Theater at the school

The theater is applied much to the elementary school or secondary. The projects more or less ambitious or are successful, according to the experiment of the teachers and the importance which they give to this Article.

This made article, generally, reference to the elementary school.

In the programs

The theater was not, for a long time, a material taught at the elementary school or secondary. However, the option theater exists now in certain colleges since ten years: option " légère" (3h/semaine) or " lourde" (6h). The programs are available on the site of the minister of education. In addition, several official texts refer to the theater for a long time in a more or less indirect way, at least in France. The competences required by the programs make, generally, allusion to memorizing, but the theater it is more than that.

Interdisciplinarity

This art calls upon many competences, primarily during the preparation of the spectacle.

Here an not-exhaustive list of the activities which can be under consideration in various matters:

oral expression : it is an obviousness, because the pupil is brought to learn and restore a text, but also because the setting in scene can give place to a space of discussion and debates;
visual arts : creation of the decorations, the costumes, the posters for the spectacle or illustration of the text, the visual arts are with the service of the theater;
music and song : nothing prohibits to mingle the song or the music with a play. Many authors wrote besides musical comedies for children;
mathematical : for smallest and even largest, to place itself on the scene is a difficulty. One can consider many activities around the location in space. For largest, one can make a plan of scene, for example;
written expression : certain teachers choose to make write the part by the children. This requires specific competences (see low):
body expression : the theater does not only consist in saying its text, but one can also consider choreographies of dances or of combat;
history and information retrievals : that one wants to write or include/understand a part, it is often essential to seek documentation. Thus, the creation of armours for a medieval part gives the opportunity to the children to be documented in order to stick to reality, in the manufacture of the accessories or the decorations;
new technologies : the drafting of a part gives the opportunity to use the word processing. This tool is adapted perfectly to working of the text, its reproduction for all the actors. It is also possible to modify a counterpart easily, to add characters or to divide a role.

A work of cycle

The theater is a culture which is not built in a year. The fact that the colleagues make theater, give to reading parts, allows, as in the other fields, to start from more solid bases. The theater can completely be a project of school.

Choice of the texts

For the school ones, there exist many compilations of theatrical texts, energy short saynètes with long stories.

The problem is to make coincide the number of roles and the number of pupils. For that, much have recourse to the technique of the unfolding of roles, which is never very happy, the spectators being often lost. Certain teachers prefer to adapt a text (traditional or not), in order to circumvent the problem.

For a few years (2000), the editors of theater have offered more and more texts especially adapted to the children actors, one will be able to note the Editions Retz , the Editions Agapante & Co or Actes Sud Junior , for example.

There exists also a site which proposes texts decorated of songs and musics and adapted to the children: Musical Theater of Pocket . Certain texts of this site are free.

Workshops of writing

Rather than to adapt or use an existing text, one can make write the part by the pupils. That regulates several problems:

the number of roles will coincide with the number of pupils;
they will feel more implied by the history, and will not have a problem of comprehension;
that makes it possible the teacher to cover part of the program in written expression.

For that, each teacher has his technique. It is possible:

to write the part groups of it class or in small group by the dictation with the Master;
to make write whole scenes by pupils and to work them over again in group;
to organize meetings of improvisation on a topic, the writing being to keep the trace there of what was found. At these meetings, certain children will create characters rich (pretentious, coleric, comic, etc) whom it will agree to re-use because they will be sources of inspiration.

Whatever the method, one will start from a concept, a discussion thread, a federator idea which will be used as a basis. That can be right the beginning of a history, the children being given the responsability to invent it following the fur and with measurement. The teacher takes care simply of the coherence of the account and the compliance with the rules of the narration.

It is also possible to organize a correspondence with another class, with an aim of assembling a spectacle. That can only enrich the discussion between the children, who will not dialog free any more, but within the framework by a project.

Rate/rhythm

Certain directors will say it to you: “the difference between good and a bad part they is… five minutes”. It is necessary to take care to avoid the lengths, the moments when it does not occur anything on scene, holes between the counterparts. With force, that wearies the spectator who loses the wire of the account. For that, there exist several techniques of work:

the counterparts must be connected the ones behind the others, without white (except when that is essential). That poses a large problem with the children, who have difficulties in speak in a way posed while connecting the dialogs quickly. That must be the subject of a work, by saying the text “to Italian” (text says by heart, without moving, playing);
the changes of scenery must be integrated into the part, or put in music;
left and entries the characters must be repeated at the time of Filages (the scenes are connected without interruptions) so that moments ago of waiting.

Distribution of the roles

For the teacher, it is one often difficult moment. But it is its role of director to choose the actors. It is important, to see essential that during the repetitions, the children could test themselves with each role. It is important that the young person does not feel not injured. But the obviousness is there: the characters must be distributed. As Bernard Grosjean in his works recommends it on the theater in school, it is necessary to start by asking each pupil to carry out " a card of voeux". On this one, it can register, in the order preferably, three characters whom it wants to interpret. It is thus with the teacher to make the share of the things by trying stisfaire the desires of each one, while keeping a cohesion in the distribution. One does not work in this kind of situation on the " mérite" or " talent" pupils. The goal of a theatrical workshop in the school is above all to give an approach of the theater to the children by amusing them, by itéressant them. It is in any event clear that a child who shows less facility concerning the interpretation of a certain role (timidity, faintness…) will not ask the " character vedette" part, this is why one arrives finally, by respecting the choice of the children, to build a distribution which is not very distant from that a teacher could have produced of his own boss.

When the children are the authors of the part, is generally easier. Indeed, certain scenes will be written by a child or a group of children, who have then priority to interpret the characters that they created, in the same way when a character was invented in improvisation by a child.

