Episode 2 - Design: Sets and Lighting

This is a video about the set design for Shrek The Musical! Enjoy!

Threadbanger: Interview with Costume Designer Susan Hilferty

This is a video interview with the costume designer for Wicked the Broadway Musical! Enjoy

Web Evaluations

Drama and English Literature Website Evaluations

1. Name of Web Site: NCTE National Council of Teachers of English; A Professional Association of Educators in English Studies, Literacy, and Language Arts
2. Website Address: http://www.ncte.org
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is 1998-2011. It does not list a last update, but it is easy to see that the site is continuously updated with new information.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: Although I was not able to find one specific author for the whole site, the organization is the National Council of Teachers of English. This site appears to be maintained by this organization.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: At first, the web site seemed a bit daunting. There is just so much information, which is a good thing. I wasn’t sure where to go first. I liked that there were different sections for different age levels including elementary, middle, secondary, and college levels. The ability to browse specific things for your grade level is an amazing feature. Unfortunately when you select that set of grade levels, there’s not an option to click immediately to a different one. To go from elementary to secondary sections, I would have to go back through the main home page. Luckily that “home” button is available on every page.
I also liked the menu bar constantly at the top. Although the drop down menus were a bit confusing, this was nonetheless helpful. I probably would have organized it a bit differently. For instance, I probably would have put standards and position statements under “About Us” and not necessarily under “Resources.”
The design overall had a very professional format. I appreciated the seriousness of the web site’s look. It made me feel that the information had more credibility even though I knew it was a credible source.
6. Response and recommendation for use: Although I have never used this web site before, I thoroughly enjoyed perusing this site and learning about all the wonderful resources available there. I’m sure I will use it in my professional development by becoming a member, utilizing the helpful resources and perhaps even attending conferences to help me learn even more about successfully engaging my students in literature and the language arts. There is also a “shop” section that I’m sure I’ll utilize to buy books, web seminars, journals, etc. This general education web site will most definitely benefit me as I continue on in my teaching career, and although I wouldn’t have students use it unless in very specific cases, I nonetheless will frequent it in the future.
1. Name of Web Site: Drama Resource
2. Website Address: http://www.dramaresource.com
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright is 2010, and even though there is no last update listed, it is easy to see by the course places that the website is updated frequently.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: The author under whose name the site is copyrighted is David Farmer who has written books and articles on drama, and has directed as well. His email address and a phone number are listed for questions concerning the courses offered.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: The web site design is typical for a drama person. Although it is still professional, it is also fun. The sides resemble the wood flooring in old theatres, and the pictures and graphics add to the overall aesthetic of the web site. I enjoyed the special look of the page overall. It had an almost blog feel to it if that makes sense. I was immediately drawn in by the navigable yet “pretty” site. And as my costume design teacher has always told me, “Theatre is about making things look pretty.”
As for ease of navigation, I couldn’t ask for it to be easier. Even though there is quite a lot of information available, it is broken down into extremely manageable pieces with resources right there at the tip of your fingers. There are many theatre games that are categorized for different learning objectives. In theatre, games are actually useful tools for learning. There is also a section titled “strategies.” Upon further examination I discovered many strategies for developing character, and really reaching inside students to find their acting potential. This is an enormous tool for teaching. There are lesson ideas, resources and ways to acquire more help through the support section. Also, there is a list of conferences and workshops designed to teach teachers how to use some of these tools.
Overall, the design and absolute ease of use have made me wish I had known about this web site at the beginning of the year. It is creative and very useful. I can’t wait to put some of these ideas to use in my classroom.
6. Response and recommendation for use: I’m afraid my response is already obvious from my glowing description of the design and ease of navigation. The content is wonderful! There are lessons using literature and storytelling to get the students involved. One example is using a book called Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Any way to add literature to the curriculum is wonderful. There is a game of the week that spotlights a new idea for an engaging theatre game. Games can be used to break the ice, as warm ups, to enhance group dynamics, and to encourage creativity. There are so many ways to utilize this website. I plan of gaining new and exciting ideas to really reach out to my students and make learning fun. These useful sources will be making several appearances in my future classroom for sure.

