Teaching Theatre Online:
A Shift in Pedagogy Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak
Originally created by Dr. Daphnie Sicre (Daphnie.Sicre@lmu.edu)
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