It is also possible to duplicate a character, by distributing the counterparts of a role between two people who intervene in concert on the scene. It is also an excellent French exercise (put in the plural).

Repetitions

In the children, a phenomenon of lassitude will appear. What made them laugh the first time does not go any more at the end of ten repetitions. It is completely normal, it is necessary to prevent them and call upon their memories.

Very quickly, the emotion disappears and diction becomes mechanical. Dédramatiser is needed, and especially to avoid the “surdose”. Even if the setting in scene is always perfectible, it is advisable to fix certain scenes which function and to put them on standby.

One can have recourse to two techniques, so that they are not wearied:

to concentrate the repetitions on two or three weeks, in an intensive way. One repeats the every day before the first;
to authorize imaginations. One leaves the children and one encourages them each time to introduce new ideas into the setting in scene. One makes the assessment after the repetition, to know what one keeps or not.

The various repetitions (technical terms):

the spinnings (stopped or not), at the time of these repetitions, one plays the text in entirety. One can decide to stop it to correct defects, or to take notes simply, without intervening;
the dressmaker, who is a spinning where the costumes are tested (and also all accessories);
the general one, which precedes the first. One tries to make this repetition under the conditions of “direct”. Generally, it is good to have a small public.

Costumes

A costume is not a disguise. To play of Molière out of jean does not pose a problem for the spectator. The modern theater can do without a crêpee paper clothing very well, in any event very artificial.

One too often sees ridiculous costumes, badly made, uncomfortable. Besides the older children will refuse to carry them.

However, it is essential that the actors have costumes, even if it is pants which they put on side for this occasion. That assistance to be returned in their character. When his costume is threaded, one is not any more the person, but the character.

Decorations

There still, the modern theater can do without the paperboard paste well. The decoration must be with the service of the setting in scene. It is enough to suggest, for little that one can there climb, leaving there, to create effects of surprise. Rather what a plywood tree, isn't it more useful to produce a tree with wrought iron ends onto which one can be held and to suspend itself?

Bandage sound

With the disponiblity of the engraver of CD-ROM and software of treatment of sound, it is possible to carry out as an amateur a “original soundtrack” to make fade Hollywood. Extracted from musics during the change of scenery “at sight”, songs in vogue from which one eliminates the vocal part, sound effects in any kind captured on Internet, the sound makes it possible to instigate a part or to make laugh. It is also an element which motivates the children or makes it possible to synchronize certain actions. A music also offers a pause to the spectator.

Thanks to the music, one can introduce the dance, song, the MIME, etc One can consider a wiring for sound using a printer record, or its realization on line. Attention however at the rate/rhythm of the part. Too many short sound effects break the rate/rhythm.

A useful software:

Audacity, free software of handling of the sound

Control

The control includes/understands the sound and the light.

With regard to the light, that does not have a direction that if it is possible to obtain a “black” in the room where you play. If it is the case, you will be able to make a true light creation: to isolate part of the scene or a character, to carry out a back-light, Chinese shades, etc

For the children, it is a very important aspect. The light isolates them from the spectators, gives a “professional” relief to their service and especially generates single memories on the level of the directions (the heat of a projector is never forgotten).

To light a scene, it is advisable to calculate the current carried by the electrical circuit. To simplify, do not exceed 4000 Watt S (8 projectors of 500 Watts), for a traditional catch of 20 amp S.

It is possible to buy projectors (see low), to rent them or to borrow them in certain academies.

Envisage at least a repetition, in order to accustom the children to the dazzling.

For those which wish to buy material:

the price of a simple projector is assembled to approximately 35 euros, with a lamp of 300 Watts, but can go up to more than one hundred of euros according to the models;
a control light of 4 channels costs approximately 180 euros;
the more elaborate controls use the system DMX which allows an order finer and vaster of the effects, but whose cost is higher.

If you lay out gradateurs in DMX of the free software allow to create its small spectacle…

Slides and role of the teacher

Contrary to the adults who concentrate in slides and do not speak, chatterings in slides are a source of tension with young people. It is advisable to cure that for two reasons:

chatterings in slides get along on scene and in the room;
the children arrive on scene decentralized, and do not put themselves in the skin of the character.

The role of the teacher is to take care of the discipline in the slides. It must organize the passage on the scene, take care of calm and reassure. The scene, on the other hand, is the field of the children.

Theater

The choice of the room is important. It must guarantee perfect acoustics (the children have small voices) and a good sight on the scene.

An auditorium is the best choice.

If the room is not adapted, it is advisable to take care of:

not to accommodate too many people at the same time;
not to introduce into the setting in scene of the parts where the children sat or slept by ground (the public does not see anything and contorsionne).

In all the cases, privilege the articulation with volume (the ideal being both), avoid the use of the microphones (one does not know who speaks).

Representations

Do not hesitate to organize several representations, in order not to overload the room. Too many people involve noise in the room and a smothering of the sound. Moreover, it is frustrating for all that a one year work gives place only to only one representation.

Keep the representations intended for the parents for the end. After, the children are démotivés.

It is necessary to warn the children of the varieties of the public ones: some are quiet but attentive, others are noisy and enthusiastic.

Assessment

The theater is a rich, federator project. It is one of the only occasions where the children are really autonomous. They make the spectacle. The memories which they will keep will be eternal.

One should not be afraid to be ambitious. In this field still, the Effet Pygmalion exists. The pupils will offer a spectacle to the height of the ambitions of the teacher. Be demanding, they will be it also.

See also: The theater on a site intended for the teachers

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