Drama Theatre Arts Home

Thomas Metcalf School

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

Thornton Wilder— Dramatist 1897-1975

Gertrude and Horton in the 2007 production of SEUSSICAL.

Students at Thomas Metcalf School receive course work in Creative Drama at grades 1-3 and Theatre Arts training in grades 4-8. Creative Drama classes for first through third grades focus on an improvisational, process centered form of theatre in which participants are guided by a leader to imagine, enact and reflect on human experiences. Improvisation is spontaneous and unrehearsed though students enjoy replaying stories and characters they have created for the members of their class. Class time is usually divided into a warm up, brief activity and reflective period. Activities are interpretive in nature and challenge students to express themselves using facial expression, movement and voice.

Fourth through sixth grade students participate in a Theatre Arts course that encompasses learning in all areas of theatre and theatre production. Instruction includes work in play writing, creative drama, acting, directing, costume, set and prop design, sound effects, puppetry and movement. Learning activities range from work from the text “Exploring Theatre” by Nancy Prince and Jeanne Jackson to exercises integrated with subject matter from their core classes. Grades 5 and 6 include study units in theatre design integrated with the annual Allied Arts musical.

Students in 7th grade experience an interdisciplinary course combining Visual Art, Theatre Arts, Dance and Music culminating with an all day trip to the Chicago Art Institute, dinner and a musical theatre production. Their work in Humanities is theme based and addresses art from non Western cultures, diverse historical periods and artistic styles. Eighth graders may enroll in a Theatre Arts elective for one quarter. Work in the elective is designed for each student individually and may focus on one or several areas of the theatre arts.

Students in the Metcalf Creative Drama & Theatre Arts programs are sought out for work in industrial films and educational video production. Graduates of the Fine Art programs at Thomas Metcalf School have gone on to pursue careers in the theatre performance and production, music performance and education, commercial television, film and performance art.

To contact us:

L. Jane Thomley

Creative Drama & Theatre Arts

Thomas Metcalf School

Office Phone: 309-438-2588

Hayden Auditorium: 309-438-8433

Fax: 309-438-2580

E-mail: ljthoml@ilstu.edu

“Are you there?”

-Horton

SEUSSICAL 2007

Text Box: “Exploring Theatre” Text Now On Line! Our textbook for Theatre Arts classes is now accessible on line! Students who wish to access the text to work on vocabulary sheets, reading assignments or just look for more information can access text at http://www.glencoe.com/sec/languagearts/theaterarts/index.html Click on “Exploring Theatre” Click on Student Center In the left column select “Online Student Edition” In the next screen click on “Online Student Edition” Enter this access code students were given in class (pink sheet in their binder) You will need Adobe Acrobat Version 4.05 or later to view the online edition. If you do not have this software you may download it free from #Adobe.com

Text Box: Theatre Links Exploring Theater theatre arts textbook http://www.glencoe.com/sec/languagearts/theaterarts/index.html University High School Thespian Troup #1156 http://www.uhigh.ilstu.edu/thespians/index.htm Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts http://www.cityblm.org/bcd/ Community Players Theatre http://www.communityplayers.org/ Prairie Fire Theatre http://www.prairiefiretheatre.org/ Broadway In Chicago http://www.broadwayinchicago.com/ Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp http://www.bluelake.org/ Interlochen Center for the Arts http://www.interlochen.org/ Northern Illinois University Theatre Arts Camp Junior http://www.niu.edu/extprograms/Summer/TheatreJr.shtml USA Ballet www.usaballet.org

Drama & Visual Art Rotation 2007-08

Students in Creative Drama/Theatre Arts in grades 1-4 rotate with Visual every three weeks.

