Creative Drama & Acting
Grades K-12

Winter/Spring
Course Offerings 2009

Classes at Imagination Stage progress through two related, but different genres: Creative Drama and Acting. While they share foundational skills, their shape, scope and goals are different.

From Kindergarten through grade 3, students work within the world of Creative Drama, a nonperformance, process-centered medium, in which dramatic activities (as well as music and visual art) are used to foster personal growth and teamwork. Classes encourage students to create and share through structured, active, open-ended, physical and vocal exploration.

Classes for grades 4 through 12 continue to work on the creative process, but begin to focus on acting and the actor’s tools: body, voice, mind and imagination. Training evolves into the specific process of approaching both the rehearsal and performance experience through the acquisition and application of high-level technique.

Please note: All listed classes are available for registration EXCEPT for those noted as "Closed". Website information is updated every day, at least once.

Grades K–1

Creative Drama
Students use their bodies, voices, minds and imaginations to explore both classic and contemporary stories. Classes encourage creative expression and promote confidence and self-esteem while working on skills such as active listening and sharing. Connections to stories are made through dramatic play, music, movement and visual art. <<back to top>>

Create a Story
Students explore the structure of dramatic stories by using familiar folktales and fairytales as the basis for building new stories. They bring the stories to life, using the actor’s tools of the body, voice, mind and imagination. Students learn to improvise, gain an understanding of character and environment as well as develop personal confidence and the ability to work in a group. <<back to top>>

Stories on Stage
This class builds on the skills developed in “Create a Story” and extends the student’s understanding of story structureand the ability to make physical and vocal character choices. Other skills addressed include communication, social awareness, and simple performance techniques. Previous acting/singing experience required. <<back to top>>

Drama & Music
Creative dramatics and music activities are integrated in this fusion class. Students develop expressiveness, awareness, coordination, rhythm, flexibility and balance through an active exploration of stories and songs blended with movement and visual art. <<back to top>>

Grades 2–3

Mystery Theatre on Stage
Extending the work done in “Mystery Theatre,” students craft characters within the context of devised mysteries and developed stories as a group. In this process, students gain a greater understanding of story structure and given circumstances while increasing their ability to take risks, share ideas and work in an ensemble.
Previous acting/singing experience required.
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Create a Character
In this challenging class, students work on developing characters within the context of a familiar story. Students are encouraged to make physical and vocal choices, to develop simple character biographies and are introduced to the concept of character motivation while learning to work in an ensemble, communicate ideas and take direction.
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Characters on Stage
Building on the work done in “Create a Character,” students craft characters within the context of devised stories developed in a collaborative process guided bythe instructor. Students gain a greater understanding of story structure and given circumstances while increasing their ability to take risks, share ideas and work in an ensemble.
Previous acting/singing experience required.
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Grades 4–5

Improvisation
This class introduces students to a style of acting that encourages spontaneous character and conflict choices. Students work with theatre games and short form scenes which address important theatre skills such as listening, clarity, confidence, timing and team-work to develop intuitive and exciting performers. <<back to top>>

Acting (Inter.)
This class is recommended for returning students with a basic knowledge of acting and stage technique. Students use scene work to focus on creating relationships on stage.
Previous acting/singing experience required. <<back to top>>

Scene Study
This class is recommended for returning students with an intermediate to advanced knowledge of acting and stage technique. Students use scene work to further advance their acting technique, including creating relationships on stage, nuanced character development and clear lines of action.
Previous acting/singing experience required. <<back to top>>

FUNdamentals of Acting
This fun skill-based class is designed to introduce young actors to a technique for creating sustainable and believable characters for the stage. The class focuses on building ensemble, listening skills and creativity using basic text work. <<back to top>>

Tweens and Teens
Grades 6-12

The Shakespeare Project
This class is the culmination of a two-semester commitment. Students work on an abridged version of The Tempest for an April performance. In the fall semester, students focused on the classical style of acting and the exploration of the characters, emphasizing vocal and physical clarity and strength. Students explored the elements of Shakespeare’s texts, such as verse, meter and poetic devices while refining the actor’s process through acting exercises, text analysis and scene-work. In the spring, students work specifically on creating a performance piece of The Tempest to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday.
Registration requires permission of the mentor.
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Visual Theatre
This class is taught by deaf and hearing professional teaching artists and focuses on the genre of visual theatre. Students learn how to communicate information, emotions, and relationships through a variety of elements including movement, image work, traditional mime, gesture, sign language and masks. This class and the work produced in it is totally accessible to both hearing and deaf students. <<back to top>>

