Berkeley Rep Blog
Category archive: School of Theatre
Outreach to local schools - why are we doing this?
posted by School of Theatre on Tue, Sep 20, 2011
in School of Theatre
By Dave Maier, outreach coordinator
Earlier this week I was driving up to Santa Rosa for my first high-school outreach visit of the year. Excited to build on the previous year’s success, I was going over the three-hour playwriting curriculum in my head and how I might adapt it to fit the needs of this particular class. When suddenly: TRAFFIC! The 101 highway north was a parking lot due to construction. “Don’t panic,” the voice in my head began, “you have plenty of time and this back-up can’t last too long.” During the seemingly endless delay my frustration grew and that voice became more frantic and challenged me with the repeated question, “Why are you doing this?”
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Teaching students age 6 to 80
posted by School of Theatre on Tue, Sep 20, 2011
in School of Theatre
By MaryBeth Cavanaugh, associate director of the School of Theatre
One of my earliest experiences at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre was a class I taught for an open house that involved teaching movement techniques to people of all ages. As I entered the class I saw a girl about 6 and an 80-year-old woman. I was completely taken aback at the situation before me. I'd taught young children and adults and professional actors/dancers, but never in the same space at the same time. Movement classes by their nature force people to stretch their boundaries and get outside their comfort zones. In my experience, the social makeup and experience levels of the group (whether college students, K-8, etc...) would invariably dictate the degree to which the students would explore and challenge themselves. Now I was facing a generational spectrum I'd never seen in any class, anywhere. I forced a smile as I took my place and muttered quietly, "This is going to be rough."
The students, I noticed, seemed completely at ease and eager to begin the class. And so I simply launched into the lesson plan, and felt immediate relief that the students -- all ages -- were instantly engaged and moved with great enthusiasm and commitment. There was no obvious generational discomfort; there was no self-segregation by age or sex or race or aptitude; everyone moved and worked as a group, as a community. The students displayed none of the trepidation I initially felt, and I will never forget watching a 6- and 80-year-old doing triplets together across the floor. They were moving in unison, as members of a community.
What sets the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre apart is its unique and inclusive student body. They play as important a role as any teacher or any curriculum. They enter the classes as members of a community. They challenge and accept their classmates -- inclusive of age, race or experience. Everyone learns, everyone is challenged as much as they want to be, and everyone is accepted.
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“What do ya do with a B.A. in English?”
posted by School of Theatre on Mon, Sep 19, 2011
in School of Theatre
Good question, Avenue Q writers. As two recently graduated English majors who “can’t pay the bills yet, cuz we have no skills yet,” that question dominated our thoughts for the last year. And so, in celebration of National Arts in Education Week, we’re sharing our answer with you.
Our answer: Arts Education.
I’m Shari McDonald, education fellow and recent graduate of Bennett College with a B.A. in English and concentration in Theatre. Here’s why “arts education” is my answer.
Arts education is a basic necessity. Sure, including arts education as a basic necessity along with water, food, shelter, and clothing is a bit of a stretch, but maybe all too often we neglect our need to exhibit human qualities. The need to connect, touch, inspire, engage, and express will never vanish, so perhaps arts education needs to be added to that list of basic necessities.
Arts education serves as an integral part of an adolescent's development. Youth who have participated in the arts have improved communication skills, motivation, cognitive ability, confidence, concentration, and teamwork. The arts help to create well-rounded students who not only care about their own success, but also are empathetic, compassionate, and charitable to others. And, people who create art often allow themselves to be vulnerable and empathetic. If everyone allowed themselves to experience these emotions, we’d have a world of humanitarians!
“The children are the future,” so I have decided to invest in our society’s future by being an educator who utilizes the arts as a teaching method. Education is the most unique and fluid field. It is a noble, selfless, and evolving profession. Teachers exist in all forms: dancers, philosophers, doctors, scientists, architects, economists, and artists. The ability to share your knowledge, and inspire others is the most rewarding experience. There is no better way to change the world than to be an educator who understands the importance of integrating arts education.
I’m Hannah Lennett, education fellow and recent Graduate of Brown University with degrees in English Literature and Performance Studies. Here’s why “arts education” is my answer.
I went to college with a lot of people who wanted to change the world. I sat in a seminar one day with a student to my left studying health policy in order to travel to Mali and start an orphanage, while to my right was a soon-to-be civil rights attorney. I sat in the middle, swamped with rehearsal schedules, English papers, and teaching gigs, hoping that I would be able to construct as noble and vast a dream as theirs. My classmates' dreams were immense and different, creative and challenging -- but there was one thing they had in common. They had all been touched by the arts in some way. The civil rights lawyer learned her love for public speaking in her middle school drama club. The orphanage had been the brainchild of my other classmate ever since he took an African drumming class in his elementary school and became engrossed in Malian culture. Every dreamer I talked to was inspired by the arts.
There I was -- graduation approaching, staring at the options available to an English major like myself, and pretty consistently humming the Avenue Q soundtrack under my breath like the faithful theatre geek that I am.
