CONFERENCE SCHEDULE | 8
Student Voice Takes Center Stage Track : High School Presenters : Dr . Patricia Payne & Bridgit Artis Location : Lucerne 3 ( Lucerne Level ) – Swissotel Chicago
This session is designed for those who are in a district that does not have a systemic event , such as a theatre festival , for theatre students to network , perform , compete , and attend master classes . It will demonstrate a way to give students voice in their learning community and school , by providing these opportunities . Attendees will walk away with a completed template that can be used for planning a theatre festival , that highlights student voice and informs theatre education planning .
Suitcase of Possibility . Devising Journey with a Plethora of Possibilities . Track : High School Presenter : Jennifer Reif Location : Zermatt / Gstaad ( Lucerne Level ) – Swissotel Chicago
Imagine a suitcase filled with 5 objects . To whom does it belong ? Where is this person going and why ? What changes are they looking for ? Without even realizing it , students will be led on a journey of the imagination that involves character creation , playwriting , acting , and visual art . This lesson can be done with a single group , or in collaboration with multiple drama or art classes . The devising can be as simple as creating characters and monologues , or it can include drawing , painting , playwriting , or even building a performance .
Theatre History for the Middle School Student Track : PreK-8 Presenter : Laura Steenveld Location : Neuchatel - 315 ( 3 rd Floor ) – Swissotel Chicago
Theatre history for the middle school student allows them to see history from a different perspective . It is important for the students to see how history affected the theatre through the years , and how the theatre affected history . In this session , I will be sharing how I give an overview of theatre history eras to my classes . The historical time periods and units that I will share from my curriculum will include : Greek Theatre , Medieval , Commedia ‘ dell Arte , Shakespeare , American Melodrama , and Ira Aldridge . After this , we will do some of the activities from the Kennedy Center ’ s American Melodrama lesson : " Action ! Performing a Melodrama ."
Winifred Ward : A Solo-Performance Play Tracks : College / University , PreK-8 , Professional Theatre Presenters : Rives Collins & Natalie Tangeman Location : Lucerne 1 & 2 ( Lucerne Level ) – Swissotel Chicago
Winifred Ward changed the history of our field forever . Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Creative Drama in the Evanston Public Schools , this solo-performance play tells the story of a remarkable innovator . Based on extensive research in the Winifred Ward archives , this play uses correspondence , speeches , syllabii , playbills , scrapbooks , and many other primary source materials to answer the question -- how did a small town girl from Iowa grow up to change the world ? She wrote that she was continually asked to do things for which she had little or no preparation , and yet she changed the world . Rives Collins directs , Frances McKittrick is the playwright , and Natalie Tangeman is the performer .
Updated 7.17.24