Do you remember when you would play pretend on the playground when you were a kid? Imagine spending time at recess with your friends when you and your friends begin to create a story with recurring characters. No matter what, you can rely on your imagination to see yourself as somebody new. Most assume that this must come to an end the second you leave Elementary school, but this is not the case. In Theater Arts, you can relive those days in a setting that nurtures your creativity and imagination.
There are many classes to choose from at Dakota, and you can only learn so much about each class as you are in a hurry to gather all your credits. Some individuals may have spotted Theater Arts and were intrigued, yet they were not sure of whether or they should sign up for this class. Therefore, I have interviewed Mrs. Cline, the teacher who teaches Theater Arts, to provide more information to readers interested in the class. Here is what she has to say about Theater Arts.
Question: Can you introduce yourself to students/readers who maybe haven’t heard about you? (What classes you teach, what clubs you run, etc.,)
Mrs. Cline:
I am Mrs. Cline. I teach AP Lang., and I have Theater classes, and I teach Debate. I currently sponsor the National English Honors Society, it’s a new club that started this year and that’s the only one that I’m doing right now.
Question: What do you do in Theater Arts?
Mrs. Cline:
In Theater, because it’s a Theater Arts class, we deal with all things Theater. It’s not just acting. So, that is part of it, but we also talk about the careers you can go into involving make-up and costumes, and lights. And I tried to organize a tour of the Theater with Mr. Max (he likes to be called Max), our technical director, so everybody can see hands-on that there is more to Theater than just being on stage.
We look a little bit at Pantomiming as an acting style, a little bit of method acting, so we mostly focus on those things with the tools that we have available. And then, students can work in groups once they get to know each other, and they can write their plays.
Question: What can you learn from Theater Arts?
Mrs. Cline:
You can build your public speaking skills in an indirect way. Because of the way the class is structured, it’s not formal speaking, but you do speak in front of the group. You learn how to project your voice; you learn how to control your stage fright. You look at your motivation and confidence, so those are the big takeaways. And then the creativity aspect is always very fun to do too.
Question: Do students have to be skilled at acting to do good in class? If not, then what skills do they need to have in order to succeed in Theater Arts?
Mrs. Cline:
The only skill they need is a desire to do well; people who want to learn and want to work with other people and make new friends. That is basically what you need to succeed in Theater Arts. And it does fulfill a graduation requirement, the applied arts, and you can look at the class catalogue to see what else it fulfills.
Question: What is a memorable/humorous/interesting story about Theater Arts that you would like to share? Or just a common theme that occurs in each Theater Arts class you’ve taught?
Mrs. Cline:
I like how students will create a character in a scene, and that character will keep coming back. So that is something I really like. The classes have their own inside jokes, and we keep building on it throughout the semester, so that makes it kind of fun. It helps build community, and it just gives us a chance to explore a character a little more.
Last year, a student made a character. A surfer dude, I think his name was Brad. And Brad became part of our class. That makes it fun, but that doesn’t have to happen because the classes are original each time, so we just kind of grow organically with what students want to put into it and ideas they come up with. It nurtures their creativity.
Question: Do you enjoy teaching Theater Arts? What is the best thing about teaching it? What makes it challenging to teach the class?
Mrs. Cline:
The challenge is just getting everybody comfortable with themselves and with each other. That is the hardest part. But the beauty of it is that every day is different. Every class is different, it’s never the same. So, even if students were to take it again, some of the activities are the same, but the experience is 100% different. It’s all focused on the people and what they want to do with it. So as long as they are motivated, trying, and playing… they are going to do well. It is going to be a fun and memorable experience.
Question: Overall, is there anything you would like to say to any students interested in taking Theater Arts next year?
Mrs. Cline:
If you like pretend-playing, and like pretending and imagining things, then this is the class for you.
Me: It kind of like, ties back to when we were kids in playground, having fun and coming up with stories. You’d come up with your own character, and plot, and stuff like that. This class let’s you do that again, but in school.
Mrs. Cline:
Yeah! And you can explore it with more depth because when you’re a kid, you go with the moment, but now you can add so much more to your experience. And even if some days are off days and you don’t feel like doing much, you can still come back with a lot of energy.
In other words, Theater Arts may be an exciting class that can help students unwind after several long, stressful classes. In a time where people’s minds are scattered, leaving no time for creativity and imagination, it could be very beneficial to take a chance and step outside your comfort zone.
