITS), http://www.pathespians.org/, is a statewide student organization that enhances school theater programs and offers an annual student conference. It is part of EdTA.
National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL), http://www.ncfl.org/, offers high school speech and debate activities.
National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA), http://www.ncfca.org/, is a home school focused speech and debate organization.
National Forensics League (NFL), www.nflonline.org, offers secondary school speech and debate activities.
Poetry Out Loud http://www.poetryoutloud.org is a national poetry recitation contest for high school students developed by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Poetry Foundation and state arts agencies such as the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. It begins on the classroom level, moves to regional competitions, state finals and finally to the national competition.
School Theater Guides for Those New to It or Thinking about Trying
(enter author or title into a search engine)
Ames, Raina S., The High School Theatre Teacher’s Survival Guide. Theatre Arts Book (2005).
Johnson, Margaret F., The Drama Teacher's Survival Guide: A Complete Tool Kit for Theatre Arts. Meriwether Publishing (2007).
Kenrick, John. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amateur Theatricals. Alpha (2006).
Rooyackers, Paul. Rooyackers has created a series of “101 Games” books on drama, dance, language and circus for beginners to intermediate.
Spolin, Viola, Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques. Northwestern University Press, 3rd ed. (1999).
Health and Safety
International Secondary Education Theater Health and Safety Society, http://www.isetsa.org Introduction to Hazards in the Secondary Educational Performing Arts: http://www.isetsa.org/ghs/about/isetsahazardsaddressed.cfm#IntroToHazards.
Practical Health and Safety Guidelines for School Theater Operations: Assessing the Risks in Middle, Junior and Senior High School Theater Buildings and Programs. This handbook is written for anyone involved in operating or participating in a performing arts program: http://www.theaterhealthandsafetybook.com/TSB/About/Welcome.cfm
Other How To Resources
Choreography, how to: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-choreography/
Costumes, how to: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-costuming/
Playbill, how to www.ehow.com/how_2305733_write_playbill.html
Props, how to: www.ehow.com/how_2305733_write_playbill.html
and www.wonderhowto.com/video/how-to-build-prop/
Proteacher Directory offers teaching ideas and advice from experienced teachers
Drama: http://www.proteacher.com/080010.shtml
Readers Theater: http://www.proteacher.com/070173.shtml
Storytelling; http://www.proteacher.com/070163.shtml
Stage Design and Technology www.hstech.org offers a list of online resources at
http://www.hstech.org/index.php?option=com_weblinks&catid=81&Itemid=23.
Stage Technology http://www.d.umn.edu/~mharvey/websitesindex.html links to topical sites.
Topical Forums
Costumer's Info List http://groups.yahoo.com/group/costumeinfo/
High School Technical Theater, http://groups.google.com/group/hstech, is an offshoot of Stage
Design and Technology.
Stagecraft Listserv http://www.theprices.net/lists/stagecraft/lists.html links to numerous forums.
Theatre-Sound http://groups.google.com/group/theatre-sound-list
Further Development
Suggested changes and comments on this list are most welcome. We would like to learn from similar lists that exist beyond Pennsylvania in order to build a stronger core Pennsylvania-focused list. Please send comments to Stephen Scanlon at theaterhub@gmail.com.
In addition, if you would like to be included with others across the state to build something beyond this small beginning send your name, email and at least a little bit about your relationship to educational theater.
2/16/09 ed.
