Share
Greek theatre, Roman spectacles, medieval miracle plays, Chinese opera, Elizabethan comedies and dramas and historical plays, Japanese Kabuki--theatrical entertainment and art has been around for centuries. It is a product of imagination.
Sample some of the following activities to learn more about theatre.
People
To See Things To Do Teacher
Resources Bibliography
Places To GoThe following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about theatre.
Eugene O'Neill National
Historic Site
Visit the home of the playwrite who wrote Long Day's Journey Into Night, The Iceman Cometh, Desire Under the Elms, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Mourning Becomes Electra.
Visit the home of the playwrite who wrote Long Day's Journey Into Night, The Iceman Cometh, Desire Under the Elms, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Mourning Becomes Electra.
Fireworks
Fireworks can possibly be considered theater or drama. They certainly are entertaining and exciting. Travel to any 4th of July celebration in the U.S. and enjoy a fireworks production. And don't forget to be safe!
Fireworks can possibly be considered theater or drama. They certainly are entertaining and exciting. Travel to any 4th of July celebration in the U.S. and enjoy a fireworks production. And don't forget to be safe!
Masterpiece Theatre
Via PBS, travel to Masterpiece Theatre and watch productions based on the books of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and other notable authors.
Via PBS, travel to Masterpiece Theatre and watch productions based on the books of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and other notable authors.
Shakespeare's Globe
Visit the one-of-a-kind Globe Theater. Shakespeare made it famous. It was a huge building, shaped like a 20-sided polygon. Only high-paying theater-goers could actually have a seat to watch the play. Most viewers stood for the entire length of the performance. The Globe Theatre was built in the 1570s, but it burned down in 1613 when a cannon ball which was fired as part of a play lit the thatched roof on fire. It was rebuilt and continued as a popular theater until the 1640s when it was demolished to make way for other buildings. Londoners built a replica of the original Globe in the 1990s, and it continues to be a venue for Shakespeare’s plays.
Visit the one-of-a-kind Globe Theater. Shakespeare made it famous. It was a huge building, shaped like a 20-sided polygon. Only high-paying theater-goers could actually have a seat to watch the play. Most viewers stood for the entire length of the performance. The Globe Theatre was built in the 1570s, but it burned down in 1613 when a cannon ball which was fired as part of a play lit the thatched roof on fire. It was rebuilt and continued as a popular theater until the 1640s when it was demolished to make way for other buildings. Londoners built a replica of the original Globe in the 1990s, and it continues to be a venue for Shakespeare’s plays.
Sydney Opera House
Travel to the Sydney Opera House. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. The building isn’t just for operas; it’s a theater for all the performing arts. The building was designed to look like a giant ship whose sails are blowing in the wind. The building contains over 1000 rooms with 5 different theaters, many practice halls, restaurants, and shops.
Travel to the Sydney Opera House. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. The building isn’t just for operas; it’s a theater for all the performing arts. The building was designed to look like a giant ship whose sails are blowing in the wind. The building contains over 1000 rooms with 5 different theaters, many practice halls, restaurants, and shops.
Vintage
Ragtime and Vaudeville Show
Travel back in time to a vaudeville show. Find out about the history of vaudeville, why it was so popular, and what brought about its demise. You can hear some old recordings of vaudeville performers and there's even a video taken from an old recording.
Travel back in time to a vaudeville show. Find out about the history of vaudeville, why it was so popular, and what brought about its demise. You can hear some old recordings of vaudeville performers and there's even a video taken from an old recording.
People To SeeAeschylus
Meet Aeschylus. He is the Father of Greek tragedy. He wrote Prometheus Bound, Agamemnon, Eumenides, and The Libation Bearers.
Meet Aeschylus. He is the Father of Greek tragedy. He wrote Prometheus Bound, Agamemnon, Eumenides, and The Libation Bearers.
Andrew
Lloyd Weber
Evita. Phantom of the Opera. Cats. Sunset Boulevard. Starlight Express. Get to know Andrew Lloyd Weber through his lavish musicals.