1. Name of Web Site: Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
2. Website Address: http://www.tcte.org
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is 2007-2010. There isn’t a last update listed, but it looks very up to date with dates for next year’s conference already available.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: There is no specific author listed, but the copyright is through the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. Their address, phone number, and email are available for further questions. Also there is a long list of board members with contact information and their jobs listed as well.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: This website too is very professional. The design is nondescript, and it doesn’t distract. The neutral colors give it a calm tone, even if they do make it a bit boring. The home page lacks much to be desired in grabbing the attention of the user. Better headings, colors, and less white space would help make it more pleasing to the eye. Even if I didn’t know it was a credible source, it looks professional and credible.
As for ease of navigation, there is again a lot of information and there are many different pages to explore. It is almost as if there are too many items on the tool bar at the top. I think it would have been better if one of the two top menus were to be placed on the side. It would give depth to the home page and would help the web site less top heavy. I don’t like that there are no drop down menus from the main menu at the top of the web page. This would make navigation much simpler and take some of the guess work out of it.
6. Response and recommendation for use: I’m sure it is quite obvious that I did not have as great of a response to this web site initially. This is a very Member based site. So I don’t know if I can give it its due. I plan to consider membership in the future because I do believe it is a useful if not directly in the classroom then definitely for professional development. I’d like to do some more research before I become a member. The site is very informative about the organization, its objectives and purpose. I do respect these objectives and think this organization has a worthy goal.
As for recommendation for use, I didn’t find a way to use it directly in the classroom, but as I continue in my career and growth as an educator, I think that professional development is very important. I would make use of discussions, newsletters, and conferences to make sure I am up to date on everything I can do to make literacy growth in Texas happen. Literacy is so very important, and I know that this organization will help me help my students become better readers and writers by networking with other teachers, researching, and transforming the way we educate. This is the way I plan to utilize this site and grow as an educator.

1. Name of Web Site: Education World, The Educator’s Best Friend
2. Website Address: http://educationworld.com/
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is listed as 1996-2010. There is no last update listed, but it is obvious that it is updated frequently.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: There’s not one specific author listed, but the copyright is through Education World, Inc. They list the addresses for both the office and headquarters of Education World, Inc. in the “About Us” section of the web site. It has received several awards and recognitions from credible sources such as parenting journals and USA Today.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: The design of this website is fun, the graphics and colors immediately grab the attention of the user. There is quite a lot going on though. I appreciate the fact that this website is completely free for teachers use, and that the way the probably keep it that way is by putting advertisements everywhere, but those advertisements are distracting and a nuisance. The first thing I saw upon clicking on the link was a pop up for Microsoft Office. I know I hate that kind of thing and I’m sure it annoys others too. Even so, I think the overall actual design of the web site is good.
As for ease of navigation, this web site is very user friendly. There are wonderful drop down menus from the main menu at the top that really help put things in perspective. The creative names for the sections help define their purpose. For instance “marketplace” is where you would go to buy school supplies, books and downloads. There is even a “free offers” sub section. There is also a site guide that makes navigation super easy. Each individual sub section has its own link that makes it easy to find what you are looking for.
6. Response and recommendation for use: Even if the advertisements did annoy me, I found this site to be a wonderful resource. I have used this site in previous classes and it really is a wonderful tool. Even though I had used this site before, I realized as I started this project that I had only skimmed the surface when using it before. There is so much information; so many ideas to explore that one could utilize this source almost exclusively. Not that using just one resource is ever recommended, but you get the picture.
As for recommendation for use, where do I begin? There are lesson plans, worksheets, clipart options, free newsletters, supplies, and much more. This web site could be used for professional development, research and inspiration. There is a whole section on technology integration and a contest going on right now to promote safer classrooms. There are articles on school issues and so much more useful information that a new teacher like me can soak up. Teachers have to continue to learn, and I think this website helps teachers do just that.