1st Quarter 8/20 – 10/19

August 20 – September 7

1st & 3rd Visual Art, 2^nd/4^th Drama

September 10 – September 28

1^st/3^rd Drama. 2^nd/4^th Visual Art

October 1 – October 19 1^st/3^rd Visual Art, 2^nd/4^th Drama

2^nd Quarter October 22 – January 11

October 22 – November 9 1^st/3^rd Drama. 2^nd/4^th Visual Art

November 12 – December 7

1^st/3^rd Visual Art, 2^nd/4^th Drama

December 10 – January 11

1^st/3^rd Drama. 2^nd/4^th Visual Art

3^rd Quarter January 14 – March 20

January 14 – February 1

1^st/3^rd Visual Art, 2^nd/4^th Drama

February 4 – February 22

1^st/3^rd Drama. 2^nd/4^th Visual Art

February 25 – March 20

1^st/3^rd Visual Art, 2^nd/4^th Drama

Allied Arts Musical Feb. 21-23

ISATS Feb. 25—March 7

Spring Break March 9 – 16

4^th Quarter March 24 – May 22

March 24 – April 11

1^st/3^rd Drama. 2^nd/4^th Visual Art

April 14 – May 2

1^st/3^rd Visual Art, 2^nd/4^th Drama

May 5 – May 19

1^st/3^rd Drama. 2^nd/4^th Visual Art

Other Dates To Remember

Monday, May 19 – Last day of

Art/Drama for 1^st – 6^th

Wednesday, May 21 – Graduation – AM rehearsal, PM Assembly, Evening Ceremony 7:00 pm

Friday, May 23 – 11:00 dismissal.

Summer Theatre Events!

Bloomington-Normal is full of theatre events this summer. Check out each theatre’s web site for more information

Go see...

Normal Parks and Rec Summer Theatre

Urinetown – Recommended for

Grades 7 and up.

Thoroughly Modern Millie –All ages

Miller Park Summer Theatre

Charlotte’s Web –All ages

Peter Pan—All ages

Community Players Theatre For Young People

Disney’s High School Musical –All ages

Springfield Muni Opera

Hello Dolly—All Ages

All Shook Up— All Ages

The Secret Garden— All Ages

The Music Man—All Ages

Cornstock Theatre—Peoria

Singin’ In The Rain—All ages

The Odd Couple— High School and up

Disney’s Beauty and The Beast—All

A Chorus Line—Mature Audiences

On Golden Pond—High School and up

The Muny—St. Louis

The Producers—13 and up

Disney’s High School Musical—All

My Fair Lady—All

90 Years of Muny Magic—13 and up

Miss Saigon 13 and up

My One And Only - All

Fiddler on the Roof—All

7th Grade Humanities class at The Chicago Art Institute

Text Box: Classroom News updates on what is happening in Creative Drama & Theatre Arts Classes First Grade—1st grade will return to Drama on Monday, April 28 for their last 3 weeks of school. During this time we will be working with Mrs. Zawatski to prepare a movement interpretation of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons: Spring. As part of their presentation 1st graders will portray flowers, bees, butterflies, wind, rain and sunshine. The presentation will be performed during morning assembly on May 13. Second Grade— 2nd graders will end their time in Drama on Wednesday, May 1. During this block we have worked with puppets and explored the characters from the barnyard in Charlotte’s Web. Third Grade— 3rd graders are working in a Puppetry Workshop format linking their 3D sculptures to puppet performance. They are working in small groups to improvise a play that uses character types from classic fairy tales. Each group must have 1 character from each of the following groupings: Peasant/townfolk, Magical, Animal and Enchanted Object. They were divided into teams and are selecting characters from a menu of choices. Puppets are paper construction with movable mouths. Performances of their plays will be in class May 5—16. Fourth grade—Fourth graders are also in Puppetry Workshop. They are adapting classic European Fairy Tales into plays to be performed with hand and shadow puppets. Performances will be Art and Theatre Arts classes beginning May 5. Be on the lookout at home for interesting buttons, trims and decorative accents for the puppet costumes. Fifth Grade –5B is in Theatre Arts for the last quarter. We are currently working on a stage adaptation of THE THREE QUESTIONS. The story is adapted from a short story by Leo Tolstoy in which the main character asks 3 essential questions. When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? The class will perform their work at an upcoming morning assembly. We will continue our work on acting and issue based theatre with a dramatization of the classic STONE SOUP. Sixth Grade—Sixth graders are working on adaptations of Greek Myths as part of their study in theatre history. They will be working in teams to dramatize a myth to be performed for an invited audience near the end of May. 7th Grade—Please see the Humanities page for detailed information on this course.

Richard Harding Bush in rehearsal .

Auditions require concentration, expression, energy and focus!

Design & technical work uses problem solving and teamwork to get the job done!

Sound designers use the computer to research and record music for the production.

SUPERMAN PHOTO CDS TO BE DISTRIBUTED!

The Best of It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superman photo cds will be distributed to those who pre-ordered the week of May 11. Extra copies will be available the last week of school. If you ordered a cd please come to the auditorium and pick up your copy from Ms. Thomley after Tuesday, May 13.

A limited number of copies of last year’s SEUSSICAL cd are also available. Please see Ms. Thomley for more information.