Life and Career Skills -- If theatre represents life then to study theatre is to study life. Whenever a play is being performed Life Skills are being explored through the themes and characterizations of the play. Add to this the fact that students can take their experiences at these festivals and put them toward a career in the arts through networking, resume building and performance based evaluation.
Learning and Innovation Skills -- Innovation, or to create, is at the heart of anything artistic. A student must learn from others and sometimes create for themselves all aspects of a play. From learning how to speak with a proper English accent in Pygmalion, to exploring how to move like the deformed Elephant Man, to creating the fake blood that stains the hands of MacBeth, when students do theatre, they learn and create what they need to put on a memorable show.
Information, Media & Technology Skills -- Whenever a student prepares a character, or a stage crew prepares to build a set, research is the key to making that character believable and that set realistic. Students in theatre have to develop information, media and technology skills to accomplish their goal of putting on a play.
Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes -- You've heard of the 3 R's: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Theatre gives you them and more. You have to read and understand the script to perform it. You have to write down your blocking and notes and production schedules. You have to do the math to build the set or work out your production budget. You have to know the historical context of your play to get your costumes right. You have to know the science before you write a science fiction play or produce a tech project.
Standards and Assessments -- The WV Theatre Festival gives teachers and students another venue of assessment by having their artistic work adjudicated by an outside professional and neutral judge that will give them honest feedback.
Curriculum and Instruction -- Teachers can create new and unusual ways for students to learn their curriculum by joining together the production of a play to what students need to learn for their classes. Please refer to THE TEACHER'S GREEN ROOM for more information and ideas.
Professional Development -- One of the best ways to train teachers is to learn from other teachers. The WV Theatre Festival gives theatre teachers, instructors and coaches the means to network, interact and develop professional relationships not only with each other, but also with WV college and university representatives and theatre professionals.
Learning Environments -- The WV Theatre Festival is a unique and different learning environment that educates students by experiencing the work of other students from across the state. In addition, students and teachers participate in workshops led by professionals in the entertainment industry that provide unique learning opportunities outside the mainstream school curriculum.
Click here to learn more about 21st Century Learning Skills
Click here to learn more about how to sign up to participate!