1. Name of Web Site: Choice Literacy: Come for the Resources, Stay for the Inspiration
2. Website Address: http://www.choiceliteracy.com
3. Copyright date and/or last update: The copyright date is 2006-2011. Although there is no last update listed, it is obvious that this site is well-maintained.
4. Author/Organization Credentials: The organization listed in the copyright is choiceliteracy.com. However it is also mentioned that the site is powered by MemberGate Membership site software. There is no specific author listed.
5. Web site Design and ease of navigation: This web site is extremely well designed. It may be simple, but for this website, its simplicity works. The colors contrast just enough to give it some depth, while still looking professional and credible. There are photographs and graphics that enhance the look of the web site and bring some much needed color. The video on the home page adds depth as well. The only thing that bothers me is farther down on the home page. There are several article, videos and podcast topics listed, but the box around the section is very narrow and only utilizes a portion of the screen.
Again this is a member based web site. I’m sure it would be much easier to navigate if I were a member, but there are parts of the web site I couldn’t explore. I think it’s a wonderful source and wouldn’t hesitate to become a member when I become a public school teacher. There aren’t a lot of sub sections, so the main menu really is all that’s needed. I do like that there is also a side menu of other information as well. Altogether, this web site is easy to navigate and I’m sure even more so for members of the organization.
6. Response and recommendation for use: My response to this web site was extremely good. The video was inspirational and caught my attention. The number of resources was staggering and I respect the fact that the resources come from fellow teachers who spend most of their time in the classroom, not “professionals” who haven’t stepped foot inside a classroom in years. I got excited about membership and hope I am lucky enough to have access to it through my school district. If not, I will encourage my school district to purchase a site license for all of their teachers. This tool will help us stay up to date and on track.
As for my recommendation for use, I believe I would use this site every day in my classroom. For planning lessons, locating multiple resources, and keeping up to date on the latest articles and videos, this site really is a wonderful answer. I love that you can log in from any computer and therefore have access to all of this web site’s tools at home or at school. This is extremely helpful when I’ll probably be driving at least 20 miles to work.

