Drama Works in the classroom!
The goal of HJT’s Outreach in the Schools Program is to further our mission of providing young people with the opportunity to explore and expand their creative talents and aspirations, to entertain, to develop and foster a love and full appreciation of theatre and to enrich lives through theatrical experience. It is also our goal to make theatre accessible to as many young people as possible, regardless of economic circumstances. Last year HJT facilitated 36 programs in 17 schools across Cape Cod. These programs ranged from Shakespeare and Greek Mythology to Bullying and Teasing Prevention and An American Journey-an ancestral oral history project. What better way to bring theatre into the classrooms of our public, private and parochial schools?
Outreach Programs!
Outreach Office: 508-432-2002 ext. 17
Concerts for Children
(preschool- grade 2) Introducing Kathy Healy who is a singer and songwriter who entertains audiences with sing-along classics such as “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”, “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Kathy has also written original music to accompany such children’s classicsº as “Goodnight Moon” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. As well as performing Kathy can provide a song writing workshop, helping children write their own songs. In the past she has addressed topics with students ranging from the weather to sibling rivalry.
Kathleen Healy is delightful — Cape Cod Times
An American Journey:
Where in the world did my family come from?
(grades 3-8) In this exploratory workshop students are asked to research an ancestor who journeyed to America. This is a wonderful way for students to dramatize historical events while learning about their own heritage. Students will develop monologues and scenes which they will stage and perform. It is a great way for them to learn about the backgrounds of their fellow classmates as well as gain a profound respect for the circumstances of their ancestry. A musical component can be included in this workshop for an additional fee.
I never knew learning could be so much fun!
— 5th Grade Student at Cape Cod Academy
Greek Mythology
(grades 6-10) Bring the Myths to life with this intensive workshop! At it’s height in 450 BC, the Greek Theatre is the model for the modern day theatrical experience. This workshop explores the history of Ancient Greece and the role of theatre in society. Students then read various Greek Myths and stage and perform them in much the same way they would have been done over 2000 years ago.
I thought I would be nervous going up on stage but thanks to you I wasn’t.
— 7th Grade student at Mattacheese Middle School
Poetry and the Art of Listening
(Kindergarten – 5th grade) Experience poetry as a kinesthetic art form! This workshop enhances listening skills ad concentration while exploring elements of poetic form such as rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, simile and metaphor- all through creative drama.
This workshop was absolutely attention grabbing for the kids and the teachers have been talking about it all week.
— Kindergarten teacher at Harwich Elementary School
Artist In Residence Program
HJT has proven success in bringing creative drama into the classroom. Creative Drama focuses on participation, not performance. Young people love to pretend, they love to imagine and they love to use their bodies. Giving them an opportunity for dramatic expression not only enhances their self-confidence, it helps them to learn. Creative drama is an experiential workshop that fosters growth and development; a deepened knowledge of self and others. Through involvement in exercises, movement, mime, games, improvisation, voice and storytelling, students develop their imagination, physical coordination and creative problem-solving skills while experiencing the adventure of the dramatic moment. Intellectual development and the learning process – when truly engaged – involves the learners total personality. Creative drama and Theatre in the Classroom has the development of aesthetic sensitivity as its goal, fostering growth in the affective domain of subjective behaviors such as feeling and valuing.
Teachers from the Harwich Junior Theatre can bring tailormade workshops designed to meet your specific needs in regards to the Masssachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. All workshops follow content that is age appropriate and developmental in scope. Workshops can be designed to meet your schedule for a negotiated fee (based on the classroom hour and class size). Grant money from your local Cultural Council or the Massachusetts Cultural Council may also be available. Contact HJT, your Superintendent’s office or your local town hall for Cultural Council information.
Integration in Your Classroom
Harwich Junior Theatre offers a series of workshops that explore techniques for incorporating creative drama into the curriculum of many subject areas.
Creative Movement
(pre-school, kindergarten) Children love to move! They will have so much fun, they won’t realize how healthy it is for them. They will develop physical coordination through rhythm and movement exercises; and develop listening skills while exploring storytelling and imagery through music, song and poetry.
Creative Drama
(grades 1-4) Children celebrate their creativity while freeing their voices. Students develop their ideas and engage in problem-solving while exploring movement, voice work, improvisation, theatre games and characters from literature. Working in teams, students will create their own poems and stories that can be brought to life using their new theatrical skills.
Theatre Games & Improvisation
(grades 5-8) Students have fun doing exercises involving group dynamics, imagination, concentration, sensory awareness and physicalization. The who, what, where, when and why of a given situation including goals, tactics, obstacles and relationships are explored in the context of the improvisation.
Acting Stories
(grades 4 –12) Bringing literature to life, short stories, fairy tales, folk tales, rhymes and poetry, Greek myths and fables – you name it and we can stage it. Learn how to incorporate drama into your language arts and English classes so that assigned work has greater impact on all students. Tailored to each grade level.
Acting Shakespeare
(grades 5 –12) HJT actor/teachers get students “up on their feet” in breaking down the mystique of performing Shakespeare. After analyzing a scene from Shakespeare, students paraphrase and update the situation through improvisation and theatre games. The class is then led back on a journey to the written word and setting, thus making the scene approachable and understood by all. Tailored specifically to each grade level.
Bullying and Teasing Prevention
(grades 4-12) Young people of Middle School and High School age are guided to explore and transform “Bullying and Teasing” into empathetic understanding and compassion. Teachers in many schools have requested workshops to address this universal and challenging issue. HJT professionals have trained with Augusto Boal, a renowned expert in utilizing the dynamics of theatre for creating “social change”. HJT professionals have developed workshops that focus on helping students learn an emotional vocabulary. In these experiential workshops HJT presents dramatic techniques in the dynamic model of “forum theatre” that enables students to foster relationships based on mutual respect. Tailored specifically to each grade level.
Exploring Adolescent Health Issues
(grades 5-12) Improvisation is all about making choices. Help your students learn to recognize obstacles to personal freedom. The dynamics of peer pressure, resolving conflict, exploring relationship issues, violence prevention, addiction, alcoholism and environmental health are all topics that lend themselves to dramatic interpretation. This workshop encourages young people to make healthy choices in their own lives. Past workshops have created award winning public service announcements that were aired on TV Channel 18. Tailored specifically to each grade level.
Musical Theatre Workshop
(grades 5-12) Sing and act songs from Broadway musicals, including Rock musicals, an important aspect in the history of American Musical Theatre. Learn how to “sell a song, explore tempos, and Broadway dance styles; all while acting the part!” Have fun becoming a “triple threat” through enhancing your confidence and stage presence. Naturally you will expand your performance opportunities. Tailored specifically to each grade level.