Evita. Phantom of the Opera. Cats. Sunset Boulevard. Starlight Express. Get to know Andrew Lloyd Weber through his lavish musicals.
e-Oneill.com
Get to know Eugene O'Neill and his plays about "tormented families and people torn between wealth and noble ideals."
Get to know Eugene O'Neill and his plays about "tormented families and people torn between wealth and noble ideals."
Gilbert
and Sullivan Archives
Meet William S. Gilbert and Arthur S. Sullivan. Gilbert wrote the words and Sullivan wrote the music for their numerous operettas.
Meet William S. Gilbert and Arthur S. Sullivan. Gilbert wrote the words and Sullivan wrote the music for their numerous operettas.
Henrik
Ibsen
Meet Henrik Ibsen, the Norwegian playwright and explore the secrets behind his symbolic plays.
Meet Henrik Ibsen, the Norwegian playwright and explore the secrets behind his symbolic plays.
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Spend time with composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein and learn about their contributions to musical theatre.
Spend time with composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein and learn about their contributions to musical theatre.
Stephen Sondheim
Sing along with Stephen Sondheim and his popular Broadway musicals. As a young man, he studied with Oscar Hammerstein.
Sing along with Stephen Sondheim and his popular Broadway musicals. As a young man, he studied with Oscar Hammerstein.
Tennessee
Williams
Meet Tennessee Williams. He wrote more than 60 plays, and all of them are set in the South.
Meet Tennessee Williams. He wrote more than 60 plays, and all of them are set in the South.
William Shakespeare
Spend some time with William Shakespeare. This site has a fun section called Magnetic Poetry where you get to rearrange Shakespeare's words.
Spend some time with William Shakespeare. This site has a fun section called Magnetic Poetry where you get to rearrange Shakespeare's words.
Things To DoEServer Drama Collection
Browse through this collection of original plays and screenplays, criticism, and links to other sites concerned with theatre.
Browse through this collection of original plays and screenplays, criticism, and links to other sites concerned with theatre.
Japanese
Noh Theatre
Learn about Japanese Noh theatre. These plays are formal dance dramas and often have ghosts in them! Some Noh performances can last as long as 10 hours.
Learn about Japanese Noh theatre. These plays are formal dance dramas and often have ghosts in them! Some Noh performances can last as long as 10 hours.
National Standards
for Theatre Education
These standards outline what every K-12 student should know and be able to do in theatre arts. Also, check out these Theatre Lesson Plans.
These standards outline what every K-12 student should know and be able to do in theatre arts. Also, check out these Theatre Lesson Plans.
ScriptCrawler
Use Scriptcrawler to search for thousands of screenplays, teleplays, radio scripts, and stage plays.
Use Scriptcrawler to search for thousands of screenplays, teleplays, radio scripts, and stage plays.
Theatre
History on the Web
Locate information about classical theatre, medieval and renaissance theatre, Elizabethan theatre, 17 th, 18 th, and 19 th century theatre, and contemporary theatre.
Locate information about classical theatre, medieval and renaissance theatre, Elizabethan theatre, 17 th, 18 th, and 19 th century theatre, and contemporary theatre.
Teacher Resources Online Activities/Hotlists are a listing of internet
sites with fun, interesting, and educational tasks attached to each one.
(You can learn how to use this WWW
Activities tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Virtual Field Trips are teacher and student-created
tours of curricular topics. (You can learn how to use this UEN Virtual
Field Trip tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Bibliography - Bolton, Reg. Showtime!: Over 75 Ways to Put on a Show. New York: DK Pub., c1998.
- Manning, Mick. Drama School. New York: Kingfisher, c1999.
- Muir, Kerry. Child's Play. New York: Limelight Editions, 1995.
- Wood, David. Theatre for Children: Guide to Writing, Adapting, Directing, and Acting. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, c1999.