Reading Response Log

Literature in the Theatre Classroom
Rationale:
Trade books can be a wonderful tool in the classroom. Especially in a theatre classroom where textbooks just don’t cut it. Reading is so very important in a theatre classroom as my students must be able to read their lines in order to say them, and even more so to actually “act” them. Also, there is a lot of difficult literature in the theatre world. Shakespeare cannot be taught in a day, and using some of my selected trade books will help me get his point across.
I have actually chosen six trade books to use in my classroom. Because I am getting certified to teach K-12, I have included books for a plethora of age groups. Surprisingly only one of them is nonfiction. One is a collection of plays I could use at any grade level, and the rest are fictional books about the theatre and Shakespeare.
My hope is that not only will these books provide me with supplemental materials, but they will also nurture a love of reading in my students, and get them interested in the subject matter in creative ways. It takes different approaches to reach different children, and these trade books will hopefully be able to do just that.
I have always taken my reading abilities for granted. I loved to read as a child and enjoyed Shakespeare at an early age. Until recently, I had not realized how difficult it can be for a child who isn’t confident in his or her reading abilities. I teach after school theatre classes at a community theatre. My oldest students are twelve years old. Most of the first semester was working mainly on improvisation and learning about the theatre. I’m introducing scripts this semester and I have been shocked at the reading levels of some of my student. One gifted boy stumbled over even simple lines which caused him great embarrassment. He kept apologizing for missing words or mixing up phrases. It broke my heart to watch him stumble in a subject matter he usually excels in. This experience has given me a firm resolve to continue to help him and my future students learn to love to read and give them the tools they need to be successful readers.
1. Title: The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard
2. Author/Illustrator: Gregory Rodgers
3. Publisher/Copyright: Roaring Book Press 2004
4. ISBN Number: 1596430095
5. Genre: Fiction
6. Current Library Location: Canyon Area Library
7. Brief Summary: In this picture book, a young boy from our times gets transported into Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in Elizabethan London. He is chased by The Bard himself because the boy interrupts his play. The boy releases a bear from a lineup of bear baitings who becomes the boy’s companion. Together, the boy and the bear help a Baron escape from the tower of London where he awaits his death. They then climb aboard a boat with the Queen herself where the Baron strikes up a romance with her majesty. Wackiness ensues until the boy returns to the globe and home to our times.
8. In-depth Personal Response: This book says so much in illustrations. I love the characters created, and the historical value as well. Although very fanciful, the idea is marvelous and creative enough to hold the attention of small children and adults alike.
9. Suggested Use in Classroom: I would use this book in my lower elementary school classes. Getting a book in their hands, even if they can’t read yet, and making those experiences good ones has a lot to do with later reading enjoyment. I would also play games with the story line, perhaps acting it out or playing the “what if” game; what if the bear was a ballerina bear and so forth. Basically I aim to get their imaginations working. This book also introduces the concept of Shakespeare to more discovery learning. We would talk about the clothes they wore and why they are different from what we wear today.
1. Title: Junie B. First Grader Shipwrecked
2. Author/Illustrator: Barbara Park/ Denise Brunkus
3. Publisher/Copyright: Random House Inc. 2004
4. ISBN Number: 0375828044
5. Genre: Fiction
6. Current Library Location: Canyon Area Library
7. Brief Summary: In this book, the beloved Junie B. Jones gets to help Room 1 put on a play about Christopher Columbus for Parent Night. She gets to be the Pinta, one of the ships Columbus sailed with. The Pinta, Junie learns, is the fastest ship and so that is the part for her since the fastest must be the star! Unfortunately one of her classmates decides the Santa Maria (her part) must be more important because that was the ship Columbus rode in. Their fighting almost ruins the play, but Junie learns several important lessons.
8. In-depth Personal Response: I have always loved the Junie B. Jones series and couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered she had her début on stage. Her antics and constant chatter reminds me of students I have this year who although sometimes difficult to handle, have so much potential and creativity with the added bonus of giving us a giggle now and then that I just can’t help but love them. This book deals with some of the questions youngsters have about plays. Yes, they are very exciting, but who is the “star” of the show? What happens when disaster strikes on stage? And how to work together to celebrate in the end.
9. Suggested Use in Classroom: I would love to use this book in my mid-elementary classes. It teaches an important lesson about the theatre being a place of collaboration (teamwork) and no part is more important than another. Also, it teaches the old adage “the show must go on!” Since it is a chapter book with short chapters, it would be a good activity to get the kids reading aloud which is imperative in theatre. I would have them go around the room and each read a sentence or paragraph and go through at least a chapter a day depending on the age group.
1. Title: Who Was William Shakespeare?
2. Author/Illustrator: Celeste Davidson Mannis/ John O’Brian
3. Publisher/Copyright: Grosset and Dunlap 2006
4. ISBN Number: 0448439042
5. Genre: Non Fiction (Biography)
6. Current Library Location: Canyon Area Library
