Teaching Theatre Online:

A Shift in Pedagogy Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak

Originally created by Dr. Daphnie Sicre ([email protected])

Loyola Marymount University

(If you have any ideas, resources, assignments you would like to add-

email me or any of the current editors)

With the coronavirus spreading across the globe, many universities across the world have moved their courses online. While this may seem to be easier for business, math or science majors, we are all on the same boat. This rush to move online has left us scrambling for ideas, especially for performance courses. Going online can seem difficult and challenging for theatre or/and dance practitioners but it can be done.

In a rush to help, I have created this google doc with references, resources, ideas and more. But before you start, you need to think about diversity, equity and inclusion, in order to do this, it is crucial to include your students into the conversation and talk about accessibility.

In the past week, I have had wonderful and insightful conversations with my students. Before starting my online classes, I sent a survey to my students to learn about their accessibility and concerns. They raised some great questions that I was able to respond quickly. I then scheduled two check-ins with them, to see how they were, learn Zoom, and gather ideas from them about the course. I learned about their learning environments, met their pets, and even some of their parents. Not everyone was able to join, and that was ok. I learned from the survey that I will need to make certain accommodations and changes for them. Some don’t have access, others had to return to their native countries and time differences will make it hard for them to “come to class” but regardless, I will work with each and all of them to make it work. We have too. I ask that as you move forward, work with your students.

Also, please be kind and compassionate with yourself. You are doing an amazing job! This isn’t easy and I hope this document helps with the transition.

In order to navigate the document, I have added a table of contents. You can click on the links, and it will directly take you to the page. This document has grown tremendously and will keep growing, but only with your help. I have had various colleagues and friends contribute pieces, ideas, resources. If you have any ideas, please feel free to send them to me and I will add them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STUDENTS AND ACCESSIBILITY

THINKING OF ACCESSIBILITY

VARIOUS TEACHING PEDAGOGIES

STANDARDS & SLO’s aka OBJECTIVES

TECH/PLATFORMS

Synchronously VRS Asynchronous Online Teaching

RESOURCES ABOUT TEACHING ONLINE

THINGS TO THINK OF AS YOU TRANSITION TO ONLINE THEATRE TEACHING

What are ONLINE ACTING CLASSES?

ONLINE THEATRE TEACHING ARTICLES & RESOURCES FACEGROUP PAGES FOR TEACHING THEATRE ONLINE

CURRENT WEBINARS

THEATRE IDEAS AND RESOURCES

THEATRE POST COVID19-SOCIAL DISTANCING

WHAT WILL THEATRE LOOK LIKE?

VIDEOS, STREAMING & ONLINE VIEWING OF PLAYS/MUSICALS

PRODUCTIONS ONLINE

PERFORMANCE FESTIVALS ONLINE

TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS AND IDEAS

GENERAL DISCUSSION IDEAS & PROMPTS

ACTING TECHNIQUE CLASSES & PERFORMANCE COURSE

RESOURCES FOR TEACHING PRODUCTION COURSES ONLINE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

DANCE & MOVEMENT

Assignments Ideas for Dance or Movement

ONLINE VOCAL PEDAGOGY

Assignments Ideas for Online Vocal Pedagogy

ACTING

Assignments for Acting

SCENE WORK

Assignments for Scene Work

IMPROV

Assignments for Improv

COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE

Assignments for Commedia

MUSIC & MUSICAL THEATRE

Assignments for Musical Theatre

STORYTELLING

SHAKESPEARE

Assignments for Shakespeare

DIRECTING

Assignments for Directing

DEVISING THEATRE

PUPPETRY

Assignments for Puppetry

STAGE COMBAT

INTRO TO THEATRE

Assignments for Intro to Theatre

THEATRE HISTORY

Assignments for Theatre History

WORLD DRAMA

Assignments for World Drama

DIVERSITY & DRAMA

Assignments for Diversity & Drama

PLAYWRITING

Assignments for Playwriting

Submit Plays to Online Festivals

SCRIPT ANALYSIS

Assignments for Script Analysis

DRAMATURGY

Assignments for Dramaturgy

EDUCATIONAL THEATRE/DRAMA IN EDUCATION/PERFORMANCE PEDAGOGY

Assignments for Ed Theatre

DRAMATIC ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOLS

Assignments for Dramatic Activities

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

Assignments for TYA

THEATRE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE/THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED

Assignments for Theatre for Social CHange & TO

HIP HOP THEATRE

Assignments for Hip Hop Theatre

APPLIED THEATRE

Assignments for Applied Theatre

DESIGN TECHNIQUE COURSES

General Resources & Activities for Design Courses

COSTUME & MAKE UP DESIGN

Costume Videos

Assignments for Costumes & Make Up Design

SET DESIGN

Assignments for Set Design

STAGE CRAFT

LIGHTING DESIGN

Assignments for Lighting Design

SOUND DESIGN

Assignments for Sound Design

THE BUSINESS OF THEATRE

Assignments for The Business of Theatre

RELEVANT NEWS ARTICLES

PODCASTS

ONLINE PEER REVIEW JOURNALS

ADVICE TO REMEMBER

STUDENTS AND ACCESSIBILITY

Here are some suggestions on how to do this:

Create a google form where you can ask your students about their tech status and needs.

