Showing Play: 8 Suggestions for a productive Drama Showing Time of day.

 I simply came ultimately back from an end-of-semester drama presentation at an area elementary school. If you run a drama program, you're familiar with this particular opportunity for parents to come and see what their kids have already been working on.

Parents are excited to see their kids, kids are excited to own their parents see them, and the drama teacher is nervous ensuring things run smoothly and everyone walks away happy and appreciative.imlie Today Episode

Having led hundreds of these myself, I started thinking about what I'm are some helpful tips which will make your drama presentation as successful as you are able to:

1. Be Organized

This might seem like wise practice, but it's so important so it needs mentioning. Parents don't desire to view a fumbling teacher, and kids will get antsy if they don't have specific direction. Be sure you have thought through and written out the exact order of events, and how much time you anticipate each event to take. Within each event ensure you've written who will soon be participating, the order of participation, etc. If you're playing drama games, plan ahead of time who you will call up for each one, and let them know in advance. If you're feeling more adventurous, put every student's name in a hat, and explain to the audience that you will be choosing students' at random from the hat for the different games until all the names are called.imlie Today Episode

2. Keep it short

Keep your welcome greeting under a minute. Cover how excited you are to talk about what you've been working on, the target that the class has been working toward, what they're planning to see, and a short personal tidbit about the program. Allow the activities, games and scenes speak for themselves as much as possible. Keep the experience descriptions to a sentence or two, or better yet when you yourself have older kids ask them to introduce each game (let them know ahead of time to allow them to practice).

3. Keep it positive.

Don't ever apologize for things not being as polished as they may be due to not enough time or resources. Instead mention how impressed you are with what the youngsters accomplished in such little time. If you know a specific activity or scene will probably be considered a little rough, introduce it just as you would any other. Then jump in and give the youngsters support as they need it.

4. Ensure the youngsters know what to expect.

I suggest having the full dry run-through of the "sharing day" just one session beforehand, or before the parents arrive. The youngsters should know the order of events and when it's their turn to participate. Consider printing several copies of the "itinerary" and posting them stage right and left where in actuality the actors could see them but the audience can't.

5. Have clean transitions.

The moments after having a high-energy activity are probably the most crucial moments to keep control of the environment. Simply telling your children as their laughing and talking "please go back to your seats" does NOT cut it. Instantly regain their focus, then provide them with specific timed instructions. "Everyone have a breathe in, breathe out, silently head back again to your seats in 3 counts. 3... 2... 1. I'd now like to introduce... "

6. Harness the silly/Harness the talking

Along exactly the same lines, ensure the youngsters know it is not OK to talk during a game title or activity unless specifically instructed to do so. When parents come in the audience it is natural for kids to wish to be little hams, cracking jokes with friends, going for easy laughs. It's the greatest challenge of the drama teacher to concentrate this energy into creative character/acting choices. There's more leniency with this when the youngsters are very young (K-2nd grade). However as students grow through your program their acting should noticeably mature. These sharing presentation are an effective way to show that to the parents.

7. Ensure every kid has something special to do.

If you're doing scenes, and kids have individual lines, the first thing a parent is going to do after hearing several kids speak is anxiously await his/her kid to speak. It's completely acceptable to give the older, heightened kids bigger roles in the presentation, but ensure every child has one or more moment to stay the spotlight.

8. Finish with a bang.

End the presentation with a game title, activity or song that you realize may have everyone leaving with a giant smile on the face. Even though you might be within an informal environment, choreograph a clear simple bow by the ensemble at the end.