7. Brief Summary: This book is a wonderful biography about William Shakespeare! It starts with Shakespeare’s childhood using facts gleaned about the time to paint a picture of what his life might have really been like. It goes all the way through his death; with important historical facts that really give depth to the information we know specifically about the Bard.
8. In-depth Personal Response: I have been studying Shakespeare since Junior High and knew several things about him before then, but I actually felt like I knew more about the man himself from this simple read. The facts were put together in such a way as to be very interesting, not boring like some biographies, and random facts were thrown in here and there about phrases Shakespeare invented, Queen Elizabeth and the Black Death that really added to the overall story.
9. Suggested Use in Classroom: Where would I not use this book in the classroom? I probably wouldn’t do a whole lot of Shakespeare reading in my early elementary classes, but I would begin letting my students get to know about him. I would even use this book in my high school classes when covering a Shakespeare unit. I would probably begin the unit with this book in both high school and junior high levels.
1. Title: Macbeth
2. Author/Illustrator: Arthur Byron Cover/ Tony Leonard Tamai
3. Publisher/Copyright: Penguin Group 2005
4. ISBN Number: 0142404098
5. Genre: Fiction (Graphic Novel)
6. Current Library Location: Canyon Area Library
7. Brief Summary: This book is a modernized graphic novel of Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth. This is the story of how a man and wife’s greed for power leads them to murder and deceit. When evil witches tell Macbeth, a Scottish Lord, that he is to become king, he takes his fate into his own hands and with the help of his calculating wife, murders the current king and frames others for his deed. When the king’s heir flees the country, the throne goes to the king’s cousin Lord Macbeth, but the guilt and evil of their deeds catch up to the Macbeth’s and their reign over Scotland comes to a bloody end.
8. In-depth Personal Response: It is very fanciful and very science fiction throughout with flying dragon-like creatures for horses and the three witches look more like robots. The actual Shakespeare is often hard to follow if one is not accustomed to iambic pentameter and the language of his time, but this graphic novel continues to use some of the original text plus wonderful illustrations to tell this tragic tale. It’s a horrible story, but that book made it an interesting, and short read.
9. Suggested Use in Classroom: Ask any junior high or high school student and they’ll tell you they dread Shakespeare in their English classes. The old language is hard to understand and today’s students get bored with all the flowery language. They want quick action they are accustomed to on TV. I would assign this novel as a supplemental work while studying Shakespeare. This fun way to learn his stories might just make my junior high boys actually enjoy the work of the Bard.
1. Title: Enter Three Witches
2. Author/Illustrator: Caroline B. Cooney
3. Publisher/Copyright: Scholastic Press 2007
4. ISBN Number: 9780439711562
5. Genre: Fiction
6. Current Library Location: Canyon Area Library
7. Brief Summary: This book is about a fictional character that was not in the original play. Her name is Mary and she is a ward of Lord and Lady Macbeth. Her father was the original Thane of Cawdor until he committed treason to the crown and that title was passed to Macbeth. As the good king Duncan is murdered and Macbeth becomes king, her whole world changes as three witches seem to be out to get her. She overhears many things she shouldn’t and soon discovers that Macbeth is the murderer. As the killing continues, she does her best to remain loyal to Scotland and her heart.
8. In-depth Personal Response: I absolutely loved this book! The characters are well thought out and even the Macbeth’s are almost pitied in the end. I could not put the book down! What a way to learn Shakespeare! This story is told from a fourteen year old girl’s point of view and we only hear bits and pieces of the Macbeth’s soliloquies, but nonetheless, the story is beautifully told with magic and prayers; good conquers evil. I would have loved to have this resource when I was trudging though Macbeth the first time!
9. Suggested Use in Classroom: Again, I would use this to help teach the plot line. The graphic novel was more for action loving comic book lovers, but for those that want a bit more detailed description that’s just as exciting, I’d have them read this book. I may not use the whole thing for the whole class. I would suggest it to certain students, and use bits of it to convey important scenes from the play. We would read those parts aloud in class as a transition to fully reading the broken iambic pentameter the crazed hero and his lady use.
1. Title: Acting Out
2. Author/Illustrator: Avi
3. Publisher/Copyright: Atheneum Books For Young Readers 2008
4. ISBN Number: 1416938486
5. Genre: Fiction (Drama)
6. Current Library Location: Canyon Area Library
7. Brief Summary: This book is a compilation of several plays written by Newbery authors. The Bad Room details the happenings in an after school detention class with a wide variety of characters and happenings. The second is a fictional story of Edgar Allen Poe in a modern editor’s office discussion his manuscript The Raven. The Billionaire and the Bird is a modernized version of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Nightingale, and so forth and so on.
8. In-depth Personal Response: Each play is appropriate for elementary to high school students but are also well written and have some depth. They were all very unique and not just a bunch of fluff. I really enjoyed all the plays and am actually going to use two of them with my older students in my after school theatre classes.
9. Suggested Use in Classroom: Many of the plays I’ve found that are appropriate for elementary student work in the classroom are very cheesy and have little dramatic value. This book is different and I plan to use scenes, monologues and entire plays from this book to teach many different things, like how to do better cold reads and auditions and full out plays with costumes, sets, and the whole nine yards.