FUNdamentals of Acting
This exciting skill-based class is designed to introduce young actors to a technique for creating sustainable and believable characters for the stage. The class focuses on building ensemble, listening skills and creativity using basic text work.
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Acting (Inter.)
This skill-based class is designed to build on the work done by young actors who have taken FUNdamentals. Students continue to develop their understanding of characters and relationships on stage, working with text in a more in-depth way. This class is recommended for students interested in the Acting Conservatory.
Previous acting/singing experience required.
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Improvisation
This class introduces students to a style of acting that encourages spontaneous character and conflict choices. Students work with theatre games and short form scenes which address important theatre skills such as listening, clarity, confidence, timing and teamwork to develop intuitive and exciting performers.
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Teen Improv. Troupe
This class takes students on an exploration of character creation, storytelling and the nature of ensemble work, all while honing a rapierlike wit. Students work on developing listening skills, spontaneity and creativity which they then unleash on an unsuspecting audience. Acceptance by interview/audition only.
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Acting
This class introduces teens to sophisticated concepts of acting for the stage, such as dramatic action, given circumstances and text analysis. Students explore guided improvisations, group exercises and open scenes, while creating truthful moments, specific character choices and learning to work as an ensemble.
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Workshops

Comedy & Clowning
What makes us laugh? Why do jokes bomb? Utilizing training techniques from the realms of Improv, Sketch Comedy, Clown, Stand-up, Commedia dell’ Arte, Vaudeville, and Classical Theatre, explore the art, science, and silliness of comic acting. Serious fun!!!
Permission required, contact mentor. <<back to top>>

Audition Prep
This intensive workshop focuses on the selection and preparation of appropriate material for middle, high school and college auditions. For an additional fee, students may schedule time with the filmmaking department to have their monologues recorded on VHS or DVD. <<back to top>>

Acting for the Camera
This workshop teaches students how to adapt from stage to screen, exploring all types of camera work (feature films, commercials, sitcoms, one-hour episodics, etc.). Students spend time in front of the camera working with exercises and texts from commercial, film and TV scenes. <<back to top>>

Shakespeare without Fear
This exciting workshop introduces students to techniques for fearlessly approaching Shakespeare’s texts—including explorations of verse, prose and rhetorical devices as tools to discover character and action. <<back to top>>

Directing: A Crash Course!
This workshop is for the student interested in directing or understanding what a director is saying about their own work. This class explores the overall role of the director and specific skill sets: scene break down, blocking and staging and organizing the rehearsal process.
Permission required, contact mentor. <<back to top>>

Fight Choreography
An exciting and stimulating introduction to the techniques of stage fighting. Students will learn the principles of safe physical interaction on stage by working on pre-choreographed fights (hand-to-hand and basic weaponry). This challenging workshop develops physical discipline, focus and concentration.
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Classes begin January 17. Late registration is subject to availability and suitability of the class.

Questions?
Contact your mentor:

Grades K-1
Julie Schroeder
301.280.1638
jschroeder@imaginationstage.org
Grades 2–3
Chad Dike
301.280.1663
cdike@imaginationstage.org
Grades 4–5
Nikki Kaplan
301.280.1624
nkaplan@imaginationstage.org
Grades 6–8
David Markey
301.280.1646
dmarkey@imaginationstage.org
Grades 9–12
Madeleine Burke
301.280.1642
mburke@imaginationstage.org

Imagination Stage
Students learn:
Grades K–3:

• Communication Skills
• Social Skills
• Active Listening
  Rhythm
• Melody
• Problem Solving Skills
• Confidence
• Empathy

Grades 4–5:

• Motivation
• Acting Technique
• Appreciation of History
  and Culture
• Concentration
• Confidence

Teens:

• Acting
• Stage technique
• Articulation of Feelings
  and Ideas
• Relaxation
• Concentration