In the end I skipped over the consulting firms and the entry-level publishing jobs (even though they were tempting both in salary and content) because in this culture of big dreamers, I found myself looking around me at my outstanding peers who were able to enter such incredible fields, and I decided my big dream was to make sure that our country is preserving and creating new generations of big dreamers. Dreamers who get their start when a teacher hands them their first musical instrument, teaches them a dance step, or asks them to take the lead in the school play.
So here I am in my dream(er) fellowship at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. In National Arts in Education Week, I am thankful for all the arts educators who work to inspire students every day and look forward to supporting and working with them in my time at Berkeley Rep and beyond.
Happy National Arts in Education Week!
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National Arts in Education Week
posted by School of Theatre on Tue, Sep 13, 2011
in School of Theatre
By Rachel Fink, director of Berkeley Rep School of Theatre
It's National Arts in Education week!
Never heard of it? Not surprising, as it is a relatively new initiative. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the resolution (H. Con. Res. 275) last year designating the second week of September as “National Arts in Education Week.” Introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier of California, the resolution succinctly defines the value of arts education, highlighting its considerable influence on students’ academic achievement and well-being as well as the economic and collective impact on their communities. It’s actually a great, simple arts advocacy resource (for a piece of legislation).
(Interested in learning more about arts education advocacy? I’ve listed some of my favorite resources below. They’re easy reads and I encourage you to take a look.)
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When you register for a class...
posted by School of Theatre on Mon, Sep 12, 2011
in School of Theatre
By Katie Riemann, registrar at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre
I should have realized that I would end up with a career in the arts when I used to make the skulls “talk” about their adventures out on the African savannah in a Sesame Street fashion in my Introduction to Physical Anthropology course. And so began a decade-long odyssey in stage managing around the Bay Area. But 14 hour days, 6 days a week don’t lend themselves to bringing up a two year old, so I landed as the registrar here at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre.
What I love about my job is connecting people to their passion. I always felt this was the best part of stage managing, supporting actors as they work on creating that perfect performance. And now I feel that I serve the same function here. Whether it’s a first time Improv student trying to overcome his or her shyness in social situations or a professional actor looking to master that cockney accent, each one is trying to challenge his or herself in our classes. I like the idea that our students don’t want to just sit back and be passive, but want to push the envelope within themselves. And that willingness to push past one’s comfort zone and realize you have more to learn, I think that’s what makes human beings fascinating. It becomes a quest for that “perfect performance” in a seemingly mundane setting.
And that’s what I think about when I see your registration come across my desk.
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Happy feet at the School of Theatre
posted by Karen McKevitt on Thu, Sep 8, 2011
in School of Theatre
The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre received this sweet "thank you" from one of the Summer Intensive students who performed in For Feet's Sake, a retelling of the Little Mermaid story. Aww, isn't this sweet?
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What if teens invaded TCG 2011? Part 3
posted by School of Theatre on Fri, Jul 1, 2011
in School of Theatre , Teen Council
By Marcelo Gutierrez
Member, Berkeley Rep Teen Council
Last weekend I attended the 2011 TCG national conference, this time held in downtown L.A. Let me tell you something, be excited for the future of art and technology! The relationship between art and technology was a major theme throughout the three-day long conference, and my eyes were opened to a whole new world of possibilities.
On Thursday, I attended the breakout session called "Earning your Social Media MFA: 90 Months in 90 Minutes" presented by Devon Smith. The presentation was absolutely amazing, and I was introduced to a world of social media that can honorably present art and bring it into the future. She spoke about Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, Kickstarter, YouTube, Groupon, and many other social media sites that I had never heard of. She went into detail about each one of these sites and shared the many wonders and opportunities that come with these tools, for example, the many resources Facebook has created for nonprofits at Facebook.com/nonprofits and all the apps available for smartphones, like Google Goggles, which allows you to use your phone camera to instantly access a Wikipedia page on what you're seeing, and an app that suggests who you should meet and talk to at social gatherings based on work and personal interests.
Many people complain that technology is taking away creativity and credibility from art. Devon emphasized that social media is a tool ready for our use, a tool that can enhance, spread, and promote your theatre, art, music, books, fashion designs all over the world like never before. Artists can use these tools to bring their work to an entirely new level. In the new global landscape of the internet and social media, artists no longer need a publicist, they are their own publicist. Programs like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs allow you to connect to a global audience instantly in a more direct and personal manner. The painter, George Condo, who recently designed new album art for Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, had an exhibition at the MoMa in New York earlier this year. To promote it, massive posters were put up all over New York with one of his images and the name of his exhibit. But what was really innovative about these posters was that it included a QR code. When people with smartphones took a picture of the code, it took them to a live Twitter feed relating to his exhibition.
Everything today is on a global scale! The technology today is absolutely beautiful and groundbreaking. Use it! It's free! No matter where you live, what skin color you have, how rich/poor you are, you can have and take part in any of these global networking sites and share your voice as a global citizen.
Marcelo talking to a theatre professional after the teens' breakout session.
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What if teens invaded TCG 2011? Part 2
posted by School of Theatre on Wed, Jun 29, 2011
in School of Theatre , Teen Council
By Taylor Greenthal
Member, Berkeley Rep Teen Council
During my entire time at the Theatre Communications Group conference, my mind was exhausted from the endless analyzing and synthesizing of facts, opinions, and hypotheses that were constantly circulating around me. Through the incredible whirlwind that was the conference, I needed to find a focus, a path to help me navigate through all the discussions and really become engrossed in one major issue that mattered most to me. Of course, after my experiences with arts education at TCG last year and the newly formed Arts Advocacy Committee with Teen Council this year, I tried to seek out the discussions and people trying to make a difference in that area of the field. I was pleasantly surprised with this year’s theme of the conference, the hopeful, progressive mindset of “What if…?”. With this future-based theme, so many more plenary sessions, breakout discussions, and casual conversation revolved around us: the young people, Generation Y, “Digital Natives,” etc. I like to think that the teen voice at the conference last year reminded enough people that theatre isn’t just for the older generations, and that in fact, the theatre industry needs to learn more about and include younger generations in order to keep the industry relevent and popular. I hope that as a result of our presence last year, teens helped shift the conversation from the problems of today to the possibility of the future.
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What if teens invaded TCG 2011?
posted by School of Theatre on Fri, Jun 24, 2011
in School of Theatre , Teen Council
By Regina V. Fields
Member, Berkeley Rep Teen Council
This past weekend, seven teens from Berkeley Rep’s Teen Council attended the Theatre Communications Group (TCG) conference in Los Angeles, joined by three members of Steppenwolf’s Young Adult Council. This was only the second year in TCG’s history that teens have participated in this national conference. It was an incredible experience; it opened my horizons in terms of what I can do in the field of theatre, I met some amazing theatre professionals, and I had the opportunity to contribute to the conversation about engaging teens in the theatre.
The major theme of the conference was “What If” (e.g., what if we imagined the theatre field of the next 50 years, and began making visible progress today?) and ways the theatre industry can and will evolve in years to come. But I noticed that teens, the people who will be around to make those changes within the theatre industry, were left out of the conversation. Though we were often talked about and referred to as the “next generation,” we were never actually included in these important dialogues.
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Teens fill 24 hours with dramatic fundraising!
posted by School of Theatre on Fri, Jun 3, 2011
in Events , School of Theatre , Teen Council
by Ben Hanna, Community Programs Manager
In May, 18 teens from Teen Council gathered at the School of Theatre for a 24-hour fundraising "Dramathon." Yes, you read that right. Noon to noon, a nonstop theatre extravaganza! Here’s just a taste of this fundraising excursion of epic proportions:
Saturday, May 21
12pm - Teens sign up for play readings and warm up their bodies and voices in prep for 24 hours of performance.
1:15pm – Teens near the end of The Importance of Being Earnest, with a twist: a cross-gender cast!
3:11pm - Teen Council member Gideon Lazarus performs a monologue from Macbeth, sparking a series of monologue performances from the teens.
5:20pm – Participants delve into the world of one-acts, including works by playwrights Anton Chekhov, John Patrick Shanley, and David Ives.
6:47pm – Students scarf down a pizza dinner in prep for the Chicago sing-a-long. Peet’s coffee and tea are served, giving everyone a much-needed boost of energy.
9:07pm - Bay Area actress and School of Theatre teaching artist Elena Wright arrives as a special guest to read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard with the teens. In Elena's words, "One of the hardest reads I've ever done -- three hours of Stoppard cold from nine to midnight!"
Sunday, May 22
12:45am – Over 12 hours down, 12 to go. Students are clad in pajamas, and Christopher Durang’s The Idiots Karamazov has begun. Lots of hysterical laughter all around, perhaps due to the late-night giggles!
2:30am - Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” is blaring over our sound system, and a five-minute theatrical dance party ensues!
3:07am – Let’s do the time warp again! Eyes are drooping and the second round of Peet’s coffee is served! A cult classic is in order! Rocky Horror Picture Show is projected on our classroom wall for a read-through and sing-a-long!
6:45am - Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore has begun -- for those of you who saw it at Berkeley Rep, you can imagine the dramatic action all throughout the School!
9:03am - Improv games are played to wake-up the crowd. Education Fellows Candice McDowell and Allison Whorton pump up the energy, leading some intense “dance-offs.”
11:45am - The top three teen fundraisers for the Dramathon are announced and given great Berkeley Rep prizes in appreciation of their hard work!
Over the course of the evening, teens read 8 full-length plays, 10 one-acts, and 10 monologues as well as participated in 3 sing-a-longs and numerous improv games. Major kudos to these diehard theatre-lovers who raised over $3,500 for the Berkeley Rep Teen Council's programming next year.
Weren't able to sponsor a teen but want to help support Teen Council programming? Donate to the Teen Conference Fund and help send seven teens to represent the youth voice of American theatre at the TCG Conference this June.