During the 2014-2015 school year 5th Graders created and performed their show "Time Chasers". The original brainstorm for this show was when the students were in fourth grade. We asked them to come up with characters, places, events, problems and ways to solve those problems. As students brainstorm the arts teachers gather all the ideas and start to combine, mix and find a story within their ideas. We looked for common or repeating themes to help drive the direction of the show. Our theatre teacher, Megan Firis, writes the majority of the script with some brainstorming and help from students and the arts team.
In 5th grade the students participate in try outs and rank four theatre jobs - Actor, Musician, Dance, and Set Design. After everyone has had a chance to audition that wants a chance, the arts teachers get together and divide students into their Production Jobs. This takes a lot of time, as many students could be successful in more than one job.
Once students are assigned a job - once a week for 50 minutes they report to those jobs and start working on difference aspects of the show.
Actors: Learn lines (expression, volume, timing), blocking (where to stand on stage and how to get there), cues
Musician: Compose original compositions.
Dance: Choreograph original dances.
Set Design: Compose backgrounds and different props.
Once jobs are underway students will sometimes be asked if they would like a second job - these jobs are anything from joining the chorus, running lights, spots, curtains, and/or prop manager.
Students then rehearse after school a few times as a large group to put all their hard work together - it often looks like organized chaos in the beginning. Slowly and surely everything fits just as planned.
In 5th grade the students participate in try outs and rank four theatre jobs - Actor, Musician, Dance, and Set Design. After everyone has had a chance to audition that wants a chance, the arts teachers get together and divide students into their Production Jobs. This takes a lot of time, as many students could be successful in more than one job.
Once students are assigned a job - once a week for 50 minutes they report to those jobs and start working on difference aspects of the show.
Actors: Learn lines (expression, volume, timing), blocking (where to stand on stage and how to get there), cues
Musician: Compose original compositions.
Dance: Choreograph original dances.
Set Design: Compose backgrounds and different props.
Once jobs are underway students will sometimes be asked if they would like a second job - these jobs are anything from joining the chorus, running lights, spots, curtains, and/or prop manager.
Students then rehearse after school a few times as a large group to put all their hard work together - it often looks like organized chaos in the beginning. Slowly and surely everything fits just as planned.