It is imperative that you do not assume all students have computers and access to wifi. If students are sent home, some might not have the access we are requesting of them. Also, do not assume that if students have phones, they are able to conduct all the work on their phone alone. Some students have phones, but they may not have unlimited data access.

Ask:

Do you have a computer/or a tablet at home?

Do you have access to wifi? Smart phone?

Do you have a quiet room where you can work?

(For theatre- you might want to ask, do you have a room where you can move around?)

Do their electronics support the programs we are asking them to use?

My colleague Professor Rebecca Avalos created the following survey for her students:

Digital Access Equity Survey

1. Do you have digital access for everyday use?

2. What platforms do you use to access our Brightspace page?

4. Is Wifi everyday accessibility realistic for you?

5. Do you have daily access to a webcam or microphone?

6. Are you familiar with group chat/lecture services like Zoom or Echo?

7. Do you prefer individual questionnaires or collective online discussions, or both?

8. Do you prefer weekly or bi-weekly Professor-Student check-ins?

9. Do you prefer collective check-ins or individual/private check-ins with your professor?

10. Is there any course-related matter you would like to discuss?

THINKING OF ACCESSIBILITY

ACCESSIBLE TEACHING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19-Aimi Hamraie-

“As universities declare class cancelations and mandate a shift to online teaching, instructors have the opportunity to design online course materials to be as accessible as possible from the beginning. This will also ensure that your course materials are accessible moving forward.

All of the below suggestions come from disability culture and community. Disabled people have been using online spaces to teach, organize, and disseminate knowledge since the internet was invented. Disabled people are leading survival praxis in apocalyptic times. Please recognize that the very types of remote access that universities now mandate for classrooms and conferences have been denied to disabled people. Please also recognize that disabled people have long engaged in refining methods for remote access to protests, classrooms, doctor’s offices, public meetings, and other events. Mention this in your classes so that students know they are benefitting from crip technology and praxis. Commit to accessible teaching because it is crip technoscience and disabled ingenuity that has made remote participation possible. https://www.mapping-access.com/blog-1/2020/3/10/accessible-teaching-in-the-time-of-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR0t2ybPwNDo9xN-yI9AQNj1Wrhj5P9iutKhsqZpvJAMlKPI-P_UFcKhs7U

5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/well/family/coronavirus-teenagers-anxiety.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR1wiL_Slq8roiWLGTFec2TQCSMXeu2X0Q0AZCJmJDolZZTUAs4JZeyt7gg

VARIOUS TEACHING PEDAGOGIES

Radical Empathy

https://howlround.com/radical-empathy-theatre-artists-new-job

Pedagogy Of Kindness

https://hybridpedagogy.org/pedagogy-of-kindness/

Trauma Informed Critical Pedagogy

http://www.citiesofpeaceyouth.org/stories/2016/2/23/what-is-trauma-informed-critical-pedagogy

Do Not Decolonize if you are not Decolonizing Alternate Language to Navigate Desires for Progressive Academia

http://www.criticalethnicstudiesjournal.org/blog/2019/1/21/do-not-decolonize-if-you-are-not-decolonizing-alternate-language-to-navigate-desires-for-progressive-academia-6y5sg

STANDARDS & SLO’s aka OBJECTIVES

As you get started with all this, also relook at your standards, and SLO’s. Each Department might have different standards or learning objects. Relook at them and see how can you re-adapt your lessons to fulfill your objectives.

TECH/PLATFORMS

You also need to ask your students about the platforms you will be using and what platforms are accessible to them.

Most colleges use the following 4 platforms:

Blackboard

Canvas (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDEwW5aj3JI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0bzFlf1_8TfIH0S7Yk8jW9SUN--Dyo37caxttoBigFf8AQlyVo-cNBd18)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfabTvkka0I&fbclid=IwAR3WR5jK_riKivZTmglM7_S2pGITvwqqpW32X2gysk42ZD5WSggcsSqeQdQ

BrightSpace

Course Site

Ask the students if they are familiar